NASCAR playoff standings, Cup points updated after Austin Dillon's controversial Richmond win
The return of the NASCAR Cup Series didn’t disappoint after a two-week break due to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
In an absolutely wild turn of events, Austin Dillon went from the doldrums to Victory Lane, adding new life to the phrase checkers or wreckers at Richmond, and capturing the checkered flag. He’ll have to answer Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin for his actions, but the No. 3 was celebrating after a long night of racing.
With Dillon’s shocking win, the playoff standings and overall Cup Series points have been thrown for a loop. Check them out below, and see how Dillon changed everything for a myriad of wheelmen.
Updated NASCAR Playoff Standings after Richmond
Austin Dillon was an afterthought ahead of Richmond, but he secured his spot in the playoffs with the shocking win on Sunday evening. That bumped Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain into must-win territory, and Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs are on notice now, as well.
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| Rank | Driver | Wins | Playoff Points |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 4 | 28 |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 25 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 3 | 21 |
| 4 | William Byron | 3 | 16 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 2 | 12 |
| 6 | Tyler Reddick | 1 | 8 |
| 7 | Austin Cindric | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | Chase Elliott | 1 | 6 |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | Daniel Suárez | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | Brad Keselowski | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | Alex Bowman | 1 | 5 |
| 13 | Austin Dillon | 1 | 5 |
| 14 | Martin Truex Jr. | 0 | +78 |
| 15 | Ty Gibbs | 0 | +19 |
| 16 | Bubba Wallace | 0 | +3 |
| 17 | Chris Buescher | 0 | -3 |
| 18 | Ross Chastain | 0 | -3 |
| 19 | Chase Briscoe | 0 | -103 |
| 20 | Kyle Busch | 0 | -122 |
Updated NASCAR Cup Standings after Richmond
Elsewhere, while Austin Dillon’s win won’t be felt as much in the overall Cup Series points, it was another solid performance for Tyler Reddick, who left Richmond with a podium finish. Now, the No. 45 is in striking distance of Kyle Larson, and could overtake him for the lead at any moment over the course of the summer.
| Rank | Drivers | Points | Leader |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 779 | 0 |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick | 774 | -5 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 773 | -6 |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin | 758 | -21 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 702 | -77 |
| 6 | Christopher Bell | 701 | -78 |
| 7 | William Byron | 678 | -101 |
| 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | 662 | -117 |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 636 | -143 |
| 10 | Alex Bowman | 615 | -164 |
| 11 | Ty Gibbs | 602 | -177 |
| 12 | Bubba Wallace | 587 | -192 |
| 13 | Chris Buescher | 584 | -195 |
| 14 | Ross Chastain | 584 | -195 |
| 15 | Joey Logano | 557 | -222 |
| 16 | Daniel Suárez | 497 | -282 |
| 17 | Chase Briscoe | 485 | -294 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 465 | -314 |
| 19 | Todd Gilliland | 454 | -325 |
| 20 | Austin Cindric | 451 | -328 |
| 21 | Michael McDowell | 431 | -348 |
| 22 | Carson Hocevar | 414 | -365 |
| 23 | Josh Berry | 412 | -367 |
| 24 | Noah Gragson | 400 | -379 |
| 25 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 376 | -403 |
| 26 | Austin Dillon | 344 | -435 |
| 27 | Ryan Preece | 341 | -438 |
| 28 | Erik Jones | 337 | -442 |
| 29 | Justin Haley | 329 | -450 |
| 30 | Corey LaJoie | 327 | -452 |
As you can see, Sunday’s race at Richmond was a game-changer for the Cup Series, and added a myriad of storylines to an already hot summer. The next couple of weeks should be bonkers, so buckle up and come along for the ride, as NASCAR returned with a bang in Virginia.