Christopher Bell opens NASCAR Chase with Southern 500 victory
Bell secured his first win of 2026 at Darlington, while Denny Hamlin retained the points lead despite finishing 18th.
Christopher Bell won the Southern 500 at Darlington to open NASCAR’s reported 10-race Chase, claiming his first victory of 2026 and the 14th win of his career.
Bell had recorded seven runner-up finishes without a win this season. He passed Kyle Larson with 12 green-flag laps remaining after Larson stayed out on older tyres.
Ty Gibbs finished second, followed by Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Larson and Chase Briscoe. The result gave Bell a significant early position in the Chase standings.
Denny Hamlin finished 18th after repairs for a broken toe link left him a lap down. Stage results limited the damage, and he retained the overall points lead.
William Byron retired with an apparent engine issue and was last among the Chase drivers in the reported standings. The precise mechanical failure was not confirmed.
Fox Sports reported that the next Cup Series event is scheduled for World Wide Technology Raceway, commonly known as Gateway, although details of the event report were incomplete.
