NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 takeaways: Christopher Bell breaks through for first 2026 win at Darlington

From there, he maintained his advantage over eventual second-place finisher Ty Gibbs and won by a comfortable 1.038 seconds. Not only does it finally put an end to the multiple heartbreaks this season, but the win is Bell's first at Darlington and the 14th of his career.

With five of the top-10 finishers and each of the top three, it was clear the Toyotas were the class of the field on Sunday night. More importantly for Bell, he jumps all the way up to second in the standings, just 12 points behind Denny Hamlin and certainly looking the part of a championship contender.

Kyle Larson nearly spoils Toyota party with strong showing to begin the Chase

Larson only rolled off 25th on Sunday after multiple lightning strikes forced NASCAR to cancel Saturday's practice and qualifying session and set the lineup based on the rule book, which factors in a driver's finish from the previous race and where they stand in the owner's points.

A 31st-place finish at Daytona did not help Larson, but he drove his way up to second by the end of Stage 2 and led 99 laps. However, the decision to stay out for the final 24-lap stint ultimately dropped him back to fifth.

That said, it was an encouraging start to the Chase for Larson, who is a manageable 49 points back of Hamlin in seventh and someone who definitely looks poised to defend his 2025 title.

Denny Hamlin clings to slim points lead after eventful night

Hamlin's pursuit of his first Cup Series title took a slight detour on Sunday night with an 18th-place finish. While 16 combined stage points helped him salvage something from the night, a run-in with Michael McDowell coming out of Turn 4 ended any chance he had of contending for the win.

It was not the race the five-time Darlington winner is accustomed to at "The Lady in Black," but he still holds a 12-point lead over Bell and is the one who everyone is chasing for the Bill France Cup. Sunday night, however, proved that it will not be straightforward for a driver who is used to nothing less in his title quest.

Bizarre situation proves costly for William Byron

While he never seemed to be as quick as the Toyotas throughout the night, Byron had top-10 pace and appeared to be on his way to a solid points night. That was until a spin from ninth with 52 laps to go and subsequent smoke under caution forced him to retire from the race in 37th with an apparent mechanical issue.

Even worse for Byron, who seemed as surprised as anyone by the sudden issue, his title hopes took a massive dip. He already entered the Chase opener at a disadvantage in points (13th), and the race-ending ordeal only made matters worse, dropping him to last in the 16-driver field (-114) after just one race.