Kyle Larson sealed his third NASCAR Cup Series title with a 49-point advantage over Christopher Bell following the season finale at Homestead on November 8. Larson secured the championship early in the race by finishing fourth in the opening stage, a strong start that set the tone for the rest of the weekend.
Larson’s No. 5 car ultimately finished 12th in the final race, but that result was enough to keep him comfortably ahead in the standings. His season total reached 2,501 points, while Bell ended with 2,452 points.
Ryan Blaney’s victory at Homestead lifted him to fourth place in the overall standings, closing the year with 2,407 points. Denny Hamlin finished third in the championship with 2,445 points, trailing Bell by just seven points.
The race weekend was also marked by Carson Hocevar’s suspension for the finale. Hocevar did not earn any points this weekend due to the penalty, which stemmed from an earlier incident at Martinsville where he brake-checked Austin Cindric. That penalty affected his final position, leaving him 13th in the standings with 2,234 points, 267 behind Larson.
The final 2026 NASCAR Cup Series points standings showed a competitive field behind the champion. Tyler Reddick finished fifth with 2,397 points, while Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano tied in points at 2,386, occupying sixth and seventh places respectively.
William Byron, Ty Gibbs, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top 10 in points. Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott were close behind with 2,293 and 2,287 points. Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece, and Chris Buescher also completed the top 16.
Larson’s consistency throughout the season proved decisive. While he didn’t win the Homestead race, his ability to accumulate points steadily kept him ahead. The 49-point margin over Bell was the largest gap separating the top two drivers at the end of the series this year.
The Homestead race, the final event of the 2026 season, confirmed Larson’s position at the top after a campaign of steady performances. Blaney’s rise to fourth in the standings was the highlight for other contenders, while Hocevar’s suspension underscored the season’s strict disciplinary measures.
With the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series complete, Larson now holds three titles in his career. The Homestead finale marked the close of a season that saw intense battles throughout the field and clear dominance from the eventual champion.
According to Yahoo Sports.
