| # | Driver | Pts | Behind | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cale Yarborough | 2398 | 4 | |
| 2 | Richard Petty | 2394 | −4 | 6 |
| 3 | Benny Parsons | 2317 | −81 | 1 |
| 4 | Cecil Gordon | 2224 | −174 | |
| 5 | Buddy Baker | 2182 | −216 | 2 |
| 6 | James Hylton | 2116 | −282 | |
| 7 | Bobby Allison | 2096 | −302 | 2 |
| 8 | David Pearson | 1831 | −567 | 11 |
| 9 | J.D. McDuffie | 1812 | −586 | |
| 10 | Elmo Langley | 1804 | −594 | |
| 11 | Walter Ballard | 1788 | −610 | |
| 12 | Buddy Arrington | 1664 | −734 | |
| 13 | Jabe Thomas | 1622 | −776 | |
| 14 | Richard Childress | 1562 | −836 | |
| 15 | Henley Gray | 1556 | −842 | |
| 16 | Frank Warren | 1538 | −860 | |
| 17 | David Sisco | 1526 | −872 | |
| 18 | Ed Negre | 1448 | −950 | |
| 19 | Dean Dalton | 1420 | −978 | |
| 20 | Charlie Roberts | 1384 | −1,014 |
Cale Yarborough led on points, but the 1973 title went to Benny Parsons. Championships in this era were not decided by the points table alone (playoff/chase formats, dropped scores, or a different points system), so the standings order below is not the championship order.