Christopher Bell found his golden ticket at Darlington
Christopher Bell ended a 33-race winless streak with a crown-jewel victory that also vaulted him into the heart of the 2026 championship fight.
2026 Chase
Denny Hamlin takes a beating and still leaves Darlington on top
Denny Hamlin got knocked into the wall, went a lap down and finished 18th at Darlington. Somehow, he still leaves as the Chase points leader.
William Byron’s Chase starts with one very large mulligan
William Byron had an eighth-place car at Darlington. Then it spun, smoked and died, sending the No. 24 from ninth to 37th and straight to the Chase cellar.
Christopher Bell finally escapes NASCAR’s second-place purgatory
Darlington chewed up tires, rain interrupted the proceedings and Kyle Larson tried to steal it. None of it mattered. Christopher Bell finally got his win.
Denny Hamlin ready to start over, but he hasn’t forgotten Phoenix
Hamlin enters NASCAR’s Chase as the top seed after a dominant title-race performance last year ended in one of racing’s cruelest twists.
Kyle Larson hasn’t won in 50 races. Naturally, he sees a title path
Larson enters NASCAR’s Chase amid his longest drought in years, but history has taught the two-time champion that strange things can happen.
Team Penske changed pit crews because championships are serious business
Blaney and Cindric accepted a late crew swap designed to give Penske its best chance to bring home the NASCAR Cup Series title.
Rajah Caruth is ready to rip into NASCAR’s Chase
Rajah Caruth made the Chase the hard way. Now, armed with JR Motorsports equipment and some hard-earned lessons, he’s ready to see how far he can go
Justin Allgaier enters the Chase with a target on his back
After six wins and a dominant regular season, Allgaier begins NASCAR’s postseason as the favorite—and with three JRM teammates nearby.
After everything, Daytona finally loves Ryan Preece back
Ryan Preece survived two frightening crashes at Daytona before returning Saturday night to score his first Cup win and punch his Chase ticket.