Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL — November 8, 2026
It all comes down to this! If Kyle Larson can avoid contact with the outside wall, dodge incidents on the track in front of his race car, and score nine points in any fashion, he will be the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. Sounds simple; probably is. In an anti-climactic conclusion to The Chase, Larson holds all the cards today.
Friday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Homestead-Miami saw Larson scrape the outside barrier, causing damage to the right side of his race car. Five times this season, Larson has been involved in incidents that prevented him from finishing a race. Nine points can come from finishing first or second in either of the first two Stages of today’s title event and/or finishing third in a Stage and adding a single point for a last-place finish. Placing 28th or better will also provide Larson with the margin he needs to claim the trophy.
Long odds for the only two drivers with an outside shot at catching last year’s defending champion. The most Denny Hamlin has outscored Larson in a single race this season is 43 points at Indianapolis. The most Christopher Bell has outscored Larson in a single race this season is 46 points at Phoenix this fall.
For Hamlin or Bell to have a chance at catching Larson, they would need to score the maximum points available in a single race (76 points). That is possible by winning both Stages (10 points for each Stage), winning the race (55 points), and recording the fastest lap in the race (1 point). Bell would also need to find 3 points from Larson and Hamlin, the amount he trails Hamlin heading into today’s race.
For there to be some Championship drama at the end of the day, several things must fall into place.
- Larson clinches with 8 Stage points
- Larson clinches by finishing 28th or better without any Stage points
- Larson clinches by finishing 3rd or better in Stage one
- Bell and Hamlin both must win to score enough points to have a chance
- Bell must score at least 13 Stage points to stay alive
- Bell must finish 8th or better in Stage one
- Hamlin must score at least 16 Stage points to stay alive
- Hamlin must finish 5th or better in Stage one
- The most Hamlin has outscored Larson in a single race in the Stage era, adjusted to the new points system, is 62 points in 325 starts against each other
- The most Bell has outscored Larson in a single race, adjusted for the new points system, is 50 points in 218 starts against
each other - Larson has scored 3 or fewer points in four races this season, tied for his most ever in a season (2025, 2013)
- Denny Hamlin has swept the stages nine times in his career but has won only two of those races. One of the wins was at
Homestead in 2020 - Christopher Bell has swept the stages four times in his career but has never gone on to win.
- Kyle Larson has never scored less than 18 points in his 12 starts at Homestead.
Is it safe to start engraving one name on the Championship Trophy before the green flag falls? In a sad commentary on a great racing career, this will be the eighth time Denny Hamlin entered the season finale with a chance to win the Championship. If so, a number of accolades will be added to the careers of three individuals.
Owner Hendrick Motorsports, Driver Kyle Larson, and Crew Chief Cliff Daniels Career Bios
Kyle Larson
- 34 years, 3 months, 8 days old from Elk Grove, CA
- Third Cup Championship in 12th full-time season
- Prior two Championships came in 2021 and 2025
- 11th driver to win at least three Cup Championships
- Third youngest driver to win three Cup Championships behind Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson
- Third driver to win at least three Cup Championships with Hendrick Motorsports (Jimmie Johnson – 7, Jeff Gordon – 4, Kyle
Larson – 3) - 14th driver to win at least two straight Cup Championships
- Won three races in 2026 Chase: St. Louis, Kansas (October) and Talladega (October)
- Ended a 51-race winless streak with his win at St. Louis, leading 80 laps and surviving two overtime restarts
- Swept the stages and led 235 of 267 laps in a dominating win at Kansas in October
- Got his first Talladega win and third of the season after dropping from 1st to 11th on the backstretch on the final lap, then
surging back to the lead in the trioval
Rick Hendrick
- Gives Hendrick Motorsports their record 16th Cup Driver’s Championship
- All 16 Hendrick Motorsports Cup Championships came in the last 32 seasons
- Five drivers account for Hendrick Motorsports’ 16 Cup Championships: Jimmie Johnson 7, Jeff Gordon 4, Kyle Larson 3, Chase Elliott 1, Terry Labonte 1
- Hendrick Motorsports is the only Cup team to win Cup Championships with five different drivers
- Hendrick Motorsports won the Championship in 11 of 23 seasons with a Chase/Playoff Format (48%)
- 35th time a Chevrolet driver won the Cup Championship
- 2014 Cup Series Rookie of the Year
Cliff Daniels
- Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels – From Smithfield, VA
- Third Cup Championship with crew chief Cliff Daniels in their sixth season together
- Third Cup Championship in his seventh full-time season, all with Hendrick Motorsports
- Eighth crew chief to win at least three Cup championships
- Joins Ray Evernham as the second crew chief to win three Cup championships through seven full-time seasons
- Previously won the Cup Championship in 2021 and 2025 with Kyle Larson
- Served as a race engineer for Jimmie Johnson’s 2016 Cup Championship
- Graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from UNC Charlotte
Today’s Race
Homestead-Miami Speedway is an interesting place. International Speedway Corporation (now
NASCAR) became the sole owner of Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2001. In 2003, the track underwent a major
reconfiguration from what was a flat 1.5-mile rectangular-shaped track to a 1.5-mile asphalt
oval with progressive banking in the turns.
