Position, points and “behind”
Position is the current championship rank. Points are the driver's season total. “Behind” is the gap to the points leader, so a smaller number means the driver is closer to P1.
2026 championship points
2026 NASCAR Cup Series Standings: Points, Wins & Chase Cutoff
See who leads the NASCAR Cup Series, how many points each driver trails and where the provisional top-16 Chase bubble sits. Wins and season-long consistency both matter, but the points column sets the 2026 Chase field.
2026 format: the top 16 in points after 26 regular-season races enter a 10-race Chase. A race win does not create an automatic berth.
Current NASCAR Cup Series driver points table
Points leader
Denny Hamlin
886 points · 4 wins · 84 ahead of P2
Final Chase spot
P16 · Austin Cindric
518 points · 38 above first out
First driver out
P17 · Ryan Preece
480 points · needs 39 to move ahead
40 drivers shown
| Pos | Driver | Points | To cut | Behind | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | DNF | Laps led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 886 | +368 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 877 |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick | 802 | +284 | 84 | 23 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 437 |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 766 | +248 | 120 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 491 |
| 4 | Ty Gibbs | 751 | +233 | 135 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 6 | 263 |
| 5 | Carson Hocevar | 638 | +120 | 248 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 174 |
| 6 | Chase Elliott | 635 | +117 | 251 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 280 |
| 7 | Chase Briscoe | 623 | +105 | 263 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 213 |
| 8 | Kyle Larson | 617 | +99 | 269 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 704 |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | 613 | +95 | 273 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 75 |
| 10 | Christopher Bell | 609 | +91 | 277 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 422 |
| 11 | Daniel Suarez | 583 | +65 | 303 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 40 |
| 12 | William Byron | 568 | +50 | 318 | 23 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 150 |
| 13 | Joey Logano | 545 | +27 | 341 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 439 |
| 14 | Bubba Wallace | 540 | +22 | 346 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 154 |
| 15 | Shane van Gisbergen | 537 | +19 | 349 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 248 |
| 16 | Austin Cindric | 518 | 0 | 368 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 45 |
| Chase cut line · positions below this line are currently outside | ||||||||||
| 17 | Ryan Preece | 480 | -38 | 406 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 79 |
| 18 | Erik Jones | 474 | -44 | 412 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
| 19 | Brad Keselowski | 468 | -50 | 418 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 167 |
| 20 | Michael McDowell | 442 | -76 | 444 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 24 |
| 21 | Ross Chastain | 436 | -82 | 450 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 66 |
| 22 | AJ Allmendinger | 409 | -109 | 477 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 23 | Todd Gilliland | 406 | -112 | 480 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 24 | Zane Smith | 393 | -125 | 493 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 62 |
| 25 | Riley Herbst | 370 | -148 | 516 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 26 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 364 | -154 | 522 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 27 | John Hunter Nemechek | 355 | -163 | 531 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 62 |
| 28 | Austin Dillon | 349 | -169 | 537 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| 29 | Alex Bowman | 310 | -208 | 576 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 30 | Cole Custer | 270 | -248 | 616 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 31 | Noah Gragson | 268 | -250 | 618 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 32 | Ty Dillon | 266 | -252 | 620 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 33 | Josh Berry | 264 | -254 | 622 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 18 |
| 34 | Connor Zilisch | 216 | -302 | 670 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 |
| 35 | Cody Ware | 183 | -335 | 703 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 36 | Casey Mears | 12 | -506 | 874 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 37 | Kevin Magnussen | 11 | -507 | 875 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Jimmie Johnson | 9 | -509 | 877 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 39 | Katherine Legge | 8 | -510 | 878 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | B.J. McLeod | 4 | -514 | 882 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
No driver matches that search.
How to read the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series standings
The top-16 Chase bubble
After 26 regular-season races, the top 16 eligible drivers in points qualify. The red line separates the last provisional berth from the drivers currently outside; wins do not guarantee entry in 2026.
What happens when the Chase starts
Points are reseeded once, then all qualifiers stay in the 10-race Chase—there are no elimination rounds. The eligible driver with the most points after the finale is champion.
Standings change after each points-paying race. Use the schedule and results links above to connect the latest race finish with movement in the table.
How to use this tool
Use the championship standings tool
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1
Check the leader card for the front of the points race.
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2
Compare the final Chase spot with the first driver out to read the bubble quickly.
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3
Search a driver, then compare points, wins, top finishes, DNFs and laps led.
Race fan notes:
- To cut is calculated against the current final provisional Chase position.
- Positive values are on or above the line; negative values are below it.
NASCAR Cup standings FAQ
Who leads the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series standings?
Denny Hamlin is currently P1 with 886 points and 4 wins. The table updates when a new source snapshot is synchronized.
How many drivers make the 2026 Chase?
The top 16 eligible drivers in points qualify after 26 regular-season races. The Chase then runs for 10 races.
Does a race win guarantee a Chase berth?
No. Under the 2026 format, race winners are not granted automatic Chase entry. The qualifying field is determined by points after the regular season.
What do “To cut” and “Behind” mean?
“To cut” compares a driver with the current final Chase spot; “Behind” shows the deficit to the championship leader. Both gaps move after every points-paying race.