Honestly, if you were looking for heavy stock cars bumping fenders on a superspeedway last week, you were looking in the wrong place. The real action—the kind that makes your heart skip a beat—was happening inside a giant shed in Oklahoma. While the Cup Series stars are technically in their "off-season," the nascar results last week coming out of the SageNet Center in Tulsa told us more about the 2026 form guide than any wind tunnel test ever could.
It's Chili Bowl season. For the uninitiated, it’s basically the Woodstock of motorsports, but with more dirt and way more methanol.
The Dirt Kings are Back: Bell and Larson Dominate
Last week was all about the "Big Two" of the dirt world: Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. If you’ve been following the results, you know these guys don’t just show up to participate. They show up to put on a clinic.
Christopher Bell, driving for his own team, CBell Racing, had a week that most drivers only dream of. He won the Race of Champions on Monday night, which is basically an "all-star" sprint for past winners and series champs. But it was his performance on Thursday night that really turned heads. Bell started eighth—which is a death sentence on a 1/5-mile bullring—and somehow sliced his way through the field to win the preliminary feature.
"This place is magic," Bell said after the race. "It’s never over until it’s over."
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He’s not kidding. He looked stuck in fifth place until a caution with seven laps to go changed everything. He found a line on the bottom of the track that nobody else could touch, sliding past C.J. Leary and Ryan Bernal like they were standing still.
Meanwhile, Kyle Larson reminded everyone why he’s the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion. On Monday’s preliminary night, he started fourth and was leading by lap 10. He did have a scary moment where he tangled with a lapped car—Gaige Weldon—but he powered through it to punch his ticket to the Saturday finale.
The New Guard and the Heartbreaks
It wasn't just the seasoned pros making waves in the nascar results last week. We saw some serious talent from the younger ranks trying to make their mark.
- Corey Day: The kid everyone is talking about for the 2026 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity). He finished sixth in his Wednesday prelim. It’s a solid result, but he was visibly frustrated. He’s got the speed; he just needs the luck.
- Jesse Love: The 2025 O'Reilly Series champ had a rougher go of it, finishing 16th in the Race of Champions.
- Ty Gibbs: He finished 14th in the Tuesday A-Main. It wasn't the "statement" week he wanted, but he’s still locked into a decent starting spot for the alphabet soup on Saturday.
- Sheldon Creed: Making his Chili Bowl debut, Creed won a B-Main to get into the feature but didn't finish the big race. Still, for a rookie on dirt, that's impressive.
Why Last Week’s Results Matter for the Cup Season
You might think dirt midgets have nothing to do with Next-Gen Cup cars. You'd be wrong. The way Bell and Larson handle these twitchy, 900-pound monsters translates directly to how they find grip on slick asphalt. When we see nascar results last week dominated by these two, it’s a flashing neon sign that they are coming into the 2026 season with their reflexes sharpened to a razor's edge.
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The Massive 2026 Rule Change Nobody Saw Coming
While the racing was happening in Tulsa, NASCAR HQ in Concord dropped a metaphorical bomb on the sport. On Monday, January 12, they officially announced the return of The Chase.
Say goodbye to the elimination brackets. The "win-and-you're-in" era is dead. Starting in 2026, the championship will be decided by a 10-race points haul among the top 16 drivers.
This is huge. Basically, NASCAR realized that fans were tired of a driver dominating all year only to lose the title because of one bad restart at Phoenix. Under the new (old) format:
- Winners get 55 points (up from 40).
- Points are reset for the top 16, but there are no "rounds" where people get cut.
- Consistency over the final 10 races is the only thing that matters.
It’s a pivot back to "traditional" racing. Some people love it; some miss the "Game 7" drama of the one-race finale. But honestly? It makes every single lap of those final 10 races feel like they actually matter again.
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Tragic News Off the Track
It's hard to talk about the nascar results last week without acknowledging the heavy cloud over the community. The investigation into the plane crash that took the life of retired driver Greg Biffle continues. Last week, it was reported that Biffle’s home in Mooresville was burglarized shortly after his passing. It's a gut-wrenching story—thieves reportedly took cash, guns, and irreplaceable memorabilia while the family was mourning. A memorial service was held this past Friday in Charlotte, and the turnout from the NASCAR family was a testament to how much "The Biff" was loved.
What to Watch Next
The "Championship Saturday" of the Chili Bowl is happening right now. By the time you read this, we’ll know if Bell or Larson added another Golden Driller to their mantle.
But for you, the fan, the real work starts now. With the 2026 season officially ditching the playoffs for The Chase, you need to rethink your fantasy lineups. Look for the "grinders." Drivers like Denny Hamlin and William Byron, who are consistently in the top five, are suddenly much more valuable than the "checkers-or-wreckers" guys who only win once a year.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Update your 2026 Calendar: The Daytona 500 is coming fast (February 15th).
- Check the Standings: Keep an eye on how the "new" points would have looked last year. It’ll give you a hint of who will thrive under The Chase.
- Watch the Replays: If you missed Bell’s Thursday night slide jobs, find the highlights on FloRacing. It was a masterclass in car control.
The 2026 season isn't just approaching; based on the intensity of the nascar results last week, it’s already here. Whether it's the clay of Tulsa or the boardrooms of Concord, the sport is changing fast. Stay tuned.