Brad Keselowski is back in Victory Lane at Darlington Raceway after a 110-race winless drought. He captured the checkered flag in the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 Sunday evening, earning his 36th career win and the second at the 1.366-mile track.
It was also his first win as a co-owner and driver for RFK Racing and his first trip to Victory Lane since taking the checkered flag at Talladega in April 2021 for Team Penske.
“It’s just so great to be here in Darlington, Keselowski said. “I love this track. I love coming here. It’s a special place to me whether you win or not, but to run up front all day and have a great car, qualify up front, it was just an awesome day for Castrol.
“I’m glad for Ford. Ford has been working really hard to get us up here and here we are. We got them a win, so they don’t have to hear about that anymore. I’m happy for Ford. Hopefully, there are more great things to come.
“It was a total team effort from the top to the bottom to get us to where we could have a fast car. We executed on pit road, led laps and were there when it counted at the end.”
Ty Gibbs finished second in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota, his career-best result in the Cup Series and his seventh top-10 of 2024.
Josh Berry earned a third-place result in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and was the highest-finishing rookie. Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe rounded out the top five.
Kyle Larson leads the point standings despite a disappointing finish. He won the first stage but lost the handling of his car. Finally, on Lap 254 during the final stage, Larson spun due to a flat left-rear tire and took his car to the garage, ending his day early.
The post-race inspection was completed with no issues, confirming Keselowski as the winner.
Next week the Cup Series heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star Race.
For a second consecutive weekend, Chris Buescher was denied an opportunity to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2024 season amid an eventful run and intense battle for the win in the closing stages of the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 12.
Compared to a week ago at Kansas Speedway, where he was edged by Kyle Larson in the closest-recorded finish in the Cup Series history at 0.001 seconds but managed a smile, Buescher this week was left fuming over Tyler Reddick, the latter of which foiled both opportunities of netting a victory at the track deemed “Too Tough to Tame.”
The late drama for the victory that eventually led to tempers flaring started during a restart with 33 laps remaining when Reddick and Brad Keselowski, Buescher’s teammate and co-owner at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, spent the following three laps battling dead even for the lead. By then, Reddick, the pole winner had received stellar pit stops from his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota pit crew that enabled him to beat Keselowski off of pit road from the first pit stall throughout the event’s caution and stage break periods, including the latest service with 37 laps remaining.
Then entering the frontstretch with 30 laps remaining, Keselowski, who made a bold charge underneath Reddick, made contact with the latter as Reddick scraped the outside wall while Keselowski nearly bounced off of Reddick. With both Reddick and Keselowski briefly falling off the pace and trying to regain their pace, Buescher capitalized on the contact and hard racing by diving his No. 17 Fifth Third Bank/Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse beneath both through the frontstretch as he emerged with the lead entering the first two turns.
After muscling ahead of Keselowski to claim the runner-up spot with 28 laps remaining, Reddick then spent the next 18 laps stalking and narrowing his deficit to Buescher. Then as he got to Buescher’s rear bumper while trailing him by a tenth of a second through the backstretch with 10 laps remaining, Reddick seized an opportunity by diving low beneath Buescher in a bid to reclaim the lead through Turns 3 and 4. Instead of the move sticking below the track through the turns as Reddick had hoped, Reddick’s Toyota slid up the track and pinned Buescher’s Ford against the outside wall through Turns 3 and 4.
The contact resulted in both falling off the pace as both had their rear tires flattened and pitting their respective entries during the following lap, with their hopes of winning for the first time at Darlington Raceway also evaporated. During their late-race issues. Keselowski zipped by both and led the final eight laps en route to his first Cup victory in three years as he also received the honors of recording the first elusive victories of the season for both Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing and the Ford Mustang Dark Horse stock car.
After taking the checkered flag in 30th place, two spots ahead of Reddick but two laps behind the leaders, before parking his entry on pit road, Buescher wasted no time stalking over to Reddick, where he gave the latter a shove and exchanged harsh words as Reddick still had his helmet on before Buescher walked back to his car. Amid the heated confrontation, Buescher maintained his composure as he summarized his disappointment and perspective over the late-race incident from his post-race interview.
“We got wrecked,” Buescher, who led 21 of 293-scheduled laps, said on FS1. “That one’s clear as day. [I] Don’t need any cameras to tell us. [Me and Reddick] raced each other really clean over the years, try to be really respectful about it, and we get used up. I’m just really pissed off about it right now. We certainly had a chance to win another [race].”
