Nascar news

• Let The NASCAR Chase Officially Begin

  06-09-2026 19:58 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectOn Sunday, September 6, the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Cup Series championship is set to begin in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, one of NASCAR's four crown jewel events.The race, which is set to go live on USA Network at 5 PM ET, will consist of 367 laps, which equates to a 501.32-mile contest around the 1.366-mile oval in Darlington, SC. The 367 laps will be divided into three Stages. The opening Stage will be 115 l
  
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• Denny Hamlin reacts to Michael McDowell run-in that derailed his day

  07-09-2026 05:28 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoThe first race of the Chase did not go the way Denny Hamlin was hoping for on Saturday at Darlington.Heading into the Chase as the top car in the standings and the favorite to finally win his first championship, Hamlin was hoping to extend his lead on the field with a strong finish at the Track Too Tough to Tame.While the No. 11 ran out front to start the race, a poor pit stop later put him out in the middle of the field, where he made contact with Michael McDowell. That contact
  
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• Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney rescue stalled 23XI cars at Darlington

  07-09-2026 05:23 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoLate in Sunday's NASCAR Cup race at Darlington, there was a brief red flag for some light rain at the race track. When the race was ready to resume, most of the field fired back up – except the two 23XI cars. The No. 23 of Bubba Wallace and his 23XI Racing team-mate, the No. 45 of Tyler Reddick were dead on pit lane."Voltage is fine but starters dead," radioed Reddick. Neither driver was in danger of losing his position, provided the car could be restarted. In these situati
  
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• William Byron confounded by engine blowout that led to DNF at Darlington

  07-09-2026 05:01 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoThe first race of the Chase is officially in the books, with Christopher Bell taking the checkered flag at Darlington on Saturday.The win was a huge boon for Bell's championship chances, bumping him up to second in the points standings where he trails Denny Hamlin by just 12 points.On the other side of the outcome spectrum was William Byron, who was forced to bring his car in early due to engine trouble.Over the radio, Byron was unsure what exactly had gone wrong with his car as
  
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• NASCAR Hall of Famers rip Carson Hocevar for dismissive attitude after spinning Keselowski

  07-09-2026 04:41 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoCarson Hocevar finds himself the center of attention once again after another messy day at the race track.With the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington for the first race of the Chase on Saturday, Hocevar was competing for points that would hopefully push him up the points standings and further into championship contention. Instead, he left with more negative attention, and more frustrated competition.As the first stage of the race was coming to a close, Hocevar drifted up the track a
  
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• Complete NASCAR Cup points standings after Darlington 2026

  07-09-2026 04:39 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoAfter fighting back from some mid-race damage, Denny Hamlin leaves Darlington just 12 points clear of Southern 500 winner Christopher Bell.The biggest mover in the championship standings was clearly Bell, jumping four positions from sixth to second with his big victory. Bubba Wallace also moved up four spots from 14th to 10th.The biggest loser was William Byron, who dropped three positions to the bottom of the Chase standings after an engine failure.
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• Furious Brad Keselowski blasts Carson Hocevar: "His day's coming and it's coming hard"

  07-09-2026 04:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoIn the Chase opener at Darlington Raceway, Carson Hocevar made a new enemy in Brad Keselowski. Near the end of Stage 1, he got into the left-rear of the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, sending the former Cup champion spinning out of Turn 4.Hocevar went on to finish 11th in the Southern 500. After the race, Above the Yellow Line Media caught up with Brad Keselowski, who had a stark warning for the controversial rookie driver: "His day’s coming and it’s coming hard. Watch o
  
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• Denny Hamlin’s Chase Lead Takes Massive Blow After Darlington

  07-09-2026 04:29 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Denny Hamlin’s quest to win an elusive first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2026 got a little trickier following the Chase opener at Darlington Raceway. After disastrous contact with Michael McDowell in the final stage, the driver of the No. 11 wound up finishing 18th at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.”Hamlin entered the Chase with a 25-point lead over Ryan Blaney after winning the regular-season championship. Following Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500, the Joe Gibbs
  
