Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson dominated at Darlington, leading 263 laps, but faded late on his way to a fourth-place finish in the Cook Out Southern 500.

“Darlington is a race steeped in NASCAR tradition,” Larson said. “And nothing puts the ‘Southern’ in the ‘Southern 500’ quite like an Australian accent calling the race.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished seventh at Darlington.

“Is Richard Childress the biggest crybaby in NASCAR?” Hamlin said. “He must be. He still thinks his grandson Austin Dillon’s actions at Richmond should not be penalized. Talk about an entitled @%#$^&. Of course, I could be talking about Childress or Dillon.”

3. Tyler Reddick: Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota was fast, but he was afflicted with stomach issues all race long. But the 23XI driver toughed it out and finished 10th and won the regular season title.

“I did some unspeakable things in the cockpit of my car,” Reddick said. “My crew was actually calling me ‘Austin Cindric,’ because I was driving the ‘No. 2’ car.”

4. Christopher Bell: Bell finished third in the Cook Out Southern 500.

“Darlington is one of the longest races on the schedule,” Bell said. “And I don’t just mean for drivers. Some fans have actually been known to sober up during the race.”

5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 14th at Darlington.

“Luckily,” Keselowski said, “I had already clinched a playoff spot, so my race was fairly drama-free. I wasn’t on the playoff bubble. I guess, in the context of this race, the ‘playoff bubble’ was what was going on in Tyler Reddick’s stomach.”

6. Chase Elliott: Elliott struggled at Darlington but put up a late charge to finish 11th in the Cook Out Southern 500.

“I wasn’t much of a factor on Sunday,” Elliott said. “I mean, it could have been worse. I could have been the car that finished directly behind Tyler Reddick. Talk about a debris caution. So much for clean air.”

7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney was knocked out of the race just two laps in when Martin Truex Jr. lost control and slammed into Blaney’s No. 12 Penske Ford. The damage eliminated both cars, with Blaney finishing last in 37th.

“Martin was man enough to take responsibility for the accident,” Blaney said. “He even called himself an ‘idiot.’ It’s refreshing to see someone in this sport with the integrity to call themselves that. If only someone else had the integrity to call their grandson an idiot.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch was unable to chase down Chase Briscoe in the closing laps at Darlington and took the runner-up spot. Needing a win to advance, he will miss the Playoffs.

“My No. 8 car was primarily sponsored by Morgan And Morgan,” Busch said. “They are a personal injury law firm, and I can proudly say that not only does M & M call me a client, they often call me a defendant.”

9. Chase Briscoe: Briscoe drove his way into the Playoffs, dramatically holding off Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win the Cook Out Southern 500.

“Stewart-Haas Racing is closing its doors after this season,” Briscoe said, “so I’m very hesitant to say I’m ‘fired’ up for the Playoffs.”

10. Bubba Wallace: Wallace started on the pole and finished 16th in the Cook Out Southern 500, a result that wasn’t quite good enough to clinch a playoff spot.

“Michael Jordan was in the pits again offering his support,” Wallace said. “He’s put a lot of money into the 23XI Racing team. I don’t know exactly how much, but if Michael’s invested just half as much in this team as he’s lost on the golf course, then 23XI should be worth billions.”

September 2, 2024
Buescher, Wallace lament missing 2024 Cup Series Playoffs

In a span of 367 grueling laps of the 2024 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace went from competing against one another for the 16th and final berth to this year’s Playoffs to both being knocked out of contention amid a new race winner capitalizing on the Playoff’s “Win and You’re In” format.

The diminished Playoff hopes for Buescher and Wallace occurred after both dominated the headlines throughout the Darlington weekend and withstood a series of on-track trials of their own to remain in Playoff contention until the drop of the checkered flag and the conclusion of this year’s 26-race regular-season stretch.

The battle between Buescher and Wallace commenced with the latter striking first as he led the first 34 laps from the pole position. Wallace would proceed to finish in second place at the conclusion of the first stage period and accumulate nine stage points while Buescher ended up in 10th place, which allowed Wallace to overtake Buescher for the 16th and final Playoff berth.

Throughout the second stage period, Buescher would regain the upper hand by a slight margin as Wallace slipped out of the top-five mark. Despite ending up in 13th place at the second stage’s conclusion while Wallace finished ninth, which enabled him to claim an additional two stage points, Buescher leaped back atop Wallace for the final Playoff berth.

