The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend with the top drivers returning to the track after last Sunday’s off. Following Cup Series qualifying on Saturday afternoon, NASCAR’s starting lineup for tomorrow’s race has been set.

Here are the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying results today at Bristol. We’ll start by introducing the starting lineup for the Food City 500 and below you can find the starting grid for Sunday’s NASCAR race.

RELATED: NASCAR Predictions for Bristol Motor Speedway

NASCAR Starting Lineup: Food City 500

NASCAR Cup Series starts on the grid at Bristol

Here is the starting grid for the Food City 500 for tomorrow in Bristol.

Who is on the pole for the NASCAR race at Bristol?

Ryan Blaney is on the pole for tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, followed by Tyler Reddick on the Food City 500 starting grid.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Easter Sunday provides a week off for NASCAR Cup Series drivers to rest and focus their attention on the remainder of the season. While the best NASCAR drivers are focused on positioning for The Chase, many may find themselves under real pressure to perform otherwise they will hear a lot of talk about potentially being replaced.

Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR hot seat, taking a look at five drivers who could be in danger of losing their Cup Series seats in 2027 before NASCAR’s silly season.

Alex Bowman, No. 48 car, Hendrick Motorsports

At this point, we just want to see Alex Bowman stay healthy. Vertigo has sidelined him for most of the season and there is still no timeline for his return. Unfortunately, medical issues have been a major theme of his Cup Series career. It was a proving year for the driver of the No. 48 car, whose contract was about to expire and unfortunately, health problems reared their ugly head again in 2026. Now it seems the question is who Hendrick Motorsports will hire to replace Bowman in 2027, not if they do.

RELATED: Potential Alex Bowman replacement in the No. 48 car

Noah Gragson, No. 4 car, Front Row Motorsports

Through seven races this season, Noah Gragson is 29th in points (93). He is 74 points behind 16th and last place in The Chase and his average finishing position this season is only 23.857, with single-digit points earned in four consecutive races, making a 10-race Chase extremely unlikely. It’s not that Front Row Motorsports is printing money as a business; Owner Bob Jenkins admitted during the legal battle against NASCAR that he often lost money on this recreational venture. As stated, FRM suffered monetary damages from the settlement and now has three full-time charters. There should be money to replace Gragson with someone who can either deliver better results over the long term or deliver consistent performance.

RELATED: Early NASCAR Foolish Season Predictions

Riley Herbst, No. 35 car, 23XI Racing

We’ll start with good news for Riley Herbst. The 27-year-old has been performing better this season than in his first year as a full-time Cup Series driver. He has also demonstrated that he can be a good teammate and due to his strong ties to Monster Energy, as well as his family’s deep wealth, Cup teams will be interested in him. That’s great, because 23XI Racing will be replacing Corey Heim as the full-time driver for the No. 35 car next season.

RELATED: Beginner Driver emerges as third card option at Legacy Motor Club in 2027

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 car, HYAK Motorsports

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has some marketability and definitely has some value. However, the veteran driver currently sits 30th in Cup Series points behind Austin Dillon, Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson and Riley Herbst. Stenhouse has finished 25th or worse in five of seven races this year, with four top 10s in his last 44 Cup Series races, and he ranks 35th in average finishing position (24.8) in his last 36 races. In truth, Hyak Motorsports may decide that its best option is to sell its charter to another team and reap the benefits of the new costs for a permanent full-time seat. If that happens, Stenhouse may have to spend his 39 season racing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Kyle Busch, No. 8 car, Richard Childress Racing

Of all the drivers we’re putting on the NASCAR hot seat, Kyle Busch is clearly the one who will find another ride the easiest. He currently sits ninth on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time win list, and his recent success in some Truck Series races shows he still has something left in the tank. That said, it’s pretty clear that the No. 8 team and Richard Childress Racing are as fed up with Busch as the future Hall of Famer is with him. Jesse Love will likely drive the No. 8 car, while Busch will get another chance to prove he is still capable of winning Cup Series wins. This win drought and his problems with the Next Gen car suggest that Busch may be a bigger problem than few people would like to admit.

RELATED: NASCAR and historical events during Kyle Busch’s winless streak

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

星期六在 Rockingham Speedway 举行的北卡罗来纳州教育彩票 250 可能会是一场令人难忘的比赛。它不仅代表了 YouTuber Cleetus McFarland 在 NASCAR O’Reilly 汽车配件系列赛中的首次亮相，而且年轻车手 Corey Day 也展现了出色的表现，这可能只是这位顶级新秀的开始。然而，最终获胜的是一位19岁的年轻人。

让我们深入了解今天在罗金厄姆举行的 NASCAR 桨比赛的结果。我们将从完整的比赛成绩和累积积分开始。之后，您今天可以找到 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series 的 NASCAR 赛段成绩。

纳斯卡奥莱利汽车配件系列赛今日结果：罗金厄姆

以下是今天 O’Reilly 汽车配件系列赛的 NASCAR 成绩。

今日 NASCAR 赛段结果：罗金厄姆的 OARS

以下是今天的 NASCAR O’Reilly 汽车配件系列赛阶段结果。

罗金厄姆之后的最新 NASCAR O’Reilly 汽车配件系列赛排名

克莱特斯·麦克法兰今天的比赛表现如何？

Cleetus McFarland 今天在 Rockingham Speedway 举行的 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series 比赛中获得第 32 名，在终点时落后 6 圈。他在第一赛段排名第 35 位，落后领先者一圈。在第二赛段，他上升至第 33 位，但落后领先者 2 圈。

