Seven runner-up finishes before finally getting it done
Christopher Bell won the Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina, overnight. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had finished second seven times in the first 26 races of the season. He opens the Chase with the win he wanted most.
After a red flag for light rain, the 31-year-old from Oklahoma passed Kyle Larson with 12 laps to go. He beat teammate Ty Gibbs by 1.038 seconds. It was his first victory since the Bristol night race on 13 September 2025, and the 14th of his Cup Series career.
The 77th running of this race has a special place on the calendar. Bell makes no secret of that.
“Darlington is a track I have always wanted to win at since I got into this sport,” he said. “Darlington is the ultimate drivers track.”
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Toyota shuts down Darlington
Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson completed the top five. Larson stayed out on worn tires and led the final restart with 24 laps left. He could not hold on.
It was Toyota’s fourth straight win at Darlington. Camrys filled five of the top six spots at the end of the opening stage, with Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin and Bell ahead of Blaney in fifth and Chase Briscoe in sixth.
Bell had already edged Briscoe with 15 laps left in the second stage to lock up maximum stage points. He finished that stage more than a second clear of Larson.
Reddick, who started on pole after qualifying was cancelled because of the weather, had to fight back after a botched left-front stop.
“A good day in the Chase, but I really want to win this race,” he said. “Good thing we won the spring one, otherwise I’d be devastated.”
Hamlin and Byron pay the price
Denny Hamlin remains championship leader but finished 18th. The No. 11 driver hit the wall in the pit straight after contact with Michael McDowell, then dropped to the back of the lead-lap runners because of damage to the tie rod.
William Byron suffered his fourth DNF of the season. A spin on lap 316 of 367, then an engine problem after the pit stops, left him 37th in the final running order.
Bell leaves Darlington with 73 points and is now just 12 behind Hamlin in the Chase standings.
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