“Man, I wanted [the win] for our Fifth Third Bank group right here,” Buescher added. “[Reddick] knows he messed up. He said it, but it doesn’t change anything for us. I told him he’s got a win sticker on [his No. 45 door] and we’re still trying to find ours. We get used up like that and take away those opportunities stuff. That’s two weeks in a row we’ve had a shot to win races.”
The 30th-place result marks Buescher’s second-worst finish through the first 12 events of the 2024 Cup Series schedule and it dropped him one spot in the regular-season standings to 12th place, where he trails points leader Kyle Larson by 155 points. Nonetheless, Buescher, who remains poised for his first victory of the season, is 15 points above the top-16 cutline, enabling him to make the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs as this year’s regular-season stretch reaches its halfway mark.
Meanwhile, Reddick, who led a race-high 174 laps and won the second stage, was also left disappointed on pit road after ending up 32nd in the final running order despite spending the majority of the event running at the front and dominating in his No. 45 MoneyLion Toyota Camry XSE entry that sported a special throwback scheme honoring the late NASCAR icon Tim Richmond as Reddick also sported a throwback mustache to mirror Richmond. Amid the confrontation, Reddick was quick to accept responsibility for his role in the contact with Buescher.
“I completely understand where [Buescher]’s coming from,” Reddick said. “He’s running the top [lane], running his own race, running his own line, keeping me at bay. I made a really aggressive move and was hoping I was gonna clear him. When I realized I wasn’t going to, I tried to check up and not slide up into him, but…I wish I wouldn’t have done that.”
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“I completely understand why he’s that mad,” Reddick added. “He did nothing wrong. Just trying to win the race. Take myself out, that’s one thing like I can live with that. I’m just disappointed it played out the way it did and took him out of the race as well. That was not the goal there. Just have to work on that and try to make some better decisions going forward.”
Compared to Buescher, Reddick has one victory under his belt through the first 12 events of the 2024 Cup Series schedule after he won at Talladega Superspeedway three races ago. Despite being currently guaranteed a spot into the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, Reddick also dropped one spot in the regular-season standings as he is ranked in sixth place and trails Larson by 90 points as he continues his pursuit for additional victories before the regular season’s conclusion in August.
With Darlington Raceway in the rearview mirror, the next event on the 2024 Cup Series schedule for Buescher, Reddick and the rest of the field is the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, where both Buescher and Reddick are set to compete in for equal chances of the event’s prize of $1 million.
The 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway is set to occur next Sunday, May 19, and air at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.
Darlington Raceway announced today that the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR will be making its return to the track Too Tough to Tame during the Goodyear 400 weekend, May 10-12. This year’s theme – Celebrate our Roots through Grassroots Racing – will honor the racing origins of drivers, owners, team members, and NASCAR as a whole.
“We’re honored to continue the tradition of hosting NASCAR’s Official Throwback Weekend in the spring,” said Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. “Grassroots racing is the lifeblood of our sport, and providing our industry with a chance to pay tribute to their grassroots origin story acknowledges the importance that it plays in the past, present and future of NASCAR.”
Every driver has a story about their rise through grassroots/local track racing that led them to one of NASCAR’s national series, and they will each have the opportunity to celebrate their ascent with paint schemes that harken back to the beginning of their racing careers. Drivers will simultaneously be able to utilize Throwback Weekend to amplify their ongoing efforts to support grassroots racing and tell their story.
NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will also showcase historic local racetracks and drivers in the region for long-time fans to appreciate and new fans to discover. Throughout the weekend, those in attendance can expect several displays and events that highlight the history and importance of grassroots racing across the country.
The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR begins with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race on Friday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. Then, the action will continue into Saturday, May 11, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at 1:30 p.m. Finally, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will pay homage to their grassroots origins in the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 12, at 3:00 p.m.
NASCAR fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets via phone at 866-459-7223 or online at darlingtonraceway.com while supplies last.
Running in the top-10 before both cars were taken out in a massive lap 262 crash during Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington seemed par for the course for the 23XI Racing Toyotas of Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace.
Both drivers have had brief glimpses of solidity this season, with Wallace’s runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 in February while Busch was briefly the top Toyota driver this season, scoring two top-fives and four top-10s with a best finish of third at Atlanta.
