Maybe you were distracted by football, or perhaps you had a little too much Labor Day Weekend and couldn’t keep the eyelids propped up into the evening.
So you look at the Darlington race results, see that Chase Briscoe led 309 of the 367 laps, and think, “Looks like all I missed was a dominant blowout.”
For long stretches here and there, yep, that was indeed the case with Chase, who has now won two straight Southern 500s and become the rare racer who apparently has the Lady in Black’s number. No better way to open NASCAR’s Cup Series playoffs.
Eventually, though, you see a replay of that last lap and realize it was no home-run trot for Briscoe, no stroll up the 18th fairway with a four-shot lead, no taking a knee to drain the clock.
Nope, he had his hands very full with Tyler Reddick, who provided us with lessons in physics, geometry, aerodynamics and whatever else came into play as he dive-bombed low through the final corner to get alongside the leader while Briscoe stayed the course and regained the lead off Turn 4 while Reddick fought for control of his car.
It was quite a payoff for Briscoe, of course, but also for those who also stayed the course in hopes of receiving the last-lap dramatics they happily received.
There was no playoff payoff for plenty of others, however. Some are now in need of a payday loan — in points, preferably — as holes are already being dug after just one week in the Round of 16.
First Gear: NASCAR playoff favorites in the ditch at Darlington
Heading into Sunday night’s Southern 500, someone around here (ahem) told you to ignore the underdogs. They had their chances at Daytona a week earlier but would certainly remain off the main stage at Darlington.
In theory, you have to be totally dialed in at Darlington, so naturally the Haves will separate themselves from the Have Nots over the course of 367 laps around the narrow, egg-shaped oval.
The theory was reinforced during Saturday’s qualifying, when the 12 fastest speeds were delivered by 12 of the 16 playoff racers. But Sunday night, a wild series of circumstances went through the playoff roster like a virus and it’s reflected on the final scoring pylon.
Look at positions three though five: Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek and AJ Allmendinger. Combined, they had five top-five finishes on the year before Darlington, then finished 3, 4, 5. Others surprised us in other ways.
Second Gear: Chase Elliott leads Hendrick crew by finishing 17th!
On the other side of the coin, you have Josh Berry, who didn’t necessarily enter the playoffs as a championship favorite, but wasted no time in wiping out and confirming that thought with a last-place finish. Shane van Gisbergen (32nd) surprised few people with another oval-track “learning experience.”
But Alex Bowman, whose playoff spot was saved by Ryan Blaney at Daytona, was considered a playoff darkhorse — as much as a Hendrick driver can be an underdog — due to his solid results over the past couple of months. His Darlington hopes drained away during a 40-second pit stop (air hose issue), and he finished 31st.
Pit issues (either bad stops or contact with others) also hamstrung Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Austin Dillon. Bubba (sixth) and Denny (seventh) still finished decently.
Chase Elliott finished 17th and get this: He was the highest finisher among the Hendrick Motorsports foursome.
“Long night. Really long night,” Chase told NBC Sports afterward. He was asked about his confidence level going forward, with another mid-length, egg-shaped oval coming next week outside St. Louis.
“We just ran 17th. You tell me,” said Chase, who’s never been one to dabble in false bravado.
Third Gear: Playoff panic sets in early
Since it’s never too early to dabble in panic, let’s familiarize ourselves with the red button, even if we’re not quite ready to mash it.
You may remember another theory tossed around these parts regarding Shane van Gisbergen, who brought enough bonus points to the Round of 16 to make you think he could reach the Round of 12, which includes a road course.
Um, that theory has been thumped, thanks to SVG’s P32 at Darlington. His margin of error is now basically zero. He’s sitting 12th in the new standings, just three points ahead of Joey Logano.
The bubble cutoff is eight points for Dillon and a whopping 19 each for Bowman and Berry. Of course, these deficits can be erased as quickly as you can say “Trouble in Turn 3,” but still, now that we’ve found the panic button, keep it within reach for next week.
Only 12 points separate ninth place (Austin Cindric) and Logano in 13th.
Meanwhile, and why not, an X.com account known a “NASCAR Winston Cup Series Standings” continues to update standings each week using the pre-2004 points application.
Fourth Gear: Connor Zilisch continues Xfinity roll
One of three things are in play here.
1. Connor Zilisch is a quick healer.
2. He’s tough as nails.
3. Or those Xfinity cars are easy to handle.
Maybe we should toss in an “all of the above” option, but whatever, Connor Z seems to have recovered from his nasty tumble and broken collarbone. A week after giving way to relief driver Parker Kligerman, who went on to win at Daytona, Zilisch went the distance at Portland this past weekend, and if you think Briscoe was dominant at Darlington, check the Xfinity stat sheet from Saturday.
Zilisch led 70 of the 78 laps, won both stages before the checkers, and turned the fastest lap for an additional bonus point. He has eight wins, including five of his last six (technically, it’s six of seven since he gets credit for the Daytona win).
He not only leads the Xfinity Series standings, but his 43 bonus points, which he’ll carry into the playoffs in two weeks, is 19 better than the next highest — Justin Allgaier, who is the only other Xfinity driver with a double-digit bonus tally.
And speaking of dominance, Corey Heim kept on truckin’ at Darlington, making the Truck Series playoff opener his eighth win in 19 starts this year. Heim contractually belongs to 23XI Racing and has basically done all he can do in a truck.
His future whereabouts within NASCAR probably hinge on that ongoing court case involving 23XI, Front Row and NASCAR. Whatever happens there, you have to assume Toyota won’t let him out of arm’s reach.
— Email Ken Willis at [email protected]
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