Darlington | The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

Denny Hamlin – No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry XSE Preview – Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeAugust 28, 2024

HAMLIN AT DARLINGTON: Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with four wins, 13 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s and 979 laps led at Darlington Raceway. His 8.8-average starting position and 8.3-average finishing position are also best among active drivers. Last September, Hamlin led 177 laps and won both stages before an unscheduled pit stop dropped him to a 25th-place finish in the Southern 500. Earlier this year, Hamlin started seventh and finished fourth at the 1.366-mile oval. He has led in nine consecutive Darlington races dating back to May 2020. Hamlin’s Darlington resume also includes six NASCAR Xfinity Series wins.

FLYING 11: The No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry XSE will feature the Flying 11 this weekend to pay homage to the late Roy Hendrick. Hendrick, who passed away earlier this month, was a weekly competitor at Hamlin’s home track, Southside Speedway. The No. 11 Sport Clips team previously honored the Hendrick family, including Roy’s father, Ray Hendrick, by carrying the Flying 11 colors to victory lane in the 2017 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. (more…)

Ty Gibbs – No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE — Southern 500 – Darlington

by MikeAugust 28, 2024

SECOND SEASON: Ty Gibbs is competing in his second full NASCAR Cup Series season driving the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. He has 11 top-10 and seven top-five finishes and 15^th in points 39 points ahead of 17^th place Bubba Wallace. The top-16 advance to the Playoffs.

LAPS LED: He has led 351 laps this season, which is the most he has led in any Cup season.

FIRST: In May at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gibbs scored his first career pole position in the Cup Series. He second pole position was won on July 13 at Pocono Raceway. (more…)

Christopher Bell – No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE Preview – Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeAugust 28, 2024

BELL AT DARLINGTON: Christopher Bell had one of his strongest NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) runs at Darlington a year ago when he qualified on the pole and led 40 laps. Overall, Bell has one top five and two top-10 finishes in his previous 10 starts at Darlington Raceway.

DOUBLE DUTY: Bell will be driving the No. 20 Sport Clips Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200. This is the second NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) start for Bell this season. Bell ran double duty at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and swept the weekend. (more…)

RFK Advance | Darlington II

by MikeAugust 27, 2024

The 2024 regular season culminates this weekend with the running of the Southern 500. Chris Buescher sits on the cut line in the playoff picture, but 21 points to the good entering the weekend.

Brad Keselowski enters the weekend coming off his second win at the track this spring, where both RFK cars led significant laps.

In the last seven races at Darlington, Keselowski has the fourth-best average finish of any driver (11.9) with five top-10s in that stretch. Buescher also has four top-10s in that stretch, tied for second-most of any driver in the Cup Series. (more…)

Bass Pro Shops Racing: Martin Truex Jr. Southern 500 at Darlington Advance

by MikeAugust 27, 2024

Where We Stand: Martin Truex Jr. sits ninth in the driver standings with 695 points, 128 behind Tyler Reddick. All four Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) entries are currently inside the top-10 in the standings, with Christopher Bell sixth, Denny Hamlin eighth and Ty Gibbs 10th as the series heads to the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season this weekend at the track “Too Tough to Tame.” (more…)

Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Racing: Noah Gragson Darlington Advance

by MikeAugust 26, 2024

The Cook Out Southern 500 will mark Noah Gragson’s third career NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, but his first in the Southern 500. Both of Gragson’s previous Cup Series starts at the 1.366-mile oval have come in May during the Goodyear 400. Gragson finished 26th in last year’s Goodyear 400 and improved on that number this year when he finished 14th.

Gragson’s lack of NASCAR Cup Series experience at Darlington does not mean he’s lacking experience at the egg-shaped oval. In fact, Gragson has seven NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the “Track Too Tough To Tame,” and he seemed to tame Darlington by scoring an average finish of fourth. His worst finish was eighth, and in his last three Xfinity Series starts at Darlington, Gragson scored two wins and earned one second-place finish. The Las Vegas native has a 100 percent lap-completion rate at Darlington and he led a total of 253 laps, nearly 25 percent of the 1,035 laps available.

(more…)

HighPoint.com Racing: Chase Briscoe Darlington Advance

by MikeAugust 26, 2024

The Cook Out Southern 500 will mark Chase Briscoe’s eighth career NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In his last visit to the 1.366-mile oval in May for the Goodyear 400, the Mitchell, Indiana, native scored his first top-10 at the track via a strong fifth-place finish. Briscoe had seemingly been building up to that result, with five top-20 finishes in his six prior Darlington starts to earn an average result of 18.2. His best Cup Series result at Darlington prior to this year was 11th, earned in the 2021 Goodyear 400. Briscoe finished 15th in last year’s Southern 500. (more…)

How Did The Northeastern NASCAR Drivers And Those With Connections To The Area Do At Darlington?

by Lou ModestinoMay 14, 2024May 14, 2024

Brad Keselowski won the Cup race with Corey LaJoie coming in 16th, Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT was 17th with Boston’s Kaz Grala taking 18th then Joey Logano of Middletown, CT finished 21st. Corey LaJoie is the son of Norwalk, CT’s Randy Lajoie who won two NASCAR Xfinity Championships.

Justin Alliger came in first in the Xfinity race with Parker Kligerman of Westport, CT took sixth, Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT came in 14th, Kyle Weatherman was 17th, David Starr took 24th with David Everling of LI, NY coming in 33rd. Weatherman and Starr both drive team cars for Cape Cod’s Chris and Mary Our who are residents of Harwich, MA.

Keselowski Returns to Victory Lane in Darlington Classic

by MikeMay 13, 2024

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 12, 2024) – Brad Keselowski returned to victory lane in dramatic fashion Sunday at Darlington Raceway, earning his first win in the No. 6 car, and first as owner/driver of RFK Racing. (more…)

Ray Evernham Named Grand Marshal for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeMay 10, 2024

DARLINGTON, S.C. (MAY 7, 2024) – Darlington Raceway announced today that NASCAR Hall of Famer, former team owner and crew chief Ray Evernham will serve as the Grand Marshal on Sunday for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. The NASCAR legend will deliver the starting command for one of the most thrilling NASCAR Cup Series races of the season, which culminates The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR at the Track Too Tough to Tame.

(more…)