Yet Busch sits 21st in points following his crash Sunday while Wallace sits 24th, with his Daytona finish and a stage win at Talladega the only saving graces in an otherwise dismal season. Again, both entries have shown speed multiple times this season, but it’s not a matter of driver talent, but other things such as equipment and pit communication issues.
Case in point, look at Trackhouse Racing. In their second season, they have Ross Chastain solidly in fifth in the points with two wins while Daniel Suarez has been steadily consistent with a pair of top-fives to complement his four top-10s so far this season. But in the off-season, Trackhouse acquired Chip Ganassi Racing, an organization that was no slouch when it came to Cup performance. It should come as no surprise how well they’re performing in 2022.
But looking back at 23XI, there were many who felt that with Denny Hamlin at the helm in the ownership role the team would be a Joe Gibbs Racing satellite. Instead, the team is more of a continuation of Leavine Family Racing – flashes of decency along with mediocre performances. Factor in a new car that all of the Toyota camp-not just 23XI but JGR-is trying to figure out still and the struggles are still plentiful.
Then there are the issues with the crew. There have been multiple issues of crew miscommunication and mistakes throughout the season at places such as Circuit of the Americas, Bristol, and Talladega. Several mistakes are being made on the No. 23 on race day that should be addressed if they haven’t yet because it isn’t just bad luck that’s afflicting both teams. Some of the issues are avoidable (who knows where the team may have finished had the crew not cost the No. 23 multiple spots on the last pit stop at Talladega) and those mistakes are piling up.
Busch is a Cup Series champion and Wallace is no stranger to success in NASCAR. Given the right equipment and given a team that is better in sync with itself can and should provide dividends for both drivers. They’ve both shown speed and solidity this season. But it’s a matter of change coming from within 23XI that could actually finish the job for both drivers.
With two laps to go, Joey Logano used his bumper to move leader William Byron out of his way, take over the lead and cruise to his first win of the season in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.
It was his first victory at Darlington and the 28th Cup Series win of his career.
Logano indicated that his move was payback for earlier contact while racing Byron.
“Yeah, you’re not going to put me in the wall and not get anything back,” he said. “That’s how that works. Man, super proud of the Shell-Pennzoil team, getting a victory here in Darlington. You know what it’s like. I’ve never won here in a Cup race before.”
“So proud of this race team, great execution all day long. I’ll tell you what, the coolest thing is getting this car into Victory Lane. This is the car where it all started for me back in ’95 in a quarter midget. Really, honestly, all the young kids racing out there right now, this could be you.”
The maneuver caused Byron to slide up the track into the outside wall resulting in a disappointing 13th place finish. Byron was understandably upset.
“We were really close off of 2, and I think it spooked him and got him tight, and he was right against the wall, and I got the lead,” he said. “He’s just an idiot. He does this stuff all the time. I’ve seen it with other guys. “He drove in there 10 mph too fast, and with these Next-Gen cars, he slammed me so hard it knocked the whole right side off the car, and no way to make the corner.
“Yeah, he’s just a moron. He can’t win a race, so he does it that way. It was close racing on the restart. We were faster than him. Obviously, at the end the right rear started to go away, and, yeah, he didn’t even make it a contest.”
Justin Haley finished third, followed by Kevin Harvick. It was Harvick’s 13th top-10 at Darlington, a track record. Chase Elliott managed a fifth-place finish after starting the race at the back of the field in 34th place in a backup car.
Harrison Burton was the highest-finishing (14) rookie.
The ending wasn’t the only drama that fans saw as Darlington lived up to its reputation as the track Too Tough to Tame. There were nine cautions, 23 lead changes (among 13 drivers) and 13 cars out of the 36 that were entered did not finish the race.
Did not Finish: • Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, accident • Erik Jones, Chevrolet, accident • Cole Custer, Ford, accident • Bubba Wallace, Toyota, accident • Kurt Busch, Toyota, accident • Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, accident • Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, accident • Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, engine • BJ McLeod, Ford, brakes • Kyle Busch, Toyota, accident • Brad Keselowski, Ford, accident • Corey Lajoie, Chevrolet, accident • Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, engine
The post-race inspection was clear with no issues and the results are final. NASCAR is also taking the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of driver Austin Cindric and No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet of Justin Haley back to the NASCAR R&D Center.
Joey Logano won the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington after posting a lap of 28.805 (170.720 mph) Saturday morning during qualifying.
