NASCAR points lead changes hands yet again after Pocono race

NASCAR made its annual trip to Pocono Raceway this past weekend, and it was reigning series champion Team Penske of Ryan Blaney who took the checkered flag to secure his second win on the 2024 Cup Series season.

But it was the ninth place finisher in Sunday's 160-lap race around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilomter) Tricky Triangle in Long Pond, Pennsylvania who ascended back to the top of the point standings.

Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott is the new points leader following the Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.

Chase Elliott retakes NASCAR points lead

Elliott has not had a particularly flashy season, having won just one race at Texas Motor Speedway back in April and just one stage all the way back in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February.

But his consistency has stood out. His worst finish of 21st place is the best in the series by more than 10 positions, and his average finish of 10.5 is more than one full position better than anybody else's. He has utilized that consistency to get himself back atop the standings this season for the first time since 2022.

In the Next Gen car's first season two years ago, Elliott took the points lead after the season's fifth race, and based strictly on total points scored, he led the standings the entire rest of the season, including throughout the four-round, 10-race playoffs.

The 2020 series champion took the lead of the standings for the first time this year after last month's race at Iowa Speedway, overtaking teammate Kyle Larson for the top spot.

Elliott and Larson were tied for the lead after the following weekend's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway before Larson retook the lead after the next race at Nashville Superspeedway. He retained the lead after the next race on the streets of Chicago, Illinois.

Now Elliott owns a three-point lead over Larson. Though the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet only finished four spots ahead of the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet at Pocono, he outscored him by 14 total points throughout the afternoon.

Elliott has scored just six playoff points so far this season, which is only tied for eighth place in the series. But the top 10 drivers in the regular season point standings all score bonus playoff points, with the regular season champion scoring 15. Factoring in those provisional point totals, Elliott's tally of 21 ranks fifth.

A total of seven drivers have spent time atop the point standings so far this season, a list that also includes Blaney, Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron, Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., and even Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch, who now finds himself outside of the provisional playoff picture entirely.

The highest driver who has not yet led the standings this year is 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick, who finds himself in third place after Sunday's race. He trails Elliott by just 15 points.

The Brickyard 400 is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 21. This race is the final race on the schedule before the upcoming three-week break due to the Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action from NASCAR's return to the Indy oval!