The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship could very well be clinched by Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin in this Sunday afternoon's Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the penultimate race on the 26-race regular season calendar.
In fact, the entire 16-driver playoff field could technically be solidified by the time this 301-lap race concludes around the four-turn, 1.058-mile (1.703-kilometer) "Magic Mile" oval in Loudon, New Hampshire.
But there is still plenty up for grabs, specifially regarding seeding for the upcoming 10-race "Chase" postseason, and this race could go a long way toward determining how the standings look following the post-regular season points reset.
Here are the current top 16. The top seven have all already mathematically clinched playoff spots.
NASCAR Cup Series standings before New Hampshire
Rank | Name | Points | Gap | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 969 | 0 | 452 |
2 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford | 854 | -115 | 337 |
3 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 842 | -127 | 325 |
4 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota | 831 | -138 | 314 |
5 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 715 | -254 | 198 |
6 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 695 | -274 | 178 |
7 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 695 | -274 | 178 |
8 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 660 | -309 | 143 |
9 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford | 659 | -310 | 142 |
10 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford | 653 | -316 | 136 |
11 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 645 | -324 | 128 |
12 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 630 | -339 | 113 |
13 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 618 | -351 | 101 |
14 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota | 587 | -382 | 70 |
15 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford | 574 | -395 | 57 |
16 | Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet | 567 | -402 | 50 |
A full starting lineup for Sunday's race was determined by Saturday's single-car qualifying session.
Follow along with our standings updates from New Hampshire as the Dollar Tree 301 unfolds.
NOTE: Only the top 10 drivers are included after the first two stages.
NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire: Standings updates
NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire: Standings after Stage 1
NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire: Standings after Stage 2
NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire: Full standings after Dollar Tree 301
Daytona International Speedway is scheduled to wrap up the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 this Saturday, August 29. NBC's live coverage is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Take advantage of FuboTV's free trial offer and don't miss it!
