Posted on May 10, 2021 by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. — To borrow a phrase overheard in the newly reopened media center during NASCAR’s throwback weekend, the expansion of garage access to selected guests at Darlington Raceway had a “first day of school” feel.

Race teams welcomed back sponsors and corporate guests, and team officials and media roamed the garage in limited numbers during the tripleheader weekend. The historic speedway that served as the epicenter for NASCAR’s schedule resuming in 2020 was host for the next evolutionary step in the sport’s COVID-19 protocol procedures.

“I think it’s a big deal any time we can get more fan and media and sponsor interaction for our sport,” said Cliff Daniels, crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 team and driver Kyle Larson. “We know the fans are the lifeblood of our sport and everyone with the media and reporters are what presents it to the world and keeps the fans engaged. So to have you guys here and the fans in the stands and have sponsors and media members in the infield, I thought was really cool.

“I think it’s a big positive for us. I know that NASCAR is going about doing it the right way and definitely trust in what they’re doing, so it’s good to see.”

NASCAR announced April 20 that the garage footprint of essential personnel would grow for fully vaccinated guests, starting with Darlington and including the inaugural race weekend at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on May 22-23. That two-race trial will help shape the protocols for access going forward, as vaccine availability helps the sports world and the country loosen the pandemic’s grip.

As infield access has grown in small measures, so has the reopening of the grandstands. On Friday, both Darlington and Daytona International Speedway announced that their races scheduled for later this season would be open to full attendance. Those two tracks joined Atlanta, Pocono and Sonoma among the venues planning to end restrictions on the number of spectators allowed through the doors later this year.

Darlington hosted limited fans in the stands for its throwback weekend, but those numbers — in the seating areas and the infield — should rise when NASCAR returns for the traditional Labor Day date. So will the crowd reaction, and in turn, so will the buzz.

“It’s encouraging,” said Denny Hamlin, the Cup Series points leader. “Seeing more people on pit lane is always a little more encouraging and a lot more fun from our standpoint. It gets the energy going a little bit better for the event, so definitely hoping we continue this direction that we’re in.”

Besides the positives of increased fan interaction, this weekend’s soft reopening was also a boon to race teams from the business side. Organizations were able to greet sponsors and provide the “behind the ropes” experience that has become the hallmark of business-to-business relationships in the NASCAR industry. It’s one thing to make the financial commitment to sponsorship; it’s quite another full-on rush from seeing your company’s logo whisk by at triple-digit speeds in person. That’s a different sort of zoom meeting.

“It’s so important for us. Some of the key players that our sponsors have such interest in it, and they love being here and being a part of it,” said Coach Joe Gibbs, who regularly emphasizes how sponsorship makes his four-car effort go. “Today we had guys flying in from all over, (Bass Pro Shops owner) Johnny Morris coming in. It’s great for us to have things opening up. I’m hoping we get back to our fans being — evidently in the fall we’re going to have the place packed.

“But it’s very, very important, too, to get those key people from the companies back into our sport, and I’m looking forward to getting to go again and do hospitalities. So all of that is coming, but it is very, very important today.”

In that sense, the weekend was a sort of reunion on multiple levels. NASCAR continued the annual throwback tradition of getting back in touch with its rich history, and many infield guests safely reconnected after months of work-from-home isolation away from the track.

School was back in session, and all indications are that class sizes are prepared to grow.

“It’s nice to start getting back to normal, getting more fans in the stands and packing the house and putting on a good show for everybody,” said Ben Beshore, crew chief for Gibbs’ No. 18 Toyota and driver Kyle Busch. “That’s what NASCAR is all about and looking forward to getting back there.”

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Staff Report

JR Motorsports and the No. 9 team of Noah Gragson will appeal the penalty NASCAR levied against them after Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway, as confirmed by the team on Monday.

During post-race inspection, Gragson’s No. 9 Chevrolet was found to be in violation of 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’s fourth-place finish was disqualified, and Gragson lost the $100,000 bonus that would have gone along with that for being the highest-finishing Dash 4 Cash-eligible driver. That award instead went to AJ Allmendinger, who was the next-highest finishing Dash 4 Cash driver. The penalty also stripped Gragson of the ability to compete for the Dash 4 Cash prize next weekend at Dover International Speedway.