Then throughout the final stage period, late drama struck for both Buescher and Wallace that began with 46 laps remaining when the former got squeezed into the backstretch’s outside wall by Todd Gilliland before he proceeded to spin the latter. Despite sustaining slight cosmetic damage to his No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry, Buescher remained both on the lead lap and above the cutline. Then with 24 laps remaining, Wallace’s Playoff hopes took a hit after he was collected in a multi-car wreck in Turn 2, when he ran into the rear of a wrecking William Byron before he was rammed in the rear by Noah Gragson sending Wallace spinning below the track. Despite plummeting below the leaderboard, Wallace was able to keep his damaged No. 23 U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry XSE under power and in race pace.

With Wallace initially appearing to lose ground to Buescher on points for the final Playoff berth, Buescher was then placed at a disadvantage as Chase Briscoe, who came into Darlington in a “must-win” situation, rocketed away with the lead during a late-race restart with 17 laps remaining. For the final 17 laps, Briscoe would fend off Kyle Busch, another Playoff “must-win” contender, to win the race and leapfrog both Buescher and Wallace in the Playoff standings to secure his spot into the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs.

For Buescher, the outcome resulted in the Prosper, Texas, native being the first competitor who was scored outside the top-16 cutline and missing his third opportunity to make the Playoffs a year after he transferred all the way to the Round of 8 and won three races.

From losing to a record-setting finish of 0.001 seconds to Kyle Larson at Kansas Speedway to sustaining a cut tire amid a late-race battle for the win with Tyler Reddick at Darlington, both occurring earlier in May, Buescher reflected on various instances where he missed opportunities to secure a regular-season victory that would have locked him into the Playoffs. With a total of five top-five results and 12 top-10 results in 26 races, the Texan also attempted to reflect on the positives made earlier in the season that would enable him to conclude the 2024 season on a strong note.

“We got back in contention there at the end and got a decent finish out of it,” Buescher said on USA Network. “We just didn’t quite get it done again and we’re on the outside looking in. It’s just the system we’re all playing in. We had such a great year. Everyone at [Roush Fenway Keselowski] has worked so hard. We’ve been so fast. We’ve outrun so many of these cars that are gonna get to run for a championship, but that’s the system and we didn’t work it right.”

Like Buescher, Wallace, who made his first Cup Series Playoffs and finished a career-best 10th a year ago in the final standings, was also left disappointed on pit road despite a late summer surge to fight his way back into the Playoffs. But his hopes evaporated with the recent surge of surprise winners that include Chase Briscoe and Harrison Burton. Nonetheless, the Mobile, Alabama, native praised the fight and determination exhibited by his No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota team in keeping both the driver and team in contention until the regular-season finale’s conclusion.

Currently, Wallace has racked up career-high stats of five top-five results and 10 top-10 results, both of which equal his total accumulated results from the previous two seasons. With his current average-finishing result of 15.8, which marks his personal best, Wallace has 10 races remaining on the 2024 schedule to add to his stats and notch his first Cup victory in two seasons.

Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“We were back and forth on our U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry,” Wallace said. “We were a little too loose, a little too tight. And the caution a couple laps on tires where we stayed out, I don’t know if that was the deciding factor or not. I was so tight there and got back there in traffic in a spot we hadn’t been all day and got caught up someone else’s mess. It’s unfortunate. I hate it for our guys. Man, hats off to [Briscoe]. I thought I did something yesterday. They one-upped us and showed up when it was game time, so that’s pretty badass so congrats to them. Man, just wasn’t good enough for 16th this year. I hate that. It stinks saying that, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort from all of us on this No. 23 car. Best of luck to [Reddick] and hopefully, a Toyota wins.”

Overall, both Buescher and Wallace join Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, Todd Gilliland, rookie Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell, rookie Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Austin Dillon, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley, Corey LaJoie, John Hunter Nemechek and rookie Zane Smith as full-time Cup Series competitors who did not qualify for the 2024 Playoffs. Nonetheless, all have the final 10-race Playoff stretch to contend for as high as 17th place in the final standings.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues with the upcoming Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which will commence the Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 2, 2024
Chase Briscoe claims upset victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington, advances to the Playoffs
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Darlington Raceway lived up to its reputation Saturday night to a sold-out crowd as the track “Too Tough to Tame” delivered all the twists and turns we’ve come to expect.

