Posted on May 9, 2021May 9, 2021 by Reid Spencer

DARLINGTON, S.C. — In the final stage of Sunday’s Goodyear 400, Kyle Larson turned a Martin Truex Jr. cakewalk into a study in suspense, but Larson couldn’t keep Truex out of Victory Lane in the 12th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season.

Truex swept the first two stages and led 248 laps to win his third event of the season and remain the only multiple winner in the series this year.

RELATED: Official race results

But after the final sequence of pit stops, Larson — who gained time by pitting one lap earlier than Truex — closed the leader’s advantage to .170 seconds on Lap 266 of 293 as the drivers worked stubborn lapped traffic.

Larson stayed within a second of Truex until the final few laps, when Truex finally pulled away to win by 2.571 seconds. No previous stage winner had ever gone on to claim victory at Darlington.

“We just had a good balance,” said Truex, who committed to run the top of the track throughout the race. “The car would do what I wanted it to do. I just had to manage those long runs. It was really loose that last run. I was nervous when the 5 (Larson) was catching us. We got mired in some traffic there, and that’s always tough …

“What an awesome team we have. Hopefully, we can keep this rolling.”

The victory was the second at Darlington for the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the 30th of his career. Truex was elated to win another race with the high-horsepower, low-downforce competition package used at Darlington this year.

“I think the most important part is we are winning with the low downforce package, which most of the playoff races we run are,” Truex said. “Phoenix was a really, really big confidence booster for us — to go there and win.

“I feel like we’ve carried it since there. We just have to keep this thing going. Guys are doing a really good job all around. It’s so fun to drive race cars like that.”

Kyle Busch finished third, 6.209 seconds back. Fourth-place William Byron was 17.067 seconds in arrears and fifth-place Denny Hamlin was 21.939 seconds behind his JGR teammate, as only nine cars remained on the lead lap at the finish.

Larson lopped two seconds off Truex’s advantage during the final exchange of pit stops but couldn’t pull off a winning pass.

“I was surprised that I was able to get to him,” said Larson, who posted his sixth top-10 result in seven Darlington starts and improved his average finish at the track to a series-best 6.0.

“I caught him, I closed on pit road, was riding and actually had an opportunity to get by and thought I’d stay patient, and he was better on the long run.”

As close as Larson made it near the end, the first two stages were an absolute runaway.

Truex’s Camry was decked out in an Auto-Owners Insurance paint scheme. The only other time Truex had used that livery at Darlington was in 2016 — and that was the only time he had ever won a Cup race at the track.

But the nod to 2016 wasn’t the only throwback involved. In harkening to 2016, Truex was recalling a season in which he achieved the sort of dominance he enjoyed on Sunday afternoon.

At Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 40-year-old from Mayetta, New Jersey, put a permanent stamp on the Cup Series with an utterly dominant run in the Coca-Cola 600. Truex led 392 of 400 laps, translating to a NASCAR-record 588 of 600 miles.

By the time he took the green/checkered flag on Saturday to complete a sweep of the first two stages, Truex had a 14.516-second lead over Kyle Busch.

And for much of Sunday afternoon, the race threatened to present a similar outcome — until Larson intervened.

Kevin Harvick came home sixth, followed by reigning series champion Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher, the last driver on the lead lap.

Byron’s fourth-place finish was his 10th straight top-10 result this season.

Up next, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Dover International Speedway next Sunday (2 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: Condensed highlights of Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington

NOTE: The race-winning No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. The No. 22 Joe Gibbs Racing Ford of Joey Logano had two lug nuts not safe and secure, while the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Chris Buescher had one lug nut not safe and secure. All penalties will be handed down later in the week. These cars will go back to the R&D Center for further inspection: the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (Kevin Harvick), the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (Tyler Reddick), the No. 12 Team Penske Ford (Ryan Blaney), the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Kyle Busch) and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (William Byron).

