NASCAR Cup Series has a new points leader after Michigan race

23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick may not have won a NASCAR Cup Series race since April, when he found victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway, but he entered Michigan International Speedway as arguably the hottest driver in the series.

The driver of the No. 45 Toyota had reeled off six straight top six finishes and posted nine top eight results in the 10 most recent races, and he had clawed his way up to second place in the point standings, placing himself well within striking distance of the lead.

Reddick entered the FireKeepers Casino 400 five points out of the lead, and he drove his way back to victory lane at Michigan. With that, he took the lead of the point standings for the first time in his Cup Series career.

Tyler Reddick takes NASCAR Cup Series points lead

Reddick owns a 10-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott. Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson, who entered the FireKeepers Casino 400 as the leader, fell to fourth place, 32 points behind, after crashing out of the race. Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin, who co-owns the team for which Reddick competes, sits in third, 28 points behind.

Reddick is one of eight drivers to have led the point standings at some point this season. Elliott, Hamlin, and Larson are among the others, as are the drivers who sit in fifth and sixth place in the point standings, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney and Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron, respectively. Those drivers have all won this year.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Martin Truex Jr. and Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch are the other two drivers who have led the point standings at some point this year.

Neither one has won a race in 2024, but Truex's provisional playoff spot is relatively safe, as he sits in eighth place in the point standings. Busch, on the other hand, finds himself in 19th in the playoff picture and in a must-win situation with two races remaining on the regular season schedule at Daytona International Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

The regular season championship battle is significant in and of itself, and it is also significant because of the playoff ramifications it has.

The regular season champion scores 15 additional playoff points, which is the equivalent of three races wins, before the four-round, 10-race postseason. The runner-up scores 10, making the difference between the two the equivalent of a full race victory.

Eight playoff points are awarded to the third place finisher, and that total decreases by one per position, all the way down through the driver who finishes in 10th.

Daytona International Speedway is scheduled to host the Coke Zero Sugar 400 this Saturday, August 24, with live coverage set to be provided by NBC beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss it!