Larson, Bell and Hamlin share Phoenix stage before Cup race

NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 17, 2026

Larson leads title chase

Bell and Hamlin arrived at Phoenix Raceway facing a steep climb, with Larson carrying a 51-point lead over Bell and a 49-point cushion over Hamlin in the Chase standings entering the weekend. Larson also brought the strongest recent form in the playoff race to the title. He had won twice in the first six playoff races, ranked second in stage points and posted a 2.6 average finish through those events. He also had not finished worse than sixth in the postseason to that point. That kind of run gives Larson room to race with patience, but it also puts pressure on the drivers behind him to force the issue. Bell said the points gap remains manageable, and Hamlin faces the same reality. Both know they need strong points days and wins to keep Larson within reach, and both know the margin for error keeps shrinking with every race in the title battle.

Bell rivalry

Bell did not soften the edge of the rivalry when he talked about Larson. He said the two are not friends, and Larson said they are not close off the track. That bluntness fits a relationship that started in dirt racing and carried into the NASCAR Cup Series. Bell traced the competition back to their days racing each other in events such as the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, where the fight for position was intense long before it showed up on stock-car ovals. Larson, in turn, said Bell has pushed him to become a better racer. That gives the matchup a competitive balance that runs deeper than the points standings. Their public exchange at Phoenix showed how the rivalry has become part of the larger championship picture. Bell and Larson even joked about a recent power-steering dispute, a small moment that still reflected the bigger tension between drivers who know each other well and race each other hard. Bell said the gap in the standings can be closed, but he framed the task in straightforward terms. He and Hamlin need to make up ground through wins and stage points if they want to catch Larson before the final stretch of the season.

Hamlin looks to Phoenix

Hamlin said his team has to chip away at Larson’s lead and clean up mistakes after missed chances at Las Vegas and Darlington. That message matched the urgency around his title push. He did not sound discouraged, but he did sound aware of how unforgiving the playoff chase can be when key opportunities slip away. Hamlin also pointed to a basic truth about the sport. Elite drivers often have a hard time forming close friendships because they race each other so aggressively. That dynamic has shaped the three-driver battle at the top, where respect and rivalry keep colliding. Larson said Phoenix Raceway has historically been a difficult track for his team, and he described it as a place where he has struggled. Even with his lead, he said any comeback by Hamlin or Bell likely has to start at Phoenix or at the next race. That view underlines the importance of the weekend. Phoenix does not just host another stop on the schedule. It serves as a gauge for whether either challenger can turn a decent points day into a real threat. For Hamlin, the path is simple enough to state and hard enough to execute, cut into Larson’s advantage, avoid mistakes and keep the title race alive long enough to force more pressure on the leader.