Kyle Larson led the most laps during the 2023 season before finishing second in the championship standings.
Two drivers led more than 1,000 laps this season. Seven led more than 500 laps. This is a significant change from the first year of the Next Gen era when 11 drivers led more than 500 laps but none topped 900.
Most Laps Led During 2023 Cup Series Season
1. Kyle Larson (1,127) — Larson led at least one lap in 21 of the 36 races. He led 99 laps at both Kansas and Bristol during the playoffs. He led 133 laps at Las Vegas before winning and punching his ticket to the Championship 4. Larson led 201 laps at Phoenix in the spring after starting from pole.
2. William Byron (1,016) — Byron led laps in 20 races this season. He led more than 100 laps during spring races at Las Vegas (176), Richmond (117) and Dover (193). Byron closed out the season by leading 95 laps at Phoenix.
3. Denny Hamlin (998) — Hamlin led laps in 27 races this season. He did not lead more than 100 laps in a race until Darlington in the playoffs (177). Hamlin led more than 100 laps at Bristol (142) and Martinsville (156).
4. Martin Truex Jr. (899) — Truex led laps in 18 races this season. He led 145 laps in the spring. Truex led 254 of the 301 laps at Loudon in July before winning his third race of the season.
5. Ross Chastain (640) — Chastain led laps in 16 races this season. He did not lead more than 100 laps in a race until the season finale at Phoenix when he led 157 laps and won the race.
6. Christopher Bell (599) — Bell led laps in 21 races. He only led 100 or more laps in two races. Both were at Bristol. Bell led 100 laps before winning the dirt race. He led 187 laps before finishing third in the Bristol playoff race.
7. Ryan Blaney (562) — Blaney led laps in 17 races. He led 163 at Charlotte before winning the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time. Blaney led 145 at Martinsville before winning his way into the Championship 4.
8. Tyler Reddick (470) — Reddick led laps in 17 races this season. The most laps he led in one race was 90 at Darlington to start the playoffs. He finished second in the race behind Kyle Larson. Reddick led 81 laps at Richmond in July after starting from pole.
9. Brad Keselowski (341) — Keselowski led laps in 18 races. He led 102 laps at Richmond in the summer before finishing sixth. He led 47 laps at Atlanta in the spring before finishing second. Keselowski also led 42 laps in the Daytona 500.
10. Joey Logano (308) — Logano led laps in 13 races this season, including four of the first five. He led the majority of his laps (140) at Atlanta in the spring after starting from pole. Logano won the race after passing Keselowski on the final lap.