The Southern 500 was the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season and emotions ran high in anticipation of the upcoming series Playoffs. When the checkered flag waved, Chase Briscoe crossed the finish line first in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to win the Southern 500, secure his spot in the Playoffs and emerge as the regular season champion. It was Briscoe’s second career win in the series.

But it wasn’t easy one as he held off a hard-charging Kyle Busch in the final closing laps. Busch was also fighting for a spot in the Playoffs but came up short finishing 0.361 seconds behind Briscoe.

“I was sideways, countersteering. I felt like I was in a Sprint Car,” Briscoe said. “Yeah, this night just literally went perfect. The pit crew did an incredible job and I was crying after the checkered because I just won the Southern 500.

“This is a crown jewel and what makes this race so special is all you race fans. Every time we come here it’s sold out. It’s awesome and we love you guys. The last time I won here was during COVID, so I didn’t get the experience with the fans, so I’m grateful you guys are here and I can’t wait to celebrate.”

After the race, a disappointed Busch described the final laps as he raced Briscoe for the win.

“I’m proud of everyone on the No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet team today for finishing second. We didn’t have much speed throughout the majority of the race. We were just mired in traffic, and we weren’t able to get up through the field. Once we did get up there, I felt like we were going to have a shot at running in the top five during those last three or four restarts. But then we had a shot for the win and just couldn’t make it up there.

“We needed Chase Briscoe to have about three more laps on his tires, maybe. If his tires would have been just a little bit more used up, I could have gotten there. I got within his wake, and as soon as I got within his wake I felt my car come out of the racetrack and I didn’t have enough to overpower that. I really hate it for everybody at RCR because we’ve put a lot of effort and work into our Chevrolets.

“We didn’t have much speed there through a majority of the race,” Busch said. “We were just mired in traffic, and we weren’t able to get up through there. “But once we got up there, I felt like those last three or four restarts, we were going to have a shot running in the top-5. But then we had a shot for the win and just couldn’t make it up there.”

It will be the first time Busch has missed the Playoffs since 2012,

Christopher Bell finished third, followed by Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Corey LaJoie and Tyler Reddick to complete the top 10.

Kyle Larson led 263 laps and won the first two stages but his fourth-place finish left him one point short of claiming the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season title which went to 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick. Larson will, however, start the Playoffs as the No. 1 seed with 40 Playoff points.

Buescher’s sixth-place finish, unfortunately, was not enough to advance him to the Playoffs as Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs advanced based on points earned throughout the season even though both were involved in wrecks.

Playoff Standings:
1. Kyle Larson (2,040 points)
2. Christopher Bell (2,032 points, -8)
3. Tyler Reddick (2,028 points, -12)
4. William Byron (2,022 points, -18)
5. Ryan Blaney (2,018 points, -22)
6. Denny Hamlin (2,015 points, -25)
7. Chase Elliott (2,014 points, -26)
8. Brad Keselowski (2,008 points, -32)
9. Joey Logano (2,007 points, -33)
10. Austin Cindric (2,007 points, -33)
11. Daniel Suárez (2,006 points, -34)
12. Alex Bowman (2,005 points, -35)
13. Chase Briscoe (2,005 points, -35)
14. Harrison Burton (2,005 points, -35)
15. Ty Gibbs (2,004 points, -36)
16. Martin Truex Jr. (2,004 points, -36)
September 1, 2024
Tyler Reddick perseveres to clinch 2024 Cup Series Regular Season Championship

With an advantage of just a single point, Tyler Reddick clinched the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship after a wild Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, September 1.

The two-time Xfinity Series champion from Corning, California, persevered and ground through an event that spanned nearly four hours and seven cautions for 39 laps. Amid his battle on the track to contend for the regular-season title, Reddick himself was also battling an illness that he first radioed to his team after the first stage period that ended on Lap 130, where he finished fourth and picked up seven stage points.

