Christopher Bell Wins Southern 500 to Open NASCAR Chase
· Yahoo Sports
Christopher Bell finally broke through when it mattered most.
Bell won the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night, capturing his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2026 season and opening the Chase with a massive statement win. The victory was Bell’s 14th career Cup Series win and ended a frustrating stretch of near-misses that had seen him finish runner-up seven times.
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Reddick Starts Strong
Tyler Reddick entered Darlington with plenty of momentum and started the race from the pole after weather forced NASCAR to cancel qualifying.
Reddick immediately showed why he was considered one of the favorites, winning the opening stage after battling with Denny Hamlin throughout the first portion of the race. Bubba Wallace and Hamlin remained near the front as the field dealt with Darlington’s notoriously difficult tire-wear conditions.
Reddick’s strong start put him in position to score valuable playoff points, but the race was far from over.
Bell Takes Control
Bell steadily worked his way toward the front as the race progressed.
He won the second stage after making a late charge past Chase Briscoe, putting himself in position to fight for the victory during the final stage. His No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota continued to look strong on longer runs, giving Bell confidence heading into the closing laps.
The final stage, however, brought plenty of drama.
Rain Changes Everything
With 33 laps remaining, rain forced NASCAR to throw the red flag and temporarily halt the race.
Kyle Larson elected to stay on the track while several other contenders came to pit road for fresh tires. That strategy put Larson in front for the restart, but Bell had much fresher rubber and immediately began closing the gap.
With 12 laps remaining, Bell made his move.
Larson entered Turn 1 and drifted high, allowing Bell to hold the inside line and take control of the race.
Bell never gave the lead back.
A Huge Chase Victory
Bell crossed the finish line ahead of Ty Gibbs, with Reddick finishing third and Ryan Blaney fourth. Larson held on for fifth, while Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano and Ryan Preece completed the top 10.
For Bell, the timing couldn’t have been better.
After coming so close to victory throughout the season, he finally delivered when the pressure was at its highest.
Christopher Bell is officially a Southern 500 winner, and the 2026 Chase couldn’t have started with a bigger statement from the No. 20 team.