Quick Answer
Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 2026 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 11, finishing 0.029 seconds ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell. Ryan Blaney was third, Josh Berry fourth and Denny Hamlin fifth.
Kyle Larson finished sixth, yet he still leads the Chase, 65 points clear of Briscoe, with four races left. His lead over second-place Hamlin is 49 points.
Table of Contents
- Bank of America 400 2026 Final Results
- How the Race Unfolded
- Stage Results
- Race Statistics
- NASCAR Chase Standings After Charlotte
- Key Storylines From Charlotte
- Season So Far and What Comes Next
- Historical Context
- FAQ
- Related Articles
Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 2026 by 0.029 seconds over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell after 267 laps of the 1.5-mile oval. The finish came down to the last few corners.
The two Toyotas banged fenders within sight of the finish line. The margin was the second closest in Charlotte Motor Speedway history and the closest in the Cup Series this season. A photo finish between teammates is rare, and this one had championship weight.
Read our Bank of America 400 2026 preview to see how the weekend was set up before the race.
The result moved Briscoe up two places in the standings. It also kept Kyle Larson in control, because Bell did not climb into second place.
The race marked the end of the Roval era, as the fall date returned to the traditional oval after eight years. That return, plus a rainy weekend with no qualifying, set up a race that few teams could plan for.
Bank of America 400 2026 Final Results
All 39 starters are listed below. The (i) mark means a driver who is not eligible for series points. The (R) mark means a rookie.
| Pos | Start | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Gap or Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | 267 | Winner | 68 |
| 2 | 17 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | 267 | +0.029 | 53 |
| 3 | 4 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | 267 | +4.900 | 44 |
| 4 | 27 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | 267 | +5.760 | 36 |
| 5 | 12 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | 267 | +5.884 | 40 |
| 6 | 1 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | 267 | +10.133 | 49 |
| 7 | 10 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | 267 | +13.024 | 30 |
| 8 | 3 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | 267 | +16.800 | 41 |
| 9 | 7 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | 267 | +20.269 | 28 |
| 10 | 13 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | 267 | +20.519 | 29 |
| 11 | 37 | 67 | Corey Heim (i) | 23XI Racing | 267 | +21.548 | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | 267 | +21.561 | 27 |
| 13 | 15 | 7 | Daniel Suarez | Spire Motorsports | 267 | +22.650 | 29 |
| 14 | 11 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | 267 | +22.675 | 27 |
| 15 | 24 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | 267 | +23.912 | 22 |
| 16 | 28 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | 267 | +25.492 | 21 |
| 17 | 5 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | 267 | +25.707 | 32 |
| 18 | 21 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | 267 | +27.996 | 19 |
| 19 | 19 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | 267 | +28.453 | 18 |
| 20 | 34 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | 267 | +28.489 | 17 |
| 21 | 36 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | Trackhouse Racing | 267 | +28.550 | 16 |
| 22 | 31 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | 267 | +28.688 | 15 |
| 23 | 32 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | 267 | +30.050 | 14 |
| 24 | 25 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | 267 | +30.312 | 13 |
| 25 | 23 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | 267 | +31.122 | 12 |
| 26 | 20 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | 267 | +31.756 | 11 |
| 27 | 30 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | 267 | +31.865 | 10 |
| 28 | 18 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | 266 | 1 lap down | 9 |
| 29 | 22 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | 266 | 1 lap down | 8 |
| 30 | 33 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | 266 | 1 lap down | 7 |
| 31 | 35 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | 266 | 1 lap down | 6 |
| 32 | 26 | 33 | Austin Hill (i) | Richard Childress Racing | 265 | 2 laps down | 0 |
| 33 | 39 | 44 | BJ McLeod | NY Racing Team | 264 | 3 laps down | 4 |
| 34 | 14 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | 259 | 8 laps down | 3 |
| 35 | 29 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | 259 | 8 laps down | 2 |
| 36 | 38 | 66 | Gray Gaulding (i) | Garage 66 | 201 | Accident | 0 |
| 37 | 8 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | 76 | Accident | 1 |
| 38 | 16 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | 76 | Accident | 1 |
| 39 | 6 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | 76 | Accident | 1 |
Post-race inspection found no issues, so Briscoe and the No. 19 team were confirmed as the official winners. Prize money: Information is not currently available.
How the Race Unfolded
Rain Cancels Qualifying, Larson Starts From Pole
Practice and qualifying were canceled because of bad weather. NASCAR set the grid with its metric formula, which blends the finishing position from the previous race with the current owner points standing. The planned weekend timings are in our Charlotte race weekend schedule.
