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The Lady in Black is quite the dance partner. She swirls and tumbles like any other great race track. But she does so with such grace and elegance. Racing on the 1.366-mile oval can look rather elegant, if one does it right.
Sunday was not one of those examples. Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain battled for first place throughout the final two stages, each showcasing the high-end speed expected of NASCAR Cup Series contenders. Ultimately, neither one ended the day in victory lane.
That honor instead went to William Byron, who thrust his No. 24 car through the wreckage to capture a thrilling overtime win at Darlington.
Byron was in the mix for much of the race, but it wasn’t until Chastain and Larson collided like a pair of bickering schoolchildren that the win became achievable.
The tango was a sight to behold. Larson veered into Chastain, who — per usual — had his foot on the throttle. The result? A less-than-stellar finish for Larson (20th). Chastain, meanwhile, saw his day end after his car tore into the wall. He finished 29th.
It’s easy for questions to arise after the drivers came together. Was it intentional? Does it matter? Who knows? But Byron was the beneficiary, and he made up for a dramatic loss at the same track last year with a frenzied celebration.
MORE: Watch NASCAR Cup Series races live with Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway, the Goodyear 400. Scroll below to see all the action as it happened at the famed South Carolina track.
NASCAR at Darlington final top-10 results
(Results are unofficial)
Place
Driver
Car No.
Team
1
William Byron
24
Hendrick Motorsports
2
Kevin Harvick
4
Stewart-Haas Racing
3
Chase Elliott
9
Hendrick Motorsports
4
Brad Keselowski
6
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
5
Bubba Wallace
23
23XI Racing
6
Harrison Burton
21
Wood Brothers Racing
7
Kyle Busch
8
Richard Childress Racing
8
Justin Haley
31
Kaulig Racing
9
Ryan Blaney
12
Team Penske
10
Chris Buescher
17
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
NASCAR at Darlington live updates, highlights from 2023 race
(All times Eastern)
6:36 p.m.: Byron out in front as the white flag is waved. Looks like the No. 24 car is finishing the day in victory lane!
6:34 p.m.: Byron and Harvick in the front row. We’ll see how things go when they get back to green.
6:33 p.m.: Chastain is done for the day. Of the eight cars out front, but one — Byron — has captured a win. We’re in overtime and we’re going to have fun here at Darlington.
6:31 p.m.: Larson’s spotter Cliff Daniels is not happy.
Wreck on the restart. Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson.
“Why did he run us right into the fence?” Cliff Daniels says of Ross Chastain.
“Make that three races he’s taken us out of, Chevrolet. Three races.” – more Daniels.
— Dustin Albino (@DustinAlbino) May 14, 2023
6:27 p.m.: CAUTION! Larson and Chastain get into it on the restart, T-boning as they head into the first turn off of green flag. It was written.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 14, 2023
6:23 p.m.: Cadre of Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the Top 5: Larson is trailed by Byron (P3) and Elliott (P40. Gonna be hard for Chastain to overcome all that momentum.
6:17 p.m.: CAUTION! Huge wreck on the restart. Truex slides into Logano before veering into the wall. Left a ton of skid marks, all while collecting a hearty number of cars in its wake. Things are getting interesting.
LOGANO AND TRUEX JR. MAKE CONTACT! 🟡 pic.twitter.com/9hDNexjthF
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 14, 2023
6:15 p.m.: Bell headed to pit road once more. Loose lug nut for the No. 20. That will bump everyone up a spot. Logano has climbed himself into contention seemingly out of nowhere.
6:12 p.m.: 19 lead laps cards headed to pit road. Looks like Truex and Chase Elliott took advantage of all the chaos, moving up four spots each during their race to the line.
6:10 p.m.: CAUTION! Ryan Newman twirls around Turn 3 in his return to the Cup Series, driving in Cody Ware’s No. 51. This could make things very interesting with 18 laps left.
6:07 p.m.: 24 laps to go. At the moment, it’s Larson’s to lose. But you never know at the Lady in Black.
6:03 p.m.: Hamlin headed to pit road. Larson will take the lead. Clear skies for the No. 5 car, who is 30 laps away from his first-ever Cup Series win at Darlington.
6:00 p.m.: Larson building his lead over Christopher Bell in P3. Hamlin holds the edge as of now, although he hasn’t yet pitted. Larson should pull in front sooner or later.
