Chase Briscoe has secured his place in the NASCAR playoffs following his victory at the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway in South Carolina. Briscoe held off a fierce challenge from Kyle Busch, who narrowly missed out on a postseason spot and a vital win.
Here’s a breakdown of the winners and losers following the race at Darlington.
Winners:
Chase Briscoe: Briscoe’s win marked his first victory since 2022 and is considered potentially the most significant of his career. The triumph also provides Stewart-Haas Racing with at least one driver in the playoffs during the team’s final season.
Tyler Reddick: Despite racing while feeling unwell, Reddick managed to secure a 10th place finish, just ahead of Kyle Larson. This performance allowed him to clinch the regular-season points championship by a single point. Larson, however, boasts the most wins this season and will enter the playoffs as the top seed.
Martin Truex Jr.: Unusually, a driver who finished nearly last can still be labeled a winner. Truex was involved in an accident on Lap 3, finishing in 36th place, just ahead of Ryan Blaney. Nevertheless, he secured his spot in the NASCAR playoffs during the second stage of the race when Chris Buescher was unable to score any points.
Losers:
Chris Buescher: Buescher faced a tough break as Briscoe’s victory solidified his playoffs position, leaving only one spot open for winless drivers. Ty Gibbs managed to clinch that last spot, leaving Buescher just six points shy of making the playoffs.
Kyle Busch: Despite his close attempt, Busch could not secure a win, which would have guaranteed his entry into the playoffs. Richard Childress Racing has improved significantly over the past month, but it has not been enough for Busch, who remains winless this season.
Bubba Wallace: Wallace was in contention for a playoff spot alongside Buescher throughout the race. However, Briscoe’s victory meant Wallace ended up finishing 27 points short of qualifying for the playoffs, despite starting from the pole position.