Receiving medicine, water and crackers from his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota pit crew to maintain his health from inside the cockpit, Reddick fought through his illness to steer his car to an eighth-place result after the second stage period on Lap 230. By then, he had accumulated a total of 10 stage points, three from the latter stage period. With Kyle Larson sweeping the event’s first two stages, however, Reddick had a 17-point advantage he had coming into the Southern 500 weekend disappear as Larson was in prime position to win his second regular-season title.

For the majority of the final 130 laps throughout the final stage period, Larson continued his early dominance by dominating with the top spot on the track as Reddick was struggling to keep pace with the front-runners.

Then through a series of late-race incidents and late green flag pit strategies ensuing as Larson would be challenged late by Denny Hamlin and eventual winner Chase Briscoe for the top spot, Reddick opted to pit during an extensive caution period that started with 24 laps remaining due to a heavy multi-car wreck that involved Reddick’s teammate Bubba Wallace, who was trying to race his way into the Playoffs.

Restarting inside the top 12 during a 17-lap shootout to the finish, Reddick would manage to gain two spots and claim the checkered flag in 10th place for his 18th top-10 result of the 2024 Cup Series season. With Larson falling back to fourth place despite leading a race-high 263 laps and winning the event’s first two stages, Reddick emerged on top of the regular-season standings by a single point over Larson as the former emerged as a regular-season champion for the first time in his fifth full-time season in the Cup Series level,

With his accomplishment, Reddick, who is in his second consecutive season driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, joined Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott as competitors to win a Cup Series Regular Season Championship. The championship was also the first of any type in NASCAR for 23XI Racing, which is in its fourth season in competition.

With the regular-season title and 15 Playoff points, Reddick will commence the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs in third place in the Playoff standings with 2,028 points, where he is four points behind runner-up Christopher Bell and 12 points behind Playoff points leader Kyle Larson entering next weekend’s Playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Amid the relief of securing the 2024 regular-season championship, Reddick could not overlook the disappointment and the run he had at Darlington that nearly cost him the title.

“Things fell our way there at the end,” Reddick said on USA Network. “[The regular-season title]’s huge for us,” Reddick added. “This is what this team’s all about. I feel like this is the worst night we’ve had in months and months speed-wise wise and we still finished 10th. It was kind of an all-out struggle for us, so just really proud of everybody on this team, staying behind me. Shame we gave some points up. I feel like this is a race we could win, but it’s really nice to, in year two for me here at this team and year four of this team for [the team overall], to get the regular season championship like we did.”

With the 2024 Cup Series Regular Season Championship officially locked up, the 2024 season overall is shaping up to be Reddick’s best season overall in NASCAR’s premier series. The Californian has won twice this season, the first occurring at Talladega Superspeedway in April before he won two weeks ago at Michigan International Speedway. In addition, he has racked up 11 top-five results and 18 top-10 results, the most he has garnered in a Cup season, throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. With a season-best average-finishing result of 11.2, Reddick enters the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs as a prime favorite to contend for this year’s championship.

Tyler Reddick’s pursuit for a Cup Series championship commences next Sunday, September 8, at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400. The event’s coverage is scheduled to commence at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 1, 2024
Bubba Wallace captures third career Cup Series pole at Darlington

Bubba Wallace was fastest in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, winning his third career pole in the 23X1 Racing No. 23 Toyota with a 167.146 mph lap and will lead the field to green for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500.

His starting position could prove pivotal as he is currently the first driver below the cutoff for the series Playoffs.

“Looking at us coming in, being on the bubble, 21 points out, a ton of pressure, well I think the pressure just switched,” Wallace said after qualifying. “We’re not here to mess around. I showed up with a more open and calm demeanor, free and relaxing demeanor, but at the same time, I don’t want to be messed with. So it’s a fine balance you have to walk.

“We’ve been really good here in qualifying and we’ve also given up a really good race car trying too hard from what I’m hearing from data and just not getting back to the basics. So today, I’ve determined that Darlington is probably one of the, if not the hardest places to qualify. Just the way you have to approach practice to the qualifying trim, it’s totally different.”

Wallace is currently in 17th, one spot below the 16-driver cutoff for the Playoffs. His strategy in preparing for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 is to focus on every aspect of the process, as he explains below.

“Anything can happen so we have to run our own race,” he said. “It makes it a lot easier for us. Having that first pit stall and as long as long as we execute and make the right calls, be great on pit road then — all I want is every single person a part of this team, including myself, is to go to bed tomorrow night saying, ‘We did whatever we could. We did all we could.’ And maybe it was good enough, maybe it wasn’t so that’s the lottery ticket we’ll find out tomorrow after the race.”

Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar (167.010 mph) was second quickest, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe (166.270 mph) and Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson (167.015 mph). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. (166.236 mph) completed the top five drivers in the qualifying session.

Tyler Reddick (167.004 mph), Ryan Blaney (166.040 mph), William Byron (166.540 mph), Christopher Bell (165.743 mph) and Chris Buescher (165.855 mph) completed the top 10.

Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on USA with radio coverage provided by MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

August 31, 2024
Preview: Cup Series season finale at Darlington

With one race to go in the regular season, everything is on the line for the NASCAR Cup Series drivers at Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500 on Sunday evening.

Who will tame the Lady in Black and advance to the Playoffs in the regular season finale and who will be crowned as the regular season champion? With only three spots remaining in the Playoffs, one thing is certain; the on-track action will be intense.

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick is poised to earn the regular season championship, leading the standings over Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Kyle Larson (-17) and Chase Elliott (-18). Larson, the defending race winner, is hoping to give Reddick a

“I love racing at Darlington, and it was cool to get that first (Cup) win there last year in the Southern 500,” he said. “We’re 17 points down, but we’re going to race hard for stage points and hopefully be able to battle for the Regular Season Championship at the end of the race.”

Thirteen drivers have already earned the opportunity to compete in the 16-driver Cup Series Playoff field by virtue of wins – Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez.

Of the winless drivers, and currently ranked in 14th place, Martin Truex Jr. (+58) is in the best position to advance to the Playoffs. But he acknowledged the demanding nature of the track and the obstacles he will face.

“The challenge is that it’s a long race, a lot of pit stops and a lot of chances for things to go wrong,” he said. “Track position is obviously really important. To go through 13 sets of tires or whatever it is, and track position and what it means there, and to keep track position, it’s tough to stay up front and be consistently really strong. It’s tough to do there, and we hope we can do that on Sunday night.”

He’s followed by Ty Gibbs (+39) in 15th, and Chris Buescher (+21) in 16th place. But that can quickly change if there is a new winner.

The following drivers can clinch with a win at Darlington – Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, Todd Gilliland, Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Preece, Daniel Hemric, Austin Dillon, Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek, Corey LaJoie and Zane Smith.

Although Austin Dillon won at Richmond Raceway, he was denied an automatic berth in the Playoffs after a ruling by NASCAR that his actions at the end of the race when he made contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, were deliberate and unacceptable.

Wallace improved his chance of making the Playoffs after winning the pole for Sunday’s Southern 600.

“Anything can happen so we have to run our own race,” he said. “It makes it a lot easier for us. Having that first pit stall and as long as long as we execute and make the right calls, be great on pit road then — all I want is every single person a part of this team, including myself, is to go to bed tomorrow night saying, ‘We did whatever we could. We did all we could.’ And maybe it was good enough, maybe it wasn’t so that’s the lottery ticket we’ll find out tomorrow after the race.”

The Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 is set for 6 p.m. ET Sunday and will be broadcast on USA with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

August 30, 2024
Weekend schedule for Darlington: August/September 2024

This weekend NASCAR travels to Darlington Raceway. The Cook Out Southern 500 is the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season for the first time since the Playoffs began in 2004.

Thirteen drivers have already earned a spot in the 16-driver Cup Series Playoff field – Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez.

The regular season Cup Series Champion will also be decided at Darlington. Tyler Reddick can clinch with 44 points, while Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott can only clinch with help.

The Xfinity Series will compete on the 1.366-mile track on Saturday afternoon. There are only four races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season with 12 drivers advancing to the Playoffs. Five drivers have already clinched a spot – Justin Allgaier, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Hill, Sam Mayer and Chandler Smith.

The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series takes a break from competition before the series Playoffs resume at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16.

NASCAR Press Pass will be available throughout the weekend.

All times are Eastern.

