Hamlin Takes Championship Lead After Chicagoland; Reddick’s Dominance Ends

Denny Hamlin has seized the NASCAR Cup Series championship lead following the Chicagoland race, earning 764 points and ending Tyler Reddick’s months-long hold on the top spot. Reddick now trails by 44 points—a stunning reversal from his commanding 129-point advantage before Memorial Day Weekend.

Chicagoland proved to be the turning point. Debris punched through Reddick’s radiator, forcing repairs that dropped him 30 laps down. It was a brutal capstone to a week that had already stripped away his points lead—the first time in 2026 that’s happened.

Chase Briscoe made hay from the chaos. He won the Chicagoland race and jumped three spots in the standings, climbing from 11th to eighth.

The upheaval rippled through the field. Daniel Suarez dropped from ninth to 11th, while Ryan Preece slipped from 15th to 17th—falling below the cut-line. Erik Jones sits on the bubble at 16th place with 411 points, just four ahead of Preece.

Ryan Blaney holds third with 651 points, positioning himself as the closest challenger to the Hamlin-Reddick duel. The championship race has tilted sharply as the season enters its final stages.