That formula put Kyle Larson on pole. Chase Briscoe started second, Tyler Reddick third, Ryan Blaney fourth and Austin Cindric fifth. Bell started 17th. Berry started 27th. Hamlin started 12th.
Because nobody had practiced, NASCAR threw a competition caution early in the race. The teams had one chance to learn what their cars needed, and that came with the race already underway.
Stage 1: Larson Leads, a Crash Ends the Stage
Larson led the first lap and had a one-second lead over Reddick by lap 6. By lap 16 the gap was 1.6 seconds. He also set the fastest lap of the race on lap 2, a 29.369-second lap that earned a bonus point.
The competition caution came out on lap 36. Hamlin lost his chance at stage points when a crew member fell over the pit wall while reaching for a tire, which counts as a safety violation. The pit road mistake sent him back through the field.
Bubba Wallace led laps 48 to 58 during the pit cycle. Larson took the lead back on lap 59. Ty Gibbs, meanwhile, broke a right rear toe link in an accident and lost seven laps in the pits.
The stage ended in a wreck. On lap 77, Alex Bowman's car broke loose beneath Wallace's Toyota near the Turn 2 exit. Both cars hit the outside wall hard. William Byron's Chevrolet was also badly damaged.
Wallace was released from the infield care center and said he was fine. Wallace, Bowman and Byron finished 37th, 38th and 39th.
Larson completed lap 80 under caution to win Stage 1, with Briscoe second. Bell was third.
Stage 2: Bell Takes Over
At lap 101, the order was Larson, Bell, Cindric, Briscoe, Reddick, Hamlin, Blaney, Hocevar, Berry and Suarez. Hamlin had already recovered to sixth after his pit road trouble.
Bell took the lead from Larson on lap 108. Later, contact from Hamlin on a restart knocked Larson from second to seventh, according to NASCAR.com. Larson fought back to fourth by the end of the stage.
Bell completed lap 165 to win Stage 2 with a 2.334-second lead over Blaney. Hamlin finished third in the stage and collected eight points.
Final Stage: Briscoe Wins the Pit Cycle
Bell passed for the lead three wide after a restart on lap 173. By lap 201, with 67 laps to go, the top five were Bell, Briscoe, Blaney, Larson and Hamlin.
A caution for Gray Gaulding's spin slowed the field on lap 205. Briscoe's crew got the No. 19 out of the pits first for a restart on lap 211. The order leaving pit road was Briscoe, Bell, Larson, Hamlin, Cindric, Reddick, Blaney, Berry, Chastain and van Gisbergen.
Briscoe led the final 61 laps after taking control on lap 207. That was the pit stop that decided the race.
Larson said he was hanging on over the last 15 to 18 laps because his car got very loose. He dropped from fourth to sixth. Hamlin got loose on lap 259 and lost third place to Blaney. Berry charged into the top five during the closing green-flag run.
The Finish at the Line
Briscoe reached a pack of lapped cars with five or six laps to go. He felt a tire losing air, and he said the car stopped turning. Bell used the opening.
Bell closed dramatically over the final five laps. The No. 19 and No. 20 touched near the entrance to the tri-oval, but Briscoe held on. He crossed the line about half a car length ahead.
Bell said afterward that he got closer than he expected, but the day did not earn him much. Bell had the better car for most of the middle of the race. Briscoe had the better pit crew when it counted.
Stage Results
| Stage 1 (Lap 80) | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 10 |
| 2 | Chase Briscoe | 9 |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | 8 |
| 4 | Austin Cindric | 7 |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | 6 |
| 6 | Daniel Suarez | 5 |
| 7 | Corey Heim (i) | 0 |
| 8 | Carson Hocevar | 3 |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | 2 |
| 10 | Ryan Blaney | 1 |
| Stage 2 (Lap 165) | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher Bell | 10 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 9 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 8 |
| 4 | Kyle Larson | 7 |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | 6 |
| 6 | Austin Cindric | 5 |
| 7 | Chase Briscoe | 4 |
| 8 | Josh Berry | 3 |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 2 |
| 10 | Carson Hocevar | 1 |
Race Statistics
- Distance: 267 laps, 400.5 miles.
- Time of race: 2 hours, 52 minutes and 11 seconds, at an average speed of 139.561 mph.
- Margin of victory: 0.029 seconds.
- Cautions: Six cautions for 33 laps, with 11 lead changes among five drivers.
- Fastest lap: Kyle Larson, 29.369 seconds on lap 2.