谁赢得了今天在罗金厄姆举行的 NASCAR 比赛？

19 岁的 William Sawalich 今天在罗金厄姆赢得了 NASCAR 比赛的冠军，这是他在 O’Reilly 系列赛中的首场胜利。

马特·约翰逊 (Matt Johnson) 是《Sportsnaut》杂志《NFL》和《大学橄榄球》的高级编辑。他的工作包括每周 NFL 和大学……有关马特·约翰逊的更多信息

週六在 Rockingham Speedway 舉行的北卡羅來納州教育彩票 250 可能會是一場令人難忘的比賽。它不僅代表了 YouTuber Cleetus McFarland 在 NASCAR O’Reilly 汽車配件系列賽中的首次亮相，而且年輕車手 Corey Day 也展現了出色的表現，這可能只是這位頂級新秀的開始。然而，最終獲勝的是一位19歲的年輕人。

讓我們深入了解今天在羅金厄姆舉行的 NASCAR 槳比賽的結果。我們將從完整的比賽成績和累積積分開始。之後，您今天可以找到 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series 的 NASCAR 賽段成績。

納斯卡奧萊利汽車配件系列賽今日結果：羅金漢

以下是今天 O’Reilly 汽車配件系列賽的 NASCAR 成績。

今日 NASCAR 賽段結果：羅金漢的 OARS

以下是今天的 NASCAR O’Reilly 汽車配件系列賽階段結果。

羅金厄姆之後的最新 NASCAR O’Reilly 汽車配件系列賽排名

克萊特斯麥克法蘭今天的比賽表現如何？

Cleetus McFarland 今天在 Rockingham Speedway 舉行的 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series 比賽中獲得第 32 名，在終點時落後 6 圈。他在第一賽段排名第 35 位，落後領先者一圈。在第二賽段，他上升至第 33 位，但落後領先者 2 圈。

誰贏得了今天在羅金厄姆舉行的 NASCAR 比賽？

19 歲的 William Sawalich 今天在羅金厄姆贏得了 NASCAR 比賽的冠軍，這是他在 O’Reilly 系列賽中的首場勝利。

馬特·約翰遜 (Matt Johnson) 是《Sportsnaut》雜誌《NFL》和《大學橄欖球》的高級編輯。他的工作包括每週 NFL 和大學……有關馬特·約翰遜的更多信息

The NASCAR Truck Series began racing this weekend at Rockingham Speedway with complete dominance from Corey Heim. While Heim was by far the most impressive racer tonight, NASCAR’s results today also show how well racers like Caden Honeycutt, Layne Riggs and Ty Majeski performed.

Let’s look at the NASCAR Truck Series results from Rockingham today. We’ll start with the total points earned and the full results of the Black Tire 200. Then you can find full results from tonight’s NASCAR Truck Series stage.

NASCAR results today: Black Tire 200 winners and points

Here are NASCAR’s results for today’s Truck Series race at Rockingham.

NASCAR Stage Results Today: Truck Series at Rockingham

Here are the results from the NASCAR Truck Series stage at Rockingham.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Who’s on the pole for NASCAR Truck Trace? Rockingham Speedway kicks off the NASCAR schedule this weekend with qualifying and practice ahead of the Black Tire 200. Now that qualifying is over, we’ve got the NASCAR Truck Series starting lineup for today.

Following the NASCAR Truck Series qualifying results at Rockingham, let’s learn about the starting lineup for the Black Tire 200. Also below you can find the starting grid for today’s NASCAR Truck Series race at Rockingham.

NASCAR Truck Series Qualifying Results: Rockingham

black tire 200 starting grid

Here is the starting grid for the Black Tire 200 following the NASCAR Truck Series qualifying results at Rockingham Speedway.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

When NASCAR announced the return of The Chase for the 2026 season, many drivers and fans were overjoyed to see the old win-and-playoff format gone for good. Now seven races into the season, some drivers may already be missing the old ways of playoff-clinching scenarios.

After Sunday’s Cook Out 400 we are more than a quarter of the way through the Cup Series regular season. With the Cup Series having a week off, it’s worth taking a look at some of the marquee drivers who are on the NASCAR Chase bubble right now.

Josh Berry: 55 points behind

Josh Berry led Wood Brothers Racing to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs last season with his victory in the Pennzoil 400 on March 16. More than a year later, the No. 21 team faces even longer odds joining the 16-driver, 10-race battle. The good news for Berry is that he had a season-best finish of 10th at Martinsville, scoring 36 points. He has earned 56 points in the last two races and has moved up double digits on the points leaderboard. However, the fact that he scored only 23 points over the four-race span from Atlanta to Las Vegas eliminated his margin for error in advancing. Some of his teammates this season have already performed on better teams and in races with better equipment, making it extremely unlikely for Berry to make the playoffs.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series Stage Winners 2026, Stats Tracker

Kyle Busch: 48 points behind

Based on how the No. 8 car has performed over the seven races, and indeed the entire Richard Childress Racing team, even a win-and-in format will not get Kyle Busch into The Chase. It is the first time in his Cup Series career that Busch has gone without a top-10 finish in the first seven races, and his frustration with the team is evident in interviews. We have not seen any evidence from RCR or the No. 8 car to believe that Busch will not go three consecutive seasons without a Cup win.

RELATED: Kyle Busch winless streak, what’s happened since last win

Chase Briscoe: 36 points behind

In his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing driving the No. 19 car, Chase Briscoe earned a championship No. 4 finish and won three races with 15 top-five finishes. Although he was certainly seen as a championship contender coming into this year, it seems safe to rule Brisco out for it before the calendar flips to April. It’s not necessarily his fault. Finishes at Daytona (36th), COTA (37th), and Phoenix (37th) were mainly due to debris around him or problems with the car. Why it doesn’t matter in The Chase, not when you score a total of 4 points in those three races. Now after consecutive finishes outside the top-10, we are confident in saying that Briscoe will not finish in the top-8 in points in the regular season, and that means he has no real title hopes.

