NASCAR Cup Series
Live 2026 Cup Series hub: every driver in the field, team and manufacturer breakdowns, the full 36-race schedule, and standings refreshed after every checkered flag.
Next Race
Sunday, May 17, 2026
1:00 PM ET on FS1
350 laps · 350 miles · short
NASCAR Cup Series Explained
The NASCAR Cup Series is NASCAR's premier division — the top tier of stock car racing in North America and one of the most-watched motorsports series in the world. Founded in 1948, the Cup Series has grown from dirt-track origins in the Southeast to a 36-race national schedule spanning superspeedways, short tracks, road courses, and street circuits. Three manufacturers — Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota — compete for both the driver's championship and the manufacturer's title using the Next Gen car platform introduced in 2022.
Cup drivers sit above two feeder series on the NASCAR ladder: the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity / Busch / NXS) is the primary development rung, and the Craftsman Trucks Series is the grassroots truck-based feeder. Cup is where champions earn their reputation and where career records like Richard Petty's 200 wins are measured.
The 2026 format uses 26 regular-season races followed by The Chase — a 10-race postseason with 16 qualifying drivers, no eliminations, and a cumulative-points champion crowned at Homestead-Miami. Notable races include the Daytona 500 (season opener and most prestigious win), the Coca-Cola 600 (Memorial Day weekend, longest race on the schedule), the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, the Southern 500 at Darlington (the playoff opener and NASCAR's oldest superspeedway race), the Bristol Night Race, and the season finale at Homestead-Miami. Cup races air on FOX, FS1, and Amazon Prime Video — see the 2026 schedule for broadcast details. The current champion is Kyle Larson, who won the 2025 title.
For betting insights and track-type analysis, visit our NASCAR betting guide.
36
Races
58
Active Drivers
3
Manufacturers
16
Chase Spots
1949
Est.
2026 Cup Series Standings
Full standings →| Rank | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 567 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 438 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 422 |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 405 |
| 5 | Chris Buescher | 375 |
| 6 | Ty Gibbs | 372 |
| 7 | Carson Hocevar | 342 |
| 8 | Kyle Larson | 332 |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 318 |
| 10 | Bubba Wallace | 313 |
| 11 | Christopher Bell | 311 |
| 12 | William Byron | 309 |
| 13 | Ryan Preece | 296 |
| 14 | Daniel Suarez | 295 |
| 15 | Austin Cindric | 287 |
| 16 | Shane van Gisbergen | 283 |
Cup Series Champions
| Year | Champion | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kyle Larson | 6 |
| 2024 | Joey Logano | 4 |
| 2023 | Ryan Blaney | 3 |
| 2022 | Joey Logano | 4 |
| 2021 | Kyle Larson | 10 |
| 2020 | Chase Elliott | 5 |
| 2019 | Kyle Busch | 5 |
| 2018 | Joey Logano | 3 |
| 2017 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 8 |
| 2016 | Jimmie Johnson | 5 |
View all 77 champions (1949-2026)
2026 Cup Series Lineup
| Car # | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
  | Corey LaJoie | Rick Ware Racing |
 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing |
 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske |
 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing |
 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports |
 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports |
 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing |
 | Daniel Suarez | Spire Motorsports |
 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing |
 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing |
 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske |
 | A.J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing |
 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing |
 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing |
 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing |
 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing |
 | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing |
 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports |
 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing |
 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports |
 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing |
 | Chandler Smith | Front Row Motorsports |
 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports |
 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports |
 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team |
 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club |
 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club |
 | J.J. Yeley | NY Racing Team |
 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing |
 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | HYAK Motorsports |
 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports |
 | Burt Myers | Team AmeriVet Racing |
 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing |
 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing |
 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing |
 | Anthony Alfredo | Beard Oil Racing |
 | Josh Bilicki | Garage 66 |
 | Corey Heim | 23XI Racing |
 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports |
 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports |
 | B.J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports |
 | Jimmie Johnson | Legacy Motor Club |
 | Connor Zilisch | Trackhouse Racing |
 | Corey LaJoie | RFK Racing |
Latest Cup Series Results
Upcoming Cup Races
Full schedule →| Date | Race | TV |
|---|---|---|
| May 17 | NASCAR All-Star Race | FS1 |
| May 24 | Coca-Cola 600 | Prime Video |
| May 31 | Cracker Barrel 400 | Prime Video |
| Jun 7 | FireKeepers Casino 400 | Prime Video |
| Jun 14 | Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA | Prime Video |
| Jun 21 | Anduril 250 | Prime Video |
| Jun 28 | Toyota / Save Mart 350 | TNT |
| Jul 5 | NASCAR Cup Series Race at Chicagoland | TNT |
Cup Series Drivers
58 of 58
| Name | Hometown | All Series |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Alfredo | Ridgefield, CT | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Justin Allgaier | Riverton, IL | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| A.J. Allmendinger | Los Gatos, CA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Christopher Bell | Norman, OK | Cup,CWT |