Posted on May 9, 2021May 14, 2021 by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, May 10
4:30 a.m, NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS1
Noon, NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington Raceway (re-air), FS2
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Dover International Speedway, FS1

Tuesday, May 11
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, May 12
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Dover International Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., Blink of an Eye (re-air), FS1
9 p.m., The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder (re-air), FS1
10 p.m., Blink of an Eye (re-air), FS1

Thursday, May 13
Midnight, NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Dover International Speedway (re-air), FS1
5 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Dover International Speedway (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale, Jr. Download, NBCSN
7 p.m., ARCA Menards Series East: Crosley Record Pressing 200 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (tape delay), NBCSN

Friday, May 14
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Dover International Speedway (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN:
5 p.m., ARCA Menards Series East: General Tire 125 at Dover International Speedway

Saturday, May 15
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity Series at Dover International Speedway, FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway, FS1 (Canada: TSN 3)

On MRN:
1 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway, FS1

Sunday, May 16
12:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Dover International Speedway (re-air), FS1
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway (re-air), FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Cup Series at Dover International Speedway, FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway, FS1 (Canada: TSN 5)
2:30 p.m., IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, NBCSN

On MRN:
1 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway

Posted on May 9, 2021May 9, 2021 by Staff Report

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Chase Elliott will drop to the rear of the field for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway for unapproved adjustments to his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Aric Almirola will join Elliott at the back after his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford failed pre-race inspection twice.

RELATED: Starting Lineup | Darlington schedule

Elliott was scheduled to start sixth and Almirola 27th in the Goodyear 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Instead, they will drop to the rear of the 37-car field during pace laps at the 1.336-mile track.

Elliott’s and Almirola’s original starting positions were determined in part by their finishes last weekend at Kansas Speedway and where they rank in the Cup Series standings.

Sunday’s race is the 12th points-paying event on the 36-race schedule.

Posted on May 8, 2021May 9, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (⏰ 3:30 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1 | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s race, the 12th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.

Where: Darlington Raceway, a 1.366-mile track located in Darlington, South Carolina
Green flag: 3:13 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph, according to NOAA.gov
Race Distance: 293 laps, 400.238 miles
Stages: 90 | 185 | 293
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 50 mph
Darlington 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See the full lineup
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit selections

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Darlington Raceway.

1. Every Sunday we’ve been saying it could be the day when Denny Hamlin will earn his first victory of the 2021 season. Well, we’re going to say it one more time. Hamlin won one of the three races at the South Carolina oval in 2020, now owning three total race victories there. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been ultra-consistent so far, with just one finish outside the top 12 in the first 11 races. He’s also the odds-on favorite to go to Victory Lane on Sunday.

2. The driver who won the other two Darlington races last year was Kevin Harvick. The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing driver is looking for any spark to ignite a season that has been pretty hot and cold. Harvick does have a little bit of momentum on his side, though. He finished fourth at Talladega Superspeedway and second last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, which makes up two of his four total top-five results this season. Darlington looks like a promising track to keep that streak going.

3. William Byron became the youngest driver in NASCAR history to earn nine straight top-10 finishes, taking the record away from former No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon. Byron is quickly becoming a part of the race-winning conversation consistently each week. The team led by Rudy Fugle has brought fast cars off the truck all season, and Sunday afternoon at Darlington will be no different. Byron finished fifth in the series’ last trip to Darlington in 2020.

4. If you’re looking for a good long-shot pick for Sunday, look no further than Erik Jones. Although the results don’t exactly show it, the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports driver has been performing well with the smaller team and contending for a top-10 finishes now and then. Jones’ Darlington stats are stellar with no finishes outside the top 10 in his six career starts there. He won the Southern 500 in 2019 and has an average finishing position of 5.2, which is best among drivers with at least two starts. He also won Wednesday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event at Darlington in the new Next Gen car for 2022. It would not be a surprise to see him up toward the front Sunday.

5. Tyler Reddick has earned seventh-place finishes in the past two races at Talladega and Kansas. The No. 8 Richard Childress Racing also finished seventh in his first race at Darlington last season. You can see an upward trend as he consistently finds speed to compete for top-10 finishes as the season progresses. Darlington fits Reddick’s driving style, a track where running up high and nearly against the wall is the fastest way around. Reddick could extend the current streak to 12 different winners in the first 13 races after Sunday’s race.

