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DARLINGTON, SC – In a race that had more twists and turns than a Victorian melodrama, Erik Jones put the vaunted No. 43 Chevrolet back in Victory Lane for the first time since 2014.  

In a remarkable run to the finish in the season’s first NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race, Jones held off Denny Hamlin in a 20-lap run to the finish to win the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway for the second time. 

The Sunday night race took its toll on more than a handful of Playoff drivers, as Jones became the first non-Playoff driver to win the first postseason event since NASCAR introduced the elimination format in 2014.

“Richard hasn’t been to Victory Lane at Darlington probably since he last won here,” said Jones, referencing Petty’s 1967 victory in the Southern 500. “It’s just awesome. Just so proud of these guys, Petty GMS and (sponsor) Focus Packer Crew. 

“We’ve been so close all year, and I didn’t think today was going to be the day. It was going to be a tough one to win, I knew, but no better fitting place. I love this track. I love this race. On that trophy twice, man. I was pumped to be on it once, but to have it on there twice—pretty cool.”

“Well, I mean, I never lost any belief in myself through any of it,” Jones said. “I knew I could still do it, and I just knew we needed to grow the program to do it, and we have. We’ve brought on a lot of great people in the last year. Dave Elenz called a great race today. His first Cup win—that’s pretty cool for him.

“I’m excited, man. We’ve been talking about this day for a long time, and it is redemption in a lot of ways. Very fitting that it’s here at this race again. I felt like this was the race that saved my job the first time around, and coming back here with this win, I guess it puts you back on the map.”

Jones got his chance at the front of the field when Kyle Busch, who had led a race-high 155 laps, suffered a blown engine as he prepared for the final restart. Busch had inherited the top spot when his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Martin Truex Jr., suffered a similar failure on Lap 333 of 367.

But those retirements barely scratched the surface of the drama that unfolded throughout the race. Disaster befell Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick. Kyle Larson and his team accomplished an amazing salvage job.

After a catastrophic Playoff opener, Elliott, the regular-season champion, is the series leader no more.

Elliott spun sideways in Turn 2 on Lap 113—two laps short of the end of Stage 1—cracked the back of his No. 9 Chevrolet and slid down the track into the path of Chase Briscoe, who couldn’t avoid the collision.

Elliott nursed his car to pit road where his team tried in vain to repair the damage, but with the right rear toe link and upper and lower control arms broken, the task was hopeless. The 10-minute time allotment under NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy ran out, and Elliott retired from the race in last place (36th).

“I just hit the wall in (Turns) 1 and 2 and broke something in the right-rear,” Elliott said succinctly. And how would he approach the next Playoff race at Kansas Speedway? “A lot better than we did today.”

A solid run by 2014 series champion Harvick went up in flames on Lap 275. As he lost speed while running ninth, Harvick radioed to his crew, “My rocker panel’s on fire.”

A general view from the grandstands of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 04, 2022 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Using wave-arounds and his status as beneficiary under caution to advantage, Larson regained the lead lap and finished 12th, averting a major hit in the standings.

Notes: The last driver to win a race in the No. 43 was Aric Almirola, who took the car to Victory Lane on July 6, 2014, at Daytona… Logano led the first 37 laps from the pole and 64 overall, but an issue with the left front tire cost him valuable time during a green-flag pit stop on Lap 75, and he never regained the track position he lost… Ross Chastain lost a lap when he returned to pit road for an unscheduled stop on Lap 160 to address a loose wheel. He finished 20th, one lap down… Cindric, Austin Dillon, Briscoe, and Harvick are the four drivers below the current cut line with two races left in the Round of 16.

Race Results – Cook Out Southern 500

                1. (15)  Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 367.

                2. (11)  Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 367.

                3. (4)  Tyler Reddick (P), Chevrolet, 367.

                4. (1)  Joey Logano (P), Ford, 367.

                5. (2)  Christopher Bell (P), Toyota, 367.

                6. (10)  Michael McDowell, Ford, 367.

                7. (25)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 367.

                8. (3)  William Byron (P), Chevrolet, 367.

                9. (8)  Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota, 367.

                10. (16)  Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet, 367.

                11. (22)  Aric Almirola, Ford, 367.

                12. (7)  Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, 367.

                13. (9)  Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, 367.

                14. (30)  Cole Custer, Ford, 367.

                15. (21)  Ty Gibbs(i), Toyota, 367.

                16. (6)  Austin Cindric # (P), Ford, 367.

                17. (13)  Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet, 367.

                18. (36)  Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet, 367.

                19. (14)  Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 366.

                20. (12)  Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet, 366.

                21. (28)  Harrison Burton #, Ford, 366.

                22. (29)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 366.

                23. (24)  Daniel Hemric(i), Chevrolet, 365.

                24. (34)  Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 365.

                25. (26)  Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 365.

                26. (27)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 365.

                27. (19)  Chase Briscoe (P), Ford, 363.

                28. (31)  Todd Gilliland #, Ford, 363.

                29. (35)  BJ McLeod(i), Ford, 361.

                30. (5)  Kyle Busch (P), Toyota, Engine, 345.

                31. (17)  Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Water Pump, 336.

                32. (32)  Cody Ware, Ford, Accident, 331.

                33. (18)  Kevin Harvick (P), Ford, Exhaust, 274.

                34. (33)  JJ Yeley(i), Ford, Exhaust, 236.

                35. (20)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 164.

                36. (23)  Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, DVP, 113.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  120.406 mph.

Time of Race:  4 Hrs, 9 Mins, 49 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .252 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  9 for 58 laps.

Lead Changes:  21 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   J. Logano (P) 1-37;L. Cassill(i) 38;J. Logano (P) 39-65;W. Byron (P) 66-74;B. Wallace (P) 75-76;W. Byron (P) 77-117;K. Busch (P) 118-152;D. Hamlin (P) 153;R. Chastain (P) 154;B. Wallace (P) 155-156;B. Keselowski 157-167;K. Busch (P) 168-193;C. LaJoie 194-197;K. Busch (P) 198-208;M. Truex Jr. 209-220;K. Busch (P) 221-293;M. Truex Jr. 294-319;K. Busch (P) 320;D. Hamlin (P) 321-325;M. Truex Jr. 326-335;K. Busch (P) 336-344;E. Jones 345-367.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Kyle Busch (P) 6 times for 155 laps; Joey Logano (P) 2 times for 64 laps; William Byron (P) 2 times for 50 laps; Martin Truex Jr. 3 times for 48 laps; Erik Jones 1 time for 23 laps; Brad Keselowski 1 time for 11 laps; Denny Hamlin (P) 2 times for 6 laps; Bubba Wallace (P) 2 times for 4 laps; Corey LaJoie 1 time for 4 laps; Landon Cassill(i) 1 time for 1 lap; Ross Chastain (P) 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 24,11,18,20,19,1,8,43,12,45

Stage #2 Top Ten: 18,19,12,22,24,20,48,99,43,34

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service

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