Current:Home > MarketsKyle Larson edges Tyler Reddick in Southern 500 at Darlington to open NASCAR playoffs -MoneyStream
Kyle Larson edges Tyler Reddick in Southern 500 at Darlington to open NASCAR playoffs
View
Date:2025-04-12 19:33:50
DARLINGTON, S.C. – Kyle Larson led the final 55 laps to start his latest NASCAR playoffs run with his first career win at the Southern 500 on Sunday night.
The 2021 Cup Series champion automatically advances into the round of 12 with the win at Darlington Raceway, no matter how he does in next week's race at Kansas Speedway and in two weeks at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“What a great way to start the playoffs,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver said.
Larson didn’t have the fastest car, just one that got out front at the right time while other top contenders fell away.
Denny Hamlin led a race-best 177 of 367 laps and looked headed for the win before he felt vibrations for what he told his crew was a loose wheel and had to pit on consecutive laps.
“We controlled the race until we had some trouble,” Hamlin said. “That’s just part of it.”
Tyler Reddick led 90 laps, yet lost the lead to Larson coming off pit road. Kevin Harvick, seeking the first victory of his final season, challenged Harvick for the lead with less than 60 laps remaining, but was penalized when he could not avoid entering the pits moments after they were closed by NASCAR after a caution came out.
Harvick was penalized and couldn’t recover. He said he didn’t have time to get back on the track before the commitment line.
It was a successful run at the track “Too Tough To Tame” for Larson after several close calls. He has had three seconds and two thirds in his 11 previous Cup Series races at Darlington. In May, Larson was racing for the lead late when he was hit by Ross Chastain and wound up 20th.
“This has been one of my favorite tracks my whole career,” Larson said. “Been really, really fast here my whole career, just usually in the wall.”
“Adding this trophy to the collection is amazing,” Larson continued. “This is one of three or four crown jewels.”
Playoff drivers took the first seven spots. Tyler Reddick was second, followed by Chris Buescher, William Byron, Chastain, Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace.
Harvick ended 19th and Hamlin 25th. The rest of the playoff field was Kyle Busch in 11th, Joey Logano in 12th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 16th, Martin Truex Jr. in 18th, pole-sitter Christopher Bell in 23rd and Michael McDowell in 32nd.
Byron, Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate and co-top seed with Truex, entered with a series-best five victories this year and was glad with the high finish.
“I think this is a good stepping stone for Kansas and good to get a solid first race in the playoffs,” he said.
FAREWELL, COMMANDER
Darlington fans, drivers and personnel said goodbye to track president Kerry Tharp, who announced his retirement after nearly two decades with NASCAR earlier this summer. Signs celebrating Tharp’s eight-year tenure in charge of Darlington were both inside and outside the facility. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster also awarded Tharp the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor governors can give.
POWER OUTAGE
NASCAR halted the race for seven minutes at Darlington Raceway when some lights in turn three and four would not come on as the event moved from day to night. A caution came out when teams noticed the lights off and NASCAR tried to fix the problem under caution. Fans at the sold-out venue cheered when the lights came on and cars were soon rolling again. The problem came from a transfer switch that was not getting enough voltage to fire. The issue did not present itself during the track’s lighting test before race weekend.
UP NEXT
The second of opening-round three races in the NASCAR playoffs takes place at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 10. Bubba Wallace took this event a year ago, while Denny Hamlin won there in May.
veryGood! (739)
Related
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Study Shows Protected Forests Are Cooler
- A Gary, Indiana Plant Would Make Jet Fuel From Trash and Plastic. Residents Are Pushing Back
- A punishing heat wave hits the West and Southwest U.S.
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Take 42% Off a Portable Blender With 12,200+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews on Prime Day 2023
- Hurricanes Ian and Nicole Left Devastating Flooding in Central Florida. Will it Happen Again?
- Summer School 1: Planet Money goes to business school
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Maryland’s Largest County Just Banned Gas Appliances in Most New Buildings—But Not Without Some Concessions
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Natural gas can rival coal's climate-warming potential when leaks are counted
- These farmworkers thought a new overtime law would help them. Now, they want it gone
- Why Author Colleen Hoover Calls It Ends With Us' Popularity Bittersweet
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Shocked by those extra monthly apartment fees? 3 big rental sites plan to reveal them
- 3 lessons past Hollywood strikes can teach us about the current moment
- A Honduras mayor gambled on a plan for her town. She got 80 guitars ... and a lot more
Recommendation
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
3 lessons past Hollywood strikes can teach us about the current moment
Amid a record heat wave, Texas construction workers lose their right to rest breaks
Sea Level Rise Could Drive 1 in 10 People from Their Homes, with Dangerous Implications for International Peace, UN Secretary General Warns
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Chris Hemsworth Shares Rare Glimpse of Marvelous Family Vacation With His 3 Kids
NPR veteran Edith Chapin tapped to lead newsroom
Jennifer Aniston’s Go-To Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Coffee Creamer Are 30% Off for Prime Day 2023