Bell passes defending NASCAR champion Larson to win the Southern 500 to start the Chase

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Christopher Bell is finally second-to-none this season.

Bell's crazy, frustrating season of seven second-place finishes without a victory at last came to an end with a win at the Southern 500 on Sunday night.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver passed defending NASCAR champion Kyle Larson with 18 laps left at Darlington Raceway and held on to win the Chase-opening race and break a winless stretch of 33 races dating to Bristol last September.

“Darlington is the epitome of NASCAR,” Bell said. “This is better than a dream come true."

It was his first win in 15 career Cup races at Darlington and pushed him into second in the Chase standings behind teammate Denny Hamlin.

“No off weeks. right back to work next week at Gateway,” he said. “I still feel I'm going to have win more races if I want to” win the championship.

Gibbs finished second and Tyler Reddick, a five-time winner this season, was third. Chase drivers accounted for nine of the top 10. Ryan Blaney was fourth, followed by Larson, Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano and Ryan Preece.

Berry was the only non-Chase driver in that group.

Crew chief Adam Stevens tried to keep Bell focused as the runner-up finishes — along with the driver's frustration — grew. It was important for him to understand that him finishing second wasn't because his team wasn't doing everything it could to succeed. “You have to really come into each weekend with a clean slate, and he’s done a fantastic job with that,” Stevens said.

Larson gambled during the sixth and final caution, staying on the track while other competitors including Bell went into the pits for fresh tires.

And for a bit, Larson's bet look like it might pay off as he opened a sizeable lead on the restart and forced Bell and the others to come get him. Bell eventually did, moving low on the track to put Larson in his rearview mirror.

Larson thought more racers would've stayed out of the pits on the final caution to give him some cover and distance before the fresh-tire drivers got going. “But Bell got to second so fast, I was straight into defense,” Larson said. “Not able to run the lines I ultimately wanted to to take care of my tires.”

Briscoe was looking to make a bit of history with his third straight Southern 500 — only Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon had ever won more with four in a row from 1995-98 — and he fought off a pit-road penalty for running out of fuel at the end of stage two that took from the lead to 20th.

But he could not keep pace with Bell at the end.

Hamlin, the top seed in NASCAR's Chase, had started the final stage in the top five when he got hit from behind on lap 237 by Michael McDowell and his car struck the wall in turn four.

Hamlin immediately told his crew, “The toe links are gone.” But the incident did not draw a caution and Hamlin had to keep racing, falling to 20th as he and his pit e was still in front by 12 points over teammate Bell.crew waited for the chance to fix the damaged Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

While the toe links were not damaged, there were extensive repairs and Hamlin was a lap down. Hamlin finished 18th.

“It was certainly not the finish we were hoping for,” Hamlin said. “We certainly made gains on it all day.”

Hamlin came into the race with a 25-point lead over second-seeded Ryan Blaney. The rules of NASCAR's postseason changed this year, with all 16 drivers competing in all 10 playoff races without eliminations.

He's still leading, 12 points in front of teammate Bell.

Hamlin wasn't the only one of the 16 Chase competitors to have problems. Hendrick Motorsports William Byron was in position for a top 10 finish when he spun out with what he believed was a flat tire. After a trip to the pits, smoke billowed out of Byron's Chevrolet and he went back to the garage to end his day.

Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing had high hopes with two of its three drivers, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece in the Chase. But Buescher could not gain any momentum at Darlington and rode in the back of the pack for most of way.

Preece, who won his way into the postseason with a victory at Daytona last week, pledged to continue to be aggressive because as the 16th seed, his team had nothing to lose. That strategy worked well as he rode in the top 10 for most of the first half of the race. He couldn't sustain it, though, and ended 10th.

And while 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan watched from the pits, his two Chase drivers in Reddick and Wallace went from running 1-2 at the end of the first stage to falling out of the mix down the stretch.

The Chase continues with its second race at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis in Madison, Illinois. Denny Hamlin won the playoff race there a year ago.