Saturday, August 31
10:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series Practice
Timed-Groups 1 and 2-15 minutes each
NBC Sports App

11:10 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying
Impound-All Entries/Single Vehicle-1 Lap
NBC Sports App

12:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice
Timed-Groups A & B-20 minutes each
USA/MRN/SiriusXM/ NBC Sports App 1:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying
Impound-Groups A & B-Single Vehicle-1 Lap-2 Rounds
USA/MRN/SiriusXM/ NBC Sports App

3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
Stages end on Laps 45/90/147=200.8 Miles
USA/MRN/SiriusXM/ NBC Sports App
Purse: $1,303,907

Sunday, September 1
6 p.m.: Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500
Stages end on Laps 115/230/367=501.32 Miles
USA/MRN/SiriusXM/ NBC Sports App
Purse: $8,644,143

August 28, 2024
Austin Dillon denied final overturn of Richmond penalties, faces “must-win” scenario to make 2024 Cup Playoffs at Darlington

Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing have lost their second and final appeal process in overturning Dillon’s penalty of having his NASCAR Cup Series victory at Richmond Raceway stripped from Playoff eligibility during a ruling made by Bill Mullis, NASCAR’s Final Appeal Officer, on Monday, August 26.

The news comes 12 days after Dillon’s 2024 Cup Series Playoff eligibility was revoked by NASCAR due to actions the Welcome, North Carolina native made four days earlier on August 11 at Richmond. During the event, he wrecked both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap and final turn during an overtime shootout to win the race and leapfrog a majority of the competition in the regular-season standings to clinch a Playoff berth. The actions Dillon made were a last resort to secure a spot in the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, with the driver, owner Richard Childress and crew chief Justin Alexander defending Dillon’s actions.

Following the first announcement of his Playoff eligibility being revoked and Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team being docked 25 driver/owner points, Richard Childress Racing released a statement that cited the team’s intentions to appeal the penalties.

The saga then continued this past Wednesday, August 21, when the National Motorsports Appeals Panel denied the team’s first appeal attempt and upheld the points deduction and revoked Playoff berth, but reduced Brandon Benesch’s, Dillon’s spotter who encouraged Dillon to wreck Hamlin approaching the finish line, suspension from three races to one. Richard Childress Racing, however, cited intentions to appeal the penalties to the Final Appeal Officer.

Following the decision to deny Dillon and Richard Childress Racing’s final attempt to overturn the penalties, Mullis released a statement that explained his final ruling and supported the initial ruling made by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel:

“The data presented today from SMT and IDAS systems indicate that more likely than not a rule violation did occur at Richmond Raceway on 8-11-24 by the No. 3 RCR car on the last lap of the race. [Rule 12.3.2.1.B Eligibility, race finishes must be unencumbered by violations of the NASCAR rules or other actions detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.]”

With all appeal processes used and denied, Dillon, who is currently ranked in 29th place in the 2024 regular-season standings and has finished no higher than 17th in the two races following the Richmond victory, faces a “must-win” scenario ahead of this upcoming weekend’s regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway to race his way back into the 2024 Cup Series Playoff picture. Currently, he is 298 points below the top-16 cutline in the Playoffs standings.

Dillon is one of several competitors who are currently below the top-16 cutline ahead of the regular-season finale at Darlington, a list that includes teammate Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe, Todd Gilliland, Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek, Corey LaJoie and Zane Smith.

With 13 of 16 Playoff spots filled by regular-season winners, including this past weekend’s winner Harrison Burton, the remaining three vacant spots are currently occupied by Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher on points, with the latter retaining the final transfer spot by 21 points over Bubba Wallace, 27 over Ross Chastain and 106 over Kyle Busch.

Austin Dillon’s final attempt to make the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on the track continues this upcoming Sunday, September 1, at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500 and for the 2024 regular-season finale. The event’s broadcast time is slated to occur at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network.

August 26, 2024
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona Coke Zero Sugar 400

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Christopher Bell: Bell finished third in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

“Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 car featured advertising for a Ronald Reagan movie,” Bell said. “It’s too bad this movie wasn’t made 20-some years ago, because there could have been a car touting ‘Dick Trickle-Down Economics.’”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was collected in a Lap 61 pile-up that involved 18 cars. The damage ended Hamlin’s day and he finished 38th.

“We got hit earlier this week with a huge penalty,” Hamlin said. “And it cost us 75 points and more importantly, 10 playoff points. So, I wasn’t at all worried about the ‘Big One’ in the race, because it would pale in comparison.”

