NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup 2015 standings: Denny Hamlin wins, Matt Kenseth leads in points

Denny Hamlin won the myAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, the first race of the 2015 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, though he is in second place atop the points standings.

All 16 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup started the NASCAR playoffs with 2,000 points, plus three points per win during the regular season. That meant Hamlin, who won at Martinsville in March, entered Sunday with 2,003 points. He racked up 43 points for finishing in first place, plus three points for the win and one point for leading at least one lap, giving up 47 points Sunday and 2,050 points overall.

Matt Kenseth started Sunday with 2,012 points thanks to four wins during the season. He finished in fifth place at Chicagoland and earning 39 points plus one for leading a lap. He now tops the charts with 2,052 points, two points ahead of Hamlin.

Kevin Harvick, who shoved Jimmie Johnson following a wreck, began with 2,006 points but earned only three points on Sunday, two for finishing in 42nd place and one more for leading a lap. Harvick ranks last among the 16 qualifiers for the Chase for the Sprint Cup with 2,009 points.

The challenger round consists of three races, with trips to New Hampshire and Delaware following Chicagoland. The bottom four in points will be eliminated after the third race.

Here are the standings after Chicagoland: