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![\"Corey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6a6684f79461a9de054a2a10jpeg.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCorey Heim heads into the first turn during the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo\/Michael Conroy)<\/p>\n
Heim beat Bell by 0.287 seconds and Logano, last week\u2019s race winner, by 0.972 seconds to become the first Cup driver to win twice in his first 15 career starts since 1965. A.J. Foyt, one of four four-time Indianapolis 500 champions, was the last to do it and, like Foyt, Heim didn\u2019t even need a full-time ride to finish the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust had to be aggressive, man, it\u2019s for the win,\u201d he said after his second win of the season. \u201cI would have to see it back to see if I really did anything wrong. You know, he has every right to be frustrated with me, but don\u2019t get me wrong, I just had to be on top of it. Got to go quick for the 22 (Logano) to be in position, so thanks to him. Man, it\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamlin seemed more frustrated with Bell\u2019s mistimed push, which allowed Heim to get past him, and that was all Heim needed to take charge. Hamlin wound up falling from first to fifth, a descent he never recovered from as his winless streak at Indianapolis hit 18.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the only crown jewel race of NASCAR\u2019s four Hamlin hasn\u2019t won.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean everyone\u2019s trying to fight to win the race, and you know you\u2019re clear by an inch, you\u2019re going to take that inch,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cIt\u2019s really the 20 and (Bell) and the 19 (Chase Briscoe) not orchestrating good pushes there and we came detached for a long time. I thought the 20 was on board with giving us a push, it was just way too early before the restart zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Hamlin fading, Bell and Logano spent the final 34 laps trying to catch Heim\u2019s increasingly loose car. Each driver consistently closed the gap by running consistently quicker lap times. but neither could get close enough to try to pass Heim.<\/p>\n
And with no more caution flags to bunch up the leaders, the stage was set for Heim.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good second place,\u201d said Bell, Hamlin\u2019s teammate with Joe Gibbs Racing. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of bad second-place finishes, but this is a good one with where we were after qualifying. When we had the restart on the second row, I was really happy with our position. Really proud of our team, we pulled together a really good day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heim wasn\u2019t the only big winner Sunday.<\/p>\n
Hamlin extended his points lead over Heim\u2019s teammate, Tyler Reddick, who was 10th. Ty Gibbs, who is fourth in points, clinched a playoff spot with a stage win and a 12th-place finish. And Todd Gilliland of Front Row Motorsports defied the odds by collecting the $1 million prize in the final round of NASCAR\u2019s second In-Season Challenge.<\/p>\n
But nobody was more satisfied with the results than Heim.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a damn handful,\u201d the Georgian said. \u201cI was hanging on for dear life once the shade went down and the pace picked up. My car got really loose and I never really got a lot of clean air throughout the day, so that was the hardest I\u2019ve ever fought in my life to make sure I focused on the exits and get through dirty air.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larson\u2019s drought<\/p>\n
Defending Cup champ Kyle Larson\u2019s winless streak hit 36 on Sunday, this time the result of a flat left rear tire that sent Hendrick Motorsports\u2019 No. 5 Chevrolet hard into the wall coming out of Turn 3 during the first stage. He was the first car out and finished 39th.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just had a tire let go. I wouldn\u2019t say pushing had anything to do with it,\u201d Larson said. \u201cJust a little bit of bad luck, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larson has finished 39th, 15th, 34th and 34th over the last four weeks and is in the longest winless drought since he joined Hendrick\u2019s team in 2021. Yet Larson is still in eighth in points with four regular-season races remaining.<\/p>\n
Surprise payday<\/p>\n
Ryan Blaney\u2019s streak of consecutive top-11 finishes ended at 11 on Sunday and came with a hefty cost \u2014 missing out on the $1 million payday.<\/p>\n
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Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n