Logano Won 40th Cup in Bristol Scramble
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 20, 2026
Late pass sealed Bristol win
Joey Logano won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and claimed the 40th Cup Series victory of his career. He started from the pole, won Stage 1 and led 93 of 500 laps before making the move that decided the race. Logano passed Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs in the closing laps and held the lead to the finish. The victory was his third of the 2026 season and his third Cup Series win at Bristol, a track where position matters and a fast restart can change everything in a hurry.
Logano did the work early and stayed in contention all night. Starting first gave him the clean air that matters at Bristol, and he used it to build his race around stage points and track position. Winning Stage 1 set the tone. Leading 93 laps kept him in the mix even when others had long stretches out front. He did not need to dominate the full distance to leave with the trophy. He needed the right run at the right time, and he found it when the laps counted most.
Blaney sets pace
Ryan Blaney spent much of the race in command before the night turned against him. He won Stage 2 and led a race-high 202 laps, the most of anyone in the field. His run ended in the closing stretch after contact with Carson Hocevar sent him into the wall while they were racing for second. The crash ended Blaney’s night and left him 33rd in the finish. It also changed the shape of the race at the front, because one of the drivers who had controlled the pace was suddenly out of the picture.
The contact between Blaney and Hocevar became the center of attention after the checkered flag, too. Blaney and Hocevar fought on pit road, and Hocevar threw punches before officials separated them. The altercation capped a tense night in which the lead changed hands late and the battle for position stayed physical right to the end. Blaney’s loss was sharp because he had led so much of the race and looked like a major threat to win before the incident. Hocevar, who had the contact that sent Blaney into the wall, finished third.
Bristol finish order
The top five also featured Kyle Larson in second, Christopher Bell in fourth and Ty Gibbs in fifth. That group reflected a race that stayed crowded at the front and turned on the final laps. Logano’s late pass over Hocevar and Gibbs made the difference, and the finish gave him another Bristol win to add to his Cup Series record. The result also extended a strong season for Logano.
Bristol produced a split story line, with Logano closing strong and Blaney setting the pace for the longest stretch of the night. Larson, Bell and Gibbs all stayed close enough to capitalize if the final run opened up another lane, but Logano kept the lead once he got it. The Cup Series’ next stop was Kansas Speedway.