Race-day staples

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

• Power Rankings: Keselowski eyes second win at Darlington | Scope the ranks
• Paint Scheme Preview: Check out the designs taking on Darlington | See the schemes
• Fantasy Fastlane: See which drivers to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice | Set your roster
• Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show

Get in on the action

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

• Betting odds for Darlington race | See the odds
• Darlington betting: Erik Jones is an interesting long shot for Darlington | Find out why
• Different rules package at Darlington complicates betting handicap | Find out why
• Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ

Throwing it back

It’s throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway. Take a look at past moments and paint schemes before Sunday.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

• Remember this?: Memorable moments from Darlington | Watch the moments
• Retro looks: Throwback paint schemes for Darlington | See the cars
• Blast from the past: Comparing throwback looks from years past | Take a look

Fast facts

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

• Kevin Harvick and Erik Jones are the only drivers to finish top 10 in all three Darlington races in 2020.
• Erik Jones has never finished outside the top 10 at Darlington.
• Ten different winners through 11 races is tied for the all-time most.
• Chevrolet has not won at Darlington in the last eight races, tied for the longest winless streak dating back to 1972 at Darlington.
• Joey Logano, Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott are the only active drivers with a Cup championship who are winless at Darlington.

Catch the pack

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

• Stock reborn: NASCAR unveils Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota Next Gen models for 2022 | See the cars
• Ready whenever: Next Gen cars have the ability to go hybrid, electric | Read more
• Ins and outs: Get to know the new Next Gen car for the 2022 season | Watch more
• Sense of normalcy: Infield, garage access expands beginning at Darlington | Read more
• That Jones boy: Erik Jones wins eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Darlington | Read more
• Packing the stands: Three race tracks to have full capacity grandstands for summer, fall races | Read more

Say what?

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

“It’s been a lot of fun to have been able to win there a few times now. As you look at the last race there, winning the Southern 500 and being able to go back to Victory Lane and celebrate in front of some fans was different from the first time of dead silence (after the resumption with no fans during the pandemic). Darlington is one of those historic race tracks that everybody loves going to because of the fact that it’s forever tied to the guys that used to race there with the same shape of the race track. It may be a different surface, but it’s the same race track that they raced on in the 1950s. It’s a unique place to go race and a place that has so much history in our sport.” — Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

“The low-downforce package will definitely change things up quite a bit and put us on edge a little more. I would expect that to help passing compared to what it was with the 550-package the last couple years. But Darlington is always going to be slick and tire management is going to be the biggest thing over the long run. Being a day race and hot outside should make it even slicker, so that will make it a handful and that’s what makes Darlington fun.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“Darlington is a track that is known for its old, worn-out surface and how hard it is on tires. You’re always elbows up at that place, but you also have to know when to press forward and when to manage your equipment so you’re not over-taxing your tires. I’ve tried to manage that as best as I can, but that’s what makes Darlington such a tough track. It’s not an easy task while, at the same time, it’s easy to lose focus for a moment and that’s all it takes to end your day.” — William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“Darlington has always been one of my favorite tracks. It’s a special place and we’ve had some good wins there. Obviously, the last couple of weeks haven’t gone the way we’ve wanted them to, but Darlington is a place where we can bounce back and maybe even get into Victory Lane.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Posted on May 8, 2021May 8, 2021 by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. — NASCAR officials disqualified the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet from a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race after the car failed post-race inspection at Darlington Raceway.

Noah Gragson had apparently driven the car to the best result among the four eligible drivers for the Dash 4 Cash bonus, but he was dropped to last in the 40-car finishing order. The $100,000 Dash 4 Cash prize instead went to 12th-place AJ Allmendinger.

Competition officials said the No. 9 JRM entry violated Rule 20.14.c in the NASCAR Rule Book, which states: “All suspension mounts and mounting hardware must not allow movement or realignment of any suspension and/or drivetrain component beyond normal rotation or suspension and/or drivetrain travel.”

Gragson had led 40 laps and finished second in both stages in the unofficial results of the Steakhouse Elite 200. Instead of claiming his third consecutive Dash 4 Cash bonus and logging his fourth consecutive finish among the top six, he was relegated to his fourth result outside the top 30 in nine races this season.

