NASCAR points standings: Updated driver rankings from every 2026 Cup Series race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The NASCAR season is in full swing, which means drivers are competing for seeds in the season-long standings.After over a decade using an elimination-style points system, NASCAR made the decision to drastically change its competition format for the 2026 season, bringing The Chase back into play. That will impact both how drivers collect points over the course of the season and how drivers will qualify for the Cup Series race.Last year, Kyle Larson won his second Cup Series title, using overtime to defeat Denny Hamlin in the final race. However, a new year means every driver begins the season with the belief that they can top the field in the end.Here's a look at the updated NASCAR standings for 2026.NASCAR standings 2026Updated as of May 10.RankDriverPointsWins1Tyler Reddick62052Denny Hamlin49823Ryan Blaney44614Ty Gibbs42515Chase Elliott42316Kyle Larson38607Chris Buescher38508Christopher Bell36119Carson Hocevar356110Daniel Suarez350111Brad Keselowski343012William Byron337013Bubba Wallace328014Shane van Gisbergen316115Chase Briscoe304016Ryan Preece303017Austin Cindric288018Joey Logano274019AJ Allmendinger254020Michael McDowell248021Zane Smith244022Erik Jones244023Ross Chastain238024Austin Dillon225025Todd Gilliland223026Ricky Stenhouse Jr.222027Kyle Busch217028Riley Herbst202029John Hunter Nemechek200030Noah Gragson181031Josh Berry168032Ty Dillon152033Alex Bowman147034Connor Zilisch146035Cole Custer134036Cody Ware1020How does the NASCAR points system work?NASCAR changed its point system for the 2026 season, eliminating the elimination-style system after over a decade and returning to The Chase.The new system instead is similar to the Cup Series system that NASCAR used from 2004 to 2013, with some notable changes. The top 16 drivers by points in the Cup Series will qualify for The Chase, doing away with automatic playoff berths and regular-season winners.The point system works as follows: race winners will earn 55 points, up 15 from the last system, while the rest of the finishers' points remain unchanged. This year, drivers can't earn bankable playoff points like they could in the past.Every Cup Series Chase field will feature 25 points awarded to the regular-season champion, and the top seed will begin The Chase with 2,100 points while each seed following has a decreased number of points from there.Simply, the driver who ends the series with the most points will be declared a champion.NASCAR race schedule 2026DateRaceTrackWinner2/4Cook Out Clash at Bowman GrayBowman Gray StadiumRyan Preece2/12America 250 Florida Duel at DaytonaDaytona International SpeedwayJoey Lagano2/12America 250 Florida Duel at DaytonaDayton International SpeedwayChase Elliott2/15Daytona 500Dayton International SpeedwayTyler Reddick2/22Autotrader 400Echopark SpeedwayTyler Reddick3/1DuraMax Texas Grand PrixCircuit of the AmericasTyler Reddick3/8Straight Talk Wireless 500Phoenix RacewayRyan Blaney3/15Penzoil 400Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayDenny Hamlin3/22Goodyear 400Darlington RacewayTyler Reddick3/29Cook Out 400Martinsville SpeedwayChase Elliott4/12Food City 500Bristol Motor SpeedwayTy Gibbs4/19AdventHealth 400Kansas SpeedwayTyler Reddick4/26Jack Link's 500Talladega SuperspeedwayCarson Hocevar5/3Wurth 400Texas Motor SpeedwayChase Elliott5/10Go Bowling at the GlenWatkins Glen InternationalShane van Gisbergen5/17NASCAR All-Star RaceDover Motor Speedway5/24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte Motor Speedway5/31Cracker Barrel 400Nashville Superspeedway6/7FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway6/14Great Ameican Getaway 400Pocono Raceway6/21Andruil 250Naval Base Coronado6/28Toyota/Save Mart 350Sonoma Raceway7/5NASCAR Cup Series Race ar ChicagolandChicagoland Speedway7/12Quaker State 400 Available at WalmartEchopark Speedway7/19Window World 450North Wilkesboro Speedway7/26Brickyard 400Indianapolis Motor Speedway8/9Iowa Corn 350 Powered by EthanolIowa Speedway8/15Cook Out 400Richmond Raceway8/23NASCAR Cup Series Race at New HampshireNew Hampshire Motor Speedway8/29Coke Zero Sugar 400Daytona International Speedway9/6Cook Out Southern 500Darlington Raceway9/13Enjoy Illinois 300World Wide Technology Raceway9/19Bass Pro Shops Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway9/27Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway10/4South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway10/11Bank of America 400Charlotte Motor Speedway10/18Freeway Insurance 500Phoenix Raceway10/25Yellawood 500Talladega Superspeedway11/1Xfinity 500Martinsville Speedway11/8NASCAR Cup Series Championship RaceHomestead-Miami Speedway

Soccer fans are now holding their breath after Lionel Messi appeared to injure his leg in Sunday's MLS match.

