NASCAR's new points leader is an old familiar face.
Jimmie Johnson leapfrogged Brad Keselowski to take the Sprint Cup Series lead after finishing second at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday – albeit just by one point – and moved into the top spot for the first time since Watkins Glen.
Johnson has two second-place finishes to start the Chase, while Keselowski had a sixth-place result on Sunday to pair with his Chicagoland win.
After just two races, the top six drivers are already separating themselves from the bottom half of the playoff field. While there are five drivers within 15 points of Johnson, seventh-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 26 points back.
Here's a look at the NASCAR Chase standings after New Hampshire:
- Jimmie Johnson
- Brad Keselowski -1
- Denny Hamlin -7
- Tony Stewart -10
- Kasey Kahne -15
- Clint Bowyer -15
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -26
- Kevin Harvick -31
- Greg Biffle -33
- Martin Truex Jr. -34
- Matt Kenseth -35
- Jeff Gordon -45