It was his first pole since June of 2019 and the 23rd of his career.
“Oh, it was so much needed for all of us here,” Logano said. “The last couple of weeks were pretty rough, getting in a couple of crashes and not being strong at Dover.”
Kyle Larson qualified second with a 170.236 mph lap followed by Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch to round out the top five fastest drivers.
Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick were unable to take part in qualifying after problems in the preceding practice session.
Elliott made hard contact with the wall due to a flat left rear tire and will have to go to a backup car for the race. Harvick had a flat tire which damaged the rear diffuser and was unable to qualify while his team made repairs. Both drivers will start from the rear of the field for the Goodyear 400 along with B.J. McLeod who also did not make a qualifying attempt.
Additionally, there were issues during pre-qualifying inspection. The following teams failed inspection twice Friday and each team will have a crew member ejected and will lose their pit stall selection:
No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
While Kerry Tharp’s official title is President of Darlington Raceway, ringmaster of the traveling show we call NASCAR might be a more apt description, especially during a Throwback weekend.
From coordinating numerous activities including an 80’s Dance Party, food, music, track trivia, prizes and a Throwback Parade to dealing with the aftermath of an aberrant rain and hail storm, Tharp and his staff are behind the scenes making certain that the show will go on.
Anytime you’re present for a Throwback event at Darlington you can expect to see NASCAR Hall of Famers and veteran drivers and the upcoming weekend is no exception. Richard Petty will wave the green flag as the honorary starter for the Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington. Petty, Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott will then share their expertise with the FOX Sports broadcast team of Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer during the race. Petty will join them during Stage 1, Labonte will take over for Stage 2 and Elliott will be in the booth for the final stage.
“I think it’s pretty cool that they’re adding those guys up in the booth,” Tharp said, “because I think each of them is all from a different era and I think each of them will provide their own unique perspective on the race and on the weekend.”
There will also be some unique pre-race activities.
On Friday before the Camping World Truck Series race, Ron Hornaday Jr. will complete a parade lap in a 1975 Ford Bronco and on Saturday Randy LaJoie will pilot a 1966 Mustang Shelby before the Xfinity Series event. Prior to the Cup Series race Sunday afternoon, Hall of Fame inductee Red Farmer will take a spin around the track in a Wood Brothers Racing car that Neil Bonnet drove.
Another highlight, Tharp said, will feature “one of the team owners, Justin Marks, (Trackhouse Racing) who is going to drive the No. 33 Skoal Bandit car that Harry Gant drove here at Darlington. That will allow fans to get a real good visual of Throwback cars.”
Darlington Raceway, known as the track Too Tough to Tame, is one of the most unique and challenging venues on the NASCAR circuit. Add the new Next Gen car into the mix and it’s difficult to predict who will end up in victory lane.
Tharp believes that the racing might be even better than what we’ve seen in the past.
“I think it’s going to be better,” he said. “When we had the tire test here, the people from Goodyear were very encouraged about the tire wear. Darlington is famous for the tires falling off, so I think you’re gonna see that on Sunday in the Cup Series and I think the new car is going to be challenging for the drivers to maneuver.
“I’m not very good at predicting who will win but I will say that Joe Gibbs Racing has certainly had great history here at Darlington with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. all winning here multiple times. I think you’re probably going to have to go through that team in order to get a win here.
“But you take a look and see how successful Hendrick has been this year and also some of the first-time winners, whether it be Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe, or even Austin Cindric and I think you could see a first-time winner here. I think anything could happen.”
Winning races is always the goal for the drivers and teams but for Tharp, it’s all about the fans and ensuring that they have a memorable experience.
“Just being able to see the fans enjoying themselves whether it be in the campgrounds or the stands, we missed that for about 2 1/2 years with the pandemic,” he said. “I’m looking forward with a lot of anticipation to seeing that again.”
It hit home for Tharp during the pandemic as NASCAR ran races without fans in attendance.
“The race that we had in May of 2020 when we brought back live racing and sports back to this country. There hadn’t been any live sports in about 8 or 9 weeks and we were the first to bring it back. There were no fans in the stands and that was very, very different.
“I can remember Kevin Harvick won that race and he got out of his car after his burnout. He got out and usually, there are a lot of cheers and even a lot of boos, but there was nothing.
“It was dead silent.
“I’ll never forget that. And I think that’s why you never take your fan base for granted.”
Martin Truex Jr. captured his third NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win of the season on Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Truex Jr. dominated the race by leading 248 of the 293 laps and swept both stages. This was his 30th NCS career win in 561 series starts. He is the only multi-race winner this year.
It was also the first time that a stage winner has ever claimed the checkered flag at Darlington.
“I’m extremely proud of everyone on this Auto-Owners Camry. I think this flat black is a throwback to you, Regan (Smith), when you won here. It’s really cool to throw back to Furniture Row. Hopefully, Barney Visser (owner, Furniture Row Racing) is out here watching. I know, Regan, you and I both owe him a lot, but this one is for Furniture Row. It’s pretty cool.” Truex said.
Kyle Larson closed on Truex Jr. in the closing laps but had to settle for second place, earning his seventh top-10 finish this season.
“I was surprised that I was able to get to him. I caught him really; like, I closed on pit road and then I caught him pretty quickly once we were on track. I closed right in, and actually had an opportunity to get by him in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2, but I thought I’d stay patient and maybe get him to use his stuff up. He was just a little bit better than I was in the long runs.” Larson said.
Kansas winner Kyle Busch finished third and was pleased with the overall progress his team has made.
“Yes, solid day overall. Definitely better than some of our other 750 package races, but just missing a little bit on the long run. It seemed like we could fire off with (Martin) Truex there and hang with him a little bit. Actually, we would catch him for about five laps and then it was over. Just trying to hold on after that point. Overall, real good day.”
William Byron was fourth and Denny Hamlin finished fifth. Chase Briscoe was the highest-finishing rookie with an 11th place result.
Hamlin leads the series with 529 points. Truex (-75), Byron (-101), Joey Logano (-123) and Ryan Blaney (-124) round out the top five in the driver standings.
There were no major issues in the post-race inspection. The No. 18 (Busch), 24 (Byron), 4 (Harvick), 12 (Blaney) and 8 (Reddick) will be taken to the R&D Center for further inspection. The No. 22 (Logano) had two lug nuts not safe and secure and the No. 17 (Buescher) had one lug nut not safe and secure.
NEXT RACE: Sunday, May 16th at Dover International Speedway on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET
NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 12 Race Results for the 2nd Annual Goodyear 400
Sunday, May 9, 2021 Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved Total Race Length – 293 Laps – 400.238 Miles
Fin
Str
No
Driver
Team
Laps
S1Pos
S2Pos
S3Pos
Pts
Status
1
4
19
Martin Truex Jr.
Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota
293
1
1
0
60
Running
2
14
5
Kyle Larson
HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet
293
4
5
0
48
Running
3
3
18
Kyle Busch
M&M’s Toyota
293
0
2
0
43
Running
4
5
24
William Byron
Valvoline Throwback Chevrolet
293
9
3
0
43
Running
5
7
11
Denny Hamlin
Sport Clips Toyota
293
2
4
0
48
Running
6
2
4
Kevin Harvick
Mobil 1 Throwback Ford
293
5
0
0
37
Running
7
6
9
Chase Elliott
Hooters Throwback Chevrolet
293
8
0
0
33
Running
8
16
12
Ryan Blaney
Advance Auto Parts Ford
293
7
9
0
35
Running
9
11
17
Chris Buescher
Fifth Third Bank Ford
293
0
10
0
29
Running
10
20
6
Ryan Newman
Kohler Generators Ford
292
0
0
0
27
Running
11
22
14
Chase Briscoe #
HighPoint.com Throwback Ford
292
0
0
0
26
Running
12
10
8
Tyler Reddick
Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet
292
3
8
0
36
Running
13
12
22
Joey Logano
Shell Pennzoil Ford
292
6
7
0
33
Running
14
21
20
Christopher Bell
Rheem Toyota
292
0
6
0
28
Running
15
18
42
Ross Chastain
McDonald’s Chevrolet
291
0
0
0
22
Running
16
9
3
Austin Dillon
Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
291
0
0
0
21
Running
17
19
48
Alex Bowman
Ally Throwback Chevrolet
291
10
0
0
21
Running
18
26
43
Erik Jones
STP Chevrolet
291
0
0
0
19
Running
19
8
21
Matt DiBenedetto
Menards/Dutch Boy Ford
290
0
0
0
18
Running
20
28
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Kroger/Tide Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
17
Running
21
23
23
Bubba Wallace