Xfinity Series director Wayne Auton said the cars of Dash 4 Cash winners are included in post-race inspection for each of the four races in the program. After the No. 9 car had failed, Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet was inspected and cleared, sealing the six-figure bonus.

JR Motorsports officials had not yet indicated as of Saturday evening whether they would file an appeal of the penalty.

The disqualification shook up the four-driver field for the final race in Dash 4 Cash program, scheduled next Saturday at Dover International Speedway. Allmendinger joins Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Brandon Jones — the top three finishers at Darlington.

Posted on May 8, 2021May 13, 2021 by Reid Spencer

In a dramatic two-lap overtime shootout, Justin Allgaier squeezed past JR Motorsports teammate Josh Berry and held on to win Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington Raceway.

Allgaier chose the outside lane for the final restart and had to fend off Berry, who edged ahead entering Turn 1. But Allgaier shot the gap to the outside off Turn 2 and pulled away to win by .422 seconds.

RELATED: Official race results

Allgaier had wrestled the lead from Berry from the bottom lane on the previous restart on Lap 138 and appeared a likely winner before Ryan Vargas’ spin on Lap 143 forced the final restart and sent the race to overtime.

“Our car wasn’t as good as we wanted all day, but the guys down in the pits, they just kept fighting,” said Allgaier, who added his first Darlington win to his maiden win this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “To check off Atlanta and Darlington, I couldn’t be more appreciative of this race team. … We’re going to celebrate this one for a while.”

The victory was the 16th of Allgaier’s career.

Berry will cede his part-time ride in the No. 8 JRM Chevrolet to Sam Mayer in the second half of the season.

“I’m mad,” Berry said. “I want to win. I’m racing for my life out here, man. We need to find a sponsor or something so I can run this thing full time. But it’s hard to be mad, coming here, running second, no practice, first time with these guys — that’s pretty incredible.”

Brandon Jones ran third, one spot ahead of Noah Gragson, who was ultimately disqualified. Gragson went from fourth to 40th on the final results sheet.

UPDATE: Gragson’s penalty overturned, Dash 4 Cash win reinstated

Gragson passed Harrison Burton for the lead on Lap 100 of a scheduled 147 and held it until Gray Gaulding spun off the bumper of Joe Graf Jr.’s Chevrolet on Lap 127. Both Burton and Berry beat Gragson off pit road, a sequence of events Gragson felt was decisive.

Daniel Hemric finished fourth after leading 38 laps — second only to Gragson’s 40. Jeremy Clements came in fifth. Michael Annett, Brett Moffitt, Ryan Sieg, Alex Labbe and Burton completed the top 10. All four JR Motorsports drivers — Allgaier, Berry, Gragson and Annett — crossed the finish line in the top seven, before Gragson’s disqualification.

“We had four fantastic Camaros today, all of which had a shot at going to Victory Lane,” Allgaier said.

Series leader Austin Cindric was out front for 34 laps and won the first stage but crashed on the frontstretch coming to the checkered flag. He finished 29th and saw his points advantage over second-place Hemric shrink from 59 to 39.

Burton won Stage 2, but the decision to pit for tires before the final two-lap shootout proved unproductive. Burton, who led 12 laps, finished 10th.

The race featured nine cautions for 43 laps.

NOTE: The race-winning No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Justin Allgaier passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. The No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Noah Gragson, however, was disqualified under Rule 20.14.c (more details). The No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (Jeb Burton), the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (AJ Allmendinger) and the No. 44 Martins Motorsports Chevrolet (Tommy Joe Martins) all had one lug nut not safe and secure. The were no other issues.

Posted on May 8, 2021May 15, 2021 by Staff Report

The Dash 4 Cash initiative for the NASCAR Xfinity Series awarded its fourth and final $100,000 prize of the 2021 campaign on Saturday, May 15 at Dover International Speedway.

RELATED: 2021 Xfinity Series schedule

The program opened with a qualifying race March 20 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and then the first money race followed at Martinsville Speedway. The second Dash 4 Cash event was at Talladega Superspeedway. The program was then part of Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway before wrapping up at Dover International Speedway.

How it works is the first of the four eligible Dash 4 Cash competitors to finish in a race in the program will win the $100,000 bonus. The winner and the next three highest finishing Xfinity Series drivers (who have declared for points in that series) will qualify for the next event.

