Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Martin Truex Jr. increases playoff points total, but Kyle Larson makes some headway

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pure Michigan 400

BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 13: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota, leads Erik Jones, driver of the #77 5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength Toyota, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 13, 2017 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Martin Truex Jr. won another stage, but Kyle Larson gained some ground on the points leader Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

With his third victory of the season, Larson moved into second in playoff points with 18. Truex leads the series with 35 playoff points.

The Furniture Row Racing driver picked up another playoff point by winning the second stage at Michigan. Truex also expanded his regular-season lead to 129 points from 116 after his win at Watkins Glen International. With three races remaining before the 10-race playoffs, Truex stands to gain an extra 15 playoff points as the regular-season champion.

Larson improved a spot to second in the standings, seven points ahead of Kyle Busch. Finishing second in the regular-season is worth 10 playoff points.

In the battle for the final spot in the 16-driver playoff, Matt Kenseth has a 31-point lead over Clint Bowyer. Despite running third on the final restart with two laps remaining, Kenseth finished 24th, one spot behind Bowyer.

Click here for the points standings after Sunday’s race at Michigan.