Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have both passed Kyle Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings following the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kyle Larson forfeited his chance to score points in NASCAR’s crown jewel race by staying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to compete in the 108th running of the Indy 500, despite a four-hour rain delay that ensured he would not arrive at Charlotte Motor Speedway on time to start the Coca-Cola 600.
The plan was for Larson to finish the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Speedway, Indiana oval and then fly to Charlotte, where Justin Allgaier would have started the 400-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Concord, North Carolina oval in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Larson landed in Charlotte after 249 of 400 laps had been completed. Unfortunately, rain began to fall, and after a lengthy delay, NASCAR decided to call the race.
Chris Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing was declared the winner. Even if the race had resumed, Larson would not have earned any points; if he had won, Allgaier would have been credited with his first career Cup Series victory.
Kyle Larson loses his NASCAR Cup Series points lead.
Due to Larson’s decision to stay at Indy, he is no longer the points leader. Larson had led the standings since the season’s eighth race at Martinsville Speedway in early April. Now the lead belongs to Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who has not led at all this year.
In fact, both Hamlin and teammate Martin Truex Jr. jumped ahead of Larson in the standings with finishes of fifth and 12th place at Charlotte, respectively.
Hamlin is the sixth different points leader through the 2024 season’s first 14 races. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron led the standings after winning the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, but Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch took over after the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Larson took the lead after the following race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before reigning series champion Ryan Blaney of Team Penske took the lead the following week at Phoenix Raceway. Larson and Truex were tied after the next race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Truex owned the lead after the next two races at Circuit of the Americas and Richmond Raceway before Larson took over at Martinsville.
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