Jones Wins Southern 500, 100th Cup Start
After a nearly four hour rain delay and a race that ran into the early hours of Monday morning, Erik Jones was able to silence his critics and lock himself into the 2019 playoffs with a victory at NASCAR's oldest and most challenging superspeedway. While his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have won a dozen races total this year, the Byron, Michigan native has been rumored to be the odd man out and headed to JGR satellite Levine Family Racing, as Xfinity Series phenom Christopher Bell waits in the wings.
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| Erik Jones celebrates his second career win (Google Images) |
This was very much a statement win for the third-year cup series driver, who raced a paint scheme throwing back to a livery he ran on a late model early in his career. Kurt and Kyle Busch won the race's first and second stage respectively and led almost two thirds of the race between them. But, after leading twice for 79 laps, Jones grabbed the top spot for the final time on lap 283 and was able to hold off Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson for his second career victory.
“It was a lot of pressure,” said Jones, who claimed his first victory of the season and the second of his career. “Kyle (Busch) is a great race car driver. I’ve raced him a lot, and obviously you want to beat him to win, right? I was just locked in, man. I stayed focused. I really thought it was our night when we got out front."
As with many races this year, the Southern 500 highlighted the strengths of the new 2019 cup series' aero package. There was three wide racing all over the track, 13 lead changes among eight different drivers. This was anybody's race and it was well worth trying to stay up to see who took the checkers and it was clear to see why this event became the third grandstand sellout this season.
The playoff picture was also impacted, as Daniel Suarez and Ryan Newman will go into next week's regular season finale at Indianapolis tied for the final playoff spot. Clint Bowyer was also able to slide up to 15th in the standings, while 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson saw a potential top-five run evaporate when he was collected in a six car pileup with 91 laps to go. However, Johnson still remains in the playoff fight, just 18 markers outside of 16th place.
Jones, Larson, and Kyle Busch were the race's top three finishers, with Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five. Bowyer came home sixth, Kurt Busch was seventh, Matt DiBenedetto had another strong showing in eighth, Paul Menard was ninth, and Austin Dillon was tenth.
The Monster Energy Cup Series heads to the Brickyard this weekend for the final race of the regular season. Kyle Busch has already clinched the regular season title with his third place run in Darlington, but the final playoff spot is still up for grabs. Tune in this Sunday at 2:00 pm ET on NBCSN, ISM Radio Network, or SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to see who makes the cut to run for the championship.
Custer Declared Darlington Winner After Hamlin DQ
After going to a backup car and starting the Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at the rear of the field, it looked as if Denny Hamlin was in line to collect his sixth victory in the event. That is, until the Virginia native was disqualified for not meeting minimum height requirements in post race inspection, which handed runner-up Cole Custer his sixth win of the season.
“It’s a really strange feeling, honestly—obviously,” Custer said after being declared the winner without having led a single lap. “You don’t want that way, but it is what it is. We all play by the same rules. Was that the deciding factor? No.
“But it is what it is. We get the points. We get the money. We get the trophy. I guess it’s a way to win.”
In addition to Hamlin, who led 27 circuits, the only other drivers to spend time out front on the day were Ryan Blaney and series title contender Tyler Reddick, who led 50 and 70 laps respectively.
“We did not have the best car by any means, but luckily, the techniques I’ve learned over so many years kind of (helped) us there,” Hamlin said before learning of the disqualification. “They guys did a great job getting this car ready.”
The event was also highlighted by the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. The two-time Xfinity Series champion-turned-broadcaster planned on running this race for months in a paint scheme that was a tribute to the blue and yellow No. 8 Dodge Charger that his legendary father ran in his first cup series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1975. But after he and his family were involved in a terrifying plane crash just two weeks ago, those plans were in jeopardy.
Thankfully, aside from a bruised back, Earnhardt Jr was not injured in the accident and was able to run the race. What's more, despite not turning a competitive lap in a race car since Richmond last fall, the two-time Daytona 500 winner ran inside the top ten all day long and was credited with a top five finish at the end of the day.
“I love this place,” said Earnhardt. “We love Darlington… You never know how good you are till you come back and try it.
“All these guys are elite. All these guys do this every single week, and they’re very, very talented. To think you can take a year off and come back and be good… you just never know. But we did all right!”
With Hamlin's disqualification, Reddick, Blaney, and Christopher Bell all moved up one position, with Earnhardt Jr moving up to fifth. Chase Briscoe was bumped up to sixth, Brandon Jones came home seventh, Noah Gragson finished eighth, Justin Allgaier was ninth, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top ten.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will join the Monster Energy Cup Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, with coverage beginning tomorrow, September 7, at 3:00 pm ET. The Indiana 250 can be seen on NBCSN and heard on the ISM Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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| Custer and his team celebrate at Darlington (Google Images) |
“But it is what it is. We get the points. We get the money. We get the trophy. I guess it’s a way to win.”
In addition to Hamlin, who led 27 circuits, the only other drivers to spend time out front on the day were Ryan Blaney and series title contender Tyler Reddick, who led 50 and 70 laps respectively.
“We did not have the best car by any means, but luckily, the techniques I’ve learned over so many years kind of (helped) us there,” Hamlin said before learning of the disqualification. “They guys did a great job getting this car ready.”
The event was also highlighted by the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. The two-time Xfinity Series champion-turned-broadcaster planned on running this race for months in a paint scheme that was a tribute to the blue and yellow No. 8 Dodge Charger that his legendary father ran in his first cup series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1975. But after he and his family were involved in a terrifying plane crash just two weeks ago, those plans were in jeopardy.
Thankfully, aside from a bruised back, Earnhardt Jr was not injured in the accident and was able to run the race. What's more, despite not turning a competitive lap in a race car since Richmond last fall, the two-time Daytona 500 winner ran inside the top ten all day long and was credited with a top five finish at the end of the day.
“I love this place,” said Earnhardt. “We love Darlington… You never know how good you are till you come back and try it.
“All these guys are elite. All these guys do this every single week, and they’re very, very talented. To think you can take a year off and come back and be good… you just never know. But we did all right!”
With Hamlin's disqualification, Reddick, Blaney, and Christopher Bell all moved up one position, with Earnhardt Jr moving up to fifth. Chase Briscoe was bumped up to sixth, Brandon Jones came home seventh, Noah Gragson finished eighth, Justin Allgaier was ninth, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top ten.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will join the Monster Energy Cup Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, with coverage beginning tomorrow, September 7, at 3:00 pm ET. The Indiana 250 can be seen on NBCSN and heard on the ISM Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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