Connected: NASCAR Standings Today, Points Leader After Martinsville

Ross Chastain: 31 points behind

With better equipment, Ross Chastain could be a championship contender. The work he’s been doing with the No. 1 car this season for Trackhouse Racing could keep him out of The Chase altogether. This generally appears to be a trackhouse issue, as Connor Zylisch has performed like Cody Ware on the oval this season. In the past, Chastain would make up for the team’s shortcomings by winning. That’s not an option, and while we’d still predict him to be one of the 16 drivers in The Chase, it’s no longer the certainty that many expected just a few months ago.

Austin Cindric: 18 points behind

Austin Cindric’s arrow is pointing up after these past two weeks. The fact that he is still 18 points behind Daniel Suarez for 16th and last place after scoring 78 points in the last two races speaks volumes about the huge hole he has dug through the first four races of the season. With the points gap narrowing, Cindric has potentially given himself a little margin for error while still having a chance to clinch one of the final two spots in The Chase.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings 2026

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway was exactly what you’d expect from Virginia’s iconic short track. While the focus today is always on the winner of the NASCAR race, we also wanted to provide some analysis on how other drivers and teams performed at Martinsville this afternoon.

Let’s take a look at our winners and losers from the Cook Out 400.

Winner: Denny Hamlin

Complete dominance. Denny Hamlin went nearly pole-to-pole in the Cook Out 400 and could have scored maximum points with 76–20 points for the stage win, 55 for winning the race, and 1 point for fastest lap – if not for a late caution due to a wreck on Ty Dillon’s car. This allowed Chase Elliott’s pit strategy to completely pay off; Otherwise, this would have been a race that Hamlin would have won in historic fashion. Hamlin did not get a win in the Cook Out 400, but he left Martinsville with the most points (56) that day and led 292 laps. Agreed that he would be sad if he did not win.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series all-time win list

Loser: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch is fed up with Richard Childress Racing and his time spent in the No. 8 car. That became abundantly clear after qualifying on Saturday, when his tone reflected that of a driver who knew the No. 8 car had no chance of being competitive after finishing 34th. Late in Stage 1 he fell and then at his first pit stop, Busch opted to drive through a wheel that came loose and bounced off the front of his car. Busch has now gone 100 consecutive races without a Cup Series win and it’s clear he’s counting down the days until he can join a new team.

Connected: What happened to Kyle Busch’s winless streak, 100-race drought

Winner: Ty Gibbs

Five consecutive top-10 finishes for Ty Gibbs. In fact, it’s even better than that, as his worst finishing position was sixth at Darlington last Sunday. The No. 54 car finished in the top four for the second time in the last three races and Gibbs demonstrated his ability to make the most of it, scoring the second-most stage points (16) at the Cook Out 400. Clearly, Gibbs is performing much like Chase Briscoe did at No. 19 last season. More about them later.

Connected: NASCAR standings today, Cup Series points leaders after Martinsville

Loser: Richard Childress Racing

Why does Richard Childress Racing even run a third car at this point? It’s clear they don’t have the ability to put Kyle Busch in any position to be competitive and with the win-and-playoff system gone, Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team are irrelevant for the season. In Sunday’s Cook Out 400, RCR had Austin Hill in the No. 33 car (part-time) and he spent the majority of the race leading several laps. In fact, we have to wonder if NASCAR’s top prospect Jesse Love would be better off pursuing a full-time Cup ride with another team since RCR has nothing to offer.

Connected: Best NASCAR Races 2026, Ranking Every Cup Series Race This Season

Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

Performing so well in the Cook Out 400 had a lot to do with qualifying, considering how little passing was on Sunday. This is still something for which Shane van Gisbergen deserves credit, as he achieved a season’s best fifth place in qualifying. This is even better than his starting position at COTA (13th) a few weeks ago. SVG needed a solid point total after recording a total of 24 points in his last two races and he accomplished that at Martinsville, while continuing to show that he is getting better at the ovals.

RELATED: Official 2026 Cook Out 400 results at Martinsville Speedway

Loser: Bubba Wallace

Silly. Bubba Wallace didn’t have a good race at Martinsville, but he was at least in position to finish in the top 20 for a good points day. Considering the points the 23rd-ranked team has earned this season, it would have been fine to keep them in the top seven. Instead, inexplicably, Wallace decided to hit the throttle and drive straight into Carson Hocevar not once but twice. Karma took care of the No. 23 car with race-ending damage, but Wallace’s actions are inexcusable and his immaturity caused damage to several other cars because he could not control his emotions. This felt like an older version of Wallace, and if he’s back after just two bad races, 23XI Racing has a problem beyond just an eight-place drop in the points.

Winner: Chase Elliott

Did some good luck help crew chief Alan Gustafson’s pit strategy succeed? Definitely. However, that’s also a gamble you can take when you have a driver of Chase Elliott’s caliber behind the wheel of the No. 9 car. The team did not score any stage points on Sunday at Martinsville, but an early pit stop and fresh tires gave Elliott a car he could drive further. The caution ended well for him, but you also have to give Elliott credit for how he controlled traffic on the final laps and didn’t give Hamlin a real chance to take the lead. Elliott gave Hendrick Motorsports its first win of the season and it looks great for the team too.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Who won the NASCAR race today? Denny Hamlin completely dominated the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and controlled Sunday’s race from start to finish. However, a few timely cautions paved the way for Chase Elliott to score his first win of the season.

Let’s look at the NASCAR results for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville today. We’ll start with the full final results and points totals followed by the NASCAR stage results below.

cook out 400 results 2026

Here are the NASCAR results today at Martinsville for the Cook Out 400.

RELATED: Cook Out 400 winners, losers

NASCAR Stage Results Today: Martinsville

Here are the results from this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series stage at Martinsville Speedway.

Who won the NASCAR race today?

Chase Elliott won the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville on Sunday, defeating Denny Hamlin to earn his first win of the season and the first of 2026 for Hendrick Motorsports.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Tonight’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Martinsville Raceway featured a starting lineup that was determined by a metric score after qualifying on Friday. As the NFPA 250 results were captured, what happened created some extra excitement and late-stage crashes at the short track.

A theme of NASCAR races today is cautions in the final stages, culminating in a big stage with 16 laps that resulted in a red flag. As a result, the double-point cars failed to finish the race.

Let’s look at tonight’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series results straight from Martinsville. We’ll start with the final race results and total points, while you can find the OARS stage results below.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Results Martinsville

Here are the NFPA 250 results at Martinsville tonight.

NFPA 250 Step Results

Here are the results from today’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series stage. Of note, 16 drivers earned stage points in the NFPA 250.

View the status of the updated 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts line.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starting lineup for Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway has been set, but for a different reason than usual. Due to weather in the area, qualifying ahead of tomorrow’s NFPA 250 has been canceled, and that means the lineup for Saturday’s race has been mathematically determined.

Let’s dive into the NFPA 250 starting lineups after metric scores determined the grid due to rain in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying at Martinsville Speedway. Because there was no qualifying, the metric score prevents Dawson Cram and Justin Carroll from qualifying for the 38-car race.

RELATED: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts standings before Saturday

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starting lineup Martinsville

NFPA 250 Starting Grid

RELATED: NASCAR Predictions Martinsville

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Phoenix Suns’ all-time franchise-leading scorer Devin Booker always has something new to wear by wearing a new PE (Player Exclusive) almost every night in the NBA with the promotion of his second signature Nike Buc 2 sneakers. During the month of March, Booker is observing one school in particular more often than others, and it’s not his Kentucky Wildcats.

Check out our sneakers news for more upcoming releases and breaking content!

Devin Booker has always been generous in providing Kentucky basketball fans with a first glimpse of his school’s colors on his signature sneakers, but Booker also has special colorways for schools like Michigan State, BYU, Texas, and most notably the Oregon Ducks. The Nike Book 1 featured several notable school colorways, but we saw a real effort to expand on the Nike Book 2 during this latest March Madness tournament.

The Oregon Ducks easily have the most color combinations and special editions of Nike sneakers and Booker is taking full advantage of it, offering three different colorways throughout the month of March.

Nike Book 2 “Oregon Ducks” PE Sneakers

Another: Devin Booker debuts the Nike Book 2 “Oregon Ducks” PE 🦆 @devinbook

📷 @sons pic.twitter.com/rL8d4n8RHH

– Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) 9 March 2026

Devin Booker first introduced the Oregon Ducks Nike Book 2 in a neutral black/white colorway featuring a metallic gold Swoosh and a green “UO” logo on the rear heel. The Book 2 is largely inspired by the Nike Air Zoom Spiridon in its construction, fitted with a performance outsole for maximum comfort and stability.

Devin Booker in another Oregon Ducks PE colorway of the Nike Book 2 🦆📚 pic.twitter.com/l5aUpzecFe

– Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) 17 March 2026

Devin Booker debuts another Oregon Ducks x Nike Book 2 PE 🦆📚 @devinbook

📷 @sons pic.twitter.com/x3aCze9d4B

– Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) 23 March 2026

The next colorway arrived as a “home” look with a white base and vintage green mudguard. The pair was this time complemented by the same metallic gold Swoosh and a gold UO logo. The final and most loud “alternative” pair was worn by Booker against the Toronto Raptors, featuring a bright yellow upper and green mudguard atop a white midsole. The Nike Swoosh was metallic silver with a green UO logo, arguably offering the cleanest look of the Nike Book 2.

For the rest of March, we’ll try to keep up with whatever Devin Booker has planned for the Nike Book 2 and what new schools we might see in the rotation. No word on an official release and it wouldn’t be surprising if these remain exclusive to Booker’s endless Nike sneaker collection.

On Monday, it was announced that the Carolina Hurricanes will participate in the 2026 NHL Global Series for the first time since the program’s inception in 2017. The overseas trip will take them to Helsinki, Finland to face the Seattle Kraken, home of the Sautéed Reindeer and Nokia.

The Hurricanes will play both games against the Kraken in Finland next season, the first on November 12 at 12 pm EST (7 pm local time) and the second on November 14 at 1 pm EST (8 pm local time). Both games will be played at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, home of Jokerit of the SM-liiga.

If that team looks familiar to you, it’s probably because of longtime Hurricanes player Teuvo Teravainen. In 2023, he joined the ownership group to help bring the team back to the Finnish League after nearly 10 seasons in the KHL.

Although this will be the first time that this generation of Hurricanes has played an NHL game in Finland, it will not be a first for the franchise.

During the 2010 NHL Premier Series, the Hurricanes played the Minnesota Wild in the same building (then called Hartwall Arena), where they won both games.

Additionally, two other games have been announced for the 2026 Global Series, featuring the Chicago Blackhawks vs. the Ottawa Senators on December 18 and 20 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Drivers like Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Briscoe posted strong points in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. We also saw Bubba Wallace and Joey Logano’s worst performances of the season, causing quite a stir among the NASCAR points leaders after today.

Let’s look at the state of the NASCAR Cup Series after the Goodyear 400.

RELATED: Goodyear 400 results from Darlington, total points and stage results today

NASCAR Points Leaders Today: Cup Standings After Darlington

Here are the NASCAR Cup Series points leaders at the moment.

RELATED: Goodyear 400 winners, losers

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

With the Cup Series drivers largely dominating the last two O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races, there hasn’t been as much movement among the points leaders for the second week in a row. However, the Help a Hero 200 still brought some changes to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standings and Justin Allgaier made even more breathing room for himself at the top.

Let’s take you straight to the NASCAR OARS standings after Darlington.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Leads Right Now

Here are the current standings of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series after Darlington.

Complete NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series results tonight at Darlington Raceway

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Corey Heim is the hottest prospect in NASCAR and the 23XI Racing Development driver is widely considered across the industry to be ready for a full-time ride in the Cup Series. However, after a record-breaking year finishing 11th in the Truck Series, Hamm is spending the 2026 season part-time at all three levels.

As Fox Sports’ Bob Pokrass reported on Saturday, Heim was announced as a development driver for the 23XI in February 2025. This kept him within the Toyota family, which is what he wanted, and Heim is “banking” on starting to ride full-time in 2027. As to why he cannot spend a season driving full-time for another team, Pokrass noted that the Legacy Motor Club “does not see itself as a training ground” for a driver until then. Departure for 23XI.

Reality: NASCAR Cup Series debut at Darlington, 23XI Racing drivers leading the field

As the full-time driver of the No. 11 Toyota Tundra Truck with Tricon Garage last season, Heim set single-season Truck Series records in laps led (1,625), points (4040), wins (12) and top-fives (19) in 25 races. He dominated throughout the season and then pulled away in the final lap to cap off a record-breaking year with a Truck Series championship at Phoenix.

Getting a full-time ride in the Cup Series has never been a matter of talent for Heim. Instead, money is the primary factor. 23XI Racing’s third full-time driver, Riley Herbst, brings with him a strong relationship with Monster Energy, and his family has a strong financial background and his father owned several gas stations and convenience stores that are in partnership with Monster.

RELATED: 23XI Racing Driver Riley Herbst Emerging as Option for Another Cup Team in 2026

Those financial resources were little needed for 23XI last season amid a legal battle with NASCAR that resulted in millions of dollars in court costs. Herbst was also originally signed to a multi-year contract, so the team wasn’t going to move on from him through 2025, even after a very poor season.

However, the No. 35 car should be open for Hamm to take over as a full-time driver next season. He will still only be 24 years old and his inclusion gives 23XI three drivers capable of winning races and earning a spot in The Chase.

READ MORE: NASCAR Stage Winners 2026, See Where 23XI Racing Drivers Rank

At the moment, all signs point towards Heim becoming a full-time driver for 23XI next season. Until then, he will split his time between the Trucks, Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts series this year. As Ross Chastain’s last lap pass on Friday night in the Truck Series race at Darlington showed, he’s already capable of beating some of the top drivers at the highest level.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Who’s on the pole for tomorrow’s NASCAR race? The NASCAR Cup Series starting lineup has been determined following qualifying for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. In the 37-driver field, tire wear is expected to be a big story for tomorrow, so the starting order from today’s session could prove crucial for the points.

Let’s dive straight into the Goodyear 400 starting lineup following the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying results at Darlington today. Ahead you can find the starting grid for tomorrow’s NASCAR race.

RELATED: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debuting lineup at Darlington

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying results at Darlington: Goodyear 400

Here is the starting lineup for the Goodyear 400 for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway.

RELATED: NASCAR driver sheds light on tire strategy, potential chaos at Darlington

Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 Starting Grid

Here’s the starting grid for today’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Darlington

RELATED: NASCAR Stage Winners 2026, This Season’s Stage Results Tracker

Who’s on the pole for tomorrow’s NASCAR race?

Tyler Reddick is on the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway. Reddick and Bubba Wallace will lead the starting grid for the Goodyear 400, with the top 23XI Racing drivers taking the top two pole positions.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Who has the most stage wins in NASCAR this season? We’re tracking NASCAR stage results for the 2026 Cup Series season, tracking every race from the Daytona 500 to the Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Miami.

Let’s take a look at the statistics from all NASCAR stage results this season.

Who has the most stage wins in 2026?

Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell are tied for most stage wins in NASCAR this season with two. William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Ty Gibbs, Austin Cindric and Zane Smith have all achieved stage wins.

NASCAR stage wins leaderboard 2026

Read more: Best NASCAR races 2026, ranking every race this season

2026 NASCAR Stage Finale Delivery

Here’s a breakdown of how each NASCAR Cup Series driver has performed across the stages this season. We have divided it into Top-3, Top-5 and Top-10 in Phase 1 and 2.

Weekly 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Stage Results

Here are the stage results for every NASCAR Cup Series race this season.

daytona 500

RELATED: Daytona 500 Results 2026

AutoTrader 400 (Atlanta)

Related: AutoTrader 400 Results 2026

Duramax Texas Grand Prix (COTA)

RELATED: Duramax Texas Grand Prix results at COTA 2026

Straight Talk Wireless 500 (Phoenix)

Connected: straight talk wireless 500 results

Pennzoil 400 (Las Vegas)

Connected: pennzoil 400 result 2026

Most career stage wins (Cup) in NASCAR

Here are the career Cup Series leaders in most stage wins in NASCAR. Data via NASCAR Insights on March 17 and updated manually.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has come to a close, with some of the top stock car drivers putting on an exciting battle in the final stages. As everyone now prepares for Darlington, let’s look at today’s NASCAR results.

Let’s look at the Pennzoil 400 results from Las Vegas today. We’ll start with the final results from Sunday’s Cup Series race followed by today’s NASCAR stage results.

NASCAR Results Today: Pennzoil 400

Here are the Pennzoil 400 results today. We’ve noted stage points and Xfinity’s fastest lap point in parentheses.

Check out the updated NASCAR Cup Series standings today

NASCAR Stage Results Today: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Here are the results for the NASCAR Cup Series round for Las Vegas.

View the status of the updated 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts line.

Who won the NASCAR race today?

Denny Hamlin won a NASCAR race today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his first win of the season.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The fifth points race of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Parts Series season is in the books, concluding Saturday night at LiUNA at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As drivers leave the track and prepare for next week’s race at Darlington Raceway, it’s time to check out the status of O’Reilly Auto Parts after Las Vegas.

Let’s take a look at the NASCAR OARS standings straight after today’s race in Las Vegas.

RELATED: NASCAR starting lineups Las Vegas, Cup Series qualifying results and Pennzoil 400 grid

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Leads Right Now

Click here for complete race results from today’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Las Vegas.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the fifth points race of the Cup Series season. The field of drivers for Sunday’s NASCAR race has been determined, marking the first time in 2026 that there will be no open cars running this weekend.

As of now, Hendrick Motorsports has listed Alex Bowman as a contender for the No. 48 car. He missed last weekend’s race due to dizziness, with Anthony Alfredo taking his place behind the wheel at Phoenix. If Bowman returns this weekend, he will find himself 36th in points and 77 points back of 16th in The Chase.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings 2026, 10 best NASCAR drivers entering Las Vegas

Let’s dive straight into the NASCAR entry list for Las Vegas, presenting the field of Cup Series drivers for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400.

NASCAR Entry List Las Vegas: Pennzoil 400

RELATED: NASCAR Odds Las Vegas, 4 Picks for Pennzoil 400

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Who will make the MLB playoffs in 2026? Another Major League Baseball season is just around the corner, with first pitches and Opening Day tipping off in 2026. With the roster largely set, it’s time to speculate more on what we might see in baseball this year.

Before Opening Day, let’s take a look at our MLB playoff predictions for this season. We’ll start with round-by-round predictions for the American League, then the National League, followed by the World Series.

AL Wild Card Round: (4) Baltimore Orioles vs. (5) New York Yankees, (3) Seattle Mariners vs. (6) Boston Red Sox

We’re looking at three teams from the American League East making it to the MLB Playoffs this season, which will see them face off in October. The Baltimore Orioles should bounce back nicely after a disappointing 2025 campaign heading into the offseason. We think the New York Yankees will get off to a slow start as their starting rotation overcomes injuries, but they will find form by the summer. In a winner-take-all game, New York advanced with a road win at Camden Yards.

Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox will face the challenge of defeating the AL West champions. This will be an excellent series, with both AL clubs boasting excellent postseason rotations and great pitching depth to pair with it. However, the Seattle Mariners boast a superior lineup and timely hitting sending them to the American League Division Series.

• Prediction: Mariners and Yankees move on

RELATED: MLB Predictions 2026, Projected Win-Loss Records for All 30 Clubs

American League Division Series: (2) Toronto Blue Jays vs. (3) Seattle Mariners, (1) Detroit Tigers vs. (5) New York Yankees

We think we’ll get a rematch of the 2025 American League Championship Series, just one round before the MLB postseason. The Toronto Blue Jays strengthened their pitching staff after the previous season’s loss in the World Series, while Seattle responded to their Game 7 loss in Toronto by acquiring Brendan Donovan. While sequels are almost never as good as the originals, the Mariners vs. Blue Jays matchup in the ALDS will be close. However, this time, Seattle’s postseason rotation is healthy and proves to be a difference maker.

Elsewhere in the AL, it will be a rematch of the 2012 American League Championship Series. The real test will be how successful the Yankees lineup can be against the Detroit Tigers rotation. Aaron Judge and Max Fried will be responsible for New York winning two games in each series, but it will be the Tigers who will punch their ticket to the ALCS under the leadership of Tarik Skubal and Riley Green.

• Prediction: Mariners beat Blue Jays in four games, Tigers beat Yankees in five games

RELATED: Best MLB players by position 2026, top 11 spots

ALCS: (3) Seattle Mariners vs. (1) Detroit Tigers

The American League’s dominance comes to the fore in the battle between the Tigers and Mariners in the ALCS. We saw this matchup last October, when Seattle had home-field advantage and won a winner-take-all Game 5 in the 15th inning. It’s going to the ALCS at seven. Skubal would lead Detroit to two wins, but he would only be available out of the bullpen for that crucial Game 7 at home. Led by a stellar performance on the mound by veteran Brian Woo and a home run by Julio Rodriguez off Friar Valdez, the Mariners are headed to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

• Prediction: Mariners win over Tigers in seven games

RELATED: Best MLB Rotation 2026

NL Wild Card Round: (4) Atlanta Braves vs. (5) Arizona Diamondbacks, (3) Chicago Cubs vs. (6) Philadelphia Phillies

We’ve got two National League teams that missed the MLB playoffs last year and are facing off in the Wild Card games this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks arrive here on the strength of a lineup of Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte, while improved defense provides a little more stability overall. However, in a do-or-die game at Truist Park, it would be the bats of Drake Baldwin and Mike Yastrzemski that would help the Atlanta Braves reach the National League Division Series.

Perfect for playoff baseball, this will be a must-see matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies that should draw big ratings. We would see Christopher Sanchez outpoint Matthew Boyd in a pitcher’s duel, with Jhoan Duran giving up a two-run lead in the ninth at Wrigley Field to put Philadelphia ahead.

RELATED: Best MLB Lineups 2026

National League Division Series: (2) New York Mets vs. (4) Atlanta Braves, (1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Philadelphia Phillies

Maybe there’s some wishing here with the hope that we get these two matchups in the National League Division Series. The most talked about matchup will be for the Braves against the New York Mets, a battle for bragging rights between the two NL East rivals. Atlanta has gotten to this point thanks to a great lineup with timely hitting, but the magic is gone at Citi Field. Nolan McLean delivers a pitching masterclass in a crucial game, with Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor both going deep in the series to send the Mets to the NLCS.

So far, we’ve seen the Phillies face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers a few times in October. Philadelphia can at least make things interesting with a playoff rotation of Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo and Andrew Painter. This will not be enough. The Phillies’ lineup has gone cold again in a crucial playoff series, vacated by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and struggling against Tyler Glasnow as the Dodgers move back to the NLCS.

• Prediction: Dodgers in four games, Mets in four games

RELATED: MLB Awards Predictions 2026

National League Championship Series: (2) New York Mets vs. (1) Los Angeles Dodgers

The best teams that money can buy are vying for the National League pennant. To the delight of MLB and its TV partners, the series will also include two of the largest media markets in the country. Unfortunately for Mets owner Steve Cohen, the Dodgers have greater pitching depth and a much deeper lineup than New York. This is the kind of series that many around baseball can point to as proof that MLB needs the salary cap, with a super team with a $400 million payroll beating a super team with a $360 million roster. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker led the Dodgers back to the World Series.

READ MORE: Worst MLB contracts 2026, worst contracts at each position

World Series 2026: Dodgers win the World Series

The Dodgers would become only the third franchise in MLB history – joining the Yankees (three times) and the Oakland Athletics (1972–74) – to become World Series champions three times. Los Angeles needs to go all-in in 2026 as the salary cap is approaching and the Fall Classic will be under threat of a lockout. Ohtani would further his legacy as one of the greatest players of all-time by winning the World Series MVP for the first time in his career.

Read More: MLB Power Rankings 2026, evaluating all 30 teams

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Now that we’re officially four races into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, the battle leading up to the 10-race The Chase is only starting to heat up. After a battle at Phoenix that saw some top drivers wrecked while others cracked the top 10, there is still some movement for the Cup Series points leaders.

Let’s take a look at the NASCAR points standings today after the Straight Talk Wireless 500.

RELATED: NASCAR Results Today Phoenix, NASCAR Stage Results Today

NASCAR points standings today: Cup Series playoff picture

Here are the NASCAR points leaders right now after today’s race at Phoenix. For the top 16 drivers who made The Chase, we’ve listed how many points behind Tyler Reddick they are. Below 17th is how many points they are behind the 16th and final Chase position.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Where is NASCAR racing this weekend? We head into the fourth points race of the season and the second weekend of stock car racing in March. NASCAR’s schedule takes us to Phoenix Raceway this weekend, with the top two series set to hit the track Friday through Sunday for practice, qualifying and two races.

Here is this weekend’s NASCAR schedule for the Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Worth noting that there are no Truck Series races this weekend. Note, all times listed are Eastern.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings Today, 10 Best NASCAR Drivers Before Phoenix

NASCAR Weekend Schedule: Phoenix Raceway

Friday, March 6

• 7:00 PM ET – O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice – The CW App
• 8:05 PM ET – O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying – The CW App

RELATED: NASCAR explains situation ahead of Phoenix

Saturday, March 7

• 12:00 PM ET – Cup Series Practice – Amazon Prime Video
• 1:10 PM ET – Cup Series Qualifying – Amazon Prime Video
• 7:30 PM ET – GOVX 200 (OARS Race) – The CW Network

READ MORE: NASCAR race winners, losers at COTA

Sunday, March 8

• 3:30 PM ET – Straight Talk Wireless 500 (Cup Series race) – Fox Sports 1

NASCAR Cup Series schedule this weekend

Here is the complete NASCAR weekend schedule for the Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Schedule This Weekend

Here is the complete NASCAR O’Reilly Series schedule for Phoenix this weekend.

RExcited: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series results from COTA

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The third points race of the 2026 NASCAR season has concluded, with Circuit of the Americas holding the first road course race this year. Driving on the road course means we have a slight bump on the Cup Series points leaderboard, as we see in the latest standings.

Here are the NASCAR points standings today after the Duramax Texas Grand Prix at COTA.

RELATED: NASCAR results today COTA, NASCAR Cup Series stage results

NASCAR awards points leaders now: standings after COTA

Along with the NASCAR points leaders, we’ve listed how many points behind Tyler Reddick the top-16 drivers are. For drivers below the cutline (16th), we’ve listed how many points below it they are.

RELATED: Winners, losers of NASCAR races today at COTA

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

After two superspeedway races to start the 2026 NASCAR season, the Cup Series now heads to Texas for its first road course of the year at COTA. This is an opportunity for many of the top drivers to move up in the points standings, who had a slow start in February.

There are two things worth noting regarding the Cup Series entry list. First, Jesse Love (No. 33) will be the only outside entrant to join the field of 36 full-time drivers. Additionally, Brad Keselowski could begin the race to remain eligible for points before being replaced by Joey Hand, as Keselowski is recovering from a broken foot suffered during the offseason.

RELATED: NASCAR weekend schedule for COTA

Here is the NASCAR entry list for the Cup Series drivers competing in Sunday’s race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

NASCAR entry list this week: Cup Series at COTA

READ MORE: NASCAR Power Rankings before COTA

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

We’ve officially entered the first two races of the 2026 NASCAR season, with Sunday’s Cup Series race at Atlanta bringing more changes to the points leaderboard early in the year. Every week matters in the months leading up to the 10-race The Chase, so today’s results could determine who is the regular season winner.

