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NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Richmond: Logano Surges, Chase Bubble Tightens
Joey Logano didnt just leave Richmond Raceway with another trophy.The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion also made one of the biggest moves in the standings.Loganos victory in Saturday nights Cook Out 400 vaulted the Team Penske driver four positions, from 13th to ninth, continuing a remarkable turnaround as the regular season enters its final two races.At the opposite end of the Chase picture, Austin Cindric climbed into 15th while Shane van Gisbergen slipped one position to 16th, leaving the Trackhouse Racing driver occupying the final Chase position.With New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway remaining before the 16-driver field is set, the margin for error is disappearing quickly.Denny Hamlin Holds Commanding Lead After RichmondDenny Hamlin remains firmly in control of the Cup Series standings.Hamlins fourth-place Richmond finish pushed him to 969 points, giving him a 115-point advantage over Ryan Blaney with two regular-season races remaining.Blaney moved up one position to second despite finishing 13th after starting from the pole. He has 854 points.Ty Gibbs slipped one position to third with 842 points, while Tyler Reddick remains fourth with 831.Richmond runner-up Chase Briscoe holds fifth at 715 points. Chase Elliott moved up one position to sixth and is tied with Christopher Bell at 695, although Elliott owns the sixth position.Kyle Larson was another significant mover Saturday. After starting 30th and recovering to finish sixth, Larson jumped two spots to eighth with 660 points.Then comes Logano.His second victory in four races propelled him four positions to ninth with 659 points, putting him only one point behind Larson. Chris Buescher rounds out the top 10 with 653.Shane van Gisbergen Holds Final Chase PositionThe most important line on the standings sheet may now be the one separating 16th and 17th.Van Gisbergen finished 14th at Richmond and sits 16th with 567 points. Ryan Preece is directly behind him in 17th with 517, leaving SVG with a 50-point advantage heading to New Hampshire.Ross Chastain sits 18th with 504 points, 63 behind van Gisbergen.Cindric gave himself some breathing room with an impressive Richmond performance. After starting 23rd, he drove all the way to third and moved up one position to 15th with 574 points, seven ahead of van Gisbergen.That leaves the current bubble looking like this:Austin Cindric 574 pointsShane van Gisbergen 567Ryan Preece 517Ross Chastain 504Richmond also formally locked several more drivers into the Chase. Hamlin, Blaney, Gibbs, Reddick, Briscoe, Elliott and Bell are shown above the clinch line in NASCARs updated standings.NASCAR Cup Series Standings After RichmondHere are the top 30 following the Cook Out 400:Denny Hamlin 969Ryan Blaney 854Ty Gibbs 842Tyler Reddick 831Chase Briscoe 715Chase Elliott 695Christopher Bell 695Kyle Larson 660Joey Logano 659Chris Buescher 653Carson Hocevar 645William Byron 630Daniel Surez 618Bubba Wallace 587Austin Cindric 574Shane van Gisbergen 567Ryan Preece 517Ross Chastain 504Brad Keselowski 489Erik Jones 486Michael McDowell 463AJ Allmendinger 442Todd Gilliland 428Zane Smith 418Austin Dillon 400Riley Herbst 399Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 389John Hunter Nemechek 388Alex Bowman 340Josh Berry 337The Cup Series heads next to New Hampshire, where the pressure surrounding the Chase bubble will only increase. After that comes Daytona, one of the least predictable races on the schedule and the final opportunity for drivers to alter the 16-driver field.
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