The ten-week battle for the NASCAR Cup Sequence championship has begun, and there are actually simply 12 factors between Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for the factors lead after Bell’s spectacular win the Southern 500 at Darlington.
After 367 laps and 500 miles of racing, the battle on the high of the standings has solely tightened because the drivers and groups look to Gateway for Spherical 2. However earlier than we shift focus to subsequent weekend, let’s break down the entire motion from a terrific race on Sunday.
This is the largest winners and losers from the 77th working of the Southern 500 at Darlington:
WINNER: Christopher Bell thought he ‘needed to win’ and did simply that
Watch: Bell: Darlington victory ‘a very long time coming’
Heading into the race weekend, Bell instructed the media that he thought he needed to begin successful within the Chase if he wished to compete for the championship, and he didn’t waste any time making that occur. Passing Larson with 12 laps to go, the JGR driver secured a crown jewel win and rocketed from sixth to second within the championship. “It has been too rattling lengthy,” he exclaimed, following a 12 months with no wins and 7 runner-up finishes earlier than Darlington. Bell has been one of the vital constant drivers this 12 months, and that win ought to make all of his rivals very nervous.
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LOSER: Carson Hocevar acts dismissive and makes a brand new enemy
Watch: Hocevar unfazed by Keselowski contact after race
On the finish of Stage 1, Hocevar received into the rear of Brad Keselowski (twice), spinning him out. It did not actually affect his personal race and he went on to complete eleventh, however the RFK Racing co-owner was livid. He even promised retribution, however the second that has everybody speaking was Hocevar’s post-race perspective. He did not appear to care, dismissing the incident and even making a joke about it on social media. And historical past exhibits us that Keselowski isn’t a driver you need to have as enemy, particularly when embarking in your first Chase…
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WINNER: Kyle Larson misses out on the win, however leads the best way for Chevrolet
Watch: Larson stands by late technique name after fifth-place end
Whereas Bell’s winless streak got here to an finish, Larson’s hit 50 however there’s nonetheless lots for the Hendrick driver to smile about. He rolled the cube by staying out on outdated tires, holding the lead for a while and nonetheless strolling away with a high 5 end. He gained barely on the factors lead, however most impressively, he was the one Chevrolet driver to even get a high ten end after main a race-high 99 laps.
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LOSER: Denny Hamlin minimizes harm in irritating Darlington consequence
Watch: Hamlin retains title perspective after tough Darlington end
Hamlin was one of many favorites at Darlington, and he made his presence recognized from the very begin of the race. Sadly, issues fell aside after a gradual pit cease put him deep within the pack. Whereas attempting to battle his means again ahead, he received hit from behind by Michael McDowell and slammed the wall, bending toelinks. The workforce fell off the lead lap earlier than they might get it fastened, and he finally completed 18th. Whereas he nonetheless holds the factors lead, it was Hamlin’s worst end at Darlington in three years.
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WINNER: 23XI flexes their muscular tissues with MJ watching from the pits
Watch: Wallace praises ‘clear, good day’ in Darlington P8 end
It wasn’t a race win, however 23XI got here out of the gate robust at Darlington. Tyler Reddick led 74 laps and completed fourth, whereas Wallace led 38 laps and completed eighth. They even ended a stage 1-2 within the working order, serving to Wallace to leap 4 spots within the championship to tenth and Reddick to shut in on the factors lead. The No. 23 pit crew was on it as properly, setting a brand new report for quickest four-tire pit cease at 7.86 seconds.
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LOSER: William Byron drops to final within the championship with DNF
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Picture by: Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos
If we’re counting mulligans within the 2026 Chase, the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Byron simply used one. An odd engine failure robbed him of a high ten run, left him thirty seventh within the ultimate outcomes, and Byron walked away with simply six factors. That DNF dropped him to the very backside of the factors pile, now sixteenth within the championship standings. 2026 has been an odd 12 months for this winless workforce, because the No. 24 entered the brand new 12 months with 4 consecutive multi-win seasons and no championship consequence decrease than sixth.
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BONUS WINNER: Josh Berry simply retains impressing
Josh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing
Picture by: David Jensen / Getty Photos
This story targeted on Chase drivers, and rightfully so, however we’ve got to provide Josh Berry some reward as properly. The outgoing driver of the No. 21 continues to be on the lookout for a brand new residence in 2027, although many level to the No. 42 Legacy Motor Membership Toyota as a possible touchdown spot. However at Darlington, he had a high 5 automobile all evening and nonetheless completed seventh after staying out on older tires. Berry now has six consecutive high ten finishes, which no Wooden Brothers Racing driver has finished since David Pearson in 1976! He is additionally climbed from thirty third to twenty fifth within the standings in simply the previous few weeks.
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