Posted on by Staff Report

Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150

Oswego Speedway

  • Race results
Pos. Car No. Driver Sponsor Laps Diff.
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 150 —
2 2 Chuck Hossfeld Gershow Recycling 150 0.129
3 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 150 0.483
4 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 150 0.591
5 60 Matt Hirschman PeeDee Motorsports 150 0.791
6 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 150 1.047
7 7 Doug Coby John Blewett Inc. 150 1.487
8 44 Bobby Santos Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 150 2.009
9 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 150 2.294
10 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg. Co. 150 2.69
11 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 150 2.783
12 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 150 2.803
13 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 150 3.159
14 14 Mike Leaty* AdvantageTrucks.com LLC 150 3.385
15 25 Brian Robie* Maurice Enterprises 150 3.615
16 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Technique Chassis Ford 149 1 Lap
17 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 148 2 Laps
18 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 148 2 Laps
19 19 Anthony Sesely Wanick Construction Inc. 147 3 Laps
20 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 143 7 Laps
21 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 137 13 Laps
22 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 117 33 Laps
23 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 106 44 Laps
24 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 27 123 Laps
25 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 19 131 Laps
Posted on by Reid Spencer

DARLINGTON, S.C. – At the end of a thrilling three-car battle that wasn’t decided until the last corner of the last lap Saturday at Darlington Raceway, Noah Gragson stole a victory from Sheldon Creed and charging Kyle Larson to score his fourth win of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

After passing Gragson for second place on Lap 144 of 147, Larson got a strong run on Creed, then the leader, coming to the white flag. Larson steered his No. 17 Chevrolet to the inside of Creed’s Camaro, and the drivers raced side-by-side through the first two corners.

Creed brushed the outside wall, and Larson got loose beneath him, allowing Gragson to gain ground. Creed cut down his right front tire and buried his car into Turn 3, hitting the outside wall in a shower of sparks.

Gragson found room to the inside, slapped the outside wall near the exit of Turn 4 as Creed rode the fence and powered ahead in the last 200 yards to claim his second victory in the last three races at ‘The Lady in Black’ and the ninth of his career.

The late-race pyrotechnics took place under the lights after a rain delay that stopped the proceedings for 2 hours, 37 minutes, 22 seconds.

“All you fans, was that cool — did we put on a show for you guys?” Gragson shouted to the crowd from Victory Lane. “Sheldon Creed was really fast. … I watched, during that rain delay, him running the top in (Turns) 1 and 2, and I knew there was a lot of speed there.

“So I went up there (after a restart on Lap 134), and I found something, and Sheldon pinched me off, and the 17 (Larson) got by me when it was like three (laps) to go, and I was like, ‘Oh, they’re going to get into each other — they’re racing too hard.’ (Sheldon’s) got nothing to lose. He’s racing his tail off, and Kyle’s going for a win.”

Gragson’s vision of the immediate future proved prophetic, as the two cars ahead of him made contact.

“I was trying to hold on,” Creed said. “I had a really fast car. It was just a little too free to run their speed there at the end. They could run up the hill in (Turns) 1 and 2 and then really get a good run down the backstretch. I had to stay really low to keep the rear of the car underneath me.

“I was hoping they were going to get to racing behind me. When Kyle got next to me, my only opportunity was to side-draft as hard as I could. We got that wall, and I felt the right-front start to go down (as I was) going down the backstretch.”

Creed held onto second place, crossing the finish line 0.794 seconds behind the race winner. In the last-lap chaos, Larson slipped to fifth behind Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Larson, who will begin defense of his NASCAR Cup Series title in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM), the first of 10 Playoff races in NASCAR’s top division. “I was just trying to be patient as I caught them two. … I was able to get by Noah, and I saw Sheldon was really loose in front of me, so I was just trying to stay patient behind him.

“Coming to white, I didn’t want to get inside him on the frontstretch, because I knew what would happen, but I had such a good run off of (Turn) 4 that I had to make a move. He sat on my door and got me really loose. I had to chase him up the track…

“He was racing really hard for his first win. It was just a lot of fun from all of our seats. Crazy to be a part of a finish like that.”

A victory would have put Creed into the Xfinity Series Playoffs. Instead, he leaves Darlington 13th in the standings, 16 points behind 12th-place Ryan Sieg. There are two races left before the 12-driver Xfinity Playoff field is set.

