The ten-week battle for the NASCAR Cup Series championship has begun, and there are now just 12 points between Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for the points lead after Bell’s impressive win the Southern 500 at Darlington.
After 367 laps and 500 miles of racing, the battle at the top of the standings has only tightened as the drivers and teams look to Gateway for Round 2. But before we shift focus to next weekend, let’s break down all of the action from a great race on Sunday.
Here’s the biggest winners and losers from the 77th running of the Southern 500 at Darlington:
WINNER: Christopher Bell thought he ‘had to win’ and did just that
Watch: Bell: Darlington victory ‘a long time coming’
Heading into the race weekend, Bell told the media that he thought he had to start winning in the Chase if he wanted to compete for the championship, and he did not waste any time making that happen. Passing Larson with 12 laps to go, the JGR driver secured a crown jewel win and rocketed from sixth to second in the championship. “It’s been too damn long,” he exclaimed, following a year with no wins and seven runner-up finishes before Darlington. Bell has been one of the most consistent drivers this year, and that win should make all of his rivals very nervous.
LOSER: Carson Hocevar acts dismissive and makes a new enemy
Watch: Hocevar unfazed by Keselowski contact after race
At the end of Stage 1, Hocevar got into the rear of Brad Keselowski (twice), spinning him out. It didn’t really impact his own race and he went on to finish 11th, but the RFK Racing co-owner was furious. He even promised retribution, but the moment that has everyone talking was Hocevar’s post-race attitude. He didn’t seem to care, dismissing the incident and even making a joke about it on social media. And history shows us that Keselowski is not a driver you want to have as enemy, especially when embarking on your first Chase…
WINNER: Kyle Larson misses out on the win, but leads the way for Chevrolet
Watch: Larson stands by late strategy call after fifth-place finish
While Bell’s winless streak came to an end, Larson’s hit 50 but there’s still plenty for the Hendrick driver to smile about. He rolled the dice by staying out on old tires, holding the lead for some time and still walking away with a top five finish. He gained slightly on the points lead, but most impressively, he was the only Chevrolet driver to even get a top ten finish after leading a race-high 99 laps.
LOSER: Denny Hamlin minimizes damage in frustrating Darlington result
Watch: Hamlin keeps title perspective after rough Darlington finish
Hamlin was one of the favorites at Darlington, and he made his presence known from the very start of the race. Unfortunately, things fell apart after a slow pit stop put him deep in the pack. While trying to fight his way back forward, he got hit from behind by Michael McDowell and slammed the wall, bending toelinks. The team fell off the lead lap before they could get it fixed, and he ultimately finished 18th. While he still holds the points lead, it was Hamlin’s worst finish at Darlington in three years.
WINNER: 23XI flexes their muscles with MJ watching from the pits
Watch: Wallace praises ‘clean, good day’ in Darlington P8 finish
It wasn’t a race win, but 23XI came out of the gate strong at Darlington. Tyler Reddick led 74 laps and finished fourth, while Wallace led 38 laps and finished eighth. They even ended a stage 1-2 in the running order, helping Wallace to jump four spots in the championship to tenth and Reddick to close in on the points lead. The No. 23 pit crew was on it as well, setting a new record for fastest four-tire pit stop at 7.86 seconds.
LOSER: William Byron drops to last in the championship with DNF
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Photo by: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
If we’re counting mulligans in the 2026 Chase, the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Byron just used one. A strange engine failure robbed him of a top ten run, left him 37th in the final results, and Byron walked away with just six points. That DNF dropped him to the very bottom of the points pile, now 16th in the championship standings. 2026 has been an odd year for this winless team, as the No. 24 entered the new year with four consecutive multi-win seasons and no championship result lower than sixth.
BONUS WINNER: Josh Berry just keeps impressing
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images
This story focused on Chase drivers, and rightfully so, but we have to give Josh Berry some praise as well. The outgoing driver of the No. 21 is still looking for a new home in 2027, though many point to the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota as a potential landing spot. But at Darlington, he had a top five car all night and ultimately finished seventh. Berry now has six consecutive top ten finishes, which no Wood Brothers Racing driver has done since David Pearson in 1976! He’s also climbed from 33rd to 25th in the standings in just the last few weeks.
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