Denny Hamlin wins Stage 1 at Darlington as Bubba Wallace spins on final lap; nine of top 10 all playoff drivers

Denny Hamlin gained the primary stage at Darlington that was contested underneath virtually all-green situations. After 114 ¾ inexperienced flag laps, Bubba Wallace spun off of flip 3 on the ultimate lap of Stage 1 bringing out the yellow flag simply earlier than a contest stoppage would have taken place.

Pole-sitter Christopher Bell misplaced the lead on the primary spherical of green-flag pit stops with a 15-plus second cease because the jack dropped whereas his crew modified right-side tires. Tyler Reddick emerged from these stops with the lead, greater than six seconds forward of Bell, who emerged in sixth. Denny Hamlin briefly handed Reddick for the lead simply earlier than Reddick regained the lead on pit highway on the second spherical of stops. Hamlin later handed Reddick for the eventual stage win

Kyle Larson was an enormous mover in Stage 1, clawing as much as third place after beginning 18th.

Southern 500 TV/streaming schedule

All instances Jap

Saturday
12:30-1:20 p.m.: Observe (USA, NBC Sports activities app)
1:20-2:30 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports activities app)

Sunday
5:30-6 p.m.: Pre-race present (USA, NBC Sports activities app)
6-10:30 p.m.: Southern 500 (USA, NBC Sports activities app)

Southern 500 race particulars

Observe: Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile egg-shaped oval), Darlington, South Carolina
Size: 367 laps for 501.322 miles
Banking: Entrance straight – 3 levels | Turns 1-2 – 25 levels | Again straight – 2 levels | Turns 3-4 – 23 levels
Stage lengths: Stage 1 – 115 laps | Stage 2 – 115 laps | Stage 3 – 137 laps
2022 winner: Joey Logano

Opened in 1950, the monitor they’ve dubbed “too robust to tame” is without doubt one of the oldest on the circuit and one in every of its most celebrated. The distinctive, egg-shaped, 1.366-mile oval options broad, sweeping Turns 1 and a couple of however has tighter third and fourth turns to protect the pond that the unique proprietor of the farmland stipulated should keep in place when the speedway was constructed. On the monitor well-known for a number of racing grooves, drivers get pleasure from discovering what works for them on lengthy runs, and in-race changes are essential.

Southern 500 beginning grid

1. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

4. Ryan Blaney (12), Group Penske Ford

5. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

6. Joey Logano (22), Group Penske Ford

7. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

8. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

9. Michael McDowell (34), Entrance Row Motorsports Ford

10. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

11. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

12. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

13. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Austin Cindric (2), Group Penske Ford

15. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Membership Chevrolet

16. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

17. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

18. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

20. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Membership Chevrolet

21. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

22. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

23. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

26. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

27. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

28. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

29. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

30. Todd Gilliland (38), Entrance Row Motorsports Ford

31. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

32. Harrison Burton (21), Wooden Brothers Racing Ford

33. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

34. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

35. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. BJ McLeod (78), Dwell Quick Motorsports Ford

High drivers and finest bets for the Southern 500

Along with being the betting favourite to assert the championship, Truex enters the Southern 500 weekend with the most effective odds to win the race (+500), in accordance with BetMGM. Byron (+750) and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (+525) are sandwiched between Truex and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin (+800).

In all, the highest eight drivers with the most effective odds are all playoff drivers, and 14 of the highest 15 are within the postseason.

Finest odds to win
Martin Truex Jr. +500
Kyle Larson +525
William Byron +750
Denny Hamlin +800
Christopher Bell +1100
Kyle Busch +1100
Ross Chastain +1100

Yahoo Sports activities’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier within the week on the betting panorama for the race and suggests discovering good midtier worth in defending sequence champion Joey Logano (+1800) and Buescher (+2200), who has gained three of the previous 5 races. Bromberg additionally recommends taking a flier on Erik Jones, who enters at 40-to-1 odds, regardless of two wins on this very occasion, together with final 12 months.

Playoff standings coming into Southern 500

1. Martin Truex Jr. – 2,036
2. William Byron – 2,036
3. Denny Hamlin – 2,025
4. Chris Buescher – 2,021
5. Kyle Busch – 2,019
6. Kyle Larson – 2,017
7. Christopher Bell – 2,104
8. Ross Chastain – 2,011
9. Brad Keselowski – 2,010
10. Tyler Reddick – 2,009
11. Joey Logano – 2,008
12. Ryan Blaney – 2,008
____________________ Lower line
13. Michael McDowell – 2,007
14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 2,005
15. Kevin Harvick – 2,004
16. Bubba Wallace – 2,000

Southern 500 entry checklist

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Group Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Group Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wooden Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Group Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Entrance Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Entrance Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Membership Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Membership Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Dwell Quick Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Southern 500 climate

The forecast requires heat temperatures within the decrease 80s for Saturday’s observe and qualifying, whereas race day will likely be scorching, with a excessive of 89 levels. With the race operating in twilight and nighttime situations, that forecasted excessive shouldn’t have as huge an impression on tire degradation because the race wears on, however the load that goes by right-side tires — notably within the lengthy, sweeping Turns 1-2 — makes for some fascinating pit methods.