Who Won the NASCAR Race Today?
Briscoe Holds Off Bell to Win at Chicagoland
Chase Briscoe won the eero 400 by 0.276 seconds over Christopher Bell, leading a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2-3 with Denny Hamlin. Full results, key incidents, updated points, season winners and the next race at EchoPark Speedway.
Who Won NASCAR Today?
Briscoe Wins Chicagoland Thriller
Chase Briscoe held off Christopher Bell to win the eero 400, his first victory of 2026 and sixth career Cup win.
Who won the NASCAR race today? Chase Briscoe won the 2026 eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, July 5, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell by just 0.276 seconds. Denny Hamlin finished third to complete a JGR sweep of the podium, while William Byron and Alex Bowman rounded out the top five.
Briscoe took control during the final green-flag pit cycle and led the final 46 laps. The victory was his first of the 2026 season, his first at Chicagoland and the sixth of his Cup career. Seven Toyotas finished inside the top 10, the most ever for the manufacturer in a single Cup race.
Below is the updated NASCAR race-results hub: the official top 10, major incidents, points standings after Race 19, every 2026 points-race winner through Chicagoland, and the upcoming EchoPark, North Wilkesboro and Indianapolis schedule.
Who Won the NASCAR Race Today? Briscoe Takes Chicagoland
First at Chicagoland
Ninth top 10
Winning margin
Seven to the Chase
Chase Briscoe won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway after a decisive final green-flag pit cycle moved the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota ahead of William Byron. Briscoe controlled the final 46 laps but had to withstand a late charge from Christopher Bell as the two teammates navigated lapped traffic on the worn 1.5-mile oval.
Bell closed rapidly in the final laps, but his No. 20 Toyota tightened in dirty air and Briscoe kept enough momentum to reach the checkered flag first. The margin was only 0.276 seconds. Denny Hamlin finished third, giving Joe Gibbs Racing its eighth Cup Series 1-2-3 result and its second of the 2026 season.
The result also validated the strategy principles outlined before the race. Track position and a clean green-flag stop mattered more than simply leading early. William Byron swept both stages and led a race-high 94 laps, but Briscoe’s better final pit exchange decided the trophy. Read the full eero 400 race coverage and the pre-race Chicagoland strategy analysis for the complete weekend context.
Chase Briscoe won the July 5 NASCAR Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. Christopher Bell finished second, Denny Hamlin third, William Byron fourth and Alex Bowman fifth. Briscoe’s winning margin was 0.276 seconds.
Briscoe did not dominate the first two stages. He won the race by converting the final green-flag pit cycle, protecting clean air and managing traffic better than the faster-closing Bell.
NASCAR Cup Series Race Results Today — Full Top 10
Joe Gibbs Racing swept the podium, and Toyota placed seven cars in the top 10. Byron led the most laps and swept both stages, but Briscoe’s strategy and late-race execution produced the win.
| Pos | Driver | Start | Manufacturer | Laps Led | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Briscoe Winner | 7 | Toyota | 51 | 70 |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | 6 | Toyota | 1 | 40 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 1 | Toyota | 30 | 45 |
| 4 | William Byron | 10 | Chevrolet | 94 | 53 |
| 5 | Alex Bowman | 12 | Chevrolet | 0 | 35 |
| 6 | Bubba Wallace | 8 | Toyota | 35 | 40 |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | 14 | Ford | 8 | 36 |
| 8 | Ty Gibbs | 5 | Toyota | 0 | 38 |
| 9 | Corey Heim | 28 | Toyota | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Riley Herbst | 18 | Toyota | 0 | 31 |
The eero 400 featured 28 lead changes among 13 drivers and seven cautions for 43 laps. Briscoe led 51 laps, Byron led 94, Wallace led 35 and Hamlin led 30. Post-race inspection confirmed Briscoe as the winner.
For ongoing updates after each checkered flag, use the NASCAR race-winners archive. The Chicagoland schedule and predictions guide provides the pre-race context behind the result.
Race-Altering Incidents at Chicagoland
The race began with immediate trouble. Connor Zilisch crashed into the inside wall while trying to avoid Ryan Preece’s Lap 1 spin and recorded his seventh DNF of the season. Later, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar made contact, sending both cars into the outside wall.
Austin Hill crashed after contact with Shane van Gisbergen on Lap 48, extending a rivalry that had already produced incidents at Pocono and San Diego. Kyle Larson then spun from third place exiting Turn 4 on Lap 93 and became stuck in the wet infield grass. The recovery cost him multiple laps and left him 34th.
Tyler Reddick’s points challenge suffered another major setback on Lap 131. His No. 45 Toyota reportedly struck a splitter stay from another car, puncturing the radiator and sending fluid across the track. Reddick spent time behind the wall and finished 36th, allowing Hamlin to expand the points lead.
Larson and Reddick entered the weekend as major championship contenders, but both lost substantial points. Ryan Preece also fell below the provisional Chase line after early damage. Review what causes crashes in motor racing and how racing flags work for the rules and dynamics behind these cautions.
NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Chicagoland
Denny Hamlin leads the Cup Series standings with 764 points after finishing third at Chicagoland. Tyler Reddick remains second but now trails by 44 points following his radiator problem and 36th-place result.
| Pos | Driver | Points | Wins | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 764 | 4 | Leader |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick | 720 | 5 | −44 |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 651 | 1 | −113 |
| 4 | Ty Gibbs | 627 | 1 | −137 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 584 | 2 | −180 |
| 6 | Kyle Larson | 583 | 0 | −181 |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 541 | 0 | −223 |
| 8 | Chase Briscoe | 538 | 1 | −226 |
| 9 | Carson Hocevar | 524 | 1 | −240 |
| 10 | Christopher Bell | 512 | 0 | −252 |
The Championship Gap in Context
The battle around the provisional Chase cut line is exceptionally close. Erik Jones holds 16th with 411 points, only four ahead of Ryan Preece. Seven regular-season races remain before the 16-driver field is finalized.
The 2026 NASCAR points standings page tracks the leader, Chase line and every weekly movement. For a plain-English explanation of the system, read how racing championships are scored.
Every NASCAR Cup Series Race Winner in 2026
The first 19 points races have produced 11 different winners. Tyler Reddick leads the season with five victories, Hamlin has four, and Briscoe became the newest winner at Chicagoland.
| Race | Track / Event | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daytona 500 | Tyler Reddick |
| 2 | EchoPark Speedway | Tyler Reddick |
| 3 | Circuit of The Americas | Tyler Reddick |
| 4 | Phoenix Raceway | Ryan Blaney |
| 5 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin |
| 6 | Darlington Raceway | Tyler Reddick |
| 7 | Martinsville Speedway | Chase Elliott |
| 8 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Ty Gibbs |
| 9 | Kansas Speedway | Tyler Reddick |
| 10 | Talladega Superspeedway | Carson Hocevar |
| 11 | Texas Motor Speedway | Chase Elliott |
| 12 | Watkins Glen International | Shane van Gisbergen |
| 13 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Daniel Suárez |
| 14 | Nashville Superspeedway | Denny Hamlin |
| 15 | Michigan International Speedway | Denny Hamlin |
| 16 | Pocono Raceway | Denny Hamlin |
| 17 | Naval Base Coronado | Corey Heim |
| 18 | Sonoma Raceway | Shane van Gisbergen |
| 19 | Chicagoland Speedway | Chase Briscoe |
Denny Hamlin also won the non-points All-Star Race at Dover. Since Michigan, the season has added Denny Hamlin’s Pocono win, Corey Heim’s breakthrough at San Diego, Shane van Gisbergen’s Sonoma victory and Briscoe’s Chicagoland result. Review the Pocono results, San Diego results and Sonoma results.
The From Moonshine to NASCAR archive traces how stock-car racing developed into the modern Cup Series. For speed comparisons across track types, read how fast NASCAR cars go.
What’s Next: EchoPark Speedway & How to Watch
The Cup Series moves from Chicagoland to EchoPark Speedway for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart. The July 12 race is Round 3 of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge and begins at 7 p.m. ET.
| Round | Race | Track | Date & Time | TV / Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 NEXT | Quaker State 400 | EchoPark Speedway | Sun 12 July · 7 p.m. ET | TNT · truTV · HBO Max |
| 21 | North Wilkesboro Cup Race | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Sun 19 July · 7 p.m. ET | TNT · truTV · HBO Max |
| 22 | Brickyard 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Sun 26 July · 2 p.m. ET | TNT · truTV · HBO Max |
EchoPark — Drafting, Traffic and In-Season Challenge Pressure
EchoPark Speedway’s current configuration produces pack-style racing and strong slipstream effects. Drivers must balance aggression with survival because a small mistake in a tight group can collect multiple contenders. Read what a slipstream is and how pit-stop strategy works before the Sunday night race.
How to Watch NASCAR This Weekend
Sunday’s Cup race airs on TNT Sports and truTV and streams on HBO Max. Cup qualifying is Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on HBO Max and truTV. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on The CW, while the Truck Series LiUNA 150 at Lime Rock starts at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.
Watch on TNT Sports and truTV or stream on HBO Max. The race runs 260 laps. Use the NASCAR channel guide, start-time tracker and streaming guide for last-minute schedule changes.
NASCAR Race Today — Frequently Asked Questions
One Last Thought on Briscoe’s Chicagoland Win
Chicagoland’s return delivered the type of finish the track needed. Briscoe’s strategy moved him ahead, Bell’s late pressure kept the result uncertain, and the JGR podium sweep demonstrated Toyota’s strength without turning the final laps into a procession.
The victory also reshaped the season narrative. Briscoe is now a 2026 winner, Hamlin leads the standings, Reddick’s advantage has disappeared, and only seven regular-season races remain before the Chase field is set.
This page is refreshed after every Cup race. Use the race-channel guide and start-time tracker before the July 12 EchoPark race.