3. Tyler Reddick: Reddick was involved in the Lap 61 “Big One,” but survived only to be collected in “Big One No. 2” on Lap 191. He finished 28th.

“I’m not sure which idiot caused those accidents,” Reddick said, but it really affected several playoff drivers, including myself. I guess there’s a big difference between a ‘know-driving’ driver and a ‘no-driving’ driver.”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was penalized for jumping the restart on a late restart, ending his chances at the win at Daytona. He was forced to serve a drive-through penalty and finished a disappointing eighth.

“I don’t always agree with NASCAR’s decisions,” Keselowski said. “In fact, I never do, because they’re always wrong. But arguing with NASCAR officials is like arguing with a brick wall. But I’d much rather argue with a brick wall.”

5. Kyle Larson: Larson survived Lap 61’s “Big One’ and went on to a 21st-place finish in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

“You probably heard me say I think I’m a better driver than Formula 1 star Max Verstappen,” Larson said. “I guess I’m gonna have to do one of two things: get more feet, or get a bigger mouth.”

6. Bubba Wallace: Wallace survived the chaos at Daytona and finished sixth in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, boosting his playoff chances.

“The Playoffs are looking much more likely for us,” Wallace said. “I think having Michael Jordan in the pits is always good for the team. If there’s anyone that’s familiar with the ‘odds,’ it’s Michael.”

7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 29th at Daytona, a victim, like many, of a wild and wreck-filled night.

“I’m ready to defend my Cup Series championship,” Blaney said. “I’m really ready for the Playoffs to start. There are two things I really hate. One is waiting, the other is overtime restarts.”

8. Chase Elliott: Elliott’s No. 9 Chevy was knocked out of the race on Lap 61, a victim of the “Big One” triggered when Ross Chastain was turned mid-pack in front of the field. Elliott was credited with a 36th-place finish.

“Not only am I NASCAR’s most popular driver,” Elliott said, “I’m also its most laid back. I’ve always liked my dad’s nickname, so I’d like to be known as ‘Awesome Chill From Dawsonville.’”

9. Kyle Busch: Busch was oh so close to the win at Daytona, but Harrison Burton’s pass on the final lap denied Busch extending his streak of a win in twenty straight seasons, and also denied him a playoff-clinching win.

“I don’t know what I’m losing more,” Busch said. “Races, or patience. I guess I’m cursed. Which is only fair, because I’ve done my share of “cursing.’”

10. (tie): William Byron: Byron finished 27th at Daytona.

“It was a chaotic night at Daytona,” Byron said. “There was smoke, there was fire, there was Corey LaJoie.”

10. (tie) Martin Truex Jr.: Truex suffered a flat tire early at Daytona and fell out of contention, falling a lap down. He eventually finished 24th.”It’s too bad that my Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin was handed down a stiff penalty,” Truex said. “It wasn’t even the team’s fault; Toyota Racing Development did it and self-reported the infraction. I guess as far as Denny’s concerned, ‘TRD’ will now stand for ‘That’s Real Dumb.’”

August 25, 2024
Buescher, Gibbs pleased; Wallace dejected amid top-10 runs and Playoff shakeup at Daytona

Harrison Burton’s first NASCAR Cup Series career victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 24, was a victory that dramatically shook up the 2024 Cup Series Playoff field as he went from being mired outside the top-30 mark in this year’s regular-season standings to locking himself into the Playoffs and contend for a championship.

Burton’s victory also meant that 13 spots are solidified by guaranteed Playoff competitors who have recorded at least one victory through 25 of 26 regular-season events on the 2024 schedule. In return, three open spots to the Playoffs remain vacant ahead of next weekend’s regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway for the crown-jewel Southern 500 and have left a multitude of big names, including runner-up finisher Kyle Busch, in a “must-win” situation to make the Playoffs.

Among those who remain within striking distance of one another for the vacant Playoff spots based on points ahead of next weekend’s regular-season finale include Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace, all of whom survived a “war of attrition” night mired with on-track chaos to claim top-10 results.

Ty Gibbs, who sported Dennis Quaid’s Reagan movie on his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE entry, backed up his top-three result from the previously scheduled event at Michigan International Speedway by finishing in fifth place in Saturday’s event at Daytona amid an overtime shootout.

