The NASCAR Cup Series championship picture is set for one final showdown, and Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway left plenty to unpack.
William Byron won the Xfinity 500, but the bigger championship story belonged to Kyle Larson, who emerged from Martinsville atop the Chase standings heading into next weekend’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Larson holds a 67-point advantage over Christopher Bell, with Denny Hamlin just three points behind Bell. Chase Briscoe remains within striking distance, while Joey Logano rounds out the top five.
The standings also reflect a difficult afternoon for Ryan Blaney, whose race went downhill after a spin left his No. 12 Ford with extensive radiator damage. Blaney dropped one position to seventh, leaving him 133 points behind Larson.
With just one race remaining, the championship battle has reached its final stage.
NASCAR Cup Series Chase Standings After Martinsville
Here are the updated top 16 Chase standings following Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway:
- Kyle Larson, 2,469 points
- Christopher Bell, 67 points behind
- Denny Hamlin, 70 points behind
- Chase Briscoe, 84 points behind
- Joey Logano, 103 points behind
- Tyler Reddick, 125 points behind
- Ryan Blaney, 133 points behind
- Ty Gibbs, 160 points behind
- William Byron, 166 points behind
- Chase Elliott, 201 points behind
- Austin Cindric, 206 points behind
- Carson Hocevar, 210 points behind
- Bubba Wallace, 212 points behind
- Ryan Preece, 255 points behind
- Daniel Suarez, 259 points behind
- Chris Buescher, 279 points behind
Christopher Bell Moves Ahead of Denny Hamlin
One of the most consequential changes at Martinsville came directly behind Larson.
Bell moved up one position to second in the standings, passing Hamlin, who dropped to third. Just three points separate the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates heading into the finale.
Bell finished 10th at Martinsville despite being involved in an incident with Hamlin after contact from Joey Logano. Hamlin recovered to finish sixth, but the updated standings still left Bell with a narrow advantage.
Larson, meanwhile, finished ninth and maintained a substantial lead over the rest of the field.
Blaney suffered one of the afternoon’s biggest setbacks. The Team Penske driver finished 35th after his spin and subsequent cooling-system damage ended his race. He dropped from sixth to seventh in the standings, while Tyler Reddick moved up one position to sixth.
Byron also gained two positions following his victory, climbing to ninth in the standings.
NASCAR Championship Battle Heads to Homestead-Miami
The Cup Series now heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the final race of the 2026 season, with Larson carrying the points lead into the championship decider.
Bell and Hamlin are the closest challengers, separated by only three points, while Briscoe sits 84 points behind Larson.
Martinsville delivered changes throughout the standings, but Larson remains the driver everyone else is chasing.
One race remains to determine the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series champion.
NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Martinsville: Chase Shakeup Sets Stage for Championship Finale