What the NASCAR Cup Series Chase bubble looks like after Sonoma

Shane van Gisbergen's win at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday put the Auckland, New Zealand, native back into the provisional Chase picture with eight races left in the regular season. Here's what the NASCAR Cup Series Chase bubble looks like after the first 18 races of 2026. 

1. Denny Hamlin (+330)

2. Tyler Reddick (+329)

3. Ryan Blaney (+226)

4. Ty Gibbs (+200)

5. Kyle Larson (+182)

6. Chase Elliott (+165)

7. Chris Buescher (+129)

8. Carson Hocevar (+120)

9. Daniel Suarez (+95)

10. Christopher Bell (+83)

11. Chase Briscoe (+79)

12. William Byron (+57)

13. Bubba Wallace (+55)

Wallace's weekend was a largely negative one. After crashing in qualifying and starting at the rear of the field at Sonoma on Sunday, he worked his way into the top 10 before going off track multiple times. He finished 22nd but scored no stage points, losing two spots and 12 points to the cut line. 

14. Shane van Gisbergen (+36)

Van Gisbergen did exactly what he needed to do on Sunday from a points perspective: win. His 63-point effort puts him back on the right side of the bubble, though he has a lot of work to do if he's to make the Chase. 

15. Ryan Preece (+13)

Another solid road course effort saw Preece gain a spot and eight points on the bubble this week after an eighth-place finish at Sonoma on Sunday. After a poor start to the summer, things are looking up for the No. 60 team. 

16. Austin Cindric (+12)

Cindric continues to simply exist around the bubble, gaining four points on Sunday with a mundane 13th-place run. He only has four top 10s this season but has been consistent enough to stay in Chase contention. 

17. Erik Jones (-12)

Jones lost three spots and 22 points to the cut line at Sonoma on Sunday after finishing 23rd. A return to ovals should yield better results for the No. 43 team moving forward, however. 

18. Brad Keselowski (-25)

After four straight finishes of 34th or worse, Keselowski's 15th-place finish Sunday at Sonoma probably felt like a win for the No. 6 team, which hasn't finished top 10 since Kansas on April 19. 

19. AJ Allmendinger (-26)

Sonoma was a major opportunity for Allmendinger, but an apparent issue early in the race hindered him and he went on to finish 16th. He only lost five points to the cut line, but Sunday still seems like a somewhat wasted day for the No. 16 group. 

20. Joey Logano (-31)

Logano lost two more spots and 21 points with a 24th-place finish at Sonoma on Sunday. The No. 22 team has been off for much of the season, and it's running out of mulligans with only eight races left before the Chase. 

21. Michael McDowell (-32)

22. Ross Chastain (-45)

23. Zane Smith (-61)

24. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (-82)

25. Riley Herbst (-84)