Gragson led four times for 82 laps and dominated the action before the rain delay.

Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, John Hunter Nemechek and Austin Hill rounded out the top 10.

Shortly after a Lap 55 caution for a multi-car wreck involving Kris Wright, Riley Herbst and Myatt Snider, the race went under yellow on Lap 63 as rain began to fall on the race track, eventually necessitating the red flag.

With two more races left in the regular season, the Xfinity Series shifts to Kansas Speedway Saturday, Sept. 10 for the Kansas Lottery 300 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race inspection concluded without issue, confirming Gragson as the winner of Saturday’s race.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150

Oswego Speedway

  • Qualifying Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed
1 60 Matt Hirschman PeeDee Motorsports 17.575 128.023
2 7 Doug Coby John Blewett Inc. 17.701 127.111
3 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 17.702 127.104
4 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 17.775 126.582
5 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 17.784 126.518
6 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 17.827 126.213
7 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 17.828 126.206
8 44 Bobby Santos Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 17.832 126.178
9 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 17.844 126.093
10 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 17.858 125.994
11 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 17.867 125.93
12 19 Anthony Sesely Wanick Construction Inc. 17.931 125.481
13 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 17.942 125.404
14 14 Mike Leaty* AdvantageTrucks.com LLC 17.953 125.327
15 2 Chuck Hossfeld Gershow Recycling 17.984 125.111
16 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Technique Chassis Ford 17.997 125.021
17 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 18.023 124.84
18 25 Brian Robie* Maurice Enterprises 18.099 124.316
19 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg. Co. 18.105 124.275
20 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 18.123 124.152
21 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 18.265 123.186
22 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 18.46 121.885
23 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 19.624 114.656
24 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 20.007 112.461
25 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 21.106 106.605
Posted on by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. – When we last left Darlington Raceway, Joey Logano’s front bumper was doing a number on the back deck of the No. 24 Chevrolet driven by William Byron. The deciding late-race bump in the Goodyear 400 touched off a volley of strong words between the two drivers, with Logano celebrating as the winner and Byron glum and bitter after fading from the lead to a 13th-place result.

Back in town for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener, the two hopefuls have done their best to move on, but there’s still some edge to their voices when asked about their approach should the on-track action turn physical.

RELATED: Darlington weekend schedule | Meet the Playoff field

“I don’t think there really needs to be a discussion,” Logano said when asked if he’d sorted through matters with Byron. “I thought everything that went down here in the spring was done and over with, right? It’s tit for tat, one for the other. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: You don’t want to mess with me, because I’m not going to get pushed around. I’ve done that plenty in my career. It doesn’t work like that for me anymore.

“So you know, I think it’s for everyone’s best interests that we just focus on racing in the playoffs and trying to win championships. He’s got a great car, he’s a good driver, you know he’s capable of being up there the whole time, too. So I think it’s best for both of us to move forward and go racing. The score’s equal in my mind.”

As fate would have it, Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford will start at the front of the field for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) after claiming the Busch Light Pole in Saturday’s qualifying. Byron slotted his Hendrick Motorsports entry third in time trials, meaning he’ll start in the row right behind his rival when the 36-car field forms up.

WATCH: Logano’s move at Darlington in May

Both drivers won twice during the regular season, and they both reside among the top five in the reseeded order for the 10-race playoff. It’s been nearly four months since their shunt here in May, but Byron said the memories remain.

“Yeah, those things just stick with you, and if the shoe’s on the other foot, you know how to handle it,” Byron said earlier in the week at Cup Series Playoffs Media Day. “So, yeah, hopefully we’re in a position to win this week. That’d be awesome.”

Pressed for a more descriptive answer, Byron said he’s intent on standing his ground in those situations.

