NASCAR Cup Series: Denny Hamlin vence na abertura dos Playoffs

Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing/ Toyota) venceu a Cook Out Southern 500, no Darlington Raceway, 27ª etapa da NASCAR Cup Series, e primeira dos Playoffs. Foi a primeira vitória de Hamln no ano, e 45ª na categoria. Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports/Chevrolet) e Ross Chastain (Chip Ganassi Racing/ Chevrolet) completaram os três primeiros.

Em um final de tirar o folego Hamlin e Larson disputaram a vitória até a última curva, quando os carros chegaram a se tocar, raspando o muro. No final o piloto do carro #11 venceu com 0s212 de vantagem. E garantiu a sua vaga na próxima fase dos Playoffs.

Chastain foi o terceiro. Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing/Toyota) terminou em quarto, seguido por Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing/Ford).

Larson lidera os Playoffs com 2106 pontos, seguido por Hamlin com 2072.

A próxima etapa acontece no Richmond Raceway, no dia 11 de setembro.

Final:

1 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 367
2 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 367
3 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 367
4 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 367
5 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 367
6 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 367
7 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 367
8 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 367
9 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 367
10 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 367
11 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 367
12 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 367
13 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 367
14 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 367
15 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 367
16 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 366 24
17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 366
18 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 366
19 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 366
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 366
21 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 366
22 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 366
23 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 365
24 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 364
25 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 364
26 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 363
27 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 359
28 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 359
29 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 357
30 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 355
31 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 327
32 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 264
33 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 209
34 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 199
35 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 125
36 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 50
37 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 30