16 drivers have locked themselves into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Sequence Chase for the championship, and now solely 100 factors separates them. Denny Hamlin is the No. 1 seed, whereas Ryan Preece is the No. 16 seed after a dramatic win at Daytona.
The primary of ten battlegrounds would be the historic Darlington Raceway, and the 2026 version of the Southern 500.
The Historical past and Observe Dimensions for Darlington Raceway
Spotters and followers at Darlington Raceway
Photograph by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Darlington Raceway joined the NASCAR Cup Sequence schedule in 1950. It’s a 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval. The upper-speed Turns 1 and a pair of have 25 levels of banking, whereas Turns 3 and 4 have 23 levels of banking. Even down the straightaways, there are six levels of banking.
Generally known as each ‘the monitor too powerful to tame’ and the ‘Woman in Black’ for the black marks that seem alongside the white partitions from automobile contact each race weekend, Darlington is likely one of the trickiest tracks on the schedule.
Even among the many crown jewels, 500 miles of racing at Darlington is taken into account particularly grueling for drivers, groups and gear. It is also the oldest of the crown jewels, with Johnny Mantz successful the first-ever Darlington race in 1950. With a mean pace of simply 75mph, he received by over 9 laps. The important thing to victory? Mantz ran much more sturdy monitor tires on his automobile, permitting him to chop out a number of pit stops and hole the sector by a large margin.
Even right now, tires are the whole lot at Darlington, and anticipate excessive fall-off on Sunday night.
Meet the 2026 Chase area for the NASCAR Cup Sequence
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Photograph by: Michael Bush – Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs
(1.) Denny Hamlin (2100pts): Hamlin’s quest to turn out to be a Cup champion continues, and all eyes will likely be on Hamlin as he’s the winningest driver in Cup Sequence historical past with out a title. This newest try comes one 12 months after a heartbreaking loss in extra time on the season finale, leaving him because the 2025 championship runner-up. This will likely be his twenty first shot at a NASCAR Cup title, and enters the postseason because the clear favourite.
(2.) Ryan Blaney (2075pts): Blaney leads the best way for Ford as he pursues his second profession NASCAR Cup Sequence title. He’s the one Ford driver within the prime eight within the championship, and enters the Chase with two wins over the summer time.
(3.) Tyler Reddick (2065pts): Reddick regarded unstoppable at first of the 12 months, changing into the primary driver in historical past to win the opening three races of a NASCAR Cup season. At one level, he held a factors lead approaching 130pts, however the summer time stretch has been a brutal one. He has 5 wins this season — greater than some other driver — however none since Could. Possibly the reset is simply what he wants, or maybe it is going to solely amplify his struggles with the strain on
(4.) Ty Gibbs (2060pts): Gibbs lastly broke by way of, successful two Cup races this 12 months and positioning himself for an opportunity at his first-ever Cup title. Gibbs has made the postseason earlier than, however he has by no means positioned greater than fifteenth within the standings.
(5.) Chase Briscoe (2055pts): Briscoe began the 12 months off gradual, however he has actually turned up the wick this summer time. He was beneath the Chase cut-line getting into the Coca-Cola 600, however rocketed as much as fifth by way of the final half of the common season with a flurry of robust outcomes. Like Gibbs, that is his greatest shot but to turn out to be a NASCAR Cup Sequence champion.
(6.) Christopher Bell (2050pts): It has been an odd season for Bell. He’s the highest-ranked driver with out a win, however the JGR driver additionally has a exceptional seven runner-up finishes this 12 months. With win and also you’re in gone, runs like that may very well be sufficient to place him in title rivalry — even with out a win.
(7.) Kyle Larson (2045pts): The reigning 2x champion has had an odd season as effectively, and its’ been a really off-year for Hendrick. Larson is the highest-ranked Chevrolet driver, and he is additionally winless. Larson has but to win a Cup race since his ill-fated Indy 500/Coke 600 Double in Could of final 12 months, and but, he’s additionally the defending champion. It is unclear if Hendrick has what it takes to really battle for a title this 12 months.
(8.) Chase Elliott (2040pts): The one Hendrick driver to achieve Victory Lane this 12 months, and he is completed it twice. Elliott began the 12 months robust however has since slipped in current weeks. He has only one end greater than eleventh during the last three months of racing, which is stunning for this group. Proper now, they appear just a little misplaced as Elliott hopes to earn his first Cup title since 2020.
(9.) Joey Logano (2035pts): It is an even-year, and Logano has arrived as soon as once more. The three-time Cup champion was thought-about a dud for a lot of the 12 months, and few even anticipated him to make the Chase. Nevertheless, the Penske driver has gone on a tear in current weeks with two wins, rocketing up from 18th to ninth within the championship. This driver is motivated to show to the doubters that he can win a title underneath one other format past the controversial elimination format used between 2014 and 2025.
(10.) Chris Buescher (2030pts): A quiet contender, strong all 12 months regardless of by no means reaching Victory Lane. Buescher does not appear to have the pace to contend for a title, however he’s a driver who at all times extracts essentially the most out of his No. 17 Ford. If different drivers stumble, he will likely be able to pounce.
(11.) Daniel Suarez (2025pts): It has been an unimaginable turnaround for Suarez after being let go from Trackhouse Racing. He has led the best way for Spire into the Chase whereas all three automobiles belonging to his former group did not make the lower. Suarez received the Coca-Cola 600, and ended the common season with a runner-up end at Daytona. Nevertheless, Spire could be very hot-and-cold, and also you by no means actually know if they are going to present up with pace on any given race weekend.
