Joey Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford won America’s Night Race, seizing the lead on Lap 494 of 500 and beating Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) by 1.248 seconds for his 40th career Cup victory (Bristol report; post-race inspection clear per Racing America).
How it was won
Ty Gibbs led 120 laps in a throwback M&M’s scheme honoring Kyle Busch and looked strong until late pressure from Carson Hocevar and Logano. On the final restart scramble, Logano rolled the bottom past a three-wide knot of Hocevar, Gibbs, and Larson, then cleared for the last seven laps.
Teammate Ryan Blaney had led a race-high 202 laps before Hocevar’s contact on Lap 458 ended his night (33rd). After the race, Blaney and Hocevar traded punches on pit road — the raw Bristol subplot that overshadowed Logano’s opportunistic win (ESPN).
Larson finished second and took the Chase lead by one point over Denny Hamlin. Logano climbed to third, 16 points behind Larson. Christopher Bell was fourth; Gibbs fifth.
Results snapshot
| Pos | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | 93 laps led; MOV 1.248s; 40th career Cup win |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | Pole; Chase lead by 1 pt |
| 3 | Carson Hocevar | Led 39 laps; pit-road altercation |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | |
| 5 | Ty Gibbs | 120 laps led |
| 6 | Josh Berry | Highest non-Chaser |
| 7 | Bubba Wallace | |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | Was top seed; now P2 in Chase |
| 9 | William Byron | |
| 10 | Ryan Preece |
Race facts (Bristol / NASCAR Statistics): 500 laps, 266.5 miles; race time 3:02:20; winner avg 87.697 mph; 10 cautions for 78 laps; 13 lead changes among 6 drivers. Full order: Bristol Motor Speedway · SI / Racing America.
Purse
Individual Cup winner shares were not published in the official sources reviewed.
History & significance
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race remains NASCAR’s signature short-track playoff show under the lights at Thunder Valley. Logano’s fourth Bristol Cup win (including the 2022 dirt race) tied him with Mark Martin for 20th on the all-time Cup wins list and kept Penske firmly in the Chase conversation after three playoff races.
What’s next
Cup Chase continues with the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on September 27, 2026 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network). Series tickets: NASCAR tickets. Texas Motor Speedway hosted its 2026 Cup race in May, so there is no Texas stop in this Chase window.