- Share under caution: About 12.4 percent of the race.
| Driver | Times Led | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | 5 | 97 |
| Christopher Bell | 3 | 93 |
| Chase Briscoe | 2 | 62 |
| Bubba Wallace | 1 | 11 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 4 |
| Caution | Laps | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37 to 40 | Competition caution |
| 2 | 43 to 46 | Accident in Turn 4 (Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski) |
| 3 | 78 to 86 | Accident (Wallace, Bowman, Byron); Stage 1 ended |
| 4 | 118 to 122 | John Hunter Nemechek spun on the frontstretch |
| 5 | 167 to 172 | Stage 2 break |
| 6 | 206 to 210 | Gray Gaulding accident on the backstretch |
Larson led the most laps, 97. One wire report listed Bell with the most laps led. The official results show Larson ahead, so this article uses 97 for Larson and 93 for Bell.
Following other motorsport this month? Read our Austrian MotoGP race report and our 2026 Singapore Grand Prix preview.
NASCAR Chase Standings After Charlotte
Larson holds a 49-point lead over Hamlin, and Bell sits just two points behind Hamlin. The "Previous Gap" column shows how far each driver trailed Larson before the race.
Not sure how the points work? Our preview explains how the 2026 Chase works.
| Pos | Driver | Behind Larson | Points | Previous Gap | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | Leader | 2,367 | Leader | 0 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 49 | 2,318 | 40 | 0 |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | 51 | 2,316 | 55 | 0 |
| 4 | Chase Briscoe | 65 | 2,302 | 84 | +2 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 85 | 2,282 | 80 | 0 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 92 | 2,275 | 71 | -2 |
| 7 | Tyler Reddick | 114 | 2,253 | 106 | 0 |
| 8 | Austin Cindric | 145 | 2,222 | 128 | +1 |
| 9 | Ty Gibbs | 156 | 2,211 | 110 | -1 |
| 10 | Carson Hocevar | 180 | 2,187 | 158 | +1 |
| 11 | Bubba Wallace | 185 | 2,182 | 137 | -1 |
| 12 | Chase Elliott | 185 | 2,182 | 163 | +1 |
| 13 | William Byron | 208 | 2,159 | 160 | -1 |
| 14 | Daniel Suarez | 215 | 2,152 | 195 | 0 |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 216 | 2,151 | 196 | 0 |
| 16 | Ryan Preece | 227 | 2,140 | 200 | 0 |
Wallace and Elliott are tied on points. Wallace is listed ahead of Elliott in the published standings. Total points are worked out from the 2,318 Larson held before the race, and they match the gaps published after it.
What the Standings Show
Briscoe has gained 58 points on Larson over the last two races and now trails by 65. He was 123 points back before Las Vegas.
Hamlin was expected to gain ground during the three intermediate tracks. Instead his deficit grew from one point to 49 points. He has only two top-five finishes in six Chase races.
Larson did not need a great day. His average finish through six Chase races is 2.8, the best opening six-race stretch in postseason history. The sixth place ended a run of five straight top-five finishes in the Chase.
Key Storylines From Charlotte
Briscoe Becomes a Real Title Threat
The win was Briscoe's third of 2026 and the eighth of his Cup career. It was his first at Charlotte. Six of his eight wins have come in the two years since he joined Joe Gibbs Racing.
Crew chief James Small said the team could go after the title hard. Briscoe said the only way to cut the gap is to win races. Two wins in a row has done exactly that.
Briscoe's two wins this month came on 1.5-mile tracks. The next three stops are not 1.5-mile ovals.
Bell Loses the Big Prize by Inches
Bell led 93 laps and won Stage 2. He also made the best pass of the day on the lap 173 restart.
Had Bell won, he would have moved up to second in the standings. Instead he is third, 51 points behind Larson. He gained only four points on the leader.
Larson Survives a Tough Final Run
Larson won Stage 1, finished fourth in Stage 2 and earned 17 stage points. His car was not the fastest in the last run. Even so, he left Charlotte with a bigger lead than he had when he arrived.
Larson said he would not feel comfortable until the Chase is over. The next track, Phoenix, has not been a strong one for Hendrick Motorsports in recent years.
Hamlin Needs More Than Points
Hamlin started 12th and finished fifth. Pit road cost him stage points and track position early.
Hamlin said afterward that his confidence in winning a first title is mixed, and that the team lacked race-winning speed when it counted. That is a hard message for the regular-season leader.
Berry, Blaney and the Rest of the Top Five
Josh Berry started 27th in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford and finished fourth. He is not in the Chase, but his run mattered because it kept Hamlin and Larson behind him at the flag.