Four lakes were created, providing more than 2.5 million cubic yards of lime rock fill to create the banking for Homestead-Miami. Three of the four lakes are located on the Speedway’s property, with two lakes in the infield. The largest of the lakes is 18 acres and stocked with rare Peacock Bass. This lake is deep enough to submerge an entire six-story building inside of it.
At 25 degrees longitude, Homestead-Miami is the southernmost track that NASCAR visits within the United States. Mexico City is at 19 degrees longitude. NASCAR crowned champions in all three of its national series at Homestead-Miami Speedway for 18 straight years (2002-19).
This is the first year since 2019 that a Cup Series Champion will be crowned in the Southeast. Phoenix has held that honor from 2020 to 2025.
Only one of the last 19 races at Miami ended in overtime. The Stage 2 winner finished in the top 5 in the last seven Miami races and won four times. Kyle Larson has led 645 laps at Miami, the most of all drivers.
Ford’s last pole at Miami was Carl Edwards in 2011, the longest drought at any current Cup track for the brand. Chase Briscoe (in a Toyota) sits on the pole for today’s race.
His JGR Teammate Denny Hamlin joins him on the front row. Justin Haley is subbing for Carson Hocevar in the #77 car today. Hocevar was suspended by his team, Spire Motorsports, for his brake-checking incident at Martinsville that destroyed the front end of Austin Cindric’s race car. That was in addition to NASCAR fining the popular young driver $100,000 and deducting 25 driver points for the dangerous behavior.
The 267 laps in today’s race comprise 400.5 miles with Stages set for 80/85/102 laps.
We have become accustomed to the military flyovers following the National Anthem at NASCAR race tracks. However, today the pageantry received an upgrade at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 482nd Fighter Wing, known as the “Makos,” from nearby Homestead Air Reserve Base, started things off. The mission of the 482nd Fighter Wing is to provide combat-ready aircraft to answer our nation’s call. They opened the aviation demonstration at the conclusion of the National Anthem, as four F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft from Homestead Air Reserve Base performed a heart-stopping flyover along the front stretch.
That was followed by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the U.S. Army’s 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, delivering a Corvette Grand Sport to the racing surface to serve as the official pace car for the Cup Series Championship Race.
The unit then performed a flyover featuring two CH-47 Chinooks and a pair of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters during the command to fire engines. The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade deploys lethal, combat-credible, and well-led aviation forces globally to shape, deter, fight, and win. They provide vertical lift and attack reconnaissance capabilities to dominate the airspace in large-scale combat and multi-domain operations.
“When you’re crowning a NASCAR champion, you want to make sure the excitement extends well beyond the racetrack,” said Guillermo Santa Cruz, President of Homestead-Miami Speedway. “Having these incredible military aviation units come together for our pre-race festivities will make for a truly spectacular experience, and it’s a tremendous opportunity to showcase the skill and precision of the men and women who serve our country. While we’re sharing some of what’s planned for the skies above Homestead-Miami Speedway, let’s just say fans will want to keep their eyes up – we may have a few more surprises in store!”