The 2021 Dash 4 Cash schedule was: Martinsville (April 11), Talladega (April 24), Darlington Raceway (May 8) and Dover International Speedway (May 15).

MORE: Dash 4 Cash raises stakes, aims to close digital divide

In addition to the payout to drivers, Xfinity plans to make investments in each Dash 4 Cash race market that reaffirms its companywide commitment of connecting families, veterans and seniors to the digital tools necessary for navigating these challenging times. In September of 2020, Comcast announced a multi-year effort to roll out more than 1,000 WiFi-connected “Lift Zones” in local community centers nationwide in partnership with cities and community-based organizations, some of which are in communities local to the Dash 4 Cash race tracks.

2021 Dash 4 Cash recaps

At Dover: Noah Gragson’s reign of Dash 4 Cash wins ended at the “Monster Mile” — by his teammate, no less. Josh Berry placed second in the JR Motorsports No. 8 Chevrolet behind race winner Austin Cindric — who wasn’t eligible this week — pocketing the $100,000 bonus. Berry topped JR Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier (third) and Gragson (15th), plus Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones, who was knocked out early due to a wreck.

RECAP: Cindric surges to win; Berry cashes Dash 4 Cash prize

At Darlington: Noah Gragson scored his third straight Dash 4 Cash prize but this one came in different fashion after an appeals panel overturned Gragson’s post-race disqualification from failing post-race inspection at Darlington and restored his fourth-place finish. The other three contenders in the running for the extra cash were AJ Allmendinger (12th), Jeb Burton (19th) and Austin Cindric (29th). Qualifiers for Dover: Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Brandon Jones.

RECAP: Justin Allgaier wins in overtime at Darlington

At Talladega: Noah Gragson was yet again the highest finisher of the four eligible Dash 4 Cash drivers, giving him a second $100,000 prize. He led eight laps, won Stage 2 and ultimately finished sixth in what turned into a rain-shortened race. The other three contenders running for the extra cash were Daniel Hemric (12th), Josh Berry (31st) and Brandon Jones (37th). Qualifiers for Darlington: Noah Gragson, Jeb Burton, Austin Cindric and AJ Allmendinger.

RECAP: Jeb Burton lands first career Xfinity win; bonus to Noah Gragson

At Martinsville: Noah Gragson was the highest finisher of the four eligible Dash 4 Cash drivers and took home the $100,000 prize. He led 12 laps and won Stage 1, finishing second behind JR Motorsports teammate Josh Berry. Gragson outdistanced the other Dash 4 Cash competitors, besting seventh-finishing Harrison Burton, ninth-place teammate Justin Allgaier and Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in 13th. Qualifiers for Talladega: Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones.

RECAP: Josh Berry breaks through at Martinsville; bonus to Noah Gragson

At Atlanta: The top four finishing Xfinity Series regulars at Atlanta Motor Speedway were eligible for the $100,000 prize at Martinsville. No prize was given out at Atlanta, but it did set the Dash 4 Cash participants for “The Paperclip.” Qualifiers for Martinsville: Justin Allgaier, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger

RECAP: Justin Allgaier holds off Martin Truex Jr. for Atlanta win, D4C spot

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Staff Report

The following article is brought to you by BetMGM.

When you are a race-car driver, you don’t come to Darlington Raceway expecting to break the place like you would a wild stallion. Instead, you approach it like a wild bull — and you just hope to be able to stay intact long enough to outlast your competitors. There are no expectations of domesticating the venue.

This Sunday, the Goodyear 400 at Darlington will push competitors to their limits, but NASCAR enthusiasts wouldn’t have it any other way.

That’s why Darlington is affectionately known as “The Track too Tough to Tame.” It was built in the late 1940s, when the cars, speeds and drivers were all quite different than today. It lacks a conventional track shape, influenced by a 1940s minnow pond that stood in the way of a more classic shape.

There’s nothing cookie-cutter about this South Carolina track.

This is what makes it so fun to place a friendly wager on which driver might come out on top of this place. There are six drivers in the field who have won here in the NASCAR Cup Series, making for an interesting field when you bet NASCAR online.

