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The Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is one of NASCAR’s premier series crown jewels. All the NASCAR greats have won at the track perfectly called, “Too Tough To Tame.” Few have won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, another one of NASCAR’s crown jewels, and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in the same year. Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, David Person, Leeroy Yarbrough, Bobby Allison, and now Martin Truex Jr. are the only drivers in history to win both races in the same year. Edwards doing so just one year ago.
Martin Truex Jr. won the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this year in dominating fashion leading 392 of the 400 laps, one of the most dominated races NASCAR has ever witnessed. Truex Jr. didn’t have the best car Sunday night at Darlington, but he had a top ten Toyota all night. The dominant car was Kevin Harvick’s Stewart Haas Racing’s Chevrolet. It looked like Harvick was easily heading towards victory lane when his pit crew started to stumble on their pit stops. With Harvick’s pit stops being abysmal, Truex Jr. found himself leading with 28 laps remaining. Martin Truex Jr. held of the hard charging Kevin Harvick for the victory becoming the eighth driver in history to win the Coke 600 and Southern 500 in the same season.
Below are highlights and turn by turn action from the Bojangles Southern 500. Race recapped by Last Lap Insider.
Race start – A few cars had to give up their qualifying positions and start at the rear of the field. Ryan Newman and Paul Menard will start at the back due to unapproved adjustments and David Ragan will start at the back due to an engine change.
Lap 1/367 – The Bojangles Southern 500 is underway! Kevin Harvick leads the field into Turn 1. Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray make slight contact but no damage. Harvick started on pole because the field was lined up by owner points. Qualifying was rained out.
Lap 25/367 – Kevin Harvick continues to lead followed by Keselowski, Ku. Busch, Edwards, Kenseth, Truex Jr., Johnson, Ky. Busch, Logano and Larson. Clint Bowyer makes an unscheduled pit stop Because he had a tire going flat.
Lap 29/367 – Brad Keselowski radios to his crew that he has a vibration. Could be a tire going down.
Lap 48/367 – Green flag stops have begun with Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin.
Lap 50/367 – Austin Dillon comes in for his pit stop but has to serve a drive-through penalty for speeding.
Lap 90/367 – Kevin Harvick has dominated the night so far leading every lap so far.
The top 10 – 4 2 20 78 22 48 11 18 5 41.
Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson short pit hoping to gain some time on their competitors.
Lap 96/367 – The first caution of the night comes out for Trevor Bayne spinning out trying to get on pit road.
This caution could not have come out at a worse time for a few of the lead lap cars who had already made their green-flag pit stops. They will now be trapped 1 lap down or they will need to take the wave around in order to get back on the lead lap.
Brad Keselowski takes off on the restart followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Elliott. Kevin Harvick, who has dominated this race from the start, is back to 5th after a slow pit stop. Jimmie Johnson had to come back down pit road to serve a pass-through penalty for unapproved body adjustments.
Lap 115/367 – The second caution of the night comes out for Brian Scott going for a spin. Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Harvick are the top three off pit road.
Lap 119/367 – Keselowski leads Harvick by two seconds.
Lap 139/367 – Brad Keselowski gets wicked loose allowing the No. 4 of Kevin Harvick too easily go on by for the lead.
Lap 153/367 – Problems for Trevor Bayne, his No. 6 Ford Fusion might be leaking oil.
Lap 170/367 – Trevor Bayne has taken his car to the garage. After the second round of green flag pit stops Kevin Harvick continues to lead Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott.
Lap 182/367 – Ryan Blaney, who scraped the wall a few laps ago, has now come to pit road due to a flat tire.
Lap 187/367 – Jeff Gordon, who is filling in for the recovering Dale Earnhardt Jr is running 19th one lap down. Now one lap later Gordon comes in for another pit stop. The No. 88 is now two laps down.
Lap 198/367 – Brad Keselowski has to make an unscheduled green-flag pit stop in order to change tires. He was complaining about a vibration and it turns out he had a loose wheel.
Lap 203/367 – Tony Stewart makes contact with Brian Scott sending the No. 44 into the inside wall. Scott takes his car to the garage. NASCAR has called Stewart and his crew chief to the NASCAR hauler after the race for that uncalled for move. Keselowski gets the free pass.
Lap 211/367 – Harvick gets a great launch on the restart pulling away from Logano and Ky. Busch.
Lap 215/367 – Jimmie Johnson loses control under Carl Edwards and spins his No. 48 Chevrolet into the inside wall. This is the fourth caution.