Root Insurance Toyota
290
0
0
0
16
Running
22
30
7
Corey LaJoie
In Memory of Alan Kulwicki Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
15
Running
23
15
99
Daniel Suarez
Camping World Throwback Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
14
Running
24
1
2
Brad Keselowski
Freightliner Ford
290
0
0
0
13
Running
25
29
37
* Ryan Preece
Velveeta Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
12
Running
26
25
38
Anthony Alfredo #
We Care Ford
289
0
0
0
11
Running
27
13
34
Michael McDowell
Fr8 Auctions Ford
288
0
0
0
10
Running
28
31
77
Justin Haley(I)
FOE Mother’s Day Chevrolet
288
0
0
0
0
Running
29
34
53
JJ Yeley(i)
FatBoy Ice Cream Chevrolet
286
0
0
0
0
Running
30
35
0
Quin Houff
Bos Klein/RCA Chevrolet
286
0
0
0
7
Running
31
36
15
James Davison
HOPEGIVERS Throwback Chevrolet
286
0
0
0
6
Running
32
32
78
BJ McLeod(i)
CorvetteParts.net/Keen Parts Ford
285
0
0
0
0
Running
33
37
52
Josh Bilicki
Insurance King Throwback Ford
245
0
0
0
4
Running
34
33
51
Cody Ware(i)
NURTEC ODT Throwback Chevrolet
188
0
0
0
0
Driveshaft
35
17
1
Kurt Busch
Monster Energy Chevrolet
106
0
0
0
2
Accident
36
24
41
Cole Custer
HaasTooling.com Mother’s Day Ford
97
0
0
0
1
Accident
37
27
10
Aric Almirola
Smithfield/Winn-Dixie Ford
5
0
0
0
1
Accident
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 14 Mins, 21 Secs. Average Speed: 123.562 MPH Margin of Victory: 2.571 Seconds
Lead Changes: 19 among 10 drivers; B. Keselowski 1-4; K. Harvick 5-13; K. Busch 14-21; M. Truex Jr. 22-24; T. Reddick 25; C. Ware(i) 26; M. Truex Jr. 27-60; T. Reddick 61; R. Chastain 62-71; M. Truex Jr. 72-92; D. Hamlin 93; M. Truex Jr. 94-110; D. Hamlin 111-114; M. Truex Jr. 115-144; C. Buescher 145; K. Harvick 146; C. Bell 147-149; M. Truex Jr. 150-187; K. Busch 188; M. Truex Jr. 189-293.
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Chase Briscoe, #14 (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
As soon as I drive through Darlington Raceway’s Turn 3 tunnel, I feel like I’ve stepped back in time and entered another era. The walls feature a collage of the track’s historic moments through the decades and the legends that have conquered the unforgiving surface of the track “Too Tough to Tame.”
As the 1.66-mile track prepares to host the Throwback Weekend with all three national series competing, track President Kerry Tharp promises a weekend reminiscent of days gone by with special guests, activities and surprises.
I asked him what will put the biggest smile on his face when he steps outside and looks around on race day.
“I want the fans to enjoy it,” he said. “They can take a walk down memory lane and relive some great moments in the sport.”
The decision was made to move the Throwback Weekend to the May event because, Tharp said, “We wanted it to stand on its own.”
Along with the Throwback paint schemes, fans can enjoy a variety of events that will add to the nostalgic atmosphere.
The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame will re-open after being closed since last spring due to the pandemic. It’s a must see for NASCAR history buffs and will be open on Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The track will also have several merchandise trailers on site, there will be cardboard cutouts of past and current drivers that fans can take pictures with, and if you look up, Tharp said, “We’ll have the Goodyear Blimp; I can’t even remember the last time I saw it overhead.”
“You’ll see heroes and Hall of Famers this weekend,” Tharp added.
Greg Biffle, a three-time Darlington race winner, will drive parade laps before the start of the Camping World Truck Series race Friday night. Saturday afternoon before the Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will take his father’s restored No. 8 Chevrolet Nova for a few laps around the track.
On Mother’s Day NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will hand out carnations to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the track for the Cup Series Goodyear 400. Mothers who are accompanied by their children will have an opportunity to take a photo together to commemorate the special day.
Look for more announcements from Darlington Raceway throughout the week on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And, don’t forget to visit the Darlington Raceway Virtual Fan Zone to vote for your favorite paint scheme.
