The first race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase produced major setbacks at Darlington Raceway. Christopher Bell won the Cook Out Southern 500, but several NASCAR Cup Series drivers left South Carolina with damaged cars, lost points or missed chances.
William Byron suffered the biggest setback after a late mechanical failure ended his race. Denny Hamlin kept the NASCAR Cup Series points lead but had to recover from contact with Michael McDowell in the final stage.
Chase Briscoe also missed a chance to win the Southern 500 for a third straight year.
Carson Hocevar and Brad Keselowski were involved in a Stage 1 incident, while several other Chase drivers finished outside the top 20.
NASCAR Cup Series losers: William Byron suffers major setback
William Byron was the biggest NASCAR Cup Series loser at Darlington Raceway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver ran inside the top 10 for much of the second half before his race ended late.
On Lap 316, Byron spun from ninth place and slid toward pit entry. He was able to restart the No. 24 Chevrolet, but the car soon began smoking. NASCAR reported a mechanical failure, and Byron went to the garage.
Byron finished 37th and scored six points. He dropped to 16th and last among the 16 Chase drivers, 114 points behind Hamlin with nine races remaining.
Byron said he first believed a tire was going down and felt something dragging. After the race, he was still unsure what caused the failure.
“Still trying to figure it out. But yeah, super odd, I don’t know. I had some sort of issue and then eventually something broke. Whatever, I’m not sure.”
NASCAR Cup Series Chase takes a hit
Denny Hamlin remained the NASCAR Cup Series points leader, but his Darlington race became a recovery effort. Hamlin and Christopher Bell both had slow pit stops after Stage 2. Hamlin lost 13 positions after his team had trouble tightening the right-rear wheel.
Hamlin restarted 16th for the final stage. He then got loose exiting Turn 4, and Michael McDowell made contact with the rear of the No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin hit the wall right-front first.
Hamlin continued but reported damage to the toe links. He eventually went a lap down before a caution for Zane Smith’s spin allowed his team to make repairs. The crew confirmed a bent right-front toe link and possible control-arm damage.
Hamlin recovered to finish 18th and scored 35 points. He kept the NASCAR Cup Series lead, with Bell moving to second, 12 points behind.
“It’s the pressure of the sport. Can’t have big mistakes,” Hamlin said. “We just had a tough pit stop there and once we got back there you’re with guys that are a little more aggressive and don’t really care about the points.”
NASCAR Cup Series Results Leave Several Drivers Frustrated
Chase Briscoe finished sixth after his bid for a third straight Southern 500 win ended with a late-race strategy decision. Briscoe ran out of fuel after the Stage 2 checkered flag, forcing his team to address the issue before the final stage. He later returned to the front and led during the race before finishing sixth.
Carson Hocevar and Brad Keselowski were involved in the key Stage 1 incident. Hocevar made contact with Keselowski at Lap 107, sending the RFK Racing driver into a spin. Keselowski finished 23rd, while Hocevar finished 11th.
“His day is coming and it’s coming hard. Watch out, Carson,” Keselowski said.
The other Chase results also showed several drivers losing ground. Austin Cindric finished 13th, Chase Elliott was 14th, Chris Buescher finished 20th and Daniel Suárez was 21st. Buescher hit the wall multiple times and reported a bent toe link.
Kyle Larson led a race-high 99 laps but finished fifth after staying out on older tires. Chad Finchum was the only other driver who failed to finish, placing 38th after a suspension problem.
The NASCAR Cup Series Chase now moves to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sept. 13, with Hamlin still leading and Bell only 12 points behind.
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