While the veterans are trending well in the NASCAR odds this week, you’ll also see some up-and-comers in the list, and we touch on that below:

THE FAVORITE

Kyle Larson (+400)

Larson tops the charts coming into Darlington, even though he has never won at the track. He has a very impressive average finish of 6.7 in his six races at the Palmetto State venue. He also has three top fives — and they’ve come in his last four races here — in 2016, 2018 and 2019. His resume screams he’s about due to win here. He’ll start in the No. 14 spot, but don’t expect him to stay there long.

The past two races at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway have been rough for Larson. He lost an engine very early at ‘Dega, and then after leading 132 laps at Kansas, he still could only manage a 19th-place finish — thanks to a rough late restart. He’s hungry, he’s got to be angry about his recent on-track bad luck, and he’s racing at a track that he seems to like this weekend. Watch out for Larson, as he’s firmly atop the NASCAR betting lines.

OTHERS: Next up, not surprisingly, is Denny Hamlin (+550), who is tied with Kevin Harvick (+750) with the most career wins at Darlington (three) among current drivers. Martin Truex, Jr. (+600) also has performed well, historically, at the raceway. Because it’s not exactly an easy track to pass on, starting position is critical — and Brad Keselowski (+950), Harvick and Kyle Busch (+800) occupy the first three spots in the lineup.

THE DARK-HORSE THREAT

Tyler Reddick (+4000)

Reddick has a couple of things going for him when it comes to this weekend. No. 1, he has secured a top-10 starting position, so — again — for a track that isn’t too friendly to passing or side panels, being near the front is key. Also, he has had a top-10 finish in three starts here, while also having two top-five finishes in three starts — with 70 laps led — in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Hey, the statistics aren’t earth shattering, but they’re interesting. Plus? He has had four top 10s in his last five starts this season.

OTHERS: Joey Logano (+1200) has finished in the top 10 in half of his 14 career starts at the track. That’s not too shabby. Though he hasn’t won there, he did take third and sixth last year at “The Lady in Black” (another foreboding Darlington nickname). He has led laps there in five different races and always started well there (eight top-10 starts in the past nine tries), maybe he’s due?

THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT

Erik Jones (+8000)

You really may want to take a hard look at Jones this weekend. In six career races at Darlington, he has six top-10 finishes, four top fives — and he’s one of only six drivers in the field Sunday who have won there in the NASCAR Cup Series. He also has an average finish of 5.2. Now, he starts back in the pack at No. 26, but if the pit cycles work out well for him, and he can pass a few cars, this could get interesting for Jones.

OTHERS: William Byron (+2000) took fifth at Darlington last year and has been running pretty well this year — not finishing outside of the top 10 in his last nine races. He will start in the No. 5 position and is currently third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. — As he drove off pit road with 34 laps remaining, Carson Hocevar’s promising evening appeared to be sunk. The side skirt on his No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet had begun to dangle and needed fixing. He was summoned back to pit road and went from the top five to 28th place.

It turns out, mired near the back of the field was the ideal spot after a massive 17-truck crash thinned the herd in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Darlington Raceway. Hocevar picked his way through the carnage, systematically moved up as cautions mounted and collected a career-best third-place result in the Liftkits4Less.com 200.

The 18-year-old rookie was in position to make that podium finish even grander on a restart with two laps left, but he was unable to catch eventual winner Sheldon Creed and runner-up Ben Rhodes before a final yellow ended things.

“I think any racer, you finish third, you’re not going to feel great about it. You’re so close and you want to win so bad that it overcomes the emotion of third place,” Hocevar said. “When it comes Monday and you look at points and we all sit back, you all feel good about it, but in the moment, I would’ve been wanting to do burnouts on the frontstretch right now.”

No. 42 crew chief Phil Gould said the truck’s side skirt had probably worked some bolts loose after contact with the racing surface, causing it to flap in the wind.

“NASCAR called us in, which turned out to be a blessing, I guess,” Gould said, “because we’d have been right in the middle of that mayhem on the restart.”

Chatter on the team radio almost forecasted the major stack-up, and Hocevar let out a laugh after his good fortune was realized when the front of the field jammed up on the restart with 30 laps remaining.

