The Cup Series caps off a triple header weekend of throwback racing on Sunday afternoon with the Goodyear 400; but first the drivers take to the track called “too tough to tame” for some practice and qualifying.
Darlington Raceway is a 1.366 mile egg shaped track that is known for chewing up tires and putting a “Darlington Stripe” on the cars due to riding up against the wall. There is also a “bump” at turn two that has been a major calamity for the drivers including one of the best drivers in the sport – Kyle Busch – sending him to the garage after just a few laps during the Truck Series race on Friday night.
The drivers have been divided into two groups for a 20 minute practice session and qualifying. The top five drivers from each group will move on to a second round of qualifying to set the pole.
After missing the past two weeks due to a back injury, Erik Jones is back in the number 43 car with a new seat and looking like he has not missed a beat.
Michael McDowell had the fastest lap in Group A practice, but Noah Gragson leads the way in the best multiple lap runs.
Several of the drivers have already earned their “Darlington Stripe” making practice runs.
Denny Hamlin tops the board with the fastest lap in Group B, but is 10th overall.
Even Goodyear is participating in the throwback scheme with the same font and colouring on the sidewalls of the tires. The teams have eleven sets of tires for the race.
The first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Kaz Grala who posted a time of 29.628 seconds.
Joey Logano is the first driver to break the 29 second mark with a time of 28.915 seconds.
Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, William Byron, Chris Buescher, and Martin Truex Jr will move on from Group A to a second round of qualifying.
The first driver from Group B on the track is Harrison Burton who posted a time of 29.194.
Austin Dillon is the first driver to break the 29 second mark in Group B with a time of 28.934 seconds.
Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson will move on from Group B.
Ross Chastain and Kurt Busch tied on their qualifying laps, Busch remained in his car hoping for a new ruling that would let him in the top 10. Ross Chastain won the appeal based on car owner points.
The first of the top 10 drivers on the track is William Byron whop posted a time of 29.030 seconds.
With a time of 28.906 seconds, Tyler Reddick put his number 45 car on the pole with Brad Keselowski starting alongside on the front row.
The starting lineup for the Goodyear 400:
Tyler Reddick
Brad Keselowski
Chris Buescher
Ty Gibbs
William Byron
Kyle Larson
Denny Hamlin
Bubba Wallace
Ross Chastain
Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Busch
Christopher Bell
Chase Briscoe
Joey Logano
Todd Gilliland
Michael McDowell
Ryan Blaney
Alex Bowman
Daniel Suarez
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Carson Hocevar
John Hunter Nemechek
Austin Dillon
Corey LaJoie
Austin Cindric
Ryan Preece
Zane Smith
Justin Haley
Daniel Hemric
Erik Jones
Chase Elliott
Derek Kraus
Josh Berry
Kaz Grala
Harrison Burton
Noah Gragson
Stage one of the race is 90 laps, stage two is 95 laps, and stage three is 108 laps for a total of 293 laps around the 1.366 mile track.
This will be race start number 200 for the Melon Man Ross Chastain.
The drivers can run 70 to 74 laps on a single load of fuel but will need tires long before the fuel runs out.
Tyler Reddick brings the field down for the green flag start of the race with Jeff Burton waving the flag. Reddick gets out in front for the lead with Brad Keselowski in second.
Lap two the top five ar Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson ,and Chris Buescher.
The top eleven drivers are single file with the remainder of the field battling for position.
Lap four Ross Chastain brushes the wall.
Lap five, Tyler Reddick has pulled out to a lead of nearly a second on Brad Keselowski; Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, and Chris Buescher round out the top five.
Lap nine, Tyler Reddick has a lead of over a second on Brad Keselowski; Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, and Chris Buescher round out the top five. Ninth place driver Denny Hamlin has been in a battle with Martin Truex Jr for eighth but has not been able to advance.
Lap eleven, Tyler Reddick continues to increase his lead and is now nearlya second and a half out in front.
Lap 18, Tyler Reddick continues to lead the race by over a second, but Brad Keselowski is slowly closing the gap; Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, and Chris Buescher round out the top five.
Lap 20, Tyler Reddick’s lead is now under a second on Brad Keselowski
Lap 23, Tyler Reddick has just a half second lead on Brad Keselowski; Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, and Chris Buescher round out the top five.
Lap 34, Tyler Reddick continues to lead the race. Kyle Larson passes Ty Gibbs for third.
Lap 35, Tyler Reddick has a very narrow lead on Brad Keselowski; Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, and Chris Buescher round out the top five.
Drivers are beginning to make green flag pit stops.
Lap 38, leaders Tyler Reddick and Brad Keseloski come down pit road for service. Bubba Wallace is the new leader.
Reddic beats Brad Keselowski and ChrisBuescher off of pit road.
Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse, and Austin Dillon have yet to make a pit stop.
Lap 45 leader Bubba Wallace comes down pit road.