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• Christopher Bell Wins Southern 500 to Open NASCAR Chase

  07-09-2026 03:49 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Photo by: Jim DedmonChristopher Bell finally broke through when it mattered most.Bell won the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night, capturing his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2026 season and opening the Chase with a massive statement win. The victory was Bell’s 14th career Cup Series win and ended a frustrating stretch of near-misses that had seen him finish runner-up seven times.Reddick Starts StrongTyler Reddick entered Darlington with plenty of momentum
  
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• Official race results: 2026 NASCAR Cup Southern 500 at Darlington

  07-09-2026 03:48 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoWith 12 laps to go, Christopher Bell passed Kyle Larson and drove off with the victory in the 77th running of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. It ends a winless streak that dates back to Bristol last September, and is now Bell's 14th career win as a NASCAR Cup driver.Bell crossed the finish line 1.038s clear of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs, and 2.533s clear of 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick. Bell also won Stage 2, while Reddick won Stage 1.Nine of the top ten finishers
  
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• NASCAR Cup Series Chase Standings Sees Major Shake-up After Darlington

  07-09-2026 03:43 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Denny Hamlin’s 25-point lead to begin the NASCAR Cup Series Chase was cut in half following the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. With Christopher Bell taking the checkered flag in Sunday night’s race, the driver of the No. 20 moves into the second position in the standings, 12 points behind Hamlin.Ryan Blaney falls to third in the standings after Darlington, but managed to gain nine points on Hamlin. Tyler Reddick ranks fourth in the standings, but is 24 points behind Ham
  
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• NASCAR Standings after Today: The Chase Points Leaders After Darlington

  07-09-2026 03:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectNASCAR’s The Chase in the Cup Series is underway, with Sunday evening’s race at Darlington Raceway marking the starting point of the battle for the championship. With the Cook Out Southern 500 over, let’s look at the NASCAR standings today.Here are The Chase points leaders in the Cup Series following the first race in the 10-race chase. Of note, William Byron is the biggest faller in The Chase standings after an engine issue on the final stage re
  
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• NASCAR points standings, Cup Series points update after Darlington race, Chase picture

  07-09-2026 03:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Denny Hamlin preserved his NASCAR Cup Series Chase lead after an eventful Cook Out Southern 500 on Sept. 6 at Darlington, South Carolina.Hamlin is 12 points ahead of Christopher Bell going into next week's race at Gateway, the second of 10 races in the Chase.Bell broke the seal in 2026 with the victory at Darlington, his first win since last year at Bristol.Hamlin recovered from a broken toe link to finish 18th while bagging 16 stage points to minimize the points damage.Here's the updated NASCAR
  
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• NASCAR points standings: Cup Series points update after Darlington race, Chase picture

  07-09-2026 03:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Denny Hamlin preserved his NASCAR Cup Series Chase lead after an eventful Cook Out Southern 500 on Sept. 6 at Darlington.Hamlin is 12 points ahead of Christopher Bell going into next week's race at Gateway, the second of 10 races in the Chase.Bell broke the seal in 2026 with the victory at Darlington, his first win since last year at Bristol.Hamlin recovered from a broken toe link to finish 18th while bagging 16 stage points to minimize the points damage.Here's the updated NASCAR Cup Series poin
  
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• Who won NASCAR Darlington race? Winner is Christopher Bell, plus full results

  07-09-2026 03:16 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Christopher Bell won the NASCAR Darlington race on Sept. 6 in the first race of the NASCAR Chase.It was Bell's first time winning the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and his first Cup win since the Bristol night race on Sept. 23, 2025. Bell entered the Chase in sixth place.Ty Gibbs finished second, and Tyler Reddick was third.CARSON HOCEVAR SPINS OUT KESELOWSKI:Carson Hocevar spins out Brad Keselowski in Stage 1 of NASCAR Darlington raceNASCAR Darlington race resultsResults are not o
  
