Kyle Larson didn’t just leave World Wide Technology Raceway with a trophy. He left Gateway firmly in the middle of the NASCAR Cup Series championship fight.
Larson’s victory in Sunday’s chaotic Enjoy Illinois 300 vaulted him from seventh to second in the Chase standings, shrinking what had been a 49-point deficit to Denny Hamlin after Darlington to just nine points after two races.
Hamlin remains atop the standings with 2,168 points following his ninth-place finish at Gateway. Larson is second with 2,159, while Christopher Bell sits third with 2,150, 18 points behind Hamlin.
Ryan Blaney remains fourth despite a disastrous 35th-place finish Sunday, but his deficit grew considerably. Blaney now trails Hamlin by 33 points.
With two of the 10 Chase races complete, here’s where all 16 championship contenders stand.
NASCAR Cup Series Chase Standings After Gateway
- Denny Hamlin — 2,168 points
- Kyle Larson — 2,159 (-9)
- Christopher Bell — 2,150 (-18)
- Ryan Blaney — 2,135 (-33)
- Tyler Reddick — 2,126 (-42)
- Ty Gibbs— 2,117 (-51)
- Joey Logano — 2,117 (-51)
- Chase Briscoe — 2,109 (-59)
- Carson Hocevar — 2,080 (-88)
- Bubba Wallace — 2,078 (-90)
- Chase Elliott — 2,075 (-93)
- Austin Cindric — 2,060 (-108)
- Chris Buescher — 2,057 (-111)
- Ryan Preece — 2,055 (-113)
- William Byron — 2,054 (-114)
- Daniel Suárez — 2,049 (-119)
Kyle Larson Makes Massive Jump in NASCAR Chase Standings
No driver gained more ground at Gateway than Larson.
The Hendrick Motorsports star entered Sunday’s race seventh in the standings with 2,086 points, 49 behind Hamlin. He then survived a race featuring 18 cautions and an overtime finish to take the checkered flag.
The result produced a 40-point swing in Larson’s deficit to Hamlin in a single race. Instead of staring at a nearly 50-point gap, Larson heads to Bristol within nine points of the championship lead.
Bell remains close as well. His 19th-place Gateway finish wasn’t what the No. 20 team wanted, but he sits only 18 points behind Hamlin through two Chase races.
Behind the top three, the gaps are beginning to grow.
Blaney’s 35th-place finish left him 33 points back, while Reddick sits 42 behind Hamlin after finishing 25th. Logano’s third-place Gateway run moved him into a tie with Gibbs at 2,117 points, 51 behind the leader.
The bottom half of the standings faces a much steeper climb. Hocevar is 88 points back in ninth, while Suárez sits 16th and trails Hamlin by 119.
NASCAR Chase Heads to Bristol
There is one important distinction with the 2026 championship format: nobody is facing elimination at Bristol.
NASCAR returned to a 10-race Chase this season, replacing the elimination-style playoff format. All 16 Chase drivers remain championship eligible throughout the entire 10-race stretch, with the title going to the eligible driver who has the most points after the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
That makes a result like Larson’s at Gateway particularly valuable. There is no later points reset to wipe away the ground he gained Sunday.
The Chase now moves to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, Sept. 19, the third of 10 championship races.
Two races down, eight to go.
And after Gateway, Hamlin suddenly has Larson right on his heels.
NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Gateway: Full Chase Points Update