The Blackhawk helicopters returned to lead the starting field of race cars around the track in a spectacular low-level flyby.
Stage One
Chase Briscoe(19), Christopher Bell(20), and Tyler Reddick(45) led the train of cars around the Speedway with Kyle Larson(5) in the fourth position. The field spread out quickly as Larson was not looking to pick a fight for position this early in the race.
The Stage progressed normally with green flag pit stops beginning at lap 35. Larson came to pit road on Lap 40, the halfway point of Stage One.
On lap 77, Chase Briscoe’s engine exploded, ending the Stage early.
Results of Stage One
| Position | Car # | Driver | Behind | Points |
|
1 |
45 |
Tyler Reddick (C) |
— | 10 |
|
2 |
12 |
Ryan Blaney (C) |
6.129 | 9 |
|
3 |
20 |
Christopher Bell (C) |
7.533 | 8 |
|
4 |
5 |
Kyle Larson (C) |
8.493 | 7 |
|
5 |
2 |
Austin Cindric (C) |
13.849 | 6 |
|
6 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin (C) |
14.690 | 5 |
|
7 |
23 |
Bubba Wallace (C) |
17.494 | 4 |
|
8 |
7 |
Daniel Suárez (C) |
19.241 | 3 |
|
9 |
24 |
William Byron (C) |
20.902 | 2 |
|
10 |
9 |
Chase Elliott (C) |
22.452 | 1 |
Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell are both officially eliminated from Championship contention. Kyle Larson is the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
Stage Two
The race win is all that matters at this point. Reddick, Bell, Larson, Hamlin, and Bubba Wallace(23) lead the field to the green flag for the restart.
Bell moves quickly to the lead and shows the form that kept him in contention until the final race of the year.
With the exception of the Briscoe engine demolition, the race has been rather uneventful. Green flag pit stops again coincided with the midpoint of Stage Two.
Hamlin was the new leader after all stops were complete, with Bell running second. They were followed by Reddick, Cindric, and William Byron(24). Larson had dropped back to the eighth position, rim riding around the top of the track in his normal fashion.
Results of Stage Two
| Position | Car # | Driver | Points |
|
1 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin (C) |
10 |
|
2 |
20 |
Christopher Bell (C) |
9 |
|
3 |
45 |
Tyler Reddick (C) |
8 |
|
4 |
2 |
Austin Cindric (C) |
7 |
|
5 |
12 |
Ryan Blaney (C) | 6 |
|
6 |
24 |
William Byron (C) |
5 |
|
7 |
48 |
Alex Bowman |
4 |
|
8 |
9 |
Chase Elliott (C) |
3 |
|
9 |
38 |
Zane Smith | 2 |
|
10 |
7 |
Daniel Suárez (C) |
1 |
The Final Stage
Hamlin retains the lead off pit road. Reddick, Bell, Byron, and Cindric follow.
Ryan Blaney makes a strong move to the front early in the Stage in an attempt to run down Hamlin.
Just after the 200-lap mark, Tyler Reddick pulls up to the leaders, making it a 3-way race to the next round of pit stops.
Christopher Bell pitted on lap 212 to start the cycle.
After all stops were completed, William Byron advanced to the lead ahead of Reddick, Hamlin, Blaney, and Ty Gibbs(54).
The caution waved on lap 252 when Noah Gragson(4) tapped the rear quarter panel of Daniel Suarez’s(7) car, sending him into a long spin that filled the air with tire smoke. The leaders came to pit road for service, setting up a sprint to the green and white checkered flag.
Restarting with eight laps to go, Byron roared off into turn one with the lead. By the next time the pack came around, Reddick was on the point and pulling away slightly. Blaney and Byron raced side-by-side, with Blaney taking the second spot.
Blaney took the lead as the white flag waved and held off a late charge by Reddick to capture the win. His fourth checkered flag of 2026. Driving for Ford Racing and Team Penske.
Larson celebrated his Championship with an epic burnout in front of the approving crowd in the grandstand.
