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Kyle Busch reigns supreme atop Cup Series standings after back-to-back wins

By Nick Tylwalk

BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 16: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, races during the rain delayed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 16, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 16: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, races during the rain delayed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 16, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /
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After back-to-back wins at two very different tracks, Kyle Busch deservedly sits atop both the points and playoff standings.

Last season, Martin Truex Jr. was the man to beat for most of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series campaign, but Kyle Busch was arguably a tad hotter late in the year. Truex held on to win the championship, setting up what could have been a titanic battle in 2018.

So far, only one of them has picked up exactly where he left off, and that’s Busch. Though Truex has a win, Busch just captured his second straight victory with a late pass of Kyle Larson at Bristol. Combined with six other top-10s and six total top-5s in the season’s first eight races, it should come as no surprise to learn that he is leading the way in points and would be the top seed in the NASCAR Playoffs if they started today.

And don’t look now, but the Chevy drivers are coming. Alex Bowman and Jimmie Johnson both finished in the top five at Bristol, and while only Bowman is in a playoff spot, seven-time champ Johnson is very, very close. William Byron and Bubba Wallace aren’t all that far away either, and if they can continue their momentum into Richmond, the rest of the spring and early summer could be very interesting indeed.

Next: Food City 500 instant reaction: The Chevys are alright

Here’s a look at how the standings shape up after the Food City 500 and before the Saturday night race this coming weekend.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings after Bristol – Points

(regular season race 8 of 26)

  1. Kyle Busch, 365 points
  2. Joey Logano, -59
  3. Kevin Harvick, -75
  4. Clint Bowyer, -79
  5. Brad Keselowski, -94
  6. Ryan Blaney, -98
  7. Martin Truex Jr., -108
  8. Denny Hamlin, -113
  9. Kyle Larson, -116
  10. Kurt Busch, -124
  11. Aric Almirola, -154
  12. Erik Jones, -156
  13. Alex Bowman, -175
  14. Austin Dillon, -182
  15. Ryan Newman, -184
  16. Paul Menard, -195
  17. Jimmie Johnson, -196
  18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., -203
  19. William Byron, -211
  20. AJ Allmendinger, -215
  21. Bubba Wallace, -217
  22. Jamie McMurray, -225
  23. Chase Elliott, -229
  24. Daniel Suarez, -231
  25. Chris Buescher, -246
  26. David Ragan, -248
  27. Michael McDowell, -250
  28. Trevor Bayne, -255
  29. Kasey Kahne, -264
  30. Ty Dillon, -270
  31. Matt DiBenedetto, -274
  32. Cole Whitt, -310
  33. Gray Gaulding, -311
  34. D.J. Kennington, -327
  35. Landon Cassill, -331
  36. Jeffrey Earnhardt, -337
  37. Harrison Rhodes, -343
  38. Mark Thompson, -350
  39. Corey LaJoie, -351
  40. Reed Sorensen, -351

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings after Bristol – Playoffs

  1. Kyle Busch, 2 wins, 12 playoff points
  2. Kevin Harvick, 2 wins (1 more win does not count for playoff purposes), 12 playoff points
  3. Martin Truex Jr., 1 win, 7 playoff points
  4. Clint Bowyer, 1 win, 5 playoff points
  5. Austin Dillon, 1 win, 5 playoff points
  6. Brad Keselowski, 3 playoff points
  7. Ryan Blaney, 2 playoff points
  8. Kurt Busch, 2 playoff points
  9. Denny Hamlin, 1 playoff point
  10. Joey Logano
  11. Kyle Larson
  12. Aric Almirola
  13. Erik Jones
  14. Alex Bowman
  15. Ryan Newman
  16. Paul Menard, +1 point above cutoff
  17. Jimmie Johnson, -1 point below cutoff
  18. Rick Stenhouse Jr., -8
  19. William Byron, -16
  20. AJ Allmendinger, -20
  21. Bubba Wallace, -22
  22. Jamie McMurray, -30
  23. Chase Elliott, -34
  24. Daniel Suarez, -36
  25. Chris Buescher, -51
  26. David Ragan, -53
  27. Michael McDowell, -55
  28. Trevor Bayne, -60
  29. Kasey Kahne, -69
  30. Ty Dillon, -75
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