NASCAR has another new points leader after Bristol race

Following a chaotic race centered around tire management that produced an all-time Bristol Motor Speedway record 54 lead changes, it was Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin who found himself in victory lane for the first time since he visited the same victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs back in September.

Hamlin is the fifth different driver to win one of the season's first five races, and after having recorded just a single top 10 finish in the first four, he now finds himself in fifth place in the point standings, second highest among this year's five winners.

While he has found victory lane in 2024, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota is not one of the five drivers who has led the standings at some point this year.

A new driver has led the NASCAR Cup Series standings after each race.

Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron led the standings following his season-opening Daytona 500 win at Daytona International Speedway, and Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch took over after the following weekend's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which saw him finish in third place.

Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson then dominated the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to take the lead before Team Penske's Ryan Blaney continued his streak of top five finishes at Phoenix Raceway, elevating the reigning series champion to the top at the same track where he secured his first title last November.

Now Joe Gibbs Racing's Martin Truex Jr., whose worst finish of 15th place this season is the best worst finish among all drivers, finds himself in the points lead, officially tied with Larson following his runner-up finish behind Hamliin in Sunday's Food City 500.

Larson is technically classified as the leader, due to having a win, but it can still be said that nobody has scored more points than Truex up to this point in the season.

Winners Byron and Suarez now sit in 10th and 11th place, respectively, while Phoenix winner Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing sits in eighth. Busch has since plummeted to 16th, while Blaney dropped to fourth on Sunday, slotting him in behind Larson, Truex, and Joe Gibbs Racing's Ty Gibbs in third.

The sixth race on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, which is set to be broadcast live on Fox from Circuit of the Americas beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 24. If you have not yet begun a free trial of FuboTV, do so today and don't miss it!