Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 11, 2026, edging Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell by 0.029 seconds in a photo finish to secure back-to-back playoff victories.
Chase Briscoe Nips Christopher Bell in Charlotte Photo Finish
The NASCAR Cup Series returned to the Concord oval for the Bank of America 400. Chase Briscoe piloted his #19 Freebird Spring Water Toyota Camry XSE across the finish line just 0.029 seconds ahead of teammate Christopher Bell. The victory marked Briscoe’s second consecutive win in the postseason, inserting the Indiana native into the title conversation.
Briscoe secured the decisive advantage on the final pit stop before pulling away on the ensuing restart. Yet the closing laps tested his equipment and nerves as he drove through traffic. When I got that final pack of kind of lap cars with five or six to go, I just felt like I was going to knock the wall down at any minute,
Briscoe told NBC Sports after climbing from his car. It just quit turning. I don’t know what it is about these finishes. I’ve got to stop making it so exciting at the end. Just an amazing car. And, yeah, what an amazing run we’ve been on. Should be three in a row and just glad we were able to redeem our to this team.
“When [JGR] signed me [for 2025], I had one career Cup win and there was obviously a ton of question marks about what I guess my potential was. And for [Joe Gibbs] to take a chance on me and to be able to drive this car, it’s just a privilege.”
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing driver
The triumph pushed Briscoe’s career win total to eight, with six of those victories coming since joining Joe Gibbs Racing over the last two years. Bell settled for second place in the #20 DeWalt Toyota after leading 93 laps, falling short of stealing the win at the stripe. Ryan Blaney finished third in the #12 Team Penske Ford, followed by Josh Berry in fourth and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top five. Shane van Gisbergen finished seventh, Tyler Reddick placed eighth, Joey Logano took ninth, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Kyle Larson Extends Points Lead While Contenders Face Chaos
While the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates battled for the trophy, Kyle Larson maintained his lead in the Chase standings. Larson controlled the opening stage at Charlotte Motor Speedway after rain washed out Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions, pacing the field for 97 laps. Although he finished sixth—his first time outside the top five during the postseason—he padded his advantage in the standings.
Larson entered the event with a 40-point cushion over Denny Hamlin and left Concord holding a 49-point lead. Just a good solid day,
Larson said in an interview with USA Sports following the checkered flag. That’s what we’ve had. I feel like we maximized it.
Christopher Bell sits 51 points behind the leader in the standings, while Briscoe holds fourth place at 65 points back.
Denny Hamlin collected a pit penalty in the opening stage for an uncontrolled tire and too many men over the wall before recovering to fifth. Bubba Wallace was involved in a crash, but is doing fine.
Toyota Secures Victory and Prepares for Phoenix
Toyota also capitalized on the afternoon, securing its 17th victory of the season and positioning itself to chase a Manufacturers’ title at Phoenix Raceway.
Briscoe echoed that aggressive mindset regarding his championship pursuit, noting that the only way to cut into the points gap is by winning races.