We didnt have the best race cars today, and he and (crew chief Alan Gustafson) fought all day long together.. Stayed out again when everyone pitted and put us on the front row and a shot to win the race. Im 95 percent sure I was good. The No. RADIO . I think when you can accomplish something that you dont see possible, when you do accomplish it, it moves up the ladder pretty high. Obviously, I was speeding, but I was like there is no way. Darlington Raceway. So I just cant believe it. 99 Trackhouse Racing Toyota, 17. Racing Insights, which supplies statistics to NBC Sports, keeps track of positions changed per lap. Elliott returned to racing six weeks after he broke his left tibia in a snowboarding accident and finished 10th. Today is not one of those. This weekend, the NASCAR Playoffs open in Darlington, South Carolina. NASCAR started the trucks on wet weather tires, marking the first time wet weather tires had been used on an oval for a national series race. For the second consecutive year, the Lady in Black will host . Kyle Busch, No. Its the biggest thing just like Richmond. Sundays race had 1,305 positions change in 350 laps of green flag racing (out of 400 total laps). If somebody was asking for my opinion and was willing to let me come to a short track and test the tire, Id tell them its not always about softer tires, Preece told NBC Sports. TRENDING. We had a really fast race car, so once we got in the back it was so hard to do anything, so thats on me. Just had unfortunate timing of that caution in the green flag pit stop cycle. But he got a 10th, running particularly well in the final stage. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. are both 28 points behind the No. I was super happy when that happened and just as surprised as probably everybody.. Denny Hamlin also lobbied for more horsepower after finishing fourth. Our No. With a little bit of them moving each other for second, I was able to get away (from the field) and I never thought Id be able to do that. We got these Cup cars that somehow dont fall off a half a second in 80 laps. Ive worked very hard to get better here. Its unfortunate. 4. He was 22nd on a restart at Lap 355 and worked his way up to 10th, getting past Austin Dillon on Lap 394 to reach the top 10. Thats a long-term decision for sure.. Ross Chastain kept Preece from lapping him for 20 laps early in the race and then held the lead for 31 laps despite much older tires than the rest of the field. Team Darlington ET Points Races September 14-16 / Thurs. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, 19. Paul was able to give me what I needed to get towards the front. We finally got it going there at the end, and I was able to make some passes and do things that I didnt really think Id be capable of doing, or at least of us fixing it to that degree here at the race track. Larson and Truex are the two favorites to win at Darlington for separate reasons. 47 Kroger/Tree Top Camaro was just a little tight in the center all day. Chase Elliott, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford, 33. Yeah, very soon. Brad Keselowski, No. What drivers said at Sundays NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway: Kyle Larson Winner: Just huge congratulations to this whole 5 team and Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR Cup Series 2021 regular season. Tyler Reddick, No. I think that maybe you could build a tire that would be better, but I think this kind of starts with the engine. I think theyll have a tire that will better suit what were trying to do.. 2020 Darlington #1 pole winner: Brad Keselowski . Nick Sanchez will pay tribute to Mario Andretti's win in the 1967 Daytona 500 with a throwback paint scheme in the Truck race at Darlington. Ive been sitting on the couch for six weeks, so I think that probably hurt me more than anything., Elliott said the main issue with his leg after the race was it being super stiff. It was pretty bad. Chastains lead showed the challenge in passing. Austin Dillon, No. Chase Elliott Elliott didnt count on a top-10 finish entering the race, his first back since suffering a broken leg. We will just keep on digging., Chase Elliott Finished 10th: It was about what I expected, so thats a good thing. NEXT GEN NEXT YEAR: NASCAR unveils Next Gen car: Six things to know about the car that will debut in 2022, CONFUSED? Sixteen playoff drivers (and the rest of the field) will test NASCARs oldest superspeedway in the first race of the first playoff round. Erik Jones has just two career wins, with one coming in the 2019 Southern 500. I feel like every time theres a test available, I get put on that list to test here because I struggle. Ross Chastain kept Preece from lapping him for 20 laps early in the race and then held the lead for 31 laps despite much older tires than the rest of the field. If somebody was asking for my opinion and was willing to let me come to a short track and test the tire, Id tell them its not always about softer tires, Preece told NBC Sports. I dont know that the France family really wants us running big horsepower anymore. RACE DISTANCE: 293laps around the 1.366-miletrack for a total of 400.2 miles. Only position changes that take place at the start/finish line are counted. Denny Hamlin, No. The question entering this race was how Elliott would feel after the event. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. With a series-high five wins and a regular season title, Kyle Larsons return to NASCAR in 2021 has already been highly successful. Logano, the reigning series champion, started at the back of the field because of an unapproved adjustment before the race. It means a lot to me, but I think more importantly, it means a lot to the whole Hendrick family and Hendrick Motorsports family. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). I felt like a Stewart-Haas car probably should have won the race, and we just couldnt catch the breaks we needed there at the end, but, overall, a great day. It is Next Gen racing with these tires and this aero package there is no passing. Theres not much fall-off. ET on Sunday, Sept. 5. I didnt have a fighting chance there. View 2021 Darlington entries below. Everybody knows what happened here so long ago, and I think everybody you know, thats on everybodys minds every time they come to Martinsville, so wish Rick was here (and) Linda, but weve got Jeff Gordon here. Of course, Darlington Raceway is also known as "The Track Too Tough To Tame," and a field of 37 Cup Series drivers will seek to do just that by balancingthe speed gained by riding right up alongside the outside wallwith the discipline to keep their cars from actually hitting it. MORE ARTICLES. START TIME: 3:30 p.m. High of 87. I tried holding off Larson as long as I could, but overall theres days when you are mad about second. Sometimes you make the wrong one, but its hard when youre in the lead because everybody normally does the opposite of you. STARTING LINEUP:Southern 500 starting lineup. Truex, meanwhile, won the May race at Darlington. But it came on a day when, according to NASCARs statistics, there were more green flag passes than in either of last seasons two Martinsville races combined. Asked by NBC Sports about increasing horsepower, Andrews said: When you start to make changes to that, it requires changes to a lot of parts and pieces. Stayed out again when everyone pitted and put us on the front row and a shot to win the race. Darlingtons Labor Day Weekend race is an annual tradition in NASCAR dating back to 1950. It was really hard to pass. Cody Ware, No. Obviously that was a tough race on him, tough race on any driver. Beginning in 2020, the race became the first event of the 10-race playoffs. We made a great strategy call at the end to get positions back. All four cars were in contention. Chastain also looks at the tire as a key to impact the racing. Nothing wrong with that. ET on Sunday, Sept. 5. We finally got it going there at the end, and I was able to make some passes and do things that I didnt really think Id be capable of doing, or at least of us fixing it to that degree here at the race track. . It was the only shot I had, and I did everything I could, but it wasnt enough. What drivers said at Sundays NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway: Kyle Larson Winner: Just huge congratulations to this whole 5 team and Hendrick Motorsports. Ive been sitting on the couch for six weeks, so I think that probably hurt me more than anything. All coverage before, during and after the race can be streamed online here or in the NBC Sports App. To be more aggressive and how I want to drive and maneuver the car you need to be able to go high and go low and really abuse the tire and the tire take it. And Paul (Wolfe) did a good job of getting some good changes to the Verizon Mustang to where it got competitive. Hall of Famers David Pearson (10 wins), Dale Earnhardt (9 wins), Jeff Gordon (7 wins), Bobby Allison (5 wins), Bill Elliott (5 wins), Darrell Waltrip (5 wins) and Cale Yarborough (5 wins) are Darlingtons all-time win leaders. 2023 Cook Out Southern 500. Sunday: More clouds than sun. View Full Schedule. There were 10 lead changes in Sundays race but only three happened on the track. One thing that you need to realize is that all these engine companies have ordered parts and pieces for really the remainder of 2023, and to start to change that architecture around, it gets very, very complicated very quickly. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Pre-race broadcast begins at 2 p.m. I was racing in the 20s and we stayed out, Chastain said. The race at Darlington is on NBCSN starting at 6 p.m. J.R. (Houston), my engineer, and I just walked to figure out where that last section was. That was the best my car had been, I think, being able to get out front and manage. Its hard to pass., Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finished 8th: It was kind of a crazy day. