These 7 NASCAR Drivers Have Officially Clinched a Spot in the 2026 Chase

With two races remaining before the Chase, seven NASCAR Cup Series drivers no longer have to worry about whether they’ll make the 16-driver championship field.

Following Saturday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, NASCAR’s updated standings show seven drivers have officially clinched Chase berths: Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell.

Advertisement

That still leaves more than half of the 16-driver field unsettled heading into the final two races of the regular season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway.

And with NASCAR’s return to a points-based Chase format in 2026, every position matters.

7 Drivers Have Clinched 2026 NASCAR Chase Spots

Here are the seven drivers officially locked into the Chase following Richmond:

1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

3. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

5. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

6. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

7. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Hamlin remains comfortably atop the standings with 969 points, holding a 115-point advantage over second-place Blaney (854 points).

Gibbs sits third with 842 points, followed by Reddick with 831. Briscoe is fifth with 715, while Elliott and Bell are tied at 695 points.

Advertisement

The Joe Gibbs Racing quartet has put itself in a particularly strong position. Hamlin, Gibbs, Briscoe and Bell have all secured Chase berths, meaning all four of the organization’s Cup Series drivers are already guaranteed a chance to compete for the championship.

9 Chase Spots Remain With 2 Races to Go

The intrigue now shifts to everyone below Bell.

Kyle Larson sits eighth with 660 points after climbing two positions following Richmond. Race winner Joey Logano made an even bigger jump, moving four positions to ninth with 659.

Chris Buescher is 10th with 653, followed by Carson Hocevar, William Byron, Daniel Suárez and Bubba Wallace.

Advertisement

Austin Cindric moved into 15th after charging from 23rd to third at Richmond, giving him 574 points.

Then comes the most important dividing line.

Shane van Gisbergen currently occupies the 16th and final Chase position with 567 points. Ryan Preece is 17th with 517, putting him 50 points behind SVG. Ross Chastain sits another 13 points back with 504.

With New Hampshire and Daytona remaining, however, the Chase field is far from settled.

NASCAR’s 2026 format sends the top 16 drivers in points after Race 26 into the 10-race Chase. That makes the next two weekends particularly important for the drivers who have yet to join Hamlin, Blaney, Gibbs, Reddick, Briscoe, Elliott and Bell on the officially clinched list.

Advertisement

And with Daytona serving as the regular-season finale, the fight for those remaining nine spots could stay unsettled until the final laps.