NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Sonoma: Denny Hamlin Takes Over the Points Lead

The NASCAR Cup Series championship picture changed dramatically Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

A power steering failure dropped Tyler Reddick to a 36th-place finish, opening the door for Denny Hamlin to reclaim the regular-season points lead despite finishing just 26th himself. Hamlin now sits atop the standings with 719 points, one ahead of Reddick’s 718 entering next weekend’s race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Elsewhere, Shane van Gisbergen’s dominant Sonoma victory vaulted him three spots in the standings, while Ty Gibbs continued his recent surge with another podium finish.

Denny Hamlin Edges Tyler Reddick for the Championship Lead

Hamlin leaves Sonoma with the narrowest possible advantage.

The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran now leads the standings by a single point after one of the biggest momentum swings of the season. Reddick entered Sunday’s race atop the standings, but mechanical problems on the No. 45 Toyota left him multiple laps down before he limped home in 36th.

While Hamlin didn’t have the type of race that typically produces a points lead, Sonoma’s attrition at the front of the championship battle was enough to put the No. 11 team back in first.

The top 10 in the Cup Series standings after Sonoma:

1. Denny Hamlin – 719
2. Tyler Reddick – 718 (-1)
3. Ryan Blaney – 615 (-104)
4. Ty Gibbs – 589 (-130)
5. Kyle Larson – 571 (-148)
6. Chase Elliott – 554 (-165)
7. Chris Buescher – 518 (-201)
8. Carson Hocevar – 509 (-210)
9. Daniel Suarez – 484 (-235)
10. Christopher Bell – 472 (-247)

Shane van Gisbergen, Ty Gibbs Among Sonoma’s Biggest Winners

Sonoma produced several notable movers throughout the standings.

Fresh off his second victory of the season, Shane van Gisbergen climbed three positions to 14th in the standings. The Trackhouse Racing driver now has two wins through 18 races and continues building momentum as NASCAR heads toward the second half of the regular season.

Ty Gibbs also capitalized on a strong weekend. After sweeping both stages and finishing third behind Van Gisbergen and Chase Briscoe, Gibbs moved up one position to fourth in the standings. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver now sits 130 points behind teammate Hamlin.

Christopher Bell gained two positions to crack the top 10 after his fifth-place finish, while William Byron also climbed one spot to 12th.

Sonoma Creates New Momentum Heading Into Chicagoland

Although Hamlin’s lead is just one point, Sunday’s race completely reshaped the championship conversation.

What had been Reddick’s advantage entering Sonoma disappeared in one afternoon, while several drivers around the playoff cut and inside the top 15 continued to shuffle positions after one of the season’s most consequential road course races.

With 18 races complete, the Cup Series now heads to Chicagoland Speedway, where Hamlin will try to protect his newly reclaimed points lead and Reddick will look to bounce back from one of his toughest weekends of the season.