Tyler Reddick extends his unyielding lead atop the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series points standings to a whopping 129 points over Denny Hamlin after finishing fifth at Watkins Glen.
Chase Elliott remains in third despite finishing down in 24th-place, while Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher hold onto their respective spots in the top five.
Ty Gibbs vaults to sixth after snagging a podium at the Glen as Carson Hocevar slips to seventh, followed by Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace who snips into the top 10.
The playoff picture sees a major shift after race 12 of 36 with Shane van Gisbergen jumping three spots to 16th, just above the chase cutline, thanks to his victory at Watkins Glen.
Chase Briscoe drops to 17th, just 6 points behind van Gisbergen, while Joey Logano tumbles to 18th, 32 points behind Briscoe.
Full 2026 NASCAR Cup Watkins Glen Race Results
Watkins Glen: New 2026 NASCAR Cup Series points standings after round 12 of 36
| Pos | Driver | Points | Pos +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 567 | |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 438 | |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 422 | |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 405 | |
| 5 | Chris Buescher | 375 | |
| 6 | Ty Gibbs | 372 | +1 |
| 7 | Carson Hocevar | 342 | -1 |
| 8 | Kyle Larson | 332 | |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 318 | |
| 10 | Bubba Wallace | 313 | +1 |
| 11 | Christopher Bell | 311 | +1 |
| 12 | William Byron | 309 | -2 |
| 13 | Ryan Preece | 296 | |
| 14 | Daniel Suarez | 295 | |
| 15 | Austin Cindric | 287 | |
| 16 – CHASE CUTLINE | Shane van Gisbergen | 283 | +3 |
| 17 | Chase Briscoe | 277 | -1 |
| 18 | Joey Logano | 245 | -1 |
| 19 | Ross Chastain | 236 | -1 |
| 20 | AJ Allmendinger | 235 | |
| 21 | Michael McDowell | 225 | +2 |
| 22 | Austin Dillon | 220 | +5 |
| 23 | Zane Smith | 217 | -2 |
| 24 | Kyle Busch | 217 | +2 |
| 25 | Erik Jones | 214 | -3 |
| 26 | Todd Gilliland | 206 | -1 |
| 27 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 193 | -3 |
| 28 | John Hunter Nemechek | 189 | +1 |
| 29 | Riley Herbst | 186 | -1 |
| 30 | Noah Gragson | 168 | +1 |
| 31 | Josh Berry | 160 | -1 |
| 32 | Connor Zilisch | 145 | +1 |
| 33 | Ty Dillon | 140 | -1 |
| 34 | Alex Bowman | 127 | |
| 35 | Cole Custer | 113 | +1 |
| 36 | Cody Ware | 93 | -1 |
| 37 | Casey Mears | 9 | |
| 38 | BJ McLeod | 3 |
