Briscoe Conquers Southern 500 for Second Year: NASCAR at Darlington

Chase Briscoe solidified his position in motorsports history by obtaining his second consecutive victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Now, the driver aims for his first title in the NASCAR Cup Series. Briscoe overtook Tyler Reddick on the final lap, becoming the eighth driver in stock car racing history to achieve consecutive wins at this track, known as “Too Tough to Tame.” This select group includes legends like Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon, and Bobby Allison.

The expectation was to compete for victories. It definitely took longer than I expected, but tonight I think we showed what we are capable of.

Chase Briscoe

Briscoe led from the start, winning both stages and dominating 309 of the 367 laps. In addition to securing his advancement to the next round, he became the first driver with consecutive victories in this prestigious race since Greg Biffle in 2005 and 2006.

Chase Briscoe took the lead early, won both stages and led 309 of 367 laps before overcoming Tyler Reddick at the Darlington Raceway.The 30-year-old Indiana driver expressed his excitement for this victory. “It’s incredible to win two consecutive Southern 500s. It’s my favorite race of the year,” he stated. In the previous edition, Briscoe secured a place in the playoffs with a bold overtake in the final laps. On this occasion, he proved to be the strongest from the start.

I definitely feel like I’m doing my part.

Chase Briscoe

After Reddick passed him on the restart of the final segment, Briscoe regained the lead on the next lap and held the position after each of his final three pit stops. Reddick attempted an attack on the last lap, but was unable to complete the overtake. Briscoe secured his second victory of the season and the fourth of his career.

It was much harder than it should have been.

Chase Briscoe

The owner of the Briscoe team, Joe Gibbs, recalled receiving the driver in victory lane last year. Gibbs was impressed by how quickly Briscoe’s crew chief, James Smalls, got the car competing for wins.

Certainly, this was not something we expected.

Joe Gibbs

Erik Jones finished third, followed by John Hunter Nemechek and AJ Allmendinger. Playoff drivers Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin, Briscoe’s teammate, rounded out the top spots.

Problems for the contenders in the playoffs

The night was not favorable for several playoff competitors, with some facing difficulties. Only four playoff drivers managed to place in the top ten. Josh Berry, who was already below the cut line of 12, spun at the start of the race and had to enter the garage. Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney also experienced problems, affecting their playoff positions. Joey Logano, defending champion, had a disappointing performance.

Toyota Ownership

The top four places were occupied by Toyota drivers, something that has only happened three times since the manufacturer joined the Cup Series in 2007. Denny Hamlin highlighted the day as a great day for Toyota.

Upcoming Events

The playoffs continue on September 7 at World Wide Technology Raceway, outside of St. Louis, in the second of three first-round races. The round will conclude in Bristol on September 13, before reducing the field from 16 to 12 drivers.