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Christopher Bell does a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Christopher Bell celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Christopher Bell celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Christopher Bell celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Denny Hamlin steers down the front stretch during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Chase Elliott, left, and Christopher Bell, right, interact prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Drivers compete through Turn 2 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

The pit crew for Christopher Bell rushes to complete a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Top nominees “The Pitt,” “Hacks,” “Pluribus” and “Widow’s Bay” will have chances to stock up on Emmys Sunday at an early ceremony eight days before the main awards show and telecast.

The Television Academy hands out well over 100 primetime Emmys, and the vast majority of them are being presented this weekend in a pair of ceremonies at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. They were previously known as the Creative Arts Emmys but have now been rebranded as simply the first two nights of the 78th Emmy Awards.

The two nights will be edited together to air Sept. 12 on FXX and stream on Hulu the following day. The primetime Sept. 14 ceremony, also at the Peacock Theater and hosted by Mariska Hargitay, will air live on NBC and stream live on Peacock.

“The Pitt,” HBO Max's day-in-the-life medical series, won best drama for its first season and is this year's top overall nominee with 25. It could win as many as nine on Sunday. “Hacks,” also from HBO Max, got a record-tying 24 comedy nominations for its fifth and final season and could win as many as a dozen Sunday.

Most of the awards presented this weekend are for behind-the-scenes crew, but big names may also have big moments, especially in the guest acting categories.

Rob Reiner, who was killed along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner in December, could win a posthumous Emmy. He was nominated for guest actor in a comedy for “The Bear,” about 50 years after winning two Emmy Awards for his acting on “All in the Family.”

Five-time Emmy winner Michael J. Fox is also nominated in the same category for playing a patient on “Shrinking” who has Parkinson’s disease, which the actor was diagnosed with in the 1990s.

The evening's star power will be increased by the academy moving five categories from the Sept. 14 telecast to Sunday. They include best supporting actor and actress in a limited series, categories whose nominees include Jason Bateman, Charles Melton, Dakota Fanning and Laurie Metcalf.

“The Pitt” dominated the drama acting nominations, and has two performers up for best guest actor in a drama along with three up best guest actress. They include Tal Anderson, an autistic actor who has been an advocate for neurodivergent performers and portrayals. She got her first Emmy nomination for playing Becca King, the younger sister of Taylor Dearden’s Dr. Mel King.

Dearden, one of four women from “The Pitt” nominated for best supporting actress this year, will be among the presenters Sunday as will Noah Wyle, the star of “The Pitt” who is nominated for four Emmys at the main ceremony.

Five of the seven nominees for best guest actress in a comedy come from “Hacks,” including Leslie Bibb and Metcalf, who could take home two Emmys.

A pair of rookie series from Apple TV could make major marks on the Emmys with a head start Sunday. The horror comedy “Widow's Bay” could win as many as 10 this weekend. And “Pluribus,” the one-woman-against-the-hivemind drama from “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan, which stars best actress favorite Rhee Seahorn, could also win 10 at the early ceremony.

“Pluribus” acting nominees Karolina Wydra and Jeff Hiller are also among Sunday's presenters.

Saturday's first day of the Emmys saw awards presented to unscripted series, variety shows and specials shows and variety specials, while Sunday's show focuses on dramas, comedies and limited series.

The team from "Margo's Got Money Troubles" poses in the press room with the award for outstanding contemporary makeup (non-prosthetic) during night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Shailene Woodley poses in the press room with the award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for "Paradise" during night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Shailene Woodley poses in the press room with the award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for "Paradise" during night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ernest Harden Jr. poses in the press room with the award for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for "The Pitt" during night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ben Archard poses in the press room with the award for outstanding directing for a reality program for "The Traitors" during night one of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Mariska Hargitay poses in the press room with the awards for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special and outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program for "My Mom Jayne" during night one of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY - EXCLUSIVE - Seth Rogen from "The Muppet Show" accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) during night one of the Television Academy's 78th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Content Services)

Miguel Gandelman poses in the press room with the award for outstanding music direction for "The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny" during night one of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

FILE - The main stage is shown during the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2016. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)