NASCAR Cup Darlington: Larson beats Reddick in playoff opener

Larson grabbed management of the race late within the ultimate stage, when he was first off pitroad after the sector got here in throughout a warning brought on by Ryan Newman spinning off at Flip 4.

Larson led on the restart with 51 of 367 laps remaining, then held on by two extra late-race restarts.

Reddick moved into second on the ultimate restart with 31 laps to go and initially challenged Larson for the lead, however the 2021 NASCAR Cup champion was capable of edge him by 0.447 seconds to earn his first Southern 500 victory.

“Lastly [we executed] from begin to end,” Larson stated. “Going 18th to 3rd within the first stage, I did not suppose that was potential however our automobile was actually good when the solar was out. Simply needed to work on it. I tousled as soon as and it received hung in impartial, and I slid and hit the wall, and I believe bent the toe hyperlink slightly bit, so it was sort of a wrestle from there.

“Positively needed to struggle it greater than I used to be earlier, however we stored our heads within the sport. That was actually essential. This race is all about retaining your head in it. I have been fairly exhausting on myself right here the final couple months, however having a frontrunner like Cliff [Daniels, crew chief], he actually is sweet for my thoughts.

“What a good way to begin the playoffs and hopefully we are able to hold it going.”

Larson entered the playoffs because the sixth seed, with two wins notched up at Richmond and Martinsville each taken again in April, however heads to Kansas subsequent weekend second within the playoff standings behind Hendrick Motorsports team-mate William Byron.

The important thing for Larson was to remain out of hassle, which is what a number of playoff drivers skilled within the race, together with Denny Hamlin, who received each phases and led 177 laps.

However Hamlin’s night time went improper when he was compelled to pit twice beneath inexperienced for what he thought was a unfastened wheel. He later received caught up in an accident and completed twenty fifth.

Chris Buescher completed third, Byron took fourth and Ross Chastain rounded out the highest 5. With playoff contenders Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace in sixth and seventh respectively, it was the primary non-playoff runner of Chase Elliott in eighth place.

Ryan Blaney, additionally within the playoffs, was ninth forward of Erik Jones, who isn’t within the playoffs, who rounded out the highest 10.

With two races remaining within the first spherical of the playoffs, Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Michael McDowell are the bottom drivers in factors with no win and at risk of being eradicated from additional title competition.

It was an particularly powerful race for McDowell who failed to complete having been collected in a Kyle Busch wreck with 31 laps to go.

NASCAR Cup Darlington race outcomes (367 laps)