One race down, nine to go in NASCAR’s 2026 championship fight.
The Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway officially opened The Chase and immediately reshuffled the standings, although one thing hasn’t changed at the top: Denny Hamlin remains the driver everyone is chasing.
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Hamlin leaves Darlington with 2,135 points and a 12-point advantage over Christopher Bell, who made one of the biggest moves of the weekend by jumping four positions to second.
Ryan Blaney sits third, 16 points behind Hamlin, while Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe complete the top five.
Further down the standings, Bubba Wallace also made a significant move, climbing four spots to 10th. William Byron...
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