Busch leads playoff points, Harvick leads stage points

Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick are leading the Cup Series competition in playoff points and stage points respectively following the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday.

Six races into the 2019 season, Busch has earned 14 playoff points via his two race wins and four stage wins. Brad Keselowski, the winner of the STP 500, netted seven playoff points Sunday, bringing his season total to 12.

In total, seven drivers have earned playoff points thus far through 2019. The other five are Joey Logano (6), Denny Hamlin (5), Kevin Harvick (2), Ryan Blaney (2) and Kyle Larson (1).

Harvick, for the fourth consecutive week, has earned the most stage points, acquiring 69 points through the first six races. Ryan Blaney led the first two weeks of the season.

Joey Logano (68), Blaney (63), Busch (59) and Hamlin (58) round out the top-five competitors.

The full stage point breakdown can be viewed below. The total does not include points acquired during the Gander Outdoors Duels from Daytona in February.

22 drivers have earned at least one stage point in 2019.

With the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 in May (four stages), every points awarding race in 2018 is broken up into three stages.

Each of the first two stages awards points to the top-10 finishing drivers. A first-place finish earns 10 points, second-place gets nine points, and so forth.

SOURCES
Racing-Reference.info