A late wreck between Elliott and Truex propels Harvick to Southern 500 win

Darlington Throwback weekend concluded Sunday night for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 to start the round of sixteen playoffs. Chase Elliott won the pole by a metric qualifying system along with Denny Hamlin starting second. Ryan Blaney failed pre-race inspection due to an improper mounted ballast and would have to start in the back. He lost ten driver points, ten owner points, and his crew chief was ejected. Other drivers heading to the rear were Austin Dillon (unapproved adjustments), Joey Gase (unapproved adjustments), and Ross Chastain (driver change). The “Choose Cone Rule” was in effect for this race.

The green flag waves on the #NASCARPlayoffs! We're underway at The Track @TooToughToTame! 📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC pic.twitter.com/Pmj6KXdkap — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 6, 2020

Chase Elliott led the first 26 laps before the competition caution came out on lap 27. Elliott would bring the field down to pit road and was the first car out. Elliott would choose the outside lane while his teammate Alex Bowman went to the inside lane improving his position from third to second. Bowman’s strategy did not work as he went from second to fourth by the end of the lap.

Those @TeamHendrick #NASCARThrowback schemes are bringing back so many memories.@JimmieJohnson | #OneFinalTime pic.twitter.com/hr0YXaJ7oJ — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 6, 2020

On lap 64, Austin Dillon was the first to pit road to start the green-flag cycles. Kyle Busch pitted on lap 70, and Chase Elliott pitted on lap 72 with a 1.5-second lead over Martin Truex Jr., who also came in on the same lap. Once the green flag cycles were complete by lap 75, Chase Elliott resumed the lead. Brad Keselowski got into the wall at turn four and scattered debris on the track to bring out the second caution on lap 81. Tire issues would hurt many cars in the race.

Damage for @keselowski! Not the start the No. 2 team wants in the #NASCARPlayoffs. pic.twitter.com/CQo9vak4Qc — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 6, 2020

During the caution, Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace stayed out while everyone went to pit road. Martin Truex Jr. was the first one out of pit road. Kurt Busch would choose the outside lane, and Martin Truex Jr. went to the inside lane improving his position from third to second. The lane choice paid off for Truex as he took over the lead on the same lap. Truex led the remaining 29 laps to win stage one.

He gets it done in great #NASCARThrowback style!@MartinTruex_Jr | @TooToughToTame pic.twitter.com/n9ugODOT8m — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 6, 2020

During the caution, Truex brought the field down to pit road for service and was the first one off of pit road. Truex would choose the outside lane while his teammate Denny Hamlin went to the inside lane to start stage two on lap 122. As the field was taking the green flag, Ryan Blaney came back to pit road with a flat left rear tire.

Elliott moved up two spots to take second place after restarting fourth. Unfortunately for Elliott, he would brush the wall and fell back to fourth place. Kevin Harvick was the first driver to pit road to start the green flag stops on lap 156. Denny Hamlin would pit on lap 172, and a lap later, Martin Truex Jr. would come in for his stop with a 3.5-second lead over Kurt Busch. Kevin Harvick was the leader when Bubba Wallace spun around at turn four to bring out the fourth caution of the night.

Ride along and listen as the No. 43 gets away from @BubbaWallace. pic.twitter.com/EsuBSY0ZE5 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2020

During the caution, all of the leaders pitted with Martin Truex Jr. being the first off of pit road. Cole Custer was caught speeding and would restart at the tail end of the field. Martin Truex Jr. would once again choose the outside lane, Kevin Harvick was behind him, dropping from second to fourth, and Denny Hamlin went to the inside lane as the race resumed on lap 186. Truex would lead the remaining 46 laps and win stage two.

STAGE WINNER: Now THIS is how you start the first race of the #NASCARPlayoffs.@MartinTruex_Jr wins the first two stages of the Cook Out #Southern500! Leaderboard: https://t.co/ZXswXeqTqH pic.twitter.com/psG9clzk8L — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2020

During the caution, Martin Truex Jr. would bring the field down to pit road with Denny Hamlin being the first off of pit road and Truex second. Denny Hamlin would choose the outside lane while Alex Bowman went to the inside, improving his position from fourth to second as the final stage was underway on lap 236. On the restart, cars were stacked-up towards the back of the field with Cory LaJoie getting into the rear of Joey Logano. LaJoie would take his car back to the garage and would finish in 37th place.

The field makes it through a stack-up at the start of the final stage! 📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwJmNc pic.twitter.com/mmWIhPziKe — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2020

The restart only lasted ten laps before John Hunter Nemechek crashed on the front stretch to bring out the sixth caution. Matt DiBenedetto would get the free pass. During the caution, all of the leaders went to pit road with Martin Truex Jr. winning the race off of pit road. Truex selected the outside lane, and Kyle Busch took the inside lane for the restart on lap 251. On lap 282, Austin Dillon headed to pit road to start the next green flag cycles. Kevin Harvick pitted on lap 286, Kurt Busch on lap 306, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch pitted on lap 307. Denny Hamlin was coming in for his stop on lap 308 but would miss the entry of pit road after being hit from behind by Jimmie Johnson on newer tires. Hamlin would finally come in a lap later to complete the pit cycles with Kevin Harvick now in the lead.

The No. 11 misses pit road! 📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC pic.twitter.com/w29pVdKidp — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2020

Debris on the backstretch would bring out the seventh caution of the night on lap 321. Everyone came to pit road with Chase Elliott, the first off of pit road. He would take the outside lane, and Martin Truex Jr. went to the inside lane for the restart on lap 327. Elliott and Truex were in a fierce battle for the lead. They pulled away from the rest of the field. With less than fifteen laps to go, Martin Truex Jr. was leading with Elliott right on his bumper. On lap 353, Elliott went high to pass Truex, but Truex powered back and thought he had cleared him. Truex then slid up in front of him and found out he hadn’t cleared him, sending both cars into wall at turn two. Truex went to pit road with a flat right rear tire with Kevin Harvick taking the lead. Harvick led the last 13 laps to win the Southern 500 by .343 seconds over Austin Dillon. With the win, Harvick now has eight wins on the season and will move on to the next round of the playoffs.

BOTH OF THE LEADERS HIT THE WALL HARD! pic.twitter.com/xJzIYz3SSP — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2020

"That's why you never give up, boys!"@KevinHarvick holds off @austindillon3 to win! pic.twitter.com/j9jTfhwBRb — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2020

The rest of the top ten finishers were Joey Logano third, Erik Jones fourth, William Byron fifth, Alex Bowman sixth, Kyle Busch seventh, Kurt Busch eighth, Aric Almirola ninth, and Clint Bowyer tenth. There were seven cautions for 34 laps and 18 lead changes.

With two races left in the round of sixteen, Kevin Harvick is locked into the round of 12. Denny Hamlin is second (+54), Joey Logano third (+27), Brad Keselowski fourth (+22), Alex Bowman fifth (+19), Martin Truex Jr. sixth (+16), Chase Elliott seventh (+12), Austin Dillon eighth (+10), William Byron ninth (+9), Kyle Busch tenth (+7), Kurt Busch eleventh (+4), and Aric Almirola twelfth (+0). Outside of the top twelve are Clint Bowyer thirteenth (-0), Cole Custer fourteenth (-3), Matt DiBenedetto fifteenth (-17), and Ryan Blaney sixteenth (-17).

The Cup Series continues the Round of Sixteen next Saturday from Richmond Raceway in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at 7:30 pm on NBCSN.

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