Kyle Larson is the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series champion. Claiming fourth in Stage 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver secured the seven points he needed to take his third Bill France Cup in six years and second in a row, placing himself among the 11 drivers in history with three titles.
While Larson celebrated, 15 other Chase drivers looked back on a chaotic 10-race postseason. Christopher Bell piloted his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to second in the final standings, 49 points back. Despite a stellar 16 top-fives and a Southern 500 crown jewel win, damage at Gateway, steering issues at Las Vegas, and a Stage 1 pit stop crash at Talladega broke his title bid. Bell also battled through a fractured left wrist after a summer crash at Michigan International Speedway.
Denny Hamlin's postseason felt like Murphy's Law, finishing third in points, 56 back. Despite four wins and a mathematical shot at Homestead, the No. 11 team battled costly pit stops at Darlington and Gateway, a disastrous late spin at Las Vegas, a tire failure at Phoenix, and a Martinsville spin following contact from Bell. Hamlin has maintained that 2027 will be his final year behind the wheel, leaving him one last chance at the elusive title.
Ryan Blaney grabbed a race win Sunday at Homestead, but four finishes of 35th or worse dragged the No. 12 Team Penske Ford driver to fourth in the standings, 94 back. Three DNFs in the Chase compounded a trend for Blaney, who has struggled with reliability and incidents, including a Bristol clash with Carson Hocevar.
Tyler Reddick's early dominance faded into fifth in points, 104 back. After winning five of the first nine races and opening with a Daytona 500 victory, a June crash at Michigan started a rough patch of six finishes of 25th or worse over nine races. Though he won at Phoenix, a Talladega crash and elimination at Martinsville ended the title hopes for the No. 45 23XI Racing team.
Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano tied for sixth in points, 115 back. Briscoe overcame a slow start in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with wins at Las Vegas and Charlotte, but fuel issues at Darlington, a wall impact at Bristol, a Talladega draft crash, and a blown engine at Homestead sealed his fate. Logano put together six top-10s in the first seven Chase races and won at Bristol, but a violent flip at Talladega and a Martinsville pit-road mishap dashed the three-time champion's hopes after a sluggish spring left him digging out of a hole.
