After clinching a spot in the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup with his win Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, Denny Hamlin trails Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth by two points in the driver standings.
Defending series champion Kevin Harvick fell 11 spots to 16th following his mid-race wreck that led to him finishing 42nd, 58 laps down.
Behind Hamlin’s nine spots, the driver to gain the most ground in the standings was Ryan Newman. The Richard Childress Racing driver, who is winless this year, moved up six spots to eighth after finishing fourth.
Points standings: