Kyle Larson

The No. 5 team flipped a switch once the Chase began, with Larson snapping his 51-race winless streak at Gateway, and then winning again just two weeks later with a perfect 76-point race at Kansas. He has a top five finish in every Chase race run thus far and now leads the championship by +26 points over Denny Hamlin.

Christopher Bell

After seven runner-up finishes, Bell finally earned his first win of the 2026 season with a crown jewel victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington. He is now third in the championship standings with some strong runs that followed his second career crown jewel win.

Joey Logano

Logano lost some ground at Kansas, but September was still a great month for him. He moved forward in the standings to fourth after a strong showing at Gateway and a sneaky win at Bristol, putting himself in title contention.

Carson Hocevar

While he’s had some strong runs, especially at Bristol, Hocevar is on this list because of the headlines he made in September. He tangled with Brad Keselowski at Darlington and Ryan Blaney at Bristol, and has been the main talking point throughout the garage as his popularity with the fans only rises.

Scott McLaughlin

It was complete weekend dominance in the IndyCar season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. McLaughlin secured pole position – marking Chevrolet's milestone 250th pole – and controlled the race from the front, leading 87 of the 95 laps. The win snapped a 36-race drought dating back to 2024 and gave Team Penske a massive high note to close out the year.

Kyle Kirkwood

Starting near the front in the season finale, Kirkwood was methodical with his pace and pulled off clean passes on traffic – including a pass on Alex Palou around Lap 30 – to hunt down McLaughlin. Finishing just 1.3s behind in second place, the performance officially locked in Kirkwood's overall second-place finish in the 2026 Drivers' Championship - a career-best.

Alexander Rossi

The lone race of the month saw a resurgence by Rossi and ECR. He outpaced the mid-pack and held off late-race charges from Felix Rosenqvist and David Malukas to capture third place. It was Rossi’s first podium finish since the 2024 season and provided ECR its strongest result of the year.

Alex Palou

Although handling issues and early strategy pivots limited him to an eighth-place finish in the finale, Palou stayed clear of chaos to bring home the Astor Challenge Cup. September marked his crowning as a five-time IndyCar Series Champion, putting him in elite company before ever turning 30 years old.

Victor Martins

Judging by his recent performances, you would be forgiven for thinking Victor Martins has been racing in prototype sportscars for years, when he is actually in his rookie year with Alpine. His late-race charge at Fuji again showcased his raw speed as he fought back from fifth and nearly beat home hero Ryo Hirakawa to the win.

Nyck de Vries

The Dutchman is enjoying one of his best seasons in both WEC and Formula E, with his drive in the 6 Hours of Austin being one of the star performances of the year. Only a cruel hydraulic issue robbed the #7 Toyota of a win. He was also strong at Fuji, before factors outside his control wrecked his chances again.

Jules Gounon

Forming an impressive pairing with Victor Martins in the #36 Alpine, Jules Gounon was the fastest driver on average times at Fuji. He also battled Earl Bamber's Cadillac for the lead in Austin before the safety car shuffled the pack.

Christian Rasmussen & Nick Boulle

After starting seventh on the grid at the Indy road course, Nick Boulle sliced through heavy traffic to bring the #18 Era Motorsport ORECA into podium contention before handing over the wheel. IndyCar star Christian Rasmussen - in a cameo appearance - then delivered a masterclass 50-minute fuel save during the final stint, stretching their strategy to pull off a dominant 15-second LMP2 class victory.

Pedro Acosta

The KTM rider returned from the summer break in renewed form, and he has only been getting better since then. Acosta was the only rider to remain in the hunt against the Marquez brothers in Misano, before leaving the entire field in his wake at Spielberg for a maiden MotoGP win.

Jorge Martin

The Spaniard is increasingly emerging as Aprilia's best hope for a MotoGP title. He could have won at the San Marino GP if it wasn't for arm pump. Then, at the Red Bull Ring, he was the only rider to hold a candle to Pedro Acosta. This consistency - even without headline results - could play in his favour.

Marc Marquez

Marc Marquez once again underlined his talent by forcing Marco Bezzecchi into a mistake and claiming another double win on Aprilia's home turf in Misano. Austria was a disappointing race for all Ducatis, but Marquez was still the fastest among the Desmosedicis.

Ai Ogura

Returning from injury in Austria, Ai Ogura made an immediate impression with a pair of mature rides to fourth. Once he is fully fit, he will certainly be contending for victories against his more experienced rivals.

Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli's masterclass at the Italian GP alone is worthy of performance of the year, not just September. Winning from the back of the grid at Monza, he then added another victory to his tally in Madrid. The mistake in Baku qualifying was surely a blunder, but he still managed to salvage 10 points in the race to maintain a more than healthy lead in the standings.

George Russell

The pre-season favourite has all but given up on his title chances this year - admitting after Madrid that he's not even thinking about it. But his progress throughout a difficult campaign is worth noting. Had the championship started in September, he'd be well in the fight, as he proved he has finally managed to unlock something in his driving that allows him to match his super-quick team-mate.

Max Verstappen

While Red Bull is still chasing its first win this year and the car is clearly not yet a match for Mercedes or McLaren, Max Verstappen continues to squeeze every bit out of it. His September featured three podium finishes, including second places in Madrid and Baku. With a bit more luck, he could've won in Azerbaijan - but that victory is surely going to come soon.

Isack Hadjar

Having missed three races in a row due to his wrist injury, Isack Hadjar had only one race in September, but what a race it was! Having qualified fourth on his comeback in Baku, he then fought his way onto the podium and shadowed Max Verstappen for most of the race, showing strong pace. Laurent Mekies called it his best performance yet in F1 - and it's hard to disagree.

Pedro Acosta becomes MotoGP race winner

It's been a long time coming. Ever since he stepped up to the premier class, Pedro Acosta was destined for great things. It took multiple mis-attempts - from crashes to technical issues to other near-misses - before he finally beat Ducati and Aprilia and got the monkey off his back. The fact that the result came in KTM's backyard was the cherry on the cake.

Scott McLaughlin winning at Laguna Seca

While Alex Palou clinching a fifth IndyCar title is remarkable, the feel-good moment was Scott McLaughlin winning at Laguna Seca from pole position to break a two-year winless streak. The triumph carried deep personal significance as his first victory since becoming a father to his daughter, Lucy, making the season finale an unforgettable family milestone.

Bristol fight

The most memorable NASCAR moment from September was clearly the post-race altercation at Bristol, as Carson Hocevar punched Ryan Blaney twice on pit road. It was a dramatic clash that drew no penalties from the Sanctioning Body, and it was the first real fight at the top level of the sport in over two years. Blaney showed up to the track one week later with a black eye and no hurt feelings over the situation.

Kimi Antonelli goes from 19th to victory at Monza

It's mostly a matter of where and when Kimi Antonelli will clinch the 2026 world title - with his strong performances this year almost guaranteeing him the title given the gap he's managed to build to date. And the symbol of just how good he has been this year will surely be his exceptional home race at Monza, where, after an engine penalty left him 19th on the grid, he fought his way through the field and won.