Posted on May 9, 2021May 9, 2021 by Zack Albert

DARLINGTON, S.C. — On a day when anyone not named Martin Truex Jr. was fighting to be the best of the rest, Kyle Larson nearly stole the spotlight from the NASCAR Cup Series season’s only three-time winner at Darlington Raceway. Credit his blistering run through traffic in the final stage, including a bold, three-wide maneuver worthy of the highlight reels on one of the toughest tracks around.

Second place was the best the Hendrick Motorsports driver could muster in Sunday’s Goodyear 400, as Larson recovered from an early pit-road speeding penalty and nearly joined Truex among the ranks of the multiple-race winners. The effort was remarkable not just for how it soothed the heartache of three straight subpar finishes, but also for how the pressure he applied down the stretch rated on the ferocity scale when no one else could.

“We definitely needed to get a good finish. I thought we were going to get one last week and I messed that up,” Larson said, making a nod to his strong performance last weekend at Kansas that unraveled late. “Three bad weeks in a row, and to come back and contend for a win and finish second and get good stage points after speeding at the end of the first stage, too, yeah, it was a good day.”

Truex led 248 of the 293 laps, stretching his advantage to several seconds at certain points. He had few serious challengers until Larson’s late rise to lurk just a few car-lengths back as the sun began to set.

With plenty of slipping around on Darlington’s well-worn surface, Larson made the most of the scenario with a daring move with eight laps remaining, splitting the middle of Tyler Reddick’s No. 8 Chevy on the high side and Ryan Newman’s No. 6 Ford in the low groove. Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet tiptoed through on the narrow 1.366-mile layout and emerged in an albeit vain attempt to keep Truex within reach.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

“Well, they’re both really aggressive drivers, so I didn’t want to get stuck behind them because I knew if I didn’t clear them then, I would definitely not have an opportunity to get by or get close to Martin,” Larson said. “I saw a door open up a little bit, and I stuck my nose in there and came out the other side. It was pretty intense, but that’s what I felt like I needed to do at that point to give myself a shot to win, but even once I cleared them, I was struggling at that point and Martin was getting away from me.”

Larson noted the sense of urgency he felt when making the move. From No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels’ vantage point, it had some elements of a hold-your-breath moment.

“A little bit,” Daniels told NASCAR.com. “From what I’ve seen of him, just over the years and watching his sprint-car stuff, he knows how much lap traffic can hurt you the next corner if you have the opportunity to get them in this corner and you don’t, so a lot of times, his mindset is to go ahead and get lap traffic now, whenever that moment is. And I get it. He knew what was around him, he knew what was at stake and certainly the win was on the line and he had to get all that he could.”

Even so, Larson said he had to force himself to stay calm and not to abuse his equipment as he closed in.

“When the leader is in front of you it is tougher to remind yourself. But in a way, I maybe was too patient at one point,” Larson said. “I got to his back bumper in (Turns) 1 and 2 and I could see he was struggling in front of me, and I thought, well, if I am just patient here and stay behind him and put some pressure on him, maybe he’ll use his stuff up or get into the wall in 3 and 4 because he was running so close to it. So I was just hoping that he would make a mistake. Looking back if there was something I could do different I would have taken advantage of that opportunity and tried to get to his inside and maybe tried to clear him off of 2 and maybe block him in my dirty air the rest of the race.”

MORE: Cup Series standings

Larson never quite got that chance, and Truex pushed his margin to a 2.571-second gap by the checkered flag. Even though Larson may have gently second-guessed his late-race pursuit, he had his crew chief’s vote of confidence.

“He’s so in control of himself in that environment. He knows what’s around him,” Daniels said. “When he gets to race sprint cars and his late model, there’s so much driver element to those that you kind of learn your surroundings that he knows when to go and he knows when to be smart. So I trusted him the whole time we were in traffic and just hoped we had enough to get the 19.”

Larson gained three spots in the Cup Series standings, reversing three consecutive weeks of misfortune. That stretch included an 18th-place day at Richmond Raceway, a last-place result after a way-too-early engine failure at Talladega Superspeedway and 19th at Kansas Speedway after leading a race-best 132 laps.

Daniels was among those savoring the turnaround for a team that has been among the circuit’s strongest this year.

“We were OK today, had to overcome a speeding penalty, and every week, we’re just trying to build on the week before,” Daniels said. “It’s been a tough last three weeks for the results, but I think especially last week, we had a very dominant car. Today, I don’t know if it was a dominant car or not because we never really had a chance to show it, but I think we were close. The competition’s certainly not going to slow down, so we can’t either.”

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