A look at the Southern 500 winners and losers at Darlington Raceway:
WINNER
Kyle Larson – He was recovering from colliding with the wall after his #5 Chevrolet went into neutral. He led 55 laps and scored his points first cup win of his career at Darlington Raceway. He added a crown jewel to his CV and was the first rider to reach the round of 12.
Tyler Reddick – His regular season has been full of inconsistencies, both on the track and in the pit lane. He and the No. 45 team put on a strong performance Sunday night in the playoff opener. He finished second after scoring 16 stage points.
William Byron – He started 23rd after struggling in qualifying but fought his way into the top 10 by the end of stage two. On a day when many playoff drivers struggled, he avoided mistakes and finished fourth.
Bubba Wallace – Recovering from a slow pit stop and a spin in the opening stage, he raced to a top 10 finish. He entered the playoffs as the 16th driver overall. He finishes 13th overall in Kansas, just one point below the cutline.
Chris Buescher – He started the Southern 500 weekend with three wins in five weeks. He continued his momentum by earning a career-best third place finish at Darlington Raceway.
LOSER
Christopher Bell – He entered the race with a new pit crew and had an opportunity to start the playoffs on a strong note. Nothing was going well for him or the No. 20 team. He had a slow pit stop after the car fell off the jack. He bent the toe link after hitting the wall. He fell several laps behind the leaders and was involved in a multi-car accident on the final stage. With 23rd place he is one point above the cutline.
Martin Truex Jr. – He started 31st, the last of the playoff drivers. He fought his way through the field in the opening stages but suffered a significant setback in the second stage. On lap 153 he had to make an unscheduled pit stop because of a loose wheel. He fell several laps behind the leaders before getting back on the lead lap late. Truex finished 18th, falling to 25 points over the cutline.
Michael McDowell – He received a speeding penalty in the pit lane, which dropped him to the back of the field. He was involved in a multi-car incident in which his number 34 was damaged at the end of the race after hitting Denny Hamlin’s number 11. He finished 32nd, falling 19 points below the cutline.
Denny Hamlin – He led 177 laps and won the first two stages. On lap 273 he had to make an unscheduled pit stop because of a possible loose wheel. He fell back a lap and then stayed out of clear position as other cars in front of him were lapped by Tyler Reddick. He was later involved in a multiple car incident along with Todd Gilliland, Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell. Hamlin was 25.
Kevin Harvick – He scored seven points in the first stage and then worked his way up to second place in the final stage. He had a late chance to overtake Tyler Reddick in the lead, but He was heading right into the pit lane when Ryan Newman’s spin was cautioned. He didn’t have time to dodge the pit lane turn after the red lights flashed to indicate pit lane was closed. He restarted after the penalty in 26th and finished 19th.
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