Three NASCAR Cup drivers comfortably inside Chase field who needed off week the most

After Corey Heim's second career NASCAR Cup Series win in the Brickyard 400 and the final off week of the 2026 season, Sunday's stop at Iowa Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) kicks off a 14-week stretch until a champion is crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 8.

While the battle for the final Chase spots is sure to go down to the wire over the next four races, some drivers comfortably inside the 16-driver field find themselves searching for some momentum after several weeks of inconsistency.

With that in mind, here are three drivers inside the top 10 in the standings who needed the off week the most with four regular-season races remaining.

Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

Until Denny Hamlin assumed the points lead following the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 28, Reddick had been atop the standings since his season-opening win in the Daytona 500.

Although Reddick joined some exclusive company by winning five of the first nine races, it has not been as smooth for him lately with four finishes of 30th or worse in the last eight races. As a result, he finds himself 84 points below Hamlin and facing an uphill battle to regain the points lead over the next four weeks.

Reddick will look to "get back on track" at Iowa, a track he tested at in May and has yet to lead a single lap in the two Cup races contested there. The summer slump has been real for Reddick, but he is still second in points and could stand to benefit from the off week as he looks to return to his early-season form. 

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

The Dawsonville, Georgia, native's two wins shockingly remain the only victories for HMS this season, but he has not looked the same since his most recent triumph at Texas Motor Speedway on May 3.

In fact, Elliott's 37th-place finish at Indianapolis was his eighth straight result outside the top 10. Granted, it was caused by a flat tire after contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., but it continued his recent slump that has been marred by a lack of winning speed and some unfortunate luck.

Nonetheless, Elliott has dropped to sixth in the standings and has only led double-digit laps in four of the 22 races. The off week could not have come at a better time, but it still might not be enough until Elliott can become a more frequent threat up front.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Much like his HMS teammate Elliott, the off week came at a perfect time for Larson, who is still winless in his title defense and cannot seem to put a full race together.

That continued in the Brickyard 400 when Larson blew a left-rear tire following a green-flag stop in Stage 1 and finished last in the 39-car field. That was Larson's fourth consecutive finish outside the top 10 and the third time in the last four races that he has come home 34th or worse.

While he had four top-five finishes in a row before the recent slide, Larson has dropped to eighth in the standings and is simply looking to stop the bleeding going to Iowa amid an uncharacteristic season for the entire HMS organization.