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Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Charlotte, NC|Independent Local News
The Charlotte Mercury

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Person

Chase Elliott

NASCAR Cup Series Driver

2026 Season — NASCAR Cup Series

● Playoff eligible
6th
Position
635
Points
2
Wins
22
Starts

Through July 26, 2026 · 251 pts behind leader

Roles

Coverage (17 articles)

Logano Leads 323 Laps to Win North Wilkesboro's First Cup Points Race in 30 Years

Jack Beckett·

Joey Logano led 323 of 450 laps and beat Denny Hamlin by 0.859 seconds to win the Window World 450, the first NASCAR Cup Series points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 30 years. The win secured a playoff berth for Logano. For Kaulig Racing the night split in two: Ty Dillon finished 16th while AJ Allmendinger went out early with suspension trouble.

Brandon Jones Started 29th and Led 12 Laps at Chicagoland. He Also Won.

Jack Beckett·

Brandon Jones started 29th at Chicagoland, led 12 of 201 laps, and won the Cuervo 300 in overtime, the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series' first extra-lap finish of 2026. Chase Elliott and Connor Zilisch led 126 laps and won both stages between them. They left with zero points.

Hamlin Charges From the Back to Win at Michigan, Honor an Old Friend

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin drove from the rear of the field to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan for the second straight week, his 63rd career Cup win tying the late Kyle Busch for ninth all-time. He honored Busch with an 18-8 tribute flag, and with points leader Tyler Reddick wrecked out for his first DNF, cut the title gap to 51.

The Coca-Cola 600 Carries the 250th Birthday.

The NASCAR Guy·

The Cup field rolls into Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday for the Coca-Cola 600 the weekend the country marks its 250th birthday. Mission 600 ran for the ninth straight year — five U.S. Armed Forces stops, from Beaufort to a video bridge into Lithuania. Five Coca-Cola 600 drivers said what makes the weekend land.

Hamlin Wins the Million From the Pole at Dover. The Million Goes to Mama.

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR All-Star Race from the pole at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, beat his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in a side-by-side fight to the line, and became the third driver in the sport's history to win the All-Star at multiple tracks. Asked what he'd do with the $1 million check, he said he'd give it to his mother — a line that landed harder given his father's death in a December fire. The Cup field heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway next for the Coca-Cola 600.

Charlotte's Team Is Running Away With It

John Speedway·

23XI Racing — built in Huntersville by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin — has four wins in seven races to start the 2026 Cup Series season. Tyler Reddick leads the standings by 82 points. Charlotte's newest racing team is beating the corridor's decades-old dynasties.

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