Huge drama is unfolding near the Cup Series playoff elimination line with only five more regular season races left. An equally thrilling storyline is on the cards at the helm of the standings as well. Chase Elliott has once again grabbed the points lead from teammate Kyle Larson after the 160-lapper at the Pocono Raceway on Sunday. Making the race for the regular season championship tighter are Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick.
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Elliott and Larson have been playing a cat-and-mouse game for the points lead over the past several weekends. With the latter faltering at the tricky triangle with a 13th-place finish, Elliott finished in ninth place and now has a three-point lead at the top. A prime reason why neither driver could finish higher despite having the speed was the pit road speeding penalty that they incurred in Lap 116.
Ty Gibbs and Daniel Suarez were penalized alongside them too. The Hendrick teammates travel to the Brickyard next to try and get the better of each other. This battle is turning out to be one of the most interesting ones in some time because of the nature of their performances. Larson has been the one with more wins (3) whereas Elliott has been far more consistent.
Elliott finished outside the top 20 just once this year, last weekend at Chicago. He has ten top-10 finishes supporting him in his bid to win the 15 playoff points that come with conquering the regular season. Larson, on the other hand, has finished outside the top 20 six times this year. He also missed out on racing in the Coca-Cola 600. The road can go any direction from hereon.
Could Toyota get one over Chevrolet in the regular season?
The 2024 season has been a tough fight for dominance between Chevrolet and Toyota. Winning the regular season championship would mean a lot for either manufacturer. While the Hendrick Motorsports teammates champion the bow tie brigade, Hamlin and Reddick come off as heroes for the Japanese carmaker. Reddick sits third on the table with a 15-point deficit to Elliott.
Hamlin is fourth, 20 points behind the leader. These are gaps that could be bridged far too easily and Hamlin knows it. He said in Pocono, “It’s very, very possible [winning the regular season championship], but you’re going to need a few stubbed toes here and there.” And stubbed toes are what he got in the triangle. He was able to rebound from a string of bad finishes and procure second place. Now all eyes will turn to the race at Indianapolis.