“I mean, I think I’m going to handle things the way I’ve always handled things,” Byron says, “and you know, I’ve had run-ins with people in the past and handled it and they never mess with me again. So I think it’s … yeah, it’ll sort itself out, for sure.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Toyota – Bud Mod Classic 150

Oswego Speedway

  • Practice Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 60 Matt Hirschman PeeDee Motorsports 17.753 126.739 27 29  —
2 44 Bobby Santos Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 17.811 126.326 40 40 0.058
3 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 17.862 125.966 16 31 0.109
4 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 17.868 125.923 46 46 0.115
5 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 17.902 125.684 36 36 0.149
6 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 17.906 125.656 29 38 0.153
7 7 Doug Coby John Blewett Inc. 17.938 125.432 33 37 0.185
8 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 17.943 125.397 33 44 0.19
9 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 17.945 125.383 27 41 0.192
10 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 17.945 125.383 35 56 0.192
11 19 Anthony Sesely Wanick Construction Inc. 17.952 125.334 20 29 0.199
12 14 Mike Leaty* AdvantageTrucks.com LLC 17.953 125.327 34 34 0.2
13 2 Chuck Hossfeld Gershow Recycling 17.962 125.264 13 32 0.209
14 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 17.965 125.244 44 45 0.212
15 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 17.973 125.188 48 48 0.22
16 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Technique Chassis Ford 17.996 125.028 11 47 0.243
17 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 18.075 124.481 15 25 0.322
18 25 Brian Robie* Maurice Enterprises 18.082 124.433 30 32 0.329
19 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg. Co. 18.099 124.316 34 47 0.346
20 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 18.126 124.131 31 35 0.373
21 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 18.128 124.117 9 30 0.375
22 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 18.369 122.489 20 31 0.616
23 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 18.714 120.231 17 20 0.961
24 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 19.544 115.125 17 36 1.791
25 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 19.784 113.728 20 31 2.031
Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway
(⏰ 6 p.m. ET | 📺 USA Network, NBC Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington, the first playoff event of the 2022 campaign.

Where: Darlington, South Carolina
Approximate start time: 6 p.m. ET | Weekend schedule
TV/Radio: USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
The purse: $7,823,733
Forecast: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 367 laps | 501.3 miles
Stages: 115 | 230 | 367
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 50 mph
Darlington 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: Where drivers will start Sunday
Pit stalls: See where your driver pits on Sunday
Playoff grid: Print yours now

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

Darlington is one of the most treacherous tracks to navigate on the Cup Series schedule. High tire wear and high speeds leave drivers needing to ride the wall to keep pace with the best of them, battling to avoid the daunting ‘Darlington stripe.’ This track is not easy to master and is as seasoned as the drivers who have found success here. Only one driver under the age of 30 has won here in the last 14 races — Erik Jones in 2019. Jumpstarting the Cup Series Playoffs with such an iconic and difficult race could immediately separate contenders from the pretenders. Will age and experience be the story of these playoffs? Or will the crop of four first-time contenders shock the field?

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

Denny Hamlin is arguably the best bet at Darlington, based on his career success. But it is Kevin Harvick who has been more consistent lately. Harvick has an incredible 13 consecutive top-1o finishes at the track and won three of the last 12 races here. Finishing fourth in May moved his tally of leading laps in races there to 12 of the last 16. Coming into the playoffs with a newfound form that makes him a top contender, Harvick is certainly one to watch out for this weekend and moving forward.

For a driver as talented as Christopher Bell, it is hard to put a finger on why he has struggled at Darlington in the Cup Series. Bell has five finishes of 11th or worse in six career starts, but that is not telling of how well he has been running in general and could continue to run here. Based on speed in recent weeks, Bell and the No. 20 group clearly have something to prove. Look for them to readjust and build off Bell’s career-best finish of sixth in May.

Driving under the radar

Yeah, yeah, it’s very hard to ever say that Joey Logano is driving under the radar. But is anyone picking him to win the championship this season? It seems like the No. 22 group has contended at every single track type. In addition, four finishes of eighth or better in the last five races here, including the win in May, make him a serious candidate to claim an early stake in the Round of 12. Logano has two wins this season and only one finish outside the top 12 since June. With all the chatter about top title contenders, don’t forget to throw Logano’s name in the mix.

