NASCAR Darlington Sunday, May 7, 2023
Darlington Raceway NASCAR Cup Series Stats Highlights
Darlington NCS 5/22
Joey Logano
Darlington 5/22 winner – Pole, Stage 1 winner & finished 3rd in Stage 2, 8 times led for 107 laps (most), final lead change with 2 to go
Winner pit stops: Joey Logano (8 Stops) 32, 56, 93, 136 (Green), 170, 191, 237 (Green), 256
Top 5 Stage 1 & 2: Joey Logano 1st & 3rd, Ross Chastain 2nd & 1st, Martin Truex Jr. 5th & 2nd
Best free pass finisher: Justin Haley 3rd
Best Hendrick: Chase Elliott 5th
Best Gibbs: Christopher Bell 6th
Best Stewart-Haas: Kevin Harvick 4th
Best Penske: Joey Logano 1st
Darlington NCS 9/22
Erik Jones
Darlington 9/22 winner – Started 15th, finished 8th in Stage 1 & 9th in Stage 2, only final 23 laps led
Winner pit stops: Erik Jones (11 Stops) 37, 74 (G), 117, 154 (G), 181, 193, 220, 233, 280, 320 (G), 342
Top 5 Stage 1 & 2: William Byron 1st & 5th, Kyle Busch 3rd & 1st, Martin Truex Jr. 5th & 2nd
Best free pass finisher: Tyler Reddick 3rd
Best finisher with pit road speeding penalty: Daniel Suárez 18th
Best starting rear of field finisher: Daniel Suárez 18th
Best Hendrick: William Byron 8th
Best Gibbs: Denny Hamlin 2nd
Best Stewart-Haas: Aric Almirola 11th
Best Penske: Joey Logano 4th
Most Darlington wins: 10 David Pearson
2 Finished top 5 both Darlington races last season: Joey Logano (1st & 4th) & Tyler Reddick (2nd & 3rd)
4 Finished top 10 both Darlington races last season: Bell, Logano, McDowell & Reddick
Christopher Bell: 2 Top 10 finishes in 7 Darlington races – Finished 6th & 5th last season
Joey Logano: Finished 8th or better last 3 Darlington races – 2 Straight top 5 finishes
Michael McDowell: 2 Top 15 finishes in 15 Darlington races – Finished 7th & 6th last season
Tyler Reddick: 2 Top 10 finishes in 7 Darlington races – Finished 2nd & 3rd last season
Pit Road Speeding Penalties:
2017: 0 / 2018: 3 / 2019: 0 / 5/17/20: 4 / 5/20/20: 3 / 9/6/20: 4 / 5/9/21: 5 / 9/5/21: 1 / 5/8/22: 2 / 9/4/22: 2
Commitment Line Violations:
2017: 3 / 2018: 3 / 2019: 0 / 5/17/20: 0 / 5/20/20: 0 / 9/6/20: 0 / 5/9/21: 0 / 9/5/21: 0 / 5/8/22: 0 / 9/4/22: 0
52 Different winners in 123 NASCAR Cup Series Darlington races
23 Hall of Fame drivers won Darlington races
23 of the 35 NASCAR Cup Series champions won at Darlington (77 Total wins)
12 Champions winless at Darlington
3 Won Darlington in first try – Johnny Mantz, Dick Rathmann & Herb Thomas
Ricky Rudd won Darlington for first time in 29th try – Most of all drivers
Tim Richmond won for the first time in his last Darlington race
No Rookie of the Year contender won Darlington
Three 23-year-olds won Darlington: Kyle Busch 23-0-8 (2008), Erik Jones 23-3-2 (2019) & Terry Labonte 23-9-16 (1980)
Youngest Darlington winners: Kyle Busch, Erik Jones & Terry Labonte – 23
Oldest Darlington winners: Harry Gant – 51 & Mark Martin – 50
Drivers won first race of season 40 times at Darlington
6 Won first career NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington
Last to win back-to-back Darlington races: Greg Biffle 2005 & ‘06 (Erik Jones won last Darlington race)
15 Darlington win streaks (Back-to-back wins)
Last defending NASCAR Cup Series champion to win Darlington race – Jeff Gordon 2001 champ & 9/02 winner
Martin Truex Jr. won Darlington Stage 1, 2 & race 5/21
Most laps led by Darlington winner: 351 – Johnny Mantz (1950)
Most Darlington laps led to finish: 351 – Johnny Mantz (1950)
Most laps led by Darlington non-winner: 284 – Kyle Larson (2018)
8 Darlington winners led 10 or fewer laps
Fewest laps led by Darlington winner: 1 (Ricky Craven 3/03) & 2 (Terry Labonte 9/80 & Harry Gant 4/83)
Final lead change with 10 or fewer laps to go in 26 Darlington races
5 Darlington races settled by last lap pass
Closest Darlington finish: .002 seconds – 3/03 Ricky Craven over Kurt Busch
4 Darlington Overtime finishes – Leader at scheduled distance won 2
1 of last 12 Darlington races won by driver starting first – Last winner from pole: Joey Logano 5/22