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. I like to charge the center. We want to get better. Blaney is +2000 to win, +650 to land in the top three, +330 to earn a top-five spot and -110 for a top-10 finish. The March 2015 Cup race at Martinsville had 2,688 green flag passes in 388 green flag laps for an average of 6.9 passes per lap. Erik Jones, No. The 367-lap, 501.3-mile event is scheduled for an evening. Finding that sweet spotis often the key to finding victory lane. And don't forget, y'all: 6 weeks until the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Nashville. A The regular season was full of surprises, with 14 winners in 26 races, a record six road course events and a thrilling season-long points battle. Cars that I was just lapping 10 laps prior I couldnt pass them. Elliott returned to racing six weeks after he broke his left tibia in a snowboarding accident and finished 10th. At one point in the race I would have been just happy to finish on a lead lap. Start Time: 3:30 p.m. Ill take blame for that. Friday 5: How one Cup teams playoff slogan reinforces Every Point, 16 drivers, 16 questions: Analyzing the NASCAR Cup playoff field, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick look toward playoffs after winless regular season, Playoff baptism awaits for Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell, Personnel investment, pit strategy fuel best season Front Row has ever had, NASCAR Cup Series playoff primer: Schedule, points, TV info, JTG Daugherty Racing will field one entry in 2022, Next Gen cars to test Sept. 7-8 at Daytona. Ross Chastain finished third, earning his third top five of the season. He started 24th and did not climb inside the top 20 until Lap 258 when he moved up to 19th. I was calling that tire in the restart zone for three laps Im like, Call it, this is our chance. We capitalized. I did think in the drivers seat you made a little bit more of a difference. . The starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway was set by applying the statistical formula NASCAR is using for the majority of its 2021 races. NASCAR at Darlington Information. - Saturday PDRA Carolina Nationals And then, like I said, when you can win at a place like this, it is definitely up there. I dont know that the France family really wants us running big horsepower anymore. It definitely didnt go unnoticed., Austin Dillon Finished 12th:What a battle today at Martinsville Speedway. I thought we were arguably the best car the first part of the race and then we got a little bit behind as the track changed and the car changed a little bit. We were just so loose all day long, and then finally at the end we got it a whole lot better. Got us a top 10 out of our first day back, so thats definitely something to not be too bummed about. Dirty air against the pack. The November 2015 Martinsville race had an average of 5.7 positions change per green flag lap. Live Stream . 3rd - Kyle Busch. Kevin Harvick won that race after late contact between leaders Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott. There are eight scoring loops at Martinsville Speedway. Harrison Burton Burton caused the first on-track caution with a spin and finished 29th, two laps down. If thats the case and this is the engine that weve got, we have to work with Goodyear on coming up with some sort of a tire that is better than what weve got.. We were trapped a lap down for a while, but this team never gave up. I did think in the drivers seat you made a little bit more of a difference. We struggled every run but the last one, Elliott said. 18Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 4. It's the Playoff opener for the NASCAR Cup Series. SUNDAY, APRIL 25TH 2021 2:00 PM. So its been difficult. Like I said, I thought it was a little bit better, but it needs to be a lot more better., Aric Almirola Finished 6th: Its crazy that Martinsville is a track position race. You cant make mistakes. Logano was lapped again at Lap 275 and didnt climb into the top 15 until a green-flag pit cycle on Lap 292 of the 400-lap event as others ahead of him pitted. So, who will conquer "The Lady in Black" on Sunday? Its not like you have to have it super straight, so that was good.. Austin Dillon won last Sunday at Daytona International Speedway to join the playoff grid, and Ryan Blaney took the 16th and final spot via points. He is among those who want changes to the tires. Like I said, overall, it feels like a win considering how the day went so far., Martin Truex Jr. Finished 3rd: We had kind of a crazy day with the Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, but really just got a little bit lucky there getting back on the lead lap mid-race and kept working on our car. I tried holding off Larson as long as I could, but overall theres days when you are mad about second. Martinsville winner Kyle Larson was glad to have Elliott back this weekend. Truex beat out Larson and Kyle Busch in the first Darlington race of the season. Everyone on the No. The 1.366-mile of Darlington Raceway is set to host a triple-header weekend featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series. Here is the lineup for the Goodyear 400(with car number in parentheses): 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Of those three, only one came with the top two drivers on the same tire strategy when Hamlin passed Chase Briscoe for the lead on Lap 257. TV:FS1. We had pitted and we had to take the wave-around, and we ended up at the very back. Right now, if you try to pivot or make the core do something you want it to do, it just cant take it.. . But thanks to Cliff Daniels and everybody for making me feel like I know what Im doing sometimes around here. NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington TV schedule, race info. LAST TIME: Kevin Harvick led 32 laps, including the final 13, before edging Austin Dillon by 0.343 seconds in the 2020 playoff opener on September 6. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, 25. Harvick (three), Hamlin (three) and Truex (two) have won multiple times at Darlington, with Truex winning the most recent race there earlier this year in May. And Paul (Wolfe) did a good job of getting some good changes to the Verizon Mustang to where it got competitive. NASCAR measures things differently. Information about parking, camping, scanner rentals, pre-race pit passes and tickets for the weekend are also available on the tracks website. Length: 293 laps, 400.2 miles. It was about what I expected, so thats a good thing. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, 21. It notes green flag passes. Its a lot easier to say you should have stayed out, but we didnt. 14Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, 23. It was warm. View Full Schedule. Aric Almirola, No. Chase Elliott, a four-time winner during the regular season, leads the playoff standings entering the first round. START: The command to start engines will be given by Cook Out representative Katie Yonchuk at 6:08 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 6:18 p.m. PRERACE: Cup garage opens at 11 a.m. Drivers report to pre-race at 5:25 p.m. Driver introductions are at 5:30 p.m. The invocation will be given by Dustin Thompson of Elevation Church at 6:01 p.m. The national anthem will be performed by Tiffany Woys at 6:02 p.m. That is a 47.9% decrease in positions gained per green flag lap from that March 2015 race to Sundays race. Chase Briscoe Briscoe finished fifth, leading a career-high 109 laps. All four cars were really competitive. I pride myself on not making mistakes, so that was pretty brutal there, but, like Ive said, we have a fast race car and really felt like we could have probably swept the stages and ran top three or top five. Follow your favorite team and driver's progress with daily updates RADIO:Motor Racing Networkand SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. QUALIFYING:There was no on-track qualifying for this race. Kevin Harvick will look for his second straight Southern 500 win on Sunday. Top 10 is nothing to be too upset about, Elliott said after the 400-lap race at the historic half-mile track. View the 2021 Darlington tv schedule for NASCAR weekend below. Chastains lead showed the challenge in passing. I was calling that tire in the restart zone for three laps Im like, Call it, this is our chance. We capitalized. Our war room back at the shop said we should stay out there. Stage 2 ends at Lap 230 . We struggled every run but the last one, Elliott said. 47 JTG DaughertyRacing Chevrolet, 29. We need more fall-off, and we need a lot more horsepower.. I thought as a company we had a really good day. Sundays Cup race at Martinsville Speedway left questions about what NASCAR could do to change the racing and how soon it could happen. Darlington Raceway. I cant wait for the next one to evolve as they continue to evolve with this new car. We need more fall-off, and we need a lot more horsepower.. In the 2021 season, McClure nailed Martin Truex Jr. to win at Martinsville for a strong 3-1 payout . A strong run from those drivers should make them feel more comfortable about their prospects of advancing to the next round. Darlington: NASCAR Menu But he got a 10th, running particularly well in the final stage. Michael McDowell, No. Asked by NBC Sports about increasing horsepower, Andrews said: When you start to make changes to that, it requires changes to a lot of parts and pieces. Its hard to pass., Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finished 8th: It was kind of a crazy day. There generally isnt a ton of value in betting on a longshot at Darlington, but upset victories have happened every so often. I was racing in the 20s and we stayed out, Chastain said. He always brings something a little different to the comments between all four of us. He tires had been on for 50 more laps than the field. Like Rhodes, KBM driver John Hunter Nemechek will try for his third triumph of the season in the . Martin Truex Jr. Truex wrestled with an ill-handling race car much of the day but rebounded to finish third, his first top-five run of what has been a frustrating season. What comes first? So its a complicated question. They put a rain tire on the trucks that fell off 1.5 seconds in 25 laps, Hamlin said. Length. It was like that all day. Pre-race broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. Ellen J. Horrow, USA TODAY . The distance of the race is approximately 201 miles (323 km), contested over 147 laps. I was super happy when that happened and just as surprised as probably everybody.. We just couldnt get the car to rotate through the center of the corner. I didnt think we could (speed in his pit box), to be honest with you, but I guess its my job to know that. I tried to get the No. DISTANCE: The race is 367 laps (501.3 miles) on the 1.366-mile speedway. I never ever would have thought that I would win here at Martinsville. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, 18. I just needed to stay in the lead. Thats a long-term decision for sure.. We went through that green flag pit sequence and then a caution comes out for a wheel and gives a lot of those guys just a free gift that stayed out. Drivers brake with their left foot. The problem is when you can downshift and things like that, these cars have so much forward drive and obviously not a lot of power coming off the corner, so everybody is kind of the same speed. At one point in the race I would have been just happy to finish on a lead lap. The April 2021 Martinsville race had an average of 4.5 positions changing per green flag lap. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Chase Briscoe, No. Our war room back at the shop said we should stay out there. Kyle Busch, who won last week at Kansas Speedway, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, 25 percent:Drivers finishing position from the previous race, 25 percent:Car owners finishing position from the previous race, 15 percent:Fastest lap from the previous race. After 26 grueling regular season races, 16 drivers must reset their focus and set their sights on winning the championship. Like I said, overall, it feels like a win considering how the day went so far., Martin Truex Jr. Finished 3rd: We had kind of a crazy day with the Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, but really just got a little bit lucky there getting back on the lead lap mid-race and kept working on our car. That is a 15.9% decrease in green flag passes from that March 2015 race to Sundays race. The two Martinsville races last year combined had 1,907 such passes 1,233 in the spring race and 674 in last falls playoff race. The starting lineup for the Cook Out Southern 500 was set using NASCARs qualifying metric, which is a formula combining each drivers finish last week, each drivers fastest lap last week and each drivers points position. I never ever would have thought that I would win here at Martinsville. Theres not much fall-off. 47 Kroger/Tree Top Camaro was just a little tight in the center all day. Fortunately, my knee is in a pretty nice position in the car with a little bend in it. Just does not suit my driving style at all. Three days later, Denny Hamlin won under caution,leading the final 12 lapsbefore the race was called with 20 laps remaining because of rain. Larson begins the race in sixth place. The April 2021 Martinsville race had an average of 4.5 positions changing per green flag lap. We just needed track position. When you get the lead, you have to stay there. Our No. Only position changes that take place at the start/finish line are counted. This is one of my favorite tracks and we come here and run sixth-to-ninth every time. They felt like if we stayed out, our lap times would come back around and wed be able to hang on. Drivers brake with their left foot. Anyway, it is good to just stay in it, mentally for myself and the team and pull that strategy there. Even with the caution I thought we were gonna be OK, and then I thought we were gonna stay out, and then at the end it looked like more guys were gonna come down pit road, so we decided to come down with them. NASCAR Darlington playoff 2021: Start time, lineup, TV schedule. So, it was fun at the end passing a lot of cars and getting up there, but still needed to be a little bit better, but overall, you know, proud of everybody for sticking with it and just grinding one out today., Denny Hamlin Finished 4th: The package was terrible its either the package or the tires. It was warm. I was just so slow right in the center, and I couldnt make any passes for that reason, so I was trapped back there. Even if you were better than a guy, they could just kind of hang on. DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 05: Chandler Smith, driver of the #18 JBL Toyota, and Stewart Friesen, driver of the #52 Halmar International Toyota, race during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series In It To Win It 200 at Darlington Raceway on September 05, 2021 in Darlington, South Carolina. I thought inside the car we were maybe slipping and sliding around maybe 10 percent more. Anthony Alfredo, No. The problem is when you can downshift and things like that, these cars have so much forward drive and obviously not a lot of power coming off the corner, so everybody is kind of the same speed. Darlington Raceway Upcoming Events Schedule. I think were in the middle of an evolution of the tire, Chastain told NBC Sports. It was pretty bad. We win and lose as a team. Updated: Sep 15, 2021 / 06:36 PM EDT. The NASCAR Cup Series postseason kicks off Sunday at one of the sport's most historic race tracks, with the16 drivers in the playoff field, as well as the other drivers on the circuit, heading to Darlington Raceway. TV: Fox Sports 1. What comes first? The 2021 playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway with a crown jewel event no less -- the Southern 500. James Davison, No. Pre-race coverage starts with NASCAR America at 5 p.m. Im 95 percent sure I was good. So this is an extremely special win for me.

Apple Cider Asl, Match The Correct Economic Terms To Their Descriptions, Articles D