Darlington Kicks Off 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase: Hamlin Leads, Preece Roars In

16 drivers have locked themselves into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the championship, and now only 100 points separates them. Denny Hamlin is the No. 1 seed, while Ryan Preece is the No. 16 seed after a dramatic win at Daytona.

The first of ten battlegrounds will be the historic Darlington Raceway, and the 2026 edition of the Southern 500. 

The History and Track Dimensions for Darlington Raceway

Spotters and fans at Darlington Raceway

Photo by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Images

Darlington Raceway joined the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 1950. It is a 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval. The higher-speed Turns 1 and 2 have 25 degrees of banking, while Turns 3 and 4 have 23 degrees of banking. Even down the straightaways, there are six degrees of banking.

Known as both ‘the track too tough to tame’ and the ‘Lady in Black’ for the black marks that appear along the white walls from car contact every race weekend, Darlington is one of the trickiest tracks on the schedule.

Even among the crown jewels, 500 miles of racing at Darlington is considered especially grueling for drivers, teams and equipment. It’s also the oldest of the crown jewels, with Johnny Mantz winning the first-ever Darlington race in 1950. With an average speed of just 75mph, he won by over nine laps. The key to victory? Mantz ran far more durable track tires on his car, allowing him to cut out several pit stops and gap the field by a wide margin.

Even today, tires are everything at Darlington, and expect extreme fall-off on Sunday evening.

Meet the 2026 Chase field for the NASCAR Cup Series

Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford

Photo by: Michael Bush – Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

(1.) Denny Hamlin (2100pts): Hamlin’s quest to become a Cup champion continues, and all eyes will be on Hamlin as the winningest driver in Cup Series history without a title looks to rectify that, one year after a heartbreaking loss. This will be his 21st shot at a NASCAR Cup title, and enters the postseason as the clear favorite.

(2.) Ryan Blaney (2075pts): Blaney leads the way for Ford as he pursues his second career NASCAR Cup Series title. He is the only Ford driver in the top eight in the championship, and enters the Chase with two wins over the summer. 

(3.) Tyler Reddick (2065pts): Reddick looked unstoppable at the start of the year, becoming the first driver in history to win the opening three races of a NASCAR Cup season. At one point, he held a points lead approaching 130pts, but the summer stretch has been a brutal one. He has five wins this season — more than any other driver — but none since May. Maybe the reset is just what he needs, or perhaps it will only amplify his struggles with the pressure on

(4.) Ty Gibbs (2060pts): Gibbs finally broke through, winning two Cup races this year and positioning himself for a chance at his first-ever Cup title. Gibbs has made the postseason before, but he has never placed higher than 15th in the standings.

(5.) Chase Briscoe (2055pts): Briscoe started the year off slow, but he has really turned up the wick this summer. He was below the Chase cut-line entering the Coca-Cola 600, but rocketed up to fifth through the last half of the regular season with a flurry of strong results. Like Gibbs, this is his best shot yet to become a NASCAR Cup Series champion.

(6.) Christopher Bell (2050pts): It’s been an odd season for Bell. He is the highest-ranked driver without a win, but the JGR driver also has a remarkable seven runner-up finishes this year. With win and you’re in gone, runs like that could be enough to put him in title contention — even without a win.

(7.) Kyle Larson (2045pts): The reigning 2x champion has had a strange season as well, and its’ been a very off-year for Hendrick. Larson is the highest-ranked Chevrolet driver, and he’s also winless. Larson has yet to win a Cup race since his ill-fated Indy 500/Coke 600 Double in May of last year, and yet, he is also the defending champion. It’s unclear if Hendrick has what it takes to actually battle for a title this year. 

(8.) Chase Elliott (2040pts): The only Hendrick driver to reach Victory Lane this year, and he’s done it twice. Elliott started the year strong but has since slipped in recent weeks. He has just one finish higher than 11th over the last three months of racing, which is shocking for this team. Right now, they seem a little lost as Elliott hopes to earn his first Cup title since 2020.

(9.) Joey Logano (2035pts): It’s an even-year, and Logano has arrived once again. The three-time Cup champion was considered a dud for most of the year, and few even expected him to make the Chase. However, the Penske driver has gone on a tear in recent weeks with two wins, rocketing up from 18th to 9th in the championship. This driver is motivated to prove to the doubters that he can win a title under another format beyond the controversial elimination format used between 2014 and 2025.

(10.) Chris Buescher (2030pts): A quiet contender, solid all year despite never reaching Victory Lane. Buescher doesn’t seem to have the speed to contend for a title, but he is a driver who always extracts the most out of his No. 17 Ford. If other drivers stumble, he will be ready to pounce.

(11.) Daniel Suarez (2025pts): It’s been an incredible turnaround for Suarez after being let go from Trackhouse Racing. He has led the way for Spire into the Chase while all three cars belonging to his former team failed to make the cut. Suarez won the Coca-Cola 600, and ended the regular season with a runner-up finish at Daytona. However, Spire is very hot-and-cold, and you never really know if they’re going to show up with speed on any given race weekend.

(12.) Carson Hocevar (2020pts): The center of attention, but not always for good reasons. Hocevar earned his first career win at Talladega, and has made himself the story on most race weekends. He is wildly aggressive and a big personality, earning him a massive fan base and helping him to lead the way in retail sales. However, he has stumbled in recent weeks, falling from fifth to 12th in the standings as his take-no-prisoners style cost him some valuable points.

(13.) William Byron (2015pts): It’s been a strange year for Hendrick, and that extends to Byron. He’s done nothing notable and enters the Chase very low in the standings for a driver who has placed fourth or better in the championship in each of the last three seasons. Like his teammates, Byron just seems a little lost right now.

(14.) Bubba Wallace (2010pts): Wallace has had the speed, but not the luck in 2026. He had the speed to win multiple races, but it never really came together. If they clean that up for the Chase, he could rise and be among the other top Toyotas, but at the moment, Wallace needs a bit more consistency to be a factor.

(15.) Austin Cindric (2005pts): The third and final Penske driver to make the cut. Like Buescher of RFK, Cindric has been quietly consistent all year. He hasn’t had the pace to go and win, but he has done just enough to give his team a shot at the postseason.

(16.) Ryan Preece (2000pts): The driver who simply refused to surrender. Preece gained 48 points on Shane van Gisbergen in a single race, even as SVG won Stage 1 at Daytona while Preece slid through the infield grass. Preece went on to win the race for his first Cup win in his 249th career start! He is highly determined and all the momentum is with the No. 60 RFK Ford…for the moment.

Full Weekend Schedule

Saturday, September 5

1:30pm EST — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying — CW App & ESPN Unlimited

4:00pm EST — NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying — TruTV & HBO Max

7:30pm EST — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race — The CW

Sunday, September 6

4:30pm EST — NASCAR Cup Series pre-race show — USA

5:00pm EST — NASCAR Cup Series Southern 500 at Darlington — USA

Can Chase Briscoe win three in-a-row?