Lap 250/367 – The fifth caution comes out for Jeffrey Earnhardt getting into the wall. All of the leaders make pit stops with Hamlin, Elliott, Ky. Busch, Logano and Harvick the top 5 off pit lane. Harvick lost 4 positions during this recent pit stop. Again, his crew is letting Harvick down.
110 laps to go – With Kevin Harvick having troubles on pit road Denny Hamlin is the new leader on the restart. Chase Elliott passes Kyle Busch for second.
106 laps to go – The seventh caution has come out for Greg Biffle slamming the outside wall. Significant damage done to the No. 16.
100 laps to go – Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch stayed out on this recent caution so they are the leaders on the restart.
95 laps to go – Harvick easily retakes the lead.
91 laps to go – The top 10 – 4 11 42 24 20 78 2 1 22 18.
87 laps to go – AJ Allmendinger makes contact with Ryan Blaney putting Blaney in the wall and sending his No. 47 spinning on the apron.
The leaders take this opportunity to make another pit stop. Again, Harvick loses numerous positions because his pit crew are having difficulties with their lug nut guns. Harvick goes from 1st to 12th.
83 laps to go – Kyle Larson takes the lead away from Denny Hamlin on the restart. Truex Jr. passes Hamlin for 2nd.
The top 5 – 42 78 11 24 1. Harvick is 8th.
67 laps to go – Elliot passes Hamlin for 3rd. Larson continues to lead.
62 laps to go – Keselowski again comes down pit road for another loose wheel.
52 laps to go – The eighth caution comes out for the engine expiring on Stewart’s Coca-Cola Chevrolet.
45 laps to go – Kyle Larson sets sail on the restart.
40 laps to go – Paul Menard had a tire rub and it finally let go. Kurt Busch was in the wrong place at the wrong time as he gets caught up in this accident. Hard contact for the No. 41 of Kurt Busch. Busch is frustrated but otherwise ok.
All of the leaders come on to pit road but Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski stayed out to gain track position. Newman and Keselowski are the new leaders on the restart.
34 laps to go – Carl Edwards, last years Southern 500 winner, gets into someone on the restart causing front end damage to his No. 19 Toyota. He has to make an unscheduled stop to make repairs. Newman leads with Truex Jr. breathing down his neck. Harvick has the fastest car on the track and is closing in on the two leaders.
29 laps to go – Truex Jr. takes the lead from Newman.
21 laps to go – Harvick is giving it all he has to catch the No. 78 for the lead. Harvick scrapes the wall coming off Turn 2.
16 laps to go – Aric Almirola got loose under Clint Bowyer causing the two to make contact but then Bowyer intentionally spun the No. 43 into the wall. Hard contact for Almirola. He is ok.
A strong race for Jamie McMurray has just gone sour as he needs to come back down pit road too tighten his lug nuts. He was running 13th.
12 laps to go – Harvick spins the tires on the restart allowing Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson to clear the No. 4.
9 laps to go – Harvick retakes 2nd from Larson. Harvick will now try to run down Truex Jr. for the lead.
Last Lap – On the last restart with 12 laps to go, Martin Truex Jr. was able to pull away from Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson to hold on and score the victory in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. This is Martin Truex Jr’s second win of the season and the fifth of his career.
Kevin Harvick, after dominating most of the night, will have to settle for another second-place finish. Last weekend’s victor, Kyle Larson, comes home third.
Full Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway Race Results:
1. Martin Truex Jr
2. Kevin Harvick – Led most laps (214)
3. Kyle Larson
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Joey Logano
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Ryan Newman
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Chase Elliott
11. Kyle Busch
12. Austin Dillon
13. Ryan Blaney
14. Jeff Gordon – Filling in for Dale Jr.
15. Jamie McMurray
16. Paul Menard
17. Chris Buescher
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
19. Carl Edwards
20. Regan Smith
21. David Ragan
22. Clint Bowyer
23. AJ Allmendinger
24. Danica Patrick
25. Casey Mears
26. Matt Dibenedetto
27. Michael Mcdowell
28. Michael Annett
29. Josh Wise
30. Landon Cassill
31. Reed Sorenson
32. Aric Almirola – crash
33. Jimmie Johnson – crash
34. Kurt Busch – crash
35. Tony Stewart – blown engine
36. Greg Biffle – crash
37. Cole Whitt – electrical issue
38. Jeffrey Earnhardt – crash
39. Brian Scott – crash
40. Trevor Bayne – blown engine
The next race on the Sprint Cup Series schedule is the “Federated Auto Parts 400” at Richmond International Speedway next Saturday night, September 10, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
For more Sprint Cup updates check out @lastlapinsider on Instagram.
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