Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings, Schedule Post-Pure Michigan 400

Matt Kenseth ruled the day on Sunday at the Pure Michigan 400. Kenseth led for 146 of the 200 laps in the race and cruised to his third win of the season.

Toyota Racing congratulates its driver on his victory:

ESPN Stats & Info adds perspective to Kenseth's performance:

On Saturday, Kenseth tweeted his wishes for a fast race after an impressive qualifying performance. It's clear he got his wish:

After securing the pole position, Kenseth proved his No. 20 car had the speed and endurance to capture the checkered flag. He took control of the race early on. He led for 107 of the first 150 laps before Austin Dillon briefly took control. 

Kenseth would regain his spot in front of the pack for the win. He was 1.7 seconds ahead of Sprint Cup points leader Kevin Harvick. The latter managed a second-place finish despite running into fuel issues for the second consecutive race. Harvick had to settle for third place last week at the Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen after his No. 4 car ran out of gas.

This week, Harvick ran out of fuel on the backstretch. Here's a look at the top-10 results from Sunday's race:

Position	Car	Driver	Starting Position	Laps	Laps Led
1	20	Matt Kenseth	1	200	146
2	4	Kevin Harvick	7	200	15
3	78	Martin Truex Jr.	22	200	0
4	3	Austin Dillon	4	200	19
5	11	Denny Hamlin	2	200	0
6	19	Carl Edwards	3	200	5
7	22	Joey Logano	10	200	0
8	31	Ryan Newman	17	200	0
9	2	Brad Keselowski	14	200	0
10	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	9	200	0

Here are the updated Sprint Cup standings after Kenseth's win:

POS	Driver	Car No.	Points	Behind	Wins
1	Kevin Harvick	4	866	Leader	2
2	Joey Logano	22	818	-48	2
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr	88	784	-82	2
4	Martin Truex Jr	78	755	-111	1
5	Brad Keselowski	2	754	-112	1
6	Jimmie Johnson	48	752	-114	4
7	Matt Kenseth	20	751	-115	3
8	Kurt Busch	41	683	-183	2
9	Denny Hamlin	11	670	-196	1
10	Jamie McMurray	1	663	-203	0

You can see the full standings at NASCAR.com. 

Cooling Off Kyle

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Busch had won three of his last five races and finished first or second in four of them. He came in 11th on Sunday. Busch did hold the lead for 10 laps, which helped him move to 29th place in the standings.

Busch missed much of the season because of a broken leg, but his torrid pace has moved him into position to qualify for the Chase.

Despite finishing outside of the top 10, Busch remains a driver his fellow competitors don't want to tangle with in NASCAR's second half of the season.

Jimmie Dropping on the Grid

Dave Frechette/Associated Press

After a rough day at the race track, Jimmie Johnson fell to sixth in the Sprint Cup standings. He finished 43rd on Sunday in a race that saw the six-time champion overshoot his pit stall, lose a lap to a flat tire and then spin out late in the race.

At least he finished and is still in good shape on the Chase grid. Needless to say, Johnson probably can't wait to get out of Michigan. 

What's Next?

Race	Track	Date	Time (ET)
Challenger Round
Contender Round
Eliminator Round
Championship Round
IRWIN Tools Night Race	Bristol Motor Speedway	Saturday, Aug. 22	7:30 p.m.
Bojangles' Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	Sunday, Sept. 6	7 p.m.
Federated Auto Parts 400	Richmond International Raceway	Saturday, Sept. 12	7:30 p.m.
NASCAR Sprint Cup September Chicagoland Race	Chicagoland Speedway	Sunday, Sept. 20	3 p.m.
Sylvania 300	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Sunday, Sept. 27	2 p.m.
AAA 400	Dover International Speedway	Sunday, Oct. 4	2:30 p.m.
Bank of America 500	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Saturday, Oct. 10	7 p.m.
Hollywood Casino 400	Kansas Speedway	Sunday, Oct. 18	2:15 p.m.
Alabama 500	Talladega Superspeedway	Sunday, Oct. 25	2:30 p.m.
Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500	Martinsville Speedway	Sunday, Nov. 1	1:15 p.m.
AAA Texas 500	Texas Motor Speedway	Sunday, Nov. 8	2 p.m.
Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500	Phoenix International Raceway	Sunday, Nov. 15	2:30 p.m.
Ford EcoBoost 400	Homestead-Miami Speedway	Sunday, Nov. 22	Ford EcoBoost 400

The Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol is the next stop on the Sprint Cup series schedule. Kenseth finished fourth in this event last year, but Joey Logano—last week's winner at The Glen—took the checkered flag. Along with Busch and a potentially resurgent Johnson, Logano and Kenseth are the drivers to watch under the lights.

There's only three races remaining on the schedule. The plot thickens as NASCAR's version of the playoffs approaches.