Ryan Blaney leads the race and is the only driver yet make a pit stop. He comes down pit road on lap 45. Ty Gibbs is the new leader.
Lap 53, Ty Gibbs leads the race with William Byron in second; Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.
Lap 56, William Byron is challenging Ty Gibbs for the lead with Kyle Larson right behind.
Lap 58, there are 29 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 59, Ty Gibbs has pulled out to a one second lead on Kyle Larson; Brad Keselowski, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.
Lap 61, Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski battle for second.
Lap 68, Ty Gibbs has pulled out to a lead of two and a half seconds on Kyle Larson; William Byron, Brad Keselowski, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.
Lap 69, there are 27 cars on the lead lap with Ty Gibbs nearly three seconds out in front.
With 18 laps remaining in stage one, Ty Gibbs’ lead is down to two seconds in front of Kyle Larson; William Byron, Brad Keselowski, and Ty Reddick round out the top five.
Lap 76, Kyle Larson has closed the gap on leader Ty Gibbs to a second and a half.
Ty Gibbs has brushed the wall a number of times but holds on to the lead.
Brad Keselowski passes William Byron for third.
Lap 79, Kyle Larson passes Ty Gibbs for the lead.
Lap 82, Kyle Larson has pulled out to a lead of over two seconds on Ty Gibbs.
Lap 84, Kyle Larson’s lead is now three second.
Ty Gibbs is reporting a possible transmission issue.
Lap 87, Kyle Larson is now over four seconds in front of Ty Gibbs; Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.
Daniel Hemric reports he has a power steering issue.
Chase Elliott is the last car on the lead lap.
Kyle Larson wins stage one for his seventh stage win of the season.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Kyle Larson
Ty Gibbs
Brad Keselowski
Tyler Reddick
Martin Truex Jr
Todd Gilliland
Chris Buescher
Ryan Blaney
William Byron
Bubba Wallace
Drivers come down pit road for service with Tyler Reddick winning the race off of pit road.
Terry Labonte joins Mike Joy, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer in the broadcast booth.
Tyler Reddick brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two with Brad Keselowski alongside on lap 99. Reddick jumps out in front for the lead.
Lap 101, Tyler Reddick leads the race with Ty Gibbs in second; Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.
Lap 104, Kyle Busch slaps the wall but he keeps going and the track stays green.
Lap 105, Tyler Reddick has a lead of nearly a second on Ty Gibbs; third place driver Brad Keselowski is nearly two seconds back with Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Larson rounding out the top five.
Lap 114, Tyler Reddick has a near one second lead on Ty Gibbs; Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr, and Kyle Larson continue to round out the top five.
Prior to making his pit stop at the end of stage one, Martin Truex Jr reported a vibration. zOne of his rear tire was pretty used up.
Lap 120, Tyler Reddick has a lead of over a second on Ty Gibbs; Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.
Lap 121, John Hunter Nemechek spins out to bring out the first caution flag for an on track incident. Nemechek gets stopped at the entrance to pit road and has get towed to his pit box.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Tyler Reddick winning the race off of pit road.
Tyler Reddick brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 129 with Brad Keselowski alongside. Reddick gets out in front as drivers get three wide in a battle for position. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr get in a wreck after a three wide battle with William Byron to bring out the caution flag. Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin also got some damage to their cars.
Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr come down pit road for repairs. On the high line, Ryan Blaney was up against the wall.
Tyler Reddick brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 135 with Brad Keselowski alongside.
Ryan Blaney takes his car to the garage and is out of the race after the time limit on the “crash clock” has run out.
Tyler Reddick launches out in front for the lead with Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski in a battle for second; William Byron and Kyle Larson round out the top five.
Lap 137, the top five are Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and William Byron.
Lap 140, Tyler Reddick has a near one second lead on Ty Gibbs; Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and William Byron round out the top five.
Lap 146, Tyler Reddick has a second and a half lead on Ty Gibbs; Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and William Byron round out the top five.
Lap 155, Tyler Reddick has a lead of over a second and a half on Ty Gibbs; Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and William Byron round out the top five with 29 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 162, Tyler Reddick’s lead on Ty Gibbs is down to under a quarter of a second; Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and William Byron round out the top five.
Zane Smith brings out the caution flag on lap 164 when he gets loose and spins out in a single car accident.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Tyler Reddick getting off of pit road first from pit stall number one. Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski come off pit road nose to nose.
Tyler Reddick brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 170 with Brad Keselowski alongside. The two go nose to nose for a full lap before Reddick edges out in front from the outside lane.
Martin Truex Jr is reporting alternator issues.
Zane Smith becomes the second driver out of the race.
Tyler Reddick has led 118 of the 175 laps run so far.
Lap 179, Tyler Reddick has a lead of over a second on Brad Keselowski; Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.
John Hunter Nemechek is the only driver on the track not on the lead lap; he is two laps down.
Tyler Reddic wins stage two for his first Darlington stage win.
