The Battle for NASCAR Cup Series Supremacy Heats Up After Pocono

Denny Hamlin's victory at Pocono Raceway sent shockwaves throughout the NASCAR Cup Series.

Hamlin's win not only added another trophy to his collection but also tightened the regular-season championship race.

With just nine regular-season races remaining, the Great American Getaway 400 reshaped several important battles throughout the standings.

No driver benefited more from Pocono than Hamlin.

The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran earned his fourth victory of the season and record-extending eighth Cup Series win at the 2.5-mile triangle.

Hamlin's win also cut significantly into Tyler Reddick's lead atop the regular-season standings.

Reddick remains the points leader with 704 points, but Hamlin now trails by only 19 after entering the weekend much further back.

Christopher Bell's final result won't fully tell the story of his afternoon.

Bell entered the weekend dealing with a broken wrist suffered in last Sunday's crash at Michigan International Speedway.

Yet despite the injury, he still spent much of the race battling near the front and remained a factor throughout the afternoon.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver ultimately finished 26th after late-race issues, but his performance was remarkable considering the circumstances.

Bell explained that the injury wasn't particularly noticeable when he had clean air and room to operate.

The biggest challenge came in traffic and during restarts.

Brad Keselowski remains in striking distance of the playoff cut line, sitting 17th in points following Pocono.

Joey Logano's difficult season took another hit Sunday, with a 34th-place finish.

Logano now finds himself behind both Keselowski and Austin Cindric in the playoff race with time beginning to run short.