Denny Hamlin’s massive 25-point lead in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase got absolutely shredded after the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, getting cut in half and rocking the standings! This weekend just proved nobody’s safe when the Chase heats up.
Bell’s Big Win and Hamlin’s Fight Back
Christopher Bell wasn’t messing around, taking the checkered flag in Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500 and immediately jumping to second in the standings! That’s his first victory of the 2026 season, and he used it to gain four crucial positions, now sitting a mere 12 points behind Hamlin. Talk about making a massive statement right out of the gate! On the flip side, Hamlin himself ran into some serious trouble. He suffered toe link problems after contact with Michael McDowell, an incident that forced him to go a lap behind the leaders. But credit where credit’s due: the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is tough. He recovered brilliantly to finish 18th, ensuring he stayed on the lead lap and minimized the damage, but the points hit was undeniable.
Darlington’s Wild Ride Shakes Up the Chase
The Darlington track truly shuffled the deck for everyone else too, proving that in the Chase, every single position counts. Ryan Blaney, for example, slipped to third in the standings after Darlington, but still managed to chip away at Hamlin’s lead by gaining nine points, sitting 16 points back now. Tyler Reddick is holding strong in fourth, now 24 points behind Hamlin, after he picked up 11 points on the No. 11 driver. But not everyone saw gains. Ty Gibbs, surprisingly, dropped two positions in the points, despite finishing second in the race! He got passed by both Bell and Chase Briscoe, and is now 39 points off the lead. On the flip side, Bubba Wallace made a huge, aggressive leap. Starting the Chase from 14th, the No. 23 driver soared four positions to 10th in the standings after an impressive eighth-place effort at Darlington. He also bagged 15 crucial stage points, placing second in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2, which really helped his climb from 81 points back. But the biggest, most brutal hit of the night? That goes to William Byron. An engine failure forced him to exit the race prematurely, leading to a miserable 37th-place finish. That disaster dropped him from 13th all the way to 16th, putting him a staggering 114 points behind Hamlin. Ouch! Others like Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Joey Logano are also feeling the heat, all more than 37 points back from the leader, making every race count even more.
Now, the Cup Series Chase is heading to WWT Raceway next week in St. Louis for the Enjoy Illinois 300 on Sunday, September 13. Hamlin’s going to be fighting to get those lost 13 points back and rebuild his lead. You know Bell, fresh off that win, is gunning to go back-to-back and snatch that championship lead for himself. This Chase just got real interesting, real fast!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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