Results of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race from Homestead-Miami Speedway
| Position | Car # | Driver | Laps | Behind |
|
1 |
12 |
Ryan Blaney (C) |
267 | — |
|
2 |
45 |
Tyler Reddick (C) |
267 | 0.314 |
|
3 |
24 |
William Byron (C) |
267 | 0.553 |
|
4 |
20 |
Christopher Bell (C) |
267 | 1.246 |
|
5 |
23 |
Bubba Wallace (C) |
267 | 2.144 |
|
6 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin (C) |
267 | 2.297 |
|
7 |
2 |
Austin Cindric (C) |
267 | 2.514 |
|
8 |
7 |
Daniel Suárez (C) |
267 | 4.491 |
|
9 |
4 |
Noah Gragson |
267 | 4.995 |
|
10 |
71 |
Michael McDowell |
267 | 5.010 |
|
11 |
54 |
Ty Gibbs (C) |
267 | 5.566 |
|
12 |
5 |
Kyle Larson (C) |
267 | 5.621 |
|
13 |
21 |
Josh Berry |
267 | 5.791 |
|
14 |
38 |
Zane Smith |
267 | 6.254 |
|
15 |
33 |
Austin Hill(i) |
267 | 7.035 |
|
16 |
48 |
Alex Bowman |
267 | 7.090 |
|
17 |
22 |
Joey Logano (C) |
267 | 12.794 |
|
18 |
34 |
Todd Gilliland |
267 | 15.483 |
|
19 |
88 |
Connor Zilisch |
267 | 15.864 |
|
20 |
43 |
Erik Jones |
267 | 16.118 |
|
21 |
77 |
Justin Haley(C) |
267 | 18.252 |
|
22 |
9 |
Chase Elliott (C) |
267 | 18.335 |
|
23 |
16 |
AJ Allmendinger |
267 | 20.195 |
|
24 |
17 |
Chris Buescher (C) |
267 | 20.676 |
|
25 |
60 |
Ryan Preece (C) |
267 | 22.781 |
|
26 |
3 |
Austin Dillon |
266 | 1 lap |
|
27 |
1 |
Ross Chastain |
266 | 1 lap |
|
28 |
6 |
Brad Keselowski |
266 | 1 lap |
|
29 |
41 |
Cole Custer |
266 | 1 lap |
|
30 |
42 |
John Hunter Nemechek |
266 | 1 lap |
|
31 |
10 |
Ty Dillon |
266 | 1 lap |
|
32 |
47 |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr |
266 | 1 lap |
|
33 |
35 |
Riley Herbst |
265 | 2 laps |
|
34 |
97 |
Shane Van Gisbergen |
265 | 2 laps |
|
35 |
51 |
Cody Ware |
264 | 3 laps |
|
36 |
44 |
JJ Yeley |
262 | 5 laps |
|
37 |
62 |
Casey Mears |
261 | 6 laps |
|
38 |
66 |
Chad Finchum |
257 | 10 laps |
|
39 |
19 |
Chase Briscoe (C) |
77 | OUT |
|
40 |
67 |
Corey Heim |
57 | OUT |
Final Standings in the Cup Series Chase for the Championship
| POSITION | CAR # | DRIVER | POINTS | BEHIND | Stage POINTS |
| 1 | 5 | Kyle Larson | 2501 | 0 | 302 |
| 2 | 20 | Christopher Bell | 2452 | -49 | 282 |
| 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 2445 | -56 | 280 |
| 4 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | 2407 | -94 | 314 |
| 5 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 2397 | -104 | 216 |
| 6 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | 2386 | -115 | 241 |
| 7 | 22 | Joey Logano | 2386 | -115 | 236 |
| 8 | 24 | William Byron | 2344 | -157 | 187 |
| 9 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | 2335 | -166 | 250 |
| 10 | 2 | Austin Cindric | 2306 | -195 | 190 |
| 11 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 2293 | -208 | 163 |
| 12 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 2287 | -214 | 138 |
| 13 | 7 | Daniel Suarez | 2243 | -258 | 91 |
| 14 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | 2234 | -267 | 147 |
| 15 | 60 | Ryan Preece | 2226 | -275 | 122 |
| 16 | 17 | Chris Buescher | 2212 | -289 | 118 |
