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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Sheldon Creed got the tires right, kept his No. 00 Chevrolet pointed in the right direction and opened the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase with a huge win at Darlington.
Tyler Reddick dominated the early season, endured a summer stumble and now gets a pole position to start the Chase at a track where he already knows how to win.
Chase Briscoe never considered Darlington one of his favorite tracks. Then he won two straight Southern 500s. Now he can make NASCAR history Sunday.
Throughout the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, drivers have maintained that to have a shot at this year’s championship, they need to go into the 10-race, 16-driver Chase ranked among the top-four or five in the reseeded standings.
Running without cooling and barely enough electrical life to finish, Tyler Reddick turned endurance into domination at the Track Too Tough to Tame.
Carson Hocevar laughs at the comparisons, yet when he slices through the field, it’s hard not to hear the echoes of the Intimidator.