NASCAR Race Today: Winners, Losers from Goodyear 400

In the week leading up to Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR Cup Series drivers like Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe said there would be some wild racing. We didn’t quite get that, with two drivers largely dominating this race while some other big names disappointed.

Let’s dive into our winners and losers from the NASCAR race today, highlighting the standout performances and some concerning developments for drivers from the Goodyear 400.

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Winner: Tyler Reddick Does It Again

Tyler Reddick easily had the fastest car in qualifying and it looked initially in the Goodyear 400 like he would cruise to victory. However, issues with the battery forced him to drive without a functioning cool suit and in Stage 2 he reported an issue with the brake. Despite all that, including an extended pit stop under caution to change out the battery, Reddick worked his way back to the front of the field and easily outran everyone to secure his fourth win of the season. What Reddick and the No. 45 team are doing right now is simply absurd.

Related: Goodyear 400 Results from Darlington, Points Totals and Stage Results Today

Loser: Joey Logano and the No. 22 Team

Sign of trouble first started for Joey Logano and Team Penske on Saturday at Darlington. The No. 22 car didn’t have the long speeds in traffic and when qualifying came, Logano placed 29th. He only dropped further back when the green flag was waved, falling outside the top 30 minutes into Sunday’s race. As he reported on the radio, grip was a massive issue with the No. 22 car and it didn’t get any better back after the first pit stop. Logano spent the majority of the day at least 2 laps down, recording single-digit points for the first time this season.

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Related: NASCAR Standings After Darlington, Cup Series Points Leaders Right Now

Winner: Brad Keselowski

Through six races this season, only two drivers had recorded multiple stage wins in the Cup Series. Brad Keselowski managed to become the first driver this year to win both stages in a single race. A fast pit stop allowed him to beat out Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney to take Stage 1, and he then fought off teammate Chris Buescher at the end of Stage 2. The sweep secured him 20 stage points after he entered the weekend with 9 total stage points through the first six races. Keselowski now has consecutive top-10 finishes, and he recorded more total points today than he did at Phoenix (22) and Las Vegas (27) combined. Just a phenomenal day for the No. 6 team.

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Related: NASCAR Cup Series Stage Winners 2026, Stats for Entire Season

Loser: Ryan Blaney’s Pit Crew

Ryan Blaney certainly had one of the fastest cars in the NASCAR race today, and pitting early allowed the No. 12 to finish third in Stage 1. Unfortunately for Blaney, his pit crew’s penchant for mistakes reared its ugly head again. On the pit stop under caution after Stage 1, Blaney was forced to stop in teammate Austin Cindric’s box to get a left-side wheel tightened because his crew couldn’t do it right the first time. That’s twice in the last three races that Blaney has had to pit in someone else’s stall and drop to the back because his crew couldn’t tighten a left-side wheel correctly. Unsurprisingly, Blaney’s pit crew ranked 33rd among the 36 teams coming into the weekend. Kudos to Blaney for still finishing third today because his pit crew did him no favors.

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Winner: Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suarez made it pretty clear that he didn’t feel very supported at Trackhouse Racing last season, and he indicated that the lack of backing contributed to one of the worst years of his career, highlighted by a 20.89 average finishing position. So far, his move appears to be the right one. In his sixth points race with Spire Motorsports, Suarez drove the No. 7 car to top-10 finishes in each stage (ninth and 10th) and wrapped up the day with his second top-10 finish of the year. He’s currently outperforming his former colleagues at Trackhouse and giving Spire plenty of reasons to consider him the long-term solution for the No. 7 seat beyond this year.

Read More: Bubba Wallace Addresses NASCAR Fighting Penalties after Daniel Suarez Incident

Loser: 23XI Racing Lets Bubba Wallace Down

Bubba Wallace qualified second on Saturday and quickly recorded the Xfinity fastest lap on Sunday. The speed in the No. 23 car was clearly there for a top-10 finish and, at a minimum, he should’ve come out of Sunday with a top-10 points day. After finishing fourth in Stage 1, Wallace was forced to reverse back into his box when his pit crew failed to secure the left-front tire, costing him track position. Although he fought back into the top 15, his day was ultimately ruined when 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin triggered a multi-car incident by getting into Erik Jones and sliding up into Wallace, sending the No. 23 car into the wall. The contact severely hampered Wallace’s handling and he never got out of 34th place.

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Related: Insider Explains Why Corey Heim Isn’t Driving Full-Time for 23XI Racing

Winner: Ty Gibbs

There shouldn’t be anyone questioning Ty Gibbs’ merits as a Cup Series driver with a top team right now. After three consecutive top-five finishes coming into Darlington, the No. 54 car was at a bit of a disadvantage when the race started on Sunday, as he rolled off 28th on the grid. He overcame that poor starting position to finish sixth on the day, netting more total points than any of his JGR teammates. Gibbs is on an absolute tear right now, and his performance has to feel particularly validating given what Chris Gabehart has said about him.

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Loser: Hendrick Motorsports

William Byron was the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to snag a top-10 finish in the Goodyear 400. Kyle Larson (32nd) was having a strong day, as evidenced by the third-most stage points (14), but the No. 5 car suffered a flat tire in the final laps on Sunday while sitting in 11th place and dropped like a rock. Meanwhile, Chase Elliott came out with a modest 15th-place finish, and another finish outside the top-20 for the replacement driver in the No. 48 car is pretty damning evidence regarding the fourth Hendrick car. HMS still doesn’t have a win through six races, and while it’s no time to panic, this was an alarming showing by HMS.

Winner: Carson Hocevar

After three consecutive finishes of 20th or worse, Carson Hocevar and the No. 77 team were on it at Darlington. This was one of the fastest cars in the Goodyear 400, especially on the long runs. Hocevar also showed that tenacity and willingness to get aggressive late in the race, fighting his way through the top 10 to grab a fourth-place finish. While Hocevar didn’t earn any stage points on the day, Spire and the No. 77 team have to feel great about what the young driver showed late in the race.

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Related: Carson Hocevar Addresses Comparisons to NASCAR Legend

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