5:55 p.m.: Larson headed to pit road, as are Byron and Chastain. 45 laps to go before the checkered flag is waved. Things have been smooth atop the field throughout. Looks like Larson’s going to beat Chastain out of pit road. Huge run by the No. 5 car, who is right in the mix.
5:50 p.m.: Chastain holds the slight edge over Byron with 55 laps to go. Busch and Keselowski not too far behind.
5:32 p.m.: CAUTION! Stenhouse spins out! Unfortunate for the No. 47, who had raced wonderfully over the course of the weekend.
5:27 p.m.: Larson is quite loose as we go back to green! Chastain and Busch taking advantage, sitting in P1 and P2. Chastain reporting that he’s loose, though. Could be some more cautions here.
5:26 p.m.: Daniel Suarez out of the race after suffering yet another speeding penalty. Frustrating for the Trackhouse Racing talent, who seemed to have one of the faster cars entering into the weekend.
5:16 p.m.: CAUTION! Whole lot of laundry left on the track after Erik Jones’ right rear wheel snaps off the mores. That is a seriously costly error there. Collected what felt like a dozen or so cars in the process. That will leave a mark.
Trouble behind the leaders! @Erik_Jones and @Daniel_SuarezG are among those involved! pic.twitter.com/v0tkD97Ubr
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 14, 2023
5:14 p.m.: Larson takes P1 after a speedy stay in pit road. Chastain in P2. Stage 3 is off the mark!
5:04 p.m.: CAUTION! Truex spins out! Good hard racing there, but Truex unable to hold his grip. Chastain takes the stage through plumes of smoke.
DRAMA AT THE END OF THE STAGE! 😱 pic.twitter.com/vVq3ROgMOD
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 14, 2023
5:02 p.m.: Tight battle between Chastain and Truex for P1 in the final lap…enthralling stuff here.
4:55 p.m.: Chastain holding firm in first. Blaney and Tyler Reddick get into each other as we approach the final stretch of the second stage.
That’s going to leave a mark. @Blaney | @TylerReddick pic.twitter.com/ANkYSjOphb
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 14, 2023
4:45 p.m.: Chastain takes the lead! Truex reporting that he’s lost a lot of his grip when moving to the top lane of the track. Track is starting to get a bit tattered as we approach the end of Stage No. 2.
4:40 p.m.: With the No. 12 and No. 23 cars headed to pit road, Truex returns to the front. However, Byron has cut the lead down to 1.40 seconds. That’s much closer than he was prior to his pit stop. You have to credit his spotter for having him come in a lap earlier than some of the other race leaders. May have just put him in position to capture this stage.
4:38 p.m.: Blaney and Wallace take P1 and P2, respectively. Best friends forever!
4:36 p.m.: A remarkably clean race at Darlington through 137 laps. Pit road opens as cars stream towards the expansive apparatus to replace their tires. Truex on his way to pit road, surrendering his lead in the process.
4:28 p.m.: A surprise name sits just outside the Top-5: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The Daytona 500 winner has showed some ferocious speed the straight aways, putting together a Top-5 fastest lap time in the opening stage. Car was a little tight but he’s been promising this weekend. Only thing his team is looking for is for him to clean up his entries on Turn 3. Let’s see if he could get it done.
4:20 p.m.: We’re back to green at the Lady in Black. Truex and Byron holding firm, enjoying themselves in an oasis of clean air.
4:17 p.m.: Wallace’s pit crew struggles to replace his right rear tire. Serious delay in his pit stop. He drops from P3 to P18 as a result. His pit woes continue. Could be very challenging for him to get back in the front of the pack.
4:05 p.m.: And it’s Truex who takes Stage 1. That’s his 57th career stage win.
4:04 p.m.: Interesting battle going on between Wallace and Chastain for P3. Wallace holds the slightest of leads as we approach the final lap of the stage.
4:00 p.m.: Looks like Wallace is dropping off ever so slightly. Just flipped spots with Byron, who now finds himself about 4.50 seconds behind first-place Truex. Nine laps to go until stage break.
3:54 p.m.: With 20 laps remaining in the first stage, here’s how things are shaping up: Truex-Wallace-Byron-B
Source: Sporting News | Read More