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• No Longer the Bridesmaid: Christopher Bell Finally Breaks Through to Win Southern 500 at Darlington

  07-09-2026 03:16 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Christopher Bell spent nearly the entire 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season getting painfully close to Victory Lane.Seven times, Bell finished second. Seven times, he walked away one position short.Not anymore.Bell finally broke through Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, winning the Cook Out Southern 500 and ending a nearly yearlong Cup Series winless streak in the opening race of NASCAR’s 10-race Chase.The victory was Bell’s first since Sept. 13, 2025, at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  
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• Chase Elliott Praises NASCAR For Points System Overhaul

  07-09-2026 01:34 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Chase Elliott credited NASCAR for points system change. GettyChase Elliott backs NASCAR’s decision to return to the traditional Chase points format for the 2026 Cup Series champion. After years of criticism for the win-and-you’re-in, elimination-style playoffs, NASCAR returned to The Chase format to determine a champion.Sixteen drivers made the cut for this year’s Chase and points were reset based on finishing position in the standings at the end of the regular season. The driv
  
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• 2026 NASCAR Chase Schedule: Every Playoff Race, Start Time and TV Channel

  07-09-2026 01:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23, 2025 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) GettyThe NASCAR Cup Series championship fight is officially underway.After 26 regular-season races determined the 16 drivers eligible to compete for the title, NASCAR’s revamped Chase will decide the 2026 Cup Series
  
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• Carson Hocevar spins out Brad Keselowski in Stage 1 of NASCAR Darlington race

  07-09-2026 00:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Carson Hocevar spun out Brad Keselowski, bringing out a caution and ending the first stage of the NASCAR Darlington race on Sept. 6.There were still a few laps left in the stage, but when the yellow comes out so near the end, a new NASCAR rule states the stage ends.Hocevar came close to taking out Joey Logano as well when he got into the back of Keselowski. There did not seem to be a reason for Hocevar making contact.It was the first caution of the race.Tyler Reddick won the stage, with Bubba Wa
  
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• Michael Jordan Held Private Meeting With 23XI Before NASCAR’s Championship Chase

  07-09-2026 00:29 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - APRIL 18: NBA Legend and 23XI Team Owner Michael Jordan looks on during practice ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on April 18, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) GettyMichael Jordan knows a thing or two about what it takes to win a championship.Now, nearly three decades after winning the last of his six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan is trying to add a NASCAR Cup Series championship to his ré
  
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• Christopher Bell wins the Southern 500 to start the NASCAR Chase

  06-09-2026 23:51 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Christopher Bell wins the Southern 500 to start the NASCAR Chase originally appeared on NBC Sports PhiladelphiaChristopher Bell passed Kyle Larson with 18 laps to go and held on to win the Chase-opening Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night.Bell had seven second-place finishes this season and had not won since last September at Bristol, a stretch of 33 races. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver opened up a lead of nearly a second on his teammate Ty Gibbs to win for the first time on the
  
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• Chase Elliott reacts as NASCAR brings back traditional Chase format for 2026 Cup Series title

  06-09-2026 23:40 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty ImagesChase Elliott believes NASCAR has made the right call by bringing back its traditional Chase points format to decide the 2026 Cup Series champion.The Hendrick Motorsports star has welcomed the change, arguing that the sport does not need to rely on artificial drama to create an entertaining championship battle.Photo by David Jensen/Getty ImagesChase Elliott backs NASCAR’s championship changeFor Elliott, the return of the Chase represents a move closer to w
  
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• Live Race Updates For the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

  06-09-2026 22:58 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIt's time for 16 drivers to battle for the NASCAR Cup Series championship over a 10-race marathon known as The Chase. Tyler Reddick, who comes into the race third in the championship standings, will start from the pole position after weather forced the cancellation of qualifying on Saturday.This page will be updated with top moments and video highlights from Sunday's crown jewel event as they happen. Check back often to see how your favor
  
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• Why Did NASCAR Change Darlington Race Start Time Today? Will it Be Delayed?

