The opening race of the Round of 16 delivered plenty of action from Lap 1 to the very end. Ten of the 16 playoff drivers found some sort of trouble at Darlington, leaving loads to unpack before the Cup Series treks to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
WINNER.
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Talk about message sent. Briscoe not only successfully defended his crown-jewel win, but he flat-out dominated the evening by leading 309 laps and becoming the second driver since Martin Truex Jr. to sweep stages and win at Darlington Raceway. He now becomes the first driver locked into the Round of 12 and even looks like the title favorite after Sunday.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos
WHO‘S HOT?
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. From the get-go Chastain established himself as a frontrunner in his 250th career Cup Series start. He spent nearly the entire 500-miler as a top-10 car with an average running position of 5.5. He gambled with fuel mileage at the end, getting told he was two laps short, dropping him to 11th at the checkered flag. Despite that, Chastain jumps to eighth in the playoff picture and has a 21-point cushion to the good.
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The polesitter was dancing up front at the “Lady in Black” early in the race, finishing third in Stage 1. However, pit road missteps faltered Hamlin‘s race, dropping him from fourth to 23rd early in the middle frame. But in the final stage, the veteran‘s experience showed as the No. 11 soared back into the top 10 to finish seventh and move to second in the standings, 43 points above the cutline.
WHO‘S NOT?
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford. It goes to show how much can change in a week in the Cup Series. Last week’s race winner was running as high as second in the major event, but turmoil slowly crept in. On Lap 154, Blaney fell from ninth to 20th after a major block from Carson Hocevar. As salt added to the wound, Blaney spun while running 13th in the closing moments of Stage 2, stalling his progress and ultimately finishing 18th.
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Entering as the playoffs as the No. 5 seed, Bell found himself in contention during the first half of Sunday’s prestigious race. However, he suffered splitter damage after contact with Carson Hocevar on pit road, forcing repairs and costing momentum as he finished 29th, two laps down. Gateway is a chance to right the ship, as Bell contended for the win last year and owns an average finish of ninth in three starts.
MORE: Josh Berry involved in Lap 1 crash | Alex Bowman suffers 40-second pit stop
BUBBLE WATCH
| Rank | Driver | +/- |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | +22 |
| 8 | Ross Chastain | +21 |
| 9 | Austin Cindric | +12 |
| 10 | Christopher Bell | +11 |
| 11 | Chase Elliott | +9 |
| 12 | Shane van Gisbergen | +3 |
| CUTLINE | ||
| 13 | Joey Logano | -3 |
| 14 | Austin Dillon | -8 |
| 15 | Alex Bowman | -19 |
| 16 | Josh Berry | -19 |
NASCAR INSIGHTS
The almighty Hendrick Motorsports found that none of its four cars were truly in the running for the win, as shown by its fastest car — the No. 5 driven by Kyle Larson, which ranked eighth in speed and fifth in passing but finished 19th. The other three drivers — Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman — ranked 17th or worse in speed and 13th or worse in passing, according to NASCAR Insights, resulting in none of the four finishing inside the top 15 of Sunday’s playoff opener.
QUOTABLE
“I think this is definitely what we‘re capable of doing. We haven‘t been able to go out and dominate a race like that. The potential has been there from day one. ” — 2025 Cook Out Southern 500 winner, Chase Briscoe.
NEXT RACE
The stakes keep rising with Gateway looming in the playoffs for the first time, creating little margin for error as the cutline tightens. The flat 1.25-mile egg-shaped oval rewards precision, as demonstrated by Team Penske, which has won two of the first three races at the Midwest track. But conversely, Hendrick has only scored a total of three top 10s in 12 combined starts.
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