In a thrilling conclusion to Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Chase Briscoe emerged victorious, ending a 73-race winless streak for Stewart-Haas Racing. The win, however, came at the expense of several other drivers’ aspirations, creating a bittersweet atmosphere at the legendary track.

Briscoe’s Triumph and Its Implications

Briscoe’s victory, only the second of his career and his first since March 2022 at Phoenix, carried significant weight beyond personal achievement. It marked a poignant moment for Stewart-Haas Racing, which is set to cease operations at the end of the year. The win secured the team a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, a fitting send-off for the organization.

“For all 320 employees, everybody, to be able to race for a championship in their final year, man, unbelievable,” Briscoe said post-race. “We kept saying all week we got one bullet left in the chamber. That bullet hit.”

Playoff Drama Unfolds

The race had far-reaching implications for the Playoff picture:

Kyle Larson, despite leading 263 of 367 laps and winning the first two stages, finished fourth and lost the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season title to Tyler Reddick by a single point.

Chris Buescher’s valiant sixth-place finish wasn’t enough to secure a Playoff spot, as he lost out to Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. on points.

Kyle Busch’s second-place finish, while impressive, fell short of forcing his way into the Playoffs.

Ross Chastain was also eliminated from Playoff contention but played a crucial role in the race’s outcome.

Race Highlights

The pivotal moment came on Lap 342 when Briscoe made a decisive move, passing Ty Gibbs, Larson, and Chastain to take the lead. He then held off intense pressure from Kyle Busch in the final 17-lap green-flag run to secure the win.

“I was sideways, counter steering,” Briscoe recounted. “Like I was in a sprint car. Yeah, this night just literally went perfect.”

Tyler Reddick, battling nausea throughout the race, managed to finish 10th and clinch the regular-season championship, earning a crucial 15-Playoff-point bonus.

Early Drama and Notable Performances

The race saw early drama when Martin Truex Jr. crashed on Lap 3, collecting Ryan Blaney. Despite this setback, Truex managed to clinch a Playoff spot on points by the end of Stage 2.

Christopher Bell finished third, followed by Larson and Chastain rounding out the top five.

Looking Ahead

As the NASCAR Cup Series moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Playoff opener, Kyle Larson will start as the No. 1 seed with 40 Playoff points, despite missing out on the regular-season title.

The Southern 500 once again lived up to its reputation as one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, delivering drama, heartbreak, and triumph in equal measure.

Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images