The sun sets behind the grandstands at Darlington.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: All dressed up for the “Lady in Black” | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Is it Chase Elliott’s title to lose? | Updated driver rankings
• NASCAR betting: Odds for 2022 Darlington playoff race | Underdogs, value bets
• Fantasy Fastlane:  It’s time for the playoffs, Fantasy Live style | Top plays, sleepers
• Backseat Drivers: Who is a Round of 16 sleeper in the Cup Series? | Watch the debate
• Meet the contenders: Analyzing the drivers in the playoffs | Read more
• Our staff speaks: Playoff predictions from NASCAR.com staff | See them here

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• Predictions: Predicting the winner of every Cup Series playoff race | Do you agree? | No clear favorite
• Playoff trends: Drivers with most playoff berths in elimination era | See them here | Winners of every opener
• Press Pass insights: Chastain chimes in on first playoff run | Gustafson with high praise for Elliott 
• Crash info: Next Gen’s impacts in spotlight, under observation | Read more
• Number swap: Bubba Wallace now in No. 45 Toyota | Read more
• Pit road: Drivers must overcome these challenges to advance in playoffs | Sunoco Pit Stop breakdown
• DVP clock: Increases to 10 minutes from six for playoffs | Read more
• Rivalries, renewed: Revisit this season’s rivalries before the opener | Remember these?
• New paint: Chase Elliott drives exclusive DESI9N to DRIVE scheme | See it here
• Kyle Busch: Two-time champion weighing multiple offers | Read more
• Justin Alexander: Crew chief to leave No. 3 RCR Chevy after the season | Read more
• @nascarcasm: Best ways to fill out your playoff grid | Expert’s insight
• eNASCAR: Wilson locks up top seed for iRacing Series playoffs | Read more

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• The Action Network: Deciding ‘coin-flip’ Cindric-Dillon matchup | Read more
• BetMGM: Breaking down driver matchups for Darlington | Read more
• More betting: Elliott overvalued as favorite, Darlington parity shows | Read more
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | New rules for playoffs
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Back to the ‘Lady in Black’ 🖤

Winning at one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks is always a treat — but it’s tougher than it looks. 

• History behind name: Why Darlington is the “Lady in Black” | In-depth breakdown
• Last year: Denny Hamlin storms out the gates with statement win | Full recap, highlights
• Throwback: Remember Busch, Craven’s battle in 2003? | Watch it again
• Burton, Gordon: Jeff Burton reflects on 1997 loss to Jeff Gordon at Darlington | Watch here

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• The last four races at Darlington were each won by a different driver.
• The Darlington winner has finished in the top-10 in both Stage 1 and 2 in all nine races with stages.
• A driver led more than 100 laps in 21 of the last 22 Darlington races,
• Erik Jones in 2019 is the only Darlington winner under the age of 30 in the last 14 races.
• Six drivers got their first Cup Series win at Darlington, most recently Regan Smith in May 2011.

Say what? 🎙

Check out what playoff drivers had to say ahead of this week’s crucial Round of 16 race.

• Quotes by drivers from Cup Series Playoffs Media Day

Posted on by Staff Report

Joey Logano will lead the field to green for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener at Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after putting down a fastest lap of 168.521 mph.

RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup | At-track photos

It’s Logano’s second pole of the season and 24th of his career. His other pole also came at Darlington in the spring, a race he won for his first points-paying victory of the year.

Logano completed the first season sweep of pole positions at the ‘Lady in Black’ since Sterling Marlin accomplished the feat in 1992.

“I love winning,” exalted Logano, who earned his second Busch Light Pole Award of the season and the 24th of his career. “When you fire off in the Playoffs, you want to have a good start to it. This (No. 1) pit stall here is so important—it really helped us win the race here in the spring.

“(Crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) did a good job adjusting on our car from the spring race and even from practice as well. We keep trying to find the speed and got a couple of poles here at Darlington this year.”

Christopher Bell came just short of snagging the pole from the No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a 168.469 mph lap. He will join Logano on the front row.

Logano and Bell were two of eight Playoff drivers who advanced to the final round of qualifying. The exceptions were eighth-place qualifier Bubba Wallace, who is competing for the owners’ championship in the No. 45 23XI Toyota, and 10th-place Michael McDowell.

William Byron, Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch round the top five in the Cup lineup followed by Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Wallace, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell, who make up the top 10 starters for the Cook Out Southern 500.

Cindric showed consistent speed through Saturday’s practice and qualifying session as the No. 2 Penske Ford was fastest in the lone practice with a 167.699 mph lap. Byron, Reddick and Logano also posted top-10 times in practice that matched their qualifying speed.

Playoff drivers will be spread throughout the field Sunday as many struggled through practice and qualifying.

