Bell Takes Thrilling Win at Darlington, Ends Drought
NASCAR's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway saw Christopher Bell take home his first win of 2026, ending a 33-race drought. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver edged out teammate Ty Gibbs by 1.038 seconds and secured his 14th Cup career victory.
Bell started the race in the No. 11 spot after qualifying was canceled due to weather. He won Stage 2 and led 46 laps, making a decisive move with 13 laps remaining to pass Kyle Larson, who had been leading most of the time. Larson ultimately finished fifth after his older tires couldn't keep up.
The win marked Bell's first at Darlington Raceway and his second crown-jewel triumph following the 2024 Coca-Cola 600. He vaulted to second in the standings, 12 points behind regular-season champion Denny Hamlin.