Winners and losers from NASCAR Cup at Charlotte after dramatic finish
There are just four races left in the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, with Kyle Larson now leading the championship by 49 points. He extended his advantage over Hamlin slightly, but new challengers are rapidly approaching with just one month of racing left to go. Chase Briscoe won the race over Christopher Bell in the closest finish of the 2026 Cup season and the second-closest finish in the history of…
The 2026 NASCAR Cup season's final race at Charlotte delivered a thrilling showdown, with Chase Briscoe emerging victorious in a nail-biting finish over Christopher Bell. This marked Briscoe's remarkable points comeback, as he climbed from -123 points behind the championship lead to -65 points in just a few weeks.
Kyle Larson, the current championship leader, further solidified his position with a strong finish, widening the gap to Denny Hamlin. However, Bell's most frustrating runner-up finish of the season occurred at Charlotte, as he lost by just 0.029 seconds to Briscoe.
A violent crash in Lap 77 resulted in significant losses for several drivers, including Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, and others. Shane van Gisbergen demonstrated his skill in non-Chase races, securing a seventh-place finish at Charlotte.
Denny Hamlin's inconsistent performance throughout the three intermediate tracks led to a notable drop in points, with Larson, Bell, and Briscoe closing the gap on him. Josh Berry, on the other hand, continued his impressive season, leading the Wood Brothers to their best performance in years with four top-five finishes.
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