Toyota has brought speed to the track every week and the current 2026 NASCAR Cup Series point standings only prove that after 20 races.
Tyler Reddick shocked the world after winning back-to-back-to-back races to open the season, including the Daytona 500. The No. 45 team triple-downed by finding victory lane at EchoPark Speedway and the Circuit of the Americas the next two weeks.
Reddick has accumulated five wins, 10 top-fives, and 13 top-ten finished after 20 races, building a strong campaign heading into the final six weeks of the regular season.
As of late, Reddick has ran into bad luck, but still sits second in the point standings. The months of June and July haven’t treated the No. 45 team well as they have lost their points lead to Denny Hamkin, ran into a couple wrecks and mechanical issues in the last few weeks.
Hamlin, on the other hand, has proved to the NASCAR garage that the No. 11 team has what it needs to win the championship this year, turning on the jets in the months where Reddick has dropped.
At 45-years-old, Hamlin looks to be in the prime of his career, he has found victory lane four times, earned 10 top-fives, and 12 top-ten results so far this season.
With 16 weeks still remaining in the entire-season, both Reddick and Hamlin have an opportunity to make their single-season stats look become even more remarkable, all while battling for a title.
Both drivers are locked into the playoffs this year, it certainly appears that the Cup Series championship will come down to these two drivers, however, Ryan Blaney is quietly approaching them in the standings.
NASCAR heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the 21st Cup Series event of 2026. Tune into TNT Sports at 7:00pm Sunday, July 19th to catch the action.