William Byron: 2019 Darlington pole winner – Youngest ever (21-Years-old)
Worst starting position of Darlington winner: 43rd – Johnny Mantz 1950
Only 6 Darlington races won from outside top 20 starting position
Teammates finished 1-2 six times at Darlington – Joe Gibbs Racing finished 1-2 three times (2013, ’17 & 5/20/20)
Denny Hamlin: 4 Darlington wins with 3 different crew chiefs – Mike Ford (2010), Michael Wheeler (2017) & Chris Gabehart (5/20/20 & 9/21)
Chevrolet: 1 Win last 12 Darlington races – Erik Jones 9/22
9/6/65: Ned Jarrett won Southern 500 by 14 laps over 2nd-place Buck Baker
5/13/67: At Darlington, Richard Petty passed Lee Petty for all-time wins with 55th career victory
9/6/71: Bobby Allison started streak of 39 straight races led winning Southern 500
4/16/72: David Pearson won in first race with Wood Brothers
4/13/75 & 9/1/75: Team Penske’s first Darlington wins – Bobby Allison driving Matador
9/6/76: David Pearson won final race in triple-crown – 1976 Daytona 500, 1976 World 600 & 1976 Southern 500
4/8/79: Darrell Waltrip & Richard Petty each swapped lead final 4 laps
4/13/80: David Pearson won in first race with Hoss Ellington
9/6/82: 10th straight Buick win in 1982 – Cale Yarborough Southern 500
9/2/84: Southern 500 run on Sunday instead of Labor Day
9/1/85: Bill Elliott wins million-dollar bonus
3/29/87: First of 4 straight wins for Dale Earnhardt (Darlington, North Wilkesboro, Bristol & Martinsville)
9/1/91: Harry Gant’s Darlington win was first of 4 straight victories for Mr. September
9/6/92: Darlington was 84th and final career win for Darrell Waltrip
9/5/93: Mark Martin won 4 straight races in 1993 with the final win of streak coming in Southern 500
8/31/97: Dale Earnhardt blacked out twice during Southern 500
9/5/99: Jeff Burton won 50th Southern 500 with brother Ward Burton finishing 2nd
3/16/03: Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by .002 seconds winning Darlington leading only final lap
3/21/04: 100th Darlington race – Jimmie Johnson winner
5/12/12: Jimmie Johnson’s Darlington win was 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports
9/6/15: Carl Edwards comes from 2 laps down to win Southern 500
5/17/20 & 5/20/20: Darlington race added to schedule & run without fans due to COVID-19
5/17/20: Kevin Harvick 50th career win
9/4/22: #43 Wins first Darlington race since 9/4/67
Darlington Raceway NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats Highlights
Justin Allgaier:
Darlington 5/22 winner – Started rear of field, finished 4th in Stage 1 & 3rd in Stage 2, 76 laps led (most)
Cole Custer:
2019 Darlington winner – Took checkered 2nd, declared winner after Denny Hamlin disqualification (No laps led)
35 Different winners in 65 Darlington Xfinity Series races
5 Darlington Xfinity Series & Cup Series weekend sweeps
Denny Hamlin only driver to sweep Darlington NXS & NCS races more than once (2010 & ’17)
All 5 of Denny Hamlin’s Darlington wins came after starting on pole
Worst starting position of Darlington winner: 36th – Larry Pearson 3/95
Justin Allgaier (2) & Noah Gragson (2) won last 4 Darlington races
JR Motorsports won last 4 Darlington races
Final lead change with 2 or fewer laps to go 5 of last 6 Darlington races
3 Darlington races settled by last lap pass:
2014 – Chase Elliott passed Elliott Sadler
5/20 – Chase Briscoe passed Kyle Busch
9/22 – Noah Gragson passed Kyle Larson
3 Sets of brothers won Darlington races – Geoff & Todd Bodine; Bobby & Terry Labonte; Darrell & Michael Waltrip
3 Scored first career win at Darlington – Last: Ron Bouchard 4/84 (Both career wins came at Darlington)
4 Won Darlington & championship in same season – Last: Chase Elliott 2014
Fastest Darlington race: 141.355 mph (9/15) – Only 2 cautions (1:25:14)
3 Won Darlington in first try: Geoff Bodine, Neil Bonnett & Chase Elliott
Chase Elliott only Rookie to win Darlington (2014)
Todd Bodine won Darlington in 19th try – Most of all drivers
4/13/85: Harry Gant relieved Jack Ingram and drove to the win