“I went from, I could have cried and wanted to punch somebody to wanting to hug ’em because they saved us there,” Hocevar said. “I said even on the radio, at least if they go down and (crash) in Turn 1, now I’ve got the hooligans behind me, and sure enough that’s exactly what happened. We got lucky in that sense.”

Hocevar led his first lap of the season and bettered his previous personal best — a fifth-place run in the Daytona International Speedway opener — in his 17th career Truck Series start. Even more impressive was the result came in his first effort on the historic 1.366-mile track, one of NASCAR’s most treacherous layouts.

It’s the next step in the development phase for Hocevar, who was tapped by Al Niece’s organization for his first full-time campaign in Camping World Trucks this season.

“He did an awesome job,” Gould said. “For a rookie and his first time and Darlington to start the race with no practice, he looked like he’d run here 100 times. I was thoroughly impressed. … I think to come to a place like this and run as well as he did speaks volumes for his talent. He’s very committed, he’s a student of the game, and I think that first win’s right around the corner.”

Posted on May 7, 2021May 7, 2021 by Reid Spencer

After a 17-truck wreck effectively ended Kyle Busch Motorsports’ stranglehold on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Sheldon Creed outdueled Ben Rhodes on the final two restarts to win Friday night’s LiftKits4Less.com 200 at Darlington Raceway.

Driving a No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet whose paint scheme was an homage to the late Jason Leffler, Creed took the lead from runner-up Rhodes in a side-by-side battle after a restart on Lap 140.

RELATED: Official race results

After Danny Bohn’s spin brought out the 11th caution of the race on Lap 142, Creed prevailed once again on a Lap 146 restart when Rhodes got loose, slipped and lost ground. Fittingly, the race ended under yellow for Hailie Deegan’s final-lap spin on the frontstretch. That caution was the 12th of the race, for a total of 66 of the 147 laps.

Creed, the defending series champion, collected a $50,000 bonus for winning the first Triple Truck Challenge Presented by Womply event of the season.

“It feels great,” Creed said after a celebratory burnout on the frontstretch. “Didn’t have the best truck there, for sure. … Firing off, I was really tight. Then I was wrecking loose there, just doing everything I could.

“I was really aggressive on restarts — that’s what it takes. We’ve been struggling, but we keep chipping away at it. We’re getting better trucks the last couple weeks. All I ask for are trucks I can race with.

“Won an extra $50K tonight — whoo!”

The victory was Creed’s first of the season, first at Darlington and the sixth of his career. Not only did it stop a record-tying streak of five-straight victories for KBM, but it also broke Toyota’s seven-race monopoly to start the season.

Before a game-changing restart on Lap 117, however, KBM drivers seemingly had firm control of the race. Series leader and Stage 2 winner John Hunter Nemechek held the point with teammate Corey Heim — making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on one of NASCAR’s most challenging tracks — beside him.

But wide disparities in tire strategy created an accordion effect on the restart, with trucks on newer tires pushing trucks that were having trouble putting power down. Nemechek and Heim both turned sideways due to contact from behind, and chaos reigned in their wake.

All told, 17 of the 33 trucks still running sustained damage in the wreck, including all three of the KBM entries.

That set the stage for Creed and Rhodes to battle for the victory. Rhodes had recovered from two flat tires and a penalty for pitting early to work his way back to the front.

“I saw going into the corner we were going to push low, so I tried to work our way back up to give us some line so we could be side by side coming off of (Turn) 2, but got really loose,” Rhodes said of the final restart. “Luckily, we saved it, but it was an up-and-down night. I had a lot of fun.

“We set ourselves up for the end there with our Bombardier Tundra to go for a long run — with like low pressures, and then lo and behold, red flags and caution after caution after caution. So what do you do, right? He had seven-lap newer tires, some help on the restarts, and I guess conditions were perfect for him, but I’m not going to pout about it. I’m driving a race car. I’m happy.”

Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar ran third, followed by Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger and Johnny Sauter, as ThorSport Racing placed four trucks in the top six. Timmy Hill was seventh, and Nemechek recovered to finish eighth. Austin Wayne Self and Jordan Anderson completed the top 10.

Note: The race-winning No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet of Sheldon Creed passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. There were no other issues.