Ryan Blaney finished third, and he is fifth in the standings. It was his sixth top-10 finish in 17 starts at Charlotte. Blaney also won the last two Cup races at Phoenix, which makes him a driver to watch next.
The Early Wrecks Hurt Three Chase Drivers
Wallace, Byron and Ty Gibbs each lost big points. Wallace dropped to 11th in points, and Byron fell to 13th. Gibbs fell to ninth after his repair stop.
Joey Logano ran ninth but scored no stage points, and he fell two places to sixth in the standings. Team Penske had Blaney in third and Logano in ninth, but Austin Cindric finished 17th.
How the Pre-Race Storylines Played Out
These storylines were set up in our Charlotte preview.
Tyler Reddick started third and finished eighth. He did not lead a lap. He earned 12 stage points and 41 in total, and he is seventh in the Chase, 114 points behind.
Shane van Gisbergen won the 2025 fall race on the Roval. He started 10th this year and finished seventh.
Carson Hocevar finished 14th. Brad Keselowski finished 29th, one lap down. The reports reviewed for this article did not describe any contact between them.
Season So Far and What Comes Next
Chase Winners So Far
| Chase Race | Track | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darlington | Christopher Bell |
| 2 | Gateway | Kyle Larson |
| 3 | Bristol | Joey Logano |
| 4 | Kansas | Kyle Larson |
| 5 | Las Vegas | Chase Briscoe |
| 6 | Charlotte | Chase Briscoe |
Six Chase races have produced four different winners.
What Comes Next
The four remaining races in the Chase are Phoenix, Talladega, Martinsville and Homestead.
| Date | Race | Track | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 18 | Freeway Insurance 500 | Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona | USA Network |
| Oct. 25 | YellaWood 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | NBC |
| Nov. 1 | Xfinity 500 | Martinsville Speedway | NBC |
| Nov. 8 | Championship Race | Homestead-Miami Speedway | NBC |
The Phoenix race is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
| Region | Phoenix Start Time |
|---|---|
| US Eastern | 3:00 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18 |
| US Central | 2:00 p.m., Sunday |
| US Pacific | 12:00 noon, Sunday |
| United Kingdom (BST) | 8:00 p.m., Sunday |
| Sydney and Melbourne (AEDT) | 6:00 a.m., Monday, Oct. 19 |
| Brisbane (AEST) | 5:00 a.m., Monday, Oct. 19 |
Phoenix has been a strong track for Team Penske. Blaney won there in March and in last year's finale. Larson said Phoenix has been difficult for his team in recent races.
Check NASCAR's official schedule for late changes. For broadcast details from the Charlotte weekend, see our TV and start time guide.
Historical Context
Charlotte's fall race moved back to the 1.5-mile oval in 2026. It was first announced for the Roval, then moved to the oval after news broke in February. The Roval hosted the race from 2018 through 2025. Martin Truex Jr. won the last fall oval race in 2017.
Charlotte Motor Speedway opened in 1959. Bruton Smith built it, and many NASCAR teams are based in the Charlotte area. The fall race has carried many sponsor names over the years, and its distance has changed. This year's 400.5 miles is shorter than the 500-mile races of past decades.
Briscoe won his first Cup race at Phoenix in 2022 for Stewart-Haas Racing. Charlotte's win now puts him at eight career victories. His Charlotte numbers before Sunday were modest, with two top-10 finishes in six starts at the track.
Briscoe's win was also the second-closest in Charlotte's history, a margin of only 0.029 seconds.
Charlotte's return to the oval is one of several track changes this season. See how Monza shaped its weekend in our Italian Grand Prix 2026 preview.
FAQ
Who won the Bank of America 400 2026?
Chase Briscoe won the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 11, 2026. He drove the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
How close was the finish?
Briscoe beat Christopher Bell by 0.029 seconds. It was the second-closest finish in Charlotte history and the closest in the Cup Series this season.
Who leads the NASCAR Chase standings after Charlotte?
Kyle Larson leads. Denny Hamlin is 49 points behind, Christopher Bell is 51 behind and Chase Briscoe is 65 behind.
Who led the most laps?
Larson led 97 laps. Bell led 93 and Briscoe led 62.
What happened to Bubba Wallace and William Byron?
Both were caught in a crash on lap 77 that began when Alex Bowman's car got loose. Wallace was released from the care center and said he was fine.
Who won the stages?
Larson won Stage 1 and Bell won Stage 2.
When is the next NASCAR Cup race?
The Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway is on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
How many Chase races are left?
Four: Phoenix, Talladega, Martinsville and Homestead.