Juiced-up athletes have kicked off the first-ever Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, where Aussie sprint swimming great James Magnussen flopped and early competitors failed to beat official world records despite using performance-enhancing drugs that have sparked health concerns.

Organisers of the New Zealand Pro on the country's North Island were forced into action on Monday morning.

When Daniel Suarez was struggling to make his name in auto racing, he would often get phone calls from Kyle Busch offering words of encouragement and urging him to keep working.That made his crown jewel Cup Series victory Sunday night all the more special.Suarez benefitted from a crucial pit call, then caught a break from Mother Nature to win the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, capping an emotional day in which the racing world remembered the late Busch.Suarez became the first Mexican-born driver to win the Coke 600. It was his third Cup Series win and first since 2024.The victory was especially emotional for Suarez, who previously raced for Kyle Busch Motorsports.Kyle, he was special, Saurez said as he teared up. I was doing this for Kyle, for (his wife) Samatha, for (his children) Brexton and Lennix and for all of his family.A non-factor for most of the race, Suarez gambled and took two tires during a late pit stop, then held off Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin on restarts before the race was called when the sky opened up and rain drenched the track shortly before midnight Eastern time.NASCAR quickly made the decision to call the race with 27 laps remaining.Bell finished second; Hamlin was third.The two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates had a chance to catch Suarez on the two restarts, but couldn't clear his No. 7 Chevrolet.Its a bummer," Bell said, who won the rain-shortened 2024 Coca-Cola 600. "It wasnt meant to be today. That's 2026 for us.Hamlin said he was just a little unlucky.The 20 car (Bell) and us were just really battling because we knew whoever could clear him (would win the race), Hamlin said. "We were really good all day. We just didnt get to see it through.The race came just three days after Buschs death sent shockwaves throughout the motorsports world and beyond. The 41-year-old Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family.The two-time Cup Series champion and winner of a record 234 races across NASCARs three national series had become unresponsive while practicing in a Chevrolet simulator Wednesday, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details were released by the family.Busch's family attended the race and NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell told them they are part of the NASCAR community and we got you.NASCAR and CMS honored Busch with his No. 8 and signature on the frontstretch grass and a highway billboard near the main entrance of the track. The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried a Busch flag prior to the race and each of the 39 cars in field carried a small, black No. 8 decal.Kyle Larson won the first stage race. Hamlin won the second stage and Bell the third.Crashing outDefending champion Ross Chastain crashed out when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. clipped his car in Turn 2 with 81 laps remaning in the race.Connor Zilisch and Austin Cindric only made it 52 laps before getting caught up in a crash. Cindric got turned around and Zilisch came crashing in to the side of his No. 2 Ford, ending both drivers day.Chase Elliott, a two-time winner this year, hit the outside wall and ping-ponged into the inside wall on Lap 90. That car was beyond repair and he finished 37th.I was trying to make something happen and I stepped over the line, Elliott said.Replacing BuschAustin Hill, a regular driver in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing, took Busch's spot in the race and finished 26th. He drove the No. 33 car after RCR temporarily retired the No. 8 until Busch's 11-year-old son Brexton is ready to drive.Austin Dillon, went behind the wall with damage to the front of his car with 56 laps to go, ending any hope of an emotional win for RCR. He finished 32nd.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