(12.) Carson Hocevar (2020pts): The focus, however not at all times for good causes. Hocevar earned his first profession win at Talladega, and has made himself the story on most race weekends. He’s wildly aggressive and an enormous character, incomes him an enormous fan base and serving to him to cleared the path in retail gross sales. Nevertheless, he has stumbled in current weeks, falling from fifth to twelfth within the standings as his take-no-prisoners model value him some helpful factors.
(13.) William Byron (2015pts): It has been an odd 12 months for Hendrick, and that extends to Byron. He is completed nothing notable and enters the Chase very low within the standings for a driver who has positioned fourth or higher within the championship in every of the final three seasons. Like his teammates, Byron simply appears just a little misplaced proper now.
(14.) Bubba Wallace (2010pts): Wallace has had the pace, however not the luck in 2026. He had the pace to win a number of races, nevertheless it by no means actually got here collectively. In the event that they clear that up for the Chase, he might rise and be among the many different prime Toyotas, however in the mean time, Wallace wants a bit extra consistency to be an element.
(15.) Austin Cindric (2005pts): The third and remaining Penske driver to make the lower. Like Buescher of RFK, Cindric has been quietly constant all 12 months. He hasn’t had the tempo to go and win, however he has completed simply sufficient to provide his group a shot on the postseason.
(16.) Ryan Preece (2000pts): The driving force who merely refused to give up. Preece gained 48 factors on Shane van Gisbergen in a single race, whilst SVG received Stage 1 at Daytona whereas Preece slid by way of the infield grass. Preece went on to win the race for his first Cup win in his 249th profession begin! He’s extremely decided and all of the momentum is with the No. 60 RFK Ford…for the second.
Full Weekend Schedule
Saturday, September 5
1:30pm EST — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence apply and qualifying — CW App & ESPN Limitless
4:00pm EST — NASCAR Cup Sequence apply and qualifying — TruTV & HBO Max
7:30pm EST — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence race — The CW
Sunday, September 6
4:30pm EST — NASCAR Cup Sequence pre-race present — USA
5:00pm EST — NASCAR Cup Sequence Southern 500 at Darlington [367 laps] — USA
Can Chase Briscoe win three in-a-row?
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photograph by: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Photographs
Chase Briscoe may have further eyes on him this weekend as he tries to drag of a really spectacular three-peat. In 2024, he received the Southern 500 at Darlington within the No. 14 Ford, incomes Stewart-Haas Racing its remaining victory earlier than the group shut down.
In 2025, he did it once more, this time whereas driving for Joe Gibbs Racing within the No. 19 Toyota.
This 12 months, he enters the Chase because the No. 5 seed and one other victory with JGR might instantly put him in rivalry for the championship lead, as he enters Darlington 45pts behind Hamlin.
No driver has received three consecutive Southern 500s because the legendary Jeff Gordon really received 4 in-a-row from 1995 by way of 1998. Since then, Greg Biffle (2005-2006) and Briscoe (2024-2025) are the one drivers to have received the tough occasion in back-to-back years.
Reddick received the latest Cup race at Darlington earlier this 12 months, and Briscoe wasn’t a lot of an element, ending twelfth. Nevertheless, that was a really totally different No. 19 group. As we famous in our Chase area recap, they’ve actually discovered their groove over the summer time and are more likely to be an actual risk on Sunday. However who will Briscoe must face if he hopes to make historical past at Darlington? Here is a glance…
Different Drivers to Watch
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Photograph by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Photographs
Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has 5 wins at Darlington, excess of some other lively driver. He is additionally essentially the most skilled with 28 earlier Cup races on the iconic monitor. And regardless of so many begins, he nonetheless has a greater common end than some other driver within the area, averaging an 8.0 consequence. He leads all lively drivers in prime fives and prime tens as effectively.
Tyler Reddick: The latest Darlington winner and a relentless risk to win at Darlington. Whereas it was his first Cup win at Darlington, Reddick has only one end exterior the highest ten within the final six Darlington races, and that was a race the place he lower down a tire whereas battling for the win.
Kyle Larson: This is able to be the proper place for Larson to finish his uncommon winless streak. He’s at all times quick at Darlington and we all know he likes to preserve it near the wall, which is the quickest method round this monitor. Whereas current years have been tough for him at Darlington, he did win the Southern 500 in 2023. He additionally has led extra laps at Darlington than even Hamlin, regardless of eleven fewer begins.
The spoilers: Control the drivers who had been eradicated from Chase rivalry, too. They do not have to fret about stage factors and might danger all of it for an opportunity at a crown jewel victory, whereas the highest 16 might must play it extra conservatively. Brad Keselowski has two Cup wins at Darlington, and has essentially the most expertise past Hamlin. Erik Jones is a two-time Southern 500 winner, and neither of these had been flukes. He additionally has the help of Toyota, which most anticipate to be the main producer this weekend. Ross Chastain has performed spoiler earlier than, successful as a non-playoff driver in 2024, and changing into the primary driver past the Championship 4 (within the outdated format) to win the season finale when he stole the Phoenix win in 2023.
Which Energetic Driver Leads These Classes?
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photograph by: James Gilbert / Getty Photographs
Most wins: Denny Hamlin (5)
Most poles: Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano (2)
Most begins: Denny Hamlin (28)
Most prime fives: Denny Hamlin (14)
Most prime tens: Denny Hamlin (20)
Most laps led: Kyle Larson (1,070)
Greatest common end: Denny Hamlin (8.0)
Greatest common begin: Denny Hamlin (8.5)
Most lead lap finishes: Denny Hamlin (25)
Watch: Race Rewind: Preece wins his method into The Chase at Daytona
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