Make-or-break at Darlington
Some drivers’ playoff hopes could rest on how they finish Sunday
It’s Throwback Weekend in NASCAR. Paint schemes from past years will dominate the field as Darlington Raceway celebrates stock car racing history in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Sunday.
How about this for a throwback?
In 1965, Ned Jarrett won the Southern 500 by a remarkable margin of 14 laps, still a NASCAR record. Only 15 of the 44 cars on the starting grid completed the grinding race.
The finish couldn’t be defined as intense.
Don’t expect similar results Sunday. In fact, the race could be one of the season’s tightest, as drivers battle for the three remaining spots in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The 500 is the next-tolast race in the regular season, which closes next week in Richmond, Va.
Thirteen drivers have clinched playoff spots with race wins. If there are new winners at Darlington or Richmond Raceway,
they would join the playoff group. If Darlington and Richmond see repeat winners, the three final playoff spots will be determined on points.
Entering Darlington, Chase
Elliott (69 points above the cutoff line), Matt Kenseth (61 points) and Jamie McMurray (58 points) sit relatively comfortably in the three playoff point positions.
The top three drivers below the cutoff line are Clint Bowyer (58 points below the cutoff line), Joey Logano (117 below) and Erik Jones (126 below).
Assuming the point positions stay as they are, Logano (whose April win at Richmond was encumbered and thus doesn’t count toward a playoff spot) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are the most prominent drivers looking for entry into the championship conversation.
Darlington isn’t a great track for Logano and Earnhardt; both are winless at one of racing ’s toughest courses. Earnhardt is 0for-21 and Logano 0-for-8. Both, however, own multiple wins at Richmond.
Martin Truex Jr., enjoying a career year with four wins and 15 stage wins, can clinch the regu- lar-season title — and its 15 playoff points — at Darlington. Entering Sunday’s race, he holds a 101-point lead over secondplace Kyle Busch. He needs only a 61-point edge over second place to win the regular-season title.
Truex won at Darlington last year and has an 11.6 average finish at the track.
Darlington has an odd active streak. Eleven different drivers have won in the track’s last 11 races, starting in 2006.