When Daniel Suarez was struggling to make his name in auto racing, he would often get phone calls from Kyle Busch offering words of encouragement and urging him to keep working.That made his crown jewel Cup Series victory Sunday night all the more special.Suarez benefitted from a crucial pit call, then caught a break from Mother Nature to win the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, capping an emotional day in which the racing world remembered the late Busch.Suarez became the first Mexican-born driver to win the Coke 600. It was his third Cup Series win and first since 2024.The victory was especially emotional for Suarez, who previously raced for Kyle Busch Motorsports.Kyle, he was special, Saurez said as he teared up. I was doing this for Kyle, for (his wife) Samatha, for (his children) Brexton and Lennix and for all of his family.A non-factor for most of the race, Suarez gambled and took two tires during a late pit stop, then held off Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin on restarts before the race was called when the sky opened up and rain drenched the track shortly before midnight Eastern time.NASCAR quickly made the decision to call the race with 27 laps remaining.Bell finished second; Hamlin was third.The two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates had a chance to catch Suarez on the two restarts, but couldn't clear his No. 7 Chevrolet.Its a bummer," Bell said, who won the rain-shortened 2024 Coca-Cola 600. "It wasnt meant to be today. That's 2026 for us.Hamlin said he was just a little unlucky.The 20 car (Bell) and us were just really battling because we knew whoever could clear him (would win the race), Hamlin said. "We were really good all day. We just didnt get to see it through.The race came just three days after Buschs death sent shockwaves throughout the motorsports world and beyond. The 41-year-old Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family.The two-time Cup Series champion and winner of a record 234 races across NASCARs three national series had become unresponsive while practicing in a Chevrolet simulator Wednesday, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details were released by the family.Busch's family attended the race and NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell told them they are part of the NASCAR community and we got you.NASCAR and CMS honored Busch with his No. 8 and signature on the frontstretch grass and a highway billboard near the main entrance of the track. The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried a Busch flag prior to the race and each of the 39 cars in field carried a small, black No. 8 decal.Kyle Larson won the first stage race. Hamlin won the second stage and Bell the third.Crashing outDefending champion Ross Chastain crashed out when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. clipped his car in Turn 2 with 81 laps remaning in the race.Connor Zilisch and Austin Cindric only made it 52 laps before getting caught up in a crash. Cindric got turned around and Zilisch came crashing in to the side of his No. 2 Ford, ending both drivers day.Chase Elliott, a two-time winner this year, hit the outside wall and ping-ponged into the inside wall on Lap 90. That car was beyond repair and he finished 37th.I was trying to make something happen and I stepped over the line, Elliott said.Replacing BuschAustin Hill, a regular driver in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing, took Busch's spot in the race and finished 26th. He drove the No. 33 car after RCR temporarily retired the No. 8 until Busch's 11-year-old son Brexton is ready to drive.Austin Dillon, went behind the wall with damage to the front of his car with 56 laps to go, ending any hope of an emotional win for RCR. He finished 32nd.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Gordon Banks was poisoned by CIA to send England out of 1970 World Cup as part of an audacious Cold War plot, an extraordinary investigation has claimed. The legendary goalkeeper's mysterious bout of food poisoning just hours before the Three Lions faced West Germany in the quarter-finals has long drawn suspicions of foul play. The absence of Banks significantly damaged England's chances, as they crashed out of the tournament in Mexico after losing 3-2 to the side they had defeated in the final at Wembley just four years earlier. Peter Bonetti - who replaced Banks between the sticks for the crunch game - has faced blame for all three goals conceded in the heat of Leon. TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayBut a bombshell three-year investigation has examined whether Banks' illness was no accident - and was instead a part of a CIA plot to help eventual champions Brazil lift the trophy. The topic had been discussed in late football journalist Brian Glanville's 2007 book "England Managers: The Toughest Job In Football", with the author writing that he had "steadily come to believe that Banks was the victim of sabotage".Mr Glanville claimed he had been informed by another football writer, Bob Oxby, that his cousin - American senator Stuart Symington - told him Banks' food poisoning was the work of the CIA. "You don't think we were going to let England beat Brazil, do you?" Mr Symington allegedly told the famous author. The US under President Lyndon Johnson had actively supported and facilitated the 1964 Brazilian coup d'etat - installing a military dictatorship in hopes of preventing the country from falling to a communist takeover. But when the tournament kicked off, support for the regime had been waning and it was believed that winning the World Cup would help rally the people of Brazil around their Government. Gabriel Gatehouse, the former international editor of BBC Newsnight who launched the fresh investigation, spoke to Mr Glanville about the claim shortly before his death. Mr Gatehouse wrote in The Observer: "All he would say was that Oxby was a reliable reporter, and that Symington had told him it was 'part of a plan'."FOOTBALL - READ THE LATEST:Mohamed Salah admits he 'cried more than in my entire life' as Liverpool star says goodbye to clubPep Guardiola gives emotional speech to Manchester City fans as he says goodbye to Premier LeagueHarry Kane sends message to Tottenham fans after securing survival on final dayHe added that at the time of the tournament, Mr Symington was involved with the armed services committee - to which the CIA delivered regular briefs. Additionally, the investigation also uncovered a document from the US intelligence agency's archives in 1971 with highlighted that Brazilian President General Emilio Garrastazu Medici had "skilfully managed to associate himself" with the success in Mexico. Mr Gatehouse said that although none of his intelligence sources were aware of any audacious plot to sabotage England, a CIA biologist had informed the Senate in the 1970s that the US were capable of deploying "substances that can give you a real severe case of the 'tummies'."And now, speaking to GB News, Mr Banks' grandson Ed Jervis revealed the legendary goalkeeper had thought that "something dodgy went on" in Mexico. Mr Jervis told the People's Channel: "He mentioned a bottle of beer in his autobiography and sort of said that he couldn't remember whether it was handed to him with a lid on or off."His memory was a bit fuzzy, but I think just the more he thought about it over the over the years, the more he thought, it just seemed so odd that I got so ill and nobody else did."He added: "The level of regulation around the England team, what they were allowed to eat, what they were allowed to drink, it was incredibly strict, you know, even as prescriptive as no ice in your drink and all that sort of stuff."All the meals were all cooked for them by their own chef that was flown in their own food... My granddad thought it was really suspicious that it was just him that just him that got ill."GB News has approached the CIA for comment.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 34C, after eight England regions entered heatwave conditions on Sunday.

LOUISVILLE, KY - Chandler Rogers continues to reign in Louisville. The quarterback led a dominant offensive performance as the Kings piled up 457 tot... - UFL Dallas Renegades