NASCAR Championship: Full Driver Standings After Richmond

William Byron maintains his lead in the playoff standings as the only driver with multiple victories this season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver had a serious shot to add to his total today at Richmond, but he was spun while battling for the lead in the race with 20 laps remaining. He was relegated to a 20th place finish but earned another Stage win to earn even more bonus points once the playoffs begin.

Byron's teammate Kyle Larson punched his playoff ticket today with the race win, his first of the season. The 2021 Cup champion was not in the top 16 of the playoffs entering this weekend, but now moved into 5th place. The other drivers that have already secured a race win this year are Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ross Chastain continues to lead the way for drivers that have not won a race this season. Chastain, Kevin Harvick, and Christopher Bell continued to rack up points today with solid finishes at Richmond. The seven races this season have been won by five different organizations and all three manufacturers have been to victory lane.

The next opportunity for drivers to lock up a playoff spot comes next Sunday, under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway. The dirt race on the high-banked short track was the only race that Kyle Busch won last year, and his final victory with Joe Gibbs Racing. That was enough to get him into the playoffs, which is what every driver will be shooting for next weekend.