TrueLapScore

Who really raced up front?

TrueLapScore (TLS) scores every lap. On each lap, every car earns points for where it is running: in a 38-car field P1 earns 38 and P38 earns 1. Add up the laps for the race, then the races for the season.

It doesn't replace NASCAR's official points. It shows who ran up front all race, not just who was in front at the checkered flag. How it works →

Daily Brief Nov 5, 2026 · Updated Nov 5 · 7:13 AM ET

Championship Race and 2027 Driver Moves

  • Championship Race Outlook: The upcoming Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway features a field of contenders vying for the title. Analysis focuses on the statistical advantages of the top contenders heading into the finale. Jayski ↗ SpeedwayMedia ↗
    TLS Take Denny Hamlin leads the standings with 280,315 points, holding a 9,606-point lead over second-place Ryan Blaney. 2026 Cup TLS standings ? →
  • Ryan Preece 2027 Move: Ryan Preece is set to drive the No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing in the 2027 Cup season. This move follows his recent performance in the No. 60 car. SpeedwayMedia ↗ TobyChristie ↗ RacingNews.co ↗ Jayski ↗
    TLS Take Ryan Preece currently sits 15th in the standings with 205,329 points and an average average race points of 17.01. Ryan Preece stats ? →
  • Martinsville Performance Analysis: Chase Elliott's runner-up finish at Martinsville is being viewed as a significant performance despite not taking the win. The race also saw high television ratings for the series. Beyond the Flag ↗ Jayski ↗
    TLS Take William Byron was the official winner at Martinsville, earning 17,825 TrueLapScore points. Martinsville results ? →
  • New 2027 Driver Signings: John Hunter Nemechek has signed with the Haas Factory Team for the 2027 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season. He will drive the No. 41 entry. RacingNews.co ↗ Jayski ↗ TobyChristie ↗
    TLS Take The 2026 season concluded with a high-stakes championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Homestead track history ? →

TLS Feature Analysis · Cup · Oct 28, 2026

One Season, Three Scoreboards: Why Kyle Larson Leads the 2026 Chase While Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney Dominate Full-Season & TrueLapScore

Kyle Larson leaves Talladega with a 73-point lead in the official Chase standings — yet he is simultaneously eliminated from a traditional 36-race full-season points title (sitting 4th at 1,120 points, 175 behind Denny Hamlin's 1,295 with 152 available) and sits 5th in TrueLapScore behind a razor-thin 1,934-point duel between Hamlin and Ryan Blaney.

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This week's TLS Movers

TLS champions by season

"TLS champion" = most TrueLapScore points that season (not the official NASCAR champion). Seasons still in progress show the current TLS leader. 2020–present use NASCAR's exact start/finish lap-by-lap feed; 2018–2019 (ARP*) are reconstructed from NASCAR's official post-race Average Running Position & Laps Completed feed (how 2018–2019 differ →).

Cup Series

SeasonTLS championTLS points
2026 leader Denny Hamlin (C) 280,315
2025 William Byron (P) 285,377
2024 Denny Hamlin (P) 273,119
2023 Denny Hamlin (P) 262,800
2022 Joey Logano (P) 252,415
2021 Denny Hamlin (P) 294,969
2020 Joey Logano (P) 318,739
2019 ARP* Kyle Busch (P) 315,486
2018 ARP* Kyle Busch (P) 324,283

O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity)

Truck Series

Name tags such as (C), (P), # and * come from NASCAR's timing data. See the legend.