  06-09-2026 22:27 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Why did NASCAR change the Darlington race start time today? Here’s why the Southern 500 starts at 5 p.m. ET and whether weather could cause a delay. GettyRain was in forecast for Darlington Raceway before a single green flag waved, and NASCAR responded by adjusting its own clock. Officials moved Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 start up 10 minutes, setting the field in motion at 5 p.m. ET instead of the previously advertised 5:10 p.m., according to Fox Sports‘ Bob Pockrass. Pre-r
  
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• Denny Hamlin backslides in Southern 500 after wall contact in final stage

  06-09-2026 21:49 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Denny Hamlin pounded the wall off Turn 4 early in the final stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Chase opener at Darlington Raceway, jeopardizing his chances to contend for his fourth Southern 500 win.Hamlin got loose exiting Turn 4 shortly after the final stage began in the Cook Out Southern 500 (USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He was contacted from behind by Michael McDowell, turning the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota into the wall right-front-first.RELATED: Live
  
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• NASCAR Cup Series Pit Stall Assignments for Darlington: Where Every Driver Will Pit

  06-09-2026 21:34 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Mother Nature had other plans for the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on Saturday as a lengthy lightning delay canceled the single-car session. Based on the metric, Tyler Reddick will start the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway from the pole position. Because of this, Reddick earns the luxury of not only starting up front, but having an advantage on pit road. The driver of the No. 45 will be pitting from the No. 1 pit stall on Sunday night, the closest box to the exit of pit road.Rya
  
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• ‘Step up’ – Denny Hamlin has a clear message to his No.11 team heading into Chase

  06-09-2026 21:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty ImagesDenny Hamlin is going into the Chase Format with the momentum of finishing the regular season on top of the standings. However, it was not always smooth sailing for the Joe Gibbs Racing star.The season started with Tyler Reddick dominating the grid, winning five of the first nine races. Watching a driver on the team he owns dominate was good for Hamlin, as he picked things up as the season progressed, winning four races in the regular season and having 14 Top 5
  
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• 6 NASCAR Feuds and Rivalries That Defined the 2026 Regular Season

  06-09-2026 21:01 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Twenty-six races are in the books. The points have been reset. And now the real fight begins.NASCAR’s 16-driver Chase field opens its 10-race championship run Sunday night with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. But the regular season left behind more than race winners and a postseason field.There were run-ins, rivalries, manufacturer battles and even a legal fight away from the track.Before the green flag falls on NASCAR’s first Chase since the championship format was overhaule
  
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• “Focusing on Different Options”– Steve O’Donnell Unmasks Truth on Demolished NASCAR Track’s Future Amid Southern California Search

  06-09-2026 20:40 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR decided to tear down Auto Club Speedway in Fontana after its final Cup Series race there in 2023. Subsequently, they sold most of the area for more than $500 million to develop industrial warehouses, but the 89 acres that remained in NASCAR’s name have given fans of the Southern California track a reason to hold on to hope that it will one day return.EO Steve O’Donnell took to Reddit on Friday, September 4, to answer questions from the fanbase, and when a fan asked about the o
  
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• NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington: Live updates, rain delay updates, leaderboard for Southern 500

  06-09-2026 20:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The Chase is on.The NASCAR Cup Series Chase begins with the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway.16 drivers are running for the Cup Series championship across the 10-race Chase. Denny Hamlin begins the Chase with a 25-point lead over Ryan Blaney.Tyler Reddick is on the pole after practice and qualifying was canceled on Saturday, with the lineup set by the rule book metric.The 367-lap race will feature a shift from late-afternoon to sunset to nighttime.Follow along with the Tenn
  
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