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.
NASCAR
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.
Sheldon Creed gets it right when it matters most at Darlington
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’s Chase starts strong with a little help from Mother Nature
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 has a date with Darlington history
Chase Briscoe never considered Darlington one of his favorite tracks. Then he won two straight Southern 500s. Now he can make NASCAR history Sunday.
Ryan Preece made the Chase. Now comes the hard part
He was 17th in the standings. Then Ryan Preece won Daytona, stole the final Chase spot and discovered something every driver wants in September: momentum.
NASCAR Weekend Preview: Darlington Raceway
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.
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.