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Tyler Reddick
Brad Keselowski
Ty Gibbs
Joey Logano
Kyle Larson
William Byron
Chris Buescher
Denny Hamlin
Bubba Wallace
Ross Chastain
Drivers come down pit road for service with Tyler Reddick edging out Brad Keselowski to win the race off of pit road.
Chase Elliott has a slow pit stop after the crews had issues on the right side of the car.
Tyler Reddick brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 194. Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and William Byron get in a three wide battle for second as Tyler Reddick pulls out in front.
Lap 195, the top five are Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Joey Logano.
Alex Bowman and Justin Haley make contact but the track stays green and everyone gets moving.
Lap 200, Tyler Reddick has a near one second lead on Brad Keselowski; Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Joey Logano round out the top five.
Lap 211, Tyler Reddick has pulled out to a lead of over three seconds on Brad Keselowski; Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Joey Logano round out the top five.
Lap 222, Kyle Busch comes down pit road for service.
Lap 225, Tyler Reddick and Brad Keselowski battle for the lead as they approach slower traffic. Brad Keselowski gets out in front for the lead.
Christopher Bell makes a green flag pit stop with 67 laps remaining in the race.
Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr also make a pit stop as drivers begin their green flag cycles of stops.
With 62 laps remaining in the race, Brad Keselowski has a lead of over half a second on Tyler Reddick; Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Joey Logano round out the top five.
With 59 laps to go, Brad Keselowski has pulled out to a lead of nearly a second and a half on Tyler Reddick.
Kyle Larson got too high and bumped the wall. He comes down pit road for service. Larson reported that he was too loose.
Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs make contact with Logano hitting the wall. The track stays green.
With 56 laps to go, leader Brad Keselowski makes his green flag pit stop. William Byron is the new leader.
Several drivers are reporting loose conditions.
With 54 to go, leader William Byron comes down pit road for service and gives the lead over to Carson Hocevar.
Fifty to go, Brad Keselowski passes Carson Hocevar for the lead; Hocevar comes down pit road for service.
The top five are Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher, and Kyle Larson.
Lap 248, Kyle Busch hits the wall again. He comes down pit road.
Lap 253, Kyle Larson spins out and hits the wall to bring out the caution flag. He limps his way to pit road.
Drivers come down pit road for service with Tyler Reddick edging out Brad Keselowski to win the race off of pit road.
Joey Logano was caught speeding on pit road.
Kyle Larson’s car is taken to the garage and he is out of the race.
Tyler Reddick brings the field down for the green flag restart with Brad Keselowski alongside with 33 laps remaining in the race. After going nose to nose for over a lap, Chris Buescher comes up and gives teammate and boss Brad Keselowski a push. With 30 to go, the battle continues between Reddick and Keselowski.
Chris Buescher comes up on the inside and blows past both drivers for the lead. Tyler Reddick and Brad Keselowski continue to battle with Reddicky finally taking second.
Twenty-five to go, Chris Buescher has a half second lead on Tyler Reddick; Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs, and Josh Berry round out the top five.
Twenty to go, Chris Buescher holds a half second lead on Tyler Reddick; Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs, and Josh Berry round out the top five.
With 12 laps to go, the top three cars are separated by less than one second.
Four of the top seven drivers are in Fords; Ford has yet to win a race this season.
Ten to go, Tyler Reddick does a dive bomb on Chris Buescher and both drivers make contact. Reddick and Buescher now have issues with their cars and Brad Keselowski retakes the lead.
Eight to go, Brad Keselowski has a near second and a half lead on Ty Gibbs; Josh Berry, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Briscoe round out the top five.
Five to go, Ty Gibbs is closing the gap to leader Brad Keselowki and the lead is down to under a second.
Tyler Reddick was charged with pitting outside his pit box and had to serve a pass through penalty.
Three to go, Brad Keselowski has a lead of less than a second on Ty Gibbs.
Brad Keselowski takes the white flag.
And the 110 race drought is over! Brad Keselowski becomes the first Ford driver to win this season.
Keselowski does a “Polish Victory Lap” while holding the American flag before doing a burn out.
This is Brad Keselowski’s 36th career win but the first one in a car that he owns.
Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher have words after the race.
The unofficial results of the Goodyear 400:
Brad Keselowski
Ty Gibbs
Josh Berry
Denny Hamlin
Chase Briscoe
William Byron
Bubba Wallace
Alex Bowman
Justin Haley
Michael McDowell
Ross Chastain
Chase Elliott
Christopher Bell
Noah Gragson
Todd Gilliland
Corey LaJoie
Ryan Preece
Kaz Grala
Erik Jones
Austin Cindric
Joey Logano
Harrison Burton
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Daniel Suarez
Martin Truex Jr
Carson Hocevar
Kyle Busch
Austin Dillon
Derek Kraus
Chris Buescher
John Hunter Nemechek
Tyler Reddick
Daniel Hemric
Kyle Larson
Zane Smith
Ryan Blaney