The fifth-place run marked Gibbs’ seventh top-five result of the 2024 Cup Series season and his 11th top-10 result through 25 scheduled events. As a result, Gibbs, who came into the event 38 points above the top-16 cutline towards making the Playoffs, increased his advantage by one point as he strives to make his first Cup Series Playoffs after next weekend’s regular-season finale at Darlington.

Ironically, Darlington is where Gibbs notched his career-best result of second place earlier in May, and the Charlotte, North Carolina native is aiming for one spot better to also land him his first Cup Series career victory.

“[Tonight’s finish] was really important,” Gibbs said on NBC. “I was just happy to have a good clean day, good points day. I think we have the speed to go win [at Darlington], so I think it’d be cool to go win and get my first win at the Southern 500. It would be awesome.”

Like Michigan, Buescher, the reigning Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner, endured a rallying type of night where he was collected in on-track carnage and had to fight his way back to finish inside the top 10. Compared to Michigan, however, the Prosper, Texas’ incident at Daytona occurred late in the event with 10 laps remaining as he got squeezed into the Turn 1 outside wall against Ricky Stenhouse Jr. amid a multi-car wreck that nearly flipped the pole-sitter, Michael McDowell.

With the No. 17 Fifth Third Bank/Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry managing to continue with minimal damage, Buescher avoided contact from another multi-car wreck with two laps remaining and managed to squeeze his way to a 10th-place finish in an overtime shootout.

As a result, Buescher, who led 10 laps en route to his 10th-place run at Daytona, is 21 points ahead of the cutline in his quest to make his third career Cup Series Playoffs and second in a row while driving for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. He also holds sole possession of the final transfer spot ahead of the race at Darlington, a venue where Buescher nearly won in May before he was involved in a late skirmish with Tyler Reddick that knocked both out of contention while battling for the lead and win.

“Our Fifth Third Bank Mustang was so good,” Buescher said. “We were able to push unbelievably well and make a ton of speed. It was a lot of fun for a long while there. [I got] Caught up in another accident. We were just trying to get it to the end and ultimately, it was not the day we needed, but yeah, we go to Darlington points being what they are. There’s a little bit of a cushion there, but we know we were really good there last time [in May]. [We’ll] Try and seal the deal this go around and make it easy going into the Playoffs.”

Perhaps, no competitor was left more bitter with the outcome than Bubba Wallace, who dropped back out of the top-16 cutline despite rallying to post a strong sixth-place result at Daytona.

The Mobile, Alabama, native methodically carved his way from starting 18th to lead for the first time on Lap 46. Leading 16 overall laps, Wallace’s event briefly went south when he was involved in a multi-car wreck with 10 laps remaining that dropped him from the lead group. After having his No. 23 Columbia/23XI Racing Toyota Camry XSE repaired and steering clear of another multi-car wreck with two laps remaining, Wallace navigated his way to sixth place when the checkered flag flew after an overtime shootout.

The good news for Wallace was finishing in the top 10 for the 10th time in 2024, tying his career-best finish, and accumulating 10 top-10 results like his previous two Cup seasons.

However, Harrison Burton’s Daytona victory dropped Wallace below the top-16 cutline two weeks after he boosted his way back above the cutline. Currently, Wallace is six points ahead of Chastain in the Playoff picture standings at 17th, but 21 points below the cutline.

Ahead of this year’s regular-season finale at Darlington, Wallace is coming off four consecutive top-nine runs at the historic venue, including back-to-back seventh-place finishes during his last two Cup runs at Darlington. Wallace, however, is setting his primary focus on winning at Darlington to make the Playoffs. If he can accomplish this, it would mark his second consecutive appearance as a Playoff contender as he strives to be both competitive and win like teammate Tyler Reddick has done twice, including recently at Michigan.

“You got one car [Reddick] fighting for a regular-season championship and another car [Wallace] right around the bubble. It’s unacceptable,” Wallace said. “I’ll take all that weight on my shoulders. [I] Should’ve won multiple times this year and I haven’t. We don’t even deserve to be here and we are. I got to go win next week. That’s it.”

The pursuit to make the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace continues next Sunday, September 1, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, for the Cook Out Southern 500, which will air at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network.

August 25, 2024