TC Daily Pit Stop: Looking at How Things Stand Entering NASCAR's Only Week of No Racing

TC Daily Pit Stop: Tuesday, June 13th, 2023

NASCAR Cup Series: Martin Truex, Jr. Leads Regular-Season Standings in Tight Top-Seven Battle

Photo Credit: Lesley Ann Miller, LAT Images, Courtesy of Toyota Racing

In the second season with the NextGen car, the NASCAR Cup Series continues to be the most competitive series in NASCAR, with 10 different winner gracing victory lane in the opening 16 events of the year.

WILLIAM BYRON has been the most dominant driver of the season, leading the series in Average Running Position, Laps in the Top-15, Laps Led, and Wins, after winning at Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Darlington.

However, as the summer months begin to come into view, Toyota has been on it with all six of its entries, four of which - DENNY HAMLIN, CHRISTOPHER BELL, MARTIN TRUEX, JR., and TYLER REDDICK - have visited victory lane in 2023.

To the surprise of some, RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. has put together an incredible season after winning the Daytona 500, scoring a total of five top-10 results, and 11 top-15s.

Other winners this season include: KYLE LARSON, KYLE BUSCH, RYAN BLANEY, and JOEY LOGANO. Busch, in his first season with Richard Childress Racing, has recorded three wins on the year at Auto Club, Talladega, and Gateway.

2023 NASCAR Cup Series Point Standings (After R16/36):

1. #19 - Martin Truex, Jr.

2. #24 - William Byron (-13pts)

3. #12 - Ryan Blaney (-24pts)

4. #1 - Ross Chastain (-24pts)

5. #4 - Kevin Harvick (-25pts)

6. #8 - Kyle Busch (-29pts)

7. #20 - Christopher Bell (-32pts)

8. #11 - Denny Hamlin (-63pts)

9. #22 - Joey Logano (-81pts)

10. #5 - Kyle Larson (-85pts)

With only 10 races remaining in the regular-season, the action doesn’t stop at the regular-season championship, but also exists at the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff cutline, where there is an intense battle forming.

11. #1 - Ross Chastain (+173pts)

12. #4 - Kevin Harvick (+172pts)

13. #17 - Chris Buescher (+102pts)

14. #6 - Brad Keselowski (+96pts)

15. #23 - Bubba Wallace (+26pts)

16. #48 - Alex Bowman (+3pts)

17. #99 - Daniel Suarez (-3pts)

18. #54 - Ty Gibbs (-11pts)

19. #34 - Michael McDowell (-14pts)

20. #16 - AJ Allmendinger (-33pts)

---

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Nemechek Edges Ahead in Back-and-Forth Battle with Austin Hill for Points Lead

Photo Credit: Gavin Baker, LAT Images, Courtesy of Toyota Racing

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, things are much more relaxed when it comes to battling for a regular-season championship. After a string of back-to-back road courses, several drivers are ready to return to strictly turning left.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK leads the series standings, by virtue of a pair of victories in the second-tier series at Auto Club Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, his 457 laps led leads the series.

AUSTIN HILL has faded a bit as of late, but started off the season with a bang, winning events at Daytona, Las Vegas, and Atlanta, in which time he’s since cooled down substantially.

Other winners this season - running for points - include JUSTIN ALLGAIER, COLE CUSTER, CHANDLER SMITH, SAMMY SMITH, and JEB BURTON.

RYAN TRUEX, AJ ALLMENDINGER, ARIC ALMIROLA, and KYLE LARSON are among the drivers not competing for a championship that have scored victories in the series this season.

2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Point Standings (After R14/36):

1. #20 - John Hunter Nemechek (522pts)

2. #21 - Austin Hill (-4pts)

3. #7 - Justin Allgaier (-25pts)

4. #00 - Cole Custer (-59pts)

5. #8 - Josh Berry (-112pts)

6. #16 - Chandler Smith (-122pts)

7. #2 - Sheldon Creed (-123pts)

8. #18 - Sammy Smith (-161pts)

9. #1 - Sam Mayer (-162pts)

10. #98 - Riley Herbst (-176pts)

Meanwhile, the battle for the final spots in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, are also being widely contested, although less widely contested than the NASCAR Cup Series, with several drivers still in play.

8. #8 - Josh Berry (+91pts)

9. #2 - Sheldon Creed (+80pts)

10. #1 - Sam Mayer (+41pts)

11. #98 - Riley Herbst (+27pts)

12. #11 - Daniel Hemric (+18pts)

13. #48 - Parker Kligerman (-18pts)

14. #9 - Brandon Jones (-27pts)

15. #25 - Brett Moffitt (-70pts)

16. #39 - Ryan Sieg (-77pts)

---

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Illness Can’t Keep Corey Heim Out of the Points Lead

Photo Credit: Matthew T. Thacker, LAT Images, Courtesy of Toyota Racing

With a brand-new - but also kind of old - identity, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has had an exciting season thus far, with several good storylines and several instances of amazing racing.

After 12 events, COREY HEIM leads the series’ point standings, despite having to sit out the series’ most recent event at World Wide Technology Raceway. Even with that bump in the road, the TRICON Garage driver leads the point standings, scoring a single win at Martinsville Speedway.

ZANE SMITH, GRANT ENFINGER, and CHRISTIAN ECKES have also flexed their muscles as series regulars in 2023, with each driver scoring a pair of victories on the season, but currently sit third, fourth, and sixth in point standings, respectively.

Other winners this season include BEN RHODES and CARSON HOCEVAR. Rhodes triumphed with ThorSport Racing at Charlotte, while Hocevar scored his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory at Texas.

KYLE LARSON, JOEY LOGANO, and KYLE BUSCH are the only drivers not competing for a championship in the Truck Series to score victories this season. Larson came home with the win at North Wilkesboro, Logano at Bristol Dirt, and Busch at Las Vegas.

2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Point Standings (After R12/23):

1. #11 - Corey Heim (425pts)

2. #98 - Ty Majeski (-1pt)

3. #23 - Grant Enfinger (-9pts)

4. #38 - Zane Smith (-19pts)

5. #99 - Ben Rhodes (-32pts)

6. #19 - Christian Eckes (-36pts)

7. #42 - Carson Hocevar (-88pts)

8. #88 - Matt Crafton (-93pts)

9. #52 - Stewart Friesen (-100pts)

10. #25 - Matt DiBenedetto (-107pts)

The battle for the final spots in the NASCAR Truck Series Playoffs aren’t too shabby either, with several drivers within close proximity of the cutline.

7. #98 - Ty Majeski (+113pts)

8. #88 - Matt Crafton (+21pts)

9. #52 - Stewart Friesen (+14pts)

10. #25 - Matt DiBenedetto (+7pts)

11. #15 - Tanner Gray (-7pts)

12. #2 - Nick Sanchez (-11pts)

13. #4 - Chase Purdy (-38pts)

14. #35 - Jake Garcia (-58pts)

15. #16 - Tyler Ankrum (-79pts)

16. #24 - Rajah Caruth (-96pts)