Here are the NASCAR points leaders in the Cup Series after the Autotrader 400 at Echopark Speedway.

RELATED: Winners, losers from today’s NASCAR race at Echopark Speedway

NASCAR points standings today: Cup Series points leaders

RELATED: NASCAR results for Cup Series today, NASCAR stage results for Atlanta

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Who is on the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR race? NASCAR qualifying for the Cup Series at Echo Park on Saturday was canceled. As a result, the NASCAR starting grid for the AutoTrader 400 is determined by metrics following the results of last Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Here is NASCAR’s starting lineup for tomorrow’s Cup Series race at Echopark Speedway. Because qualifying was canceled and there was no practice, no lap times were recorded.

NASCAR Starting Lineup: AutoTrader 400

Here is the NASCAR starting grid for the Autotrader 400 at Atlanta.

RELATED: NASCAR stock report before Atlanta, stocks up and down for drivers

NASCAR starting grid tomorrow: Cup Series grid for Atlanta

Here’s NASCAR’s starting grid or Sunday’s Cup Series race at Echopark Speedway.

• line 1: Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano
• Line 2: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chase Elliott
• Line 3: Brad Keselowski, Zane Smith
• Line 4: Chris Buescher, Riley Herbst
• Line 5: Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry
• Line 6: Noah Gragson, Daniel Suarez
• Line 7: William Byron, Kyle Busch
• Line 8: Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson
• Line 9: Ty Dillon, Cody Ware
• Line 10: AJ Allmendinger, Michael McDowell
• Line 11: Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney
• Line 12: Eric Jones, John Hunter Nemechek
• Line 13: Ty Gibbs, Ryan Preece
• Line 14: Cole Custer, Shane Van Gisbergen
• Line 15: Denny Hamlin, Austin Cindric
• Line 16: Connor Zylisch, Christopher Bell
• Line 17: Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe
• Line 18: Todd Gilliland, Alex Bowman
• Line 19: BJ McLeod, JJ Yeley

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings after Daytona

Who is on pole or in the NASCAR race tomorrow?

Tyler Reddick is on the pole or in the NASCAR race on Sunday at Echopark Speedway. He is followed on the AutoTrader 400 starting grid by Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Zane Smith. The starting lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series race was created after qualifying was canceled.

RELATED: NASCAR’s 4 Picks for AutoTrader 400

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The 2026 NASCAR season is officially underway, presenting the Super Bowl of stock car racing with the Daytona 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. As the first race in the new points-scoring format, the iconic track delivered a spectacular finale for NASCAR fans.

Let’s look at the NASCAR results from the Daytona 500 today. We’ll start with full Daytona 500 results and then look at results from today’s NASCAR leg of the Cup Series.

RELATED: NASCAR points standings today after the Daytona 500

Daytona 500 Results: Who Won the Daytona 500?

Here are the Daytona 500 results for 2026.

RELATED: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series results from Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR Stage Results Today: Daytona 500 Stage Results

Here are the NASCAR stage results from today’s Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Note, under the 2026 rules, playoff points are no longer awarded for winning a stage.

RELATED: NASCAR Truck Results from Daytona International Speedway

Who won the Daytona 500?

Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500 on Sunday and earned his ninth career Cup Series win.

RELATED: Daytona 500 winners, losers

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Chris Bosh said Goran Dragic’s injury during the 2020 NBA Finals significantly impacted the Miami Heat’s series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking on the latest episode of the All That Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the Hall of Famer reflected on Dragic’s plantar fascia tear in Game 1 of the Finals inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble.

“The hardest part was watching the Heat battle injuries. Seeing my guy Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. It broke my heart. I can’t say they win, but it definitely would have been a different series if he played. Just to be able to play in the Finals, I don’t care where they’re playing — if it’s the Finals and the NBA, it’s a dream come true. They don’t get that whole experience. It was tough. Like he said, they still went out there and fought. I know the message was definitely there for both sides, but especially for the Heat,” Bosh said.

Bosh continued:

“I know a lot of people were writing them off and not really paying much attention to them, but you know, when you get there, you don’t get there just to lose. You don’t get there to say, ‘Ah, nice weather.’ I definitely knew they were going to prepare, they were going to fight to the last man and you have to beat those guys. And it happened, but pain is pain. I know they’ll be able to overcome this and it will make them a better team and put the Lakers down, man one. Let’s see if they can keep it going.”

Dragic entered the 2020 postseason as Miami’s second-leading scorer behind Jimmy Butler III. In 17 playoff games, he averaged 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal while shooting 44% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range in 32.5 minutes per contest.

Chris Bosh believes if Goran Dragic didn’t get injured in the 2020 NBA Finals, it would have been a different series:

“The hardest part was watching the Heat battle injuries. Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. It broke my heart man. Not like… https://t.co/5UKntMUerb pic.twitter.com/1bOzN5UWJc

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 13 February 2026

Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic injury changed the fate of Heat’s Finals against Lakers

Due to injury, Dragic was limited to only two brief appearances at the end of the series. Miami ultimately lost to the Lakers in six games as James captured his fourth NBA Championship and fourth Finals MVP.

Despite the setback, the Heat remained competitive throughout the series, with Butler’s 40-point triple-double in Game 3 and 35-point performance in Game 5 forcing a sixth game.

Miami later returned to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The franchise made another Finals appearance in 2023 but lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kyle Lowry as the Heat reshaped their roster around Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.

With the Butler-led era now concluding, Miami enters All-Star weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with a 29–27 record, eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat have advanced from the play-in tournament in each of the past three seasons and remain in contention for another postseason berth this spring.

Bosh’s comments provided perspective on how injuries, particularly Dragic’s injuries, shaped Miami’s chances against James and the Lakers during the unique bubble finals.