Daniel Suárez didn’t put down a lap in Saturday’s qualifying session after failing pre-race inspection three times in the morning. The No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet will start at the rear of the field Sunday evening and serve a pass-through penalty at the green flag.

Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain have made headlines together throughout the season and found each other again this weekend as they were the highest of playoff drivers not to make the final round of qualifying. They will pair up in Row 6.

Austin Dillon will roll off 13th. Alex Bowman (16th), Kevin Harvick (18th), Chase Briscoe (19th) and Chase Elliott (23rd) will all have work to do to get to the front Sunday evening.

The NASCAR Wire Service contributed to this report.

Posted on by Staff Report

DARLINGTON, S.C. — The No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet of Daniel Suárez failed pre-qualifying technical inspection three times on Saturday morning at Darlington Raceway, presenting an early obstacle in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener. 

Suárez was not allowed to post a lap during Saturday’s Busch Light Pole Qualifying session, and he will perform a pass-through penalty after taking the green flag on the track in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 (USA Network, 6 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, MRN, Sirius XM). The No. 99 team will also lose pit selection and will be without car chief Eddie D’Hondt Jr., who was ejected for the remainder of the weekend.

MORE: Darlington schedule | Playoff standings

Suárez qualified for the 16-driver postseason field for the first time this year, sealing his eligibility with a regular-season victory — his first in the Cup Series — at Sonoma Raceway. The first leg of his playoff quest will begin with a starting spot at the back of the 36-car pack, but with a grueling 500-mile distance to make up the lost ground.

“Yeah, we should be fine,” said Suárez, the playoff grid’s 13th seed. “It’s definitely not an ideal situation, but is what it is. We have to bounce back. We definitely won’t let this bring us down.”

Race officials also penalized the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford team and owner/driver BJ McLeod for two failures in pre-qualifying inspection. Engineer Chris Stanley was ejected, and the No. 78 team will also lose pit-stall selection for Sunday’s 500. No other cars were flagged in early inspection.

Suárez ranked 16th on the practice chart during Saturday’s warm-up, and that speed ranked 10th relative to the other playoff-eligible drivers. Travis Mack, crew chief for the No. 99, said that he was encouraged by the preliminary performance after a post-practice debrief with his driver.

“Just fighting a little of this, a little of that. Nothing major,” Mack said when asked what tripped the inspection woes, noting that the tolerances were off in the 10- to 12-thousandths range. “… Nothing that we pushed any harder than normal. It’s just luck of the draw this week that for some reason, we failed three different things. So it’s back and forth, but it’s all right. We got it fixed up and didn’t hurt the car at all, so we’re good.”

Suárez joined teammate Ross Chastain in leading Trackhouse’s two-car effort into the playoffs this season. Earlier this year, Suárez notched a 10th-place finish at Darlington, and Chastain led 26 laps and won Stage 2 before a crash short-circuited his day.

Chastain will start Sunday’s playoff opener in 12th. His teammate will have a steeper climb.

“I think one of the worst things you can do to me is to put pressure and to challenge me,” Suárez said. “I’m gonna bounce back.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

If Ty Gibbs plans to make a move toward the NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship, now would be a good time.

The driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has a series-best five victories this season, but he trails three-time winner AJ Allmendinger in the standings by 58 points with three races left in the regular season.

Allmendinger has held the top spot in the standings for 17 straight races. Darlington Raceway, however, is not one of his best tracks. If Gibbs wants to make a dent in Allmendinger’s hefty points lead, he can start with Saturday’s Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at the “Lady in Black” (3 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Xfinity Series standings

Allmendinger has other ideas, but his attitude toward Saturday’s race can best be described as cautiously optimistic.

“Darlington is such a tough race track to master,” said Allmendinger, who finished eighth at the speedway in May to secure his first top 10 there in three Xfinity starts. “The last time we raced there in the spring, we didn’t quite have the grip and speed we needed, but still came away with a top-10 finish.

“I think we were able to learn a lot from that, and hopefully that shows this weekend.”

The Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 also features entries from three Cup Series playoff drivers: Kyle Larson, who won his most recent series start Aug. 20 at Watkins Glen International; Christopher Bell, subbing for Denny Hamlin, still sore from an incident last Sunday at Daytona International Speedway; and Ross Chastain, whose breakout performance at Darlington in 2018 propelled him toward the national spotlight.