| Josh Berry | Hendersonville, TN | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Josh Bilicki | Menomonee Falls, WI | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Ryan Blaney | High Point, NC | Cup,CWT |
| Alex Bowman | Tucson, AZ | Cup,CWT |
| Chase Briscoe | Mitchell, IN | Cup,CWT |
| Chris Buescher | Prosper, TX | Cup |
| Harrison Burton | Huntersville, NC | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Jeb Burton | Halifax, VA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Kyle Busch | Las Vegas, NV | Cup,CWT |
| William Byron | Charlotte, NC | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Ross Chastain | Alva, FL | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Austin Cindric | Mooresville, NC | Cup,CWT |
| Cole Custer | Ladera Ranch, CA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Austin Dillon | Lewisville, NC | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Ty Dillon | Lewisville, NC | Cup,CWT |
| Chase Elliott | Dawsonville, GA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Chad Finchum | Knoxville, TN | Cup,NXS |
| Joey Gase | Cedar Rapids, IA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Ty Gibbs | Charlotte, NC | Cup,NXS |
| Todd Gilliland | Sherrills Ford, NC | Cup,CWT |
| Noah Gragson | Las Vegas, NV | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Denny Hamlin | Chesterfield, VA | Cup,CWT |
| Corey Heim | Marietta, GA | Cup,CWT |
| Riley Herbst | Las Vegas, NV | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Austin Hill | Winston, GA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Timmy Hill | Port Tobacco, MD | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Carson Hocevar | Portage, MI | Cup,CWT |
| Jimmie Johnson | El Cajon, CA | Cup,CWT |
| Erik Jones | Byron, MI | Cup,CWT |
| Brad Keselowski | Rochester Hills, MI | Cup,CWT |
| Kyle Larson | Elk Grove, CA | Cup,CWT |
| Joey Logano | Middletown, CT | Cup,CWT |
| Michael McDowell | Phoenix, AZ | Cup,CWT |
| B.J. McLeod | Wauchula, FL | Cup,CWT |
| Brennan Poole | The Woodlands, TX | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Ryan Preece | Berlin, CT | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Tyler Reddick | Corning, CA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Parker Retzlaff | Rhinelander, WI | Cup,NXS |
| Chandler Smith | Talking Rock, GA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Zane Smith | Huntington Beach, CA | Cup,CWT |
| Garrett Smithley | Ligonier, PA | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Daniel Suarez | Monterrey, Mexico | Cup,CWT |
| Bubba Wallace | Mobile, AL | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Cody Ware | Greensboro, NC | Cup,CWT |
| Josh Williams | Port Charlotte, FL | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| J.J. Yeley | Phoenix, AZ | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Olive Branch, MS | Cup,NXS |
| Connor Zilisch | Mooresville, NC | Cup,NXS |
| Shane van Gisbergen | Auckland, New Zealand | Cup,NXS |
| John Hunter Nemechek | Mooresville, NC | Cup,NXS,CWT |
| Corey LaJoie | Concord, NC | Cup,CWT |
| Casey Mears | Bakersfield, CA | Cup |
| Burt Myers | Walnut Cove, NC | Cup,CWT |
| Jesse Love | Menlo Park, CA | Cup,NXS |
Betting Context
The Cup Series is the most heavily bet NASCAR division, with full race cards available on DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, and most major sportsbooks. Popular markets include outright winner (typical odds range from +600 for favorites to +10000 for underdogs), top-5 and top-10 finishes, head-to-head driver matchups, and stage winners. The 36-car fields and variety of track types create sharp value opportunities every week — especially at superspeedways, where pack racing produces unpredictable finishes and longer odds pay off more frequently.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NASCAR Cup Series?
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top division of American stock car racing and NASCAR's premier championship — the highest level any NASCAR driver can compete at. It has run since 1949 (originally called the Strictly Stock Division, then Grand National, then Winston Cup, then Sprint Cup, then Monster Energy Cup, and now simply the NASCAR Cup Series). Richard Petty holds the all-time wins record with 200 victories.
How many races in a NASCAR Cup Series season?
A modern NASCAR Cup Series season has 36 points-paying races — 26 regular-season races followed by 10 Chase races. In addition, the season includes 2 non-championship exhibition events: the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (season-opening exhibition) and the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The season runs from February through November.
What's the difference between Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks?
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top tier — it runs 36 races in heavier Next Gen cars with the most experienced drivers and biggest purses. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity, NXS) is NASCAR's second-tier developmental series where young drivers prove themselves before moving up. The Craftsman Trucks Series (CWT) is the grassroots truck-based feeder series and the first step on the national NASCAR ladder. All three share many tracks but run shorter distances at the lower levels.
What is the Daytona 500?
The Daytona 500 is NASCAR's most prestigious race — a 500-mile Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway that kicks off every season. First run in 1959 and won by Lee Petty, the Daytona 500 pays out NASCAR's largest single-race purse and is widely considered the sport's Super Bowl. The 68th running is scheduled for Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 2:30 PM ET on FOX.
How does The Chase work in 2026?
In 2026, NASCAR returned to The Chase format. The top 16 drivers in regular-season points after 26 races qualify. Points are reset based on seeding — Seed 1 starts at 2,100 points with a 25-point cushion over Seed 2. All 16 drivers race in every Chase event with NO elimination rounds. The driver with the most cumulative points after all 10 Chase races wins the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
What manufacturers compete in the Cup Series?
Three manufacturers compete in the NASCAR Cup Series: Chevrolet (Camaro ZL1), Ford (Mustang Dark Horse), and Toyota (Camry). Each manufacturer fields multiple teams. The manufacturer's championship is determined by cumulative points earned by all cars of each brand throughout the season.