NASCAR: Winners And Losers From Darlington

Date:

9/5/2016

Time:

12:17:23

Author:

Cole Mentzel/FanSided via Beyond the Flag

Source:

Foxnews

Content:

The return of throwback weekend at Darlington brought back memories for fans and members of NASCAR. With throwback paint schemes, outfits and commentators, the weekend proved to be another big success. In the process, we got to see an amazing race as the action at Darlington went into the night with drama down to the very end. It was a dominant night for Kevin Harvick, as he led 214 laps, but pit road mistakes cost him the win. We saw plenty of leaders as Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin left their mark on the race, but in the end, it was Martin Truex Jr. who ended up earning his second victory of 2016. The race for the Chase almost got a lot tighter as Ryan Newman was able to lead nine laps late, but he ended up finishing eighth, leaving him just seven points behind Jamie McMurray, who will hold the 16th and final Chase spot heading into Richmond next weekend. Lets dive in a little deeper and take a look at a few winners and losers from Sundays race. Next: A Problem Early On Turn 3 is arguably the hardest turn to get into at Darlington, but there was something added in that made it that much more difficult on Sunday. As with all night races, the Southern 500 started during the day and went on into the night. With the way the layout is at the track, the sun was shining straight into the drivers eyes as they attempted to enter Turn 3. Ryan Blaney actually had a special visor that helped him, but other drivers werent as fortunate. For example, Kevin Harvick struggled and was even seen putting his left hand in front of his face to block some of the sunshine out so he could get into the turn. It was weird to see but it was certainly an obstacle early on. As the race progressed and the sun went down, things got easier, but early on the sun was a major problem for drivers as they entered one of NASCARs classic turns. Next: Going Back In Time Throwback weekend was a huge success last season so NASCAR decided to bring it back for 2016 and promote it a little more. We saw everything from throwback paint schemes and throwback outfits to legends of the sport assembling together. Cale Yarborough joined a star-studded group of former drivers, like Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, for a picture before the race and then went on to drive the pace car before the it began. As the night progressed we got the opportunity to hear Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett and Dale Jarrett share the broadcasting booth for one incredible session. No matter what went on, it was an awesome time for all kinds of fans. Older fans had the opportunity to relive past memories while younger fans learned new things about the sport. Throwback weekend has been one of the biggest successes in recent years and it showed as the stands looked nearly filled for the first time in a while this season. The entire event is something NASCAR needs to hang on to for as long as possible. Next: Making It Close Aug 19, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jamie McMurray (1) during practice for the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports As is stands right now, the three drivers above the Chase cut-line by points are Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray. Next week at Richmond marks the final opportunity for any other drivers to interfere with the ones mentioned above, and Ryan Newman is the only real driver who has a shot, as the rest would need a win to make the cut. Newman is only seven points behind McMurray for 16th place, and while he could get get a penalty for failing post-race laser tech, the cushion couldve been larger for McMurray. With three eighth-place finishes in the last three weeks, hes made a big push to solidify his spot in the Chase. In the final stages of Sundays race he was sitting in the top-10 and had been there for quite some time, but a late penalty sent him back in the pack. HUGE mistake. @jamiemcmurray loses 5 positions on pit-road penalty — tom jensen (@tomjensen100) September 5, 2016 He was able to make it back up to 15th, but lost a good seven to eight points in the process. Unless something goes terribly wrong for Dillon (+16) or Elliott (+24), McMurray will likely be the only driver in danger of falling below the cut-line in the final week before the Chase. Next: A Classic Response We all know Tony Stewart. We know he likes to have some fun and say some funny stuff. He delivered again this weekend. After coming out of Turn 2, Brian Scott got Stewart a little loose. That resulted in Stewart moving right back up the track and tapping Scotts left side, sending him flying down to the inside wall. Soon after, NASCAR went on to report that Stewart and his crew chief would need to make a visit with them after the race. After Scott got out of his car, he seemed confused as to why Stewart had spun him and stayed calm about the situation, avoiding harsh words and not fueling the fire. However, Stewart didnt take blame for the situation. Later on, he would exit the race with engine issues but delivered a classic Stewart-like quote. When asked about the incident, he started to laugh and simply said, "He wrecked." "He wrecked." https://t.co/gWSosX2ZIX — Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 5, 2016 If theres one thing well miss from him next season, its his blunt responses. We have 11 more races to enjoy his time behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car. Next: Another Second-Place Finish After leading a race-high 214 laps, it looked like we were about to see another vintage weekend from Kevin Harvick…then the issues arose again. Late in the race, Harvick had two visits to pit road that didnt go so well. He lost spots on both and didnt have any good comments on his teams performance, explaining how he thought that they had ended his chances at a win. #NASCAR … Slow on the right rear for Harvick on that stop.Harvick: "You all honestly dont want to (*#((* win do you?@NASCARonNBC — Dustin Long (@dustinlong) September 5, 2016 In the end, Harvick made it back to second, but never had anything for Martin Truex Jr. and went on to complete his 23rd second-place finish since 2014 (via Jeff Gluck of USA TODAY). After the race, things got interesting. Harvick explained how he was "over being a cheerleader." Later on, he got up and left the media center after being asked a question about possibly changing crews. The frustration continues to build as Harvick finds himself with just two wins in a season where he could easily have five or six. While his comments and actions are something concerning, he does make valid points, and it will be up to Stewart-Haas Racing to help their best driver before he is faced with the task of making it through the Chase. Next: His Best Season Yet Martin Truex Jr. was quietly in contention throughout the majority of the night, and he made the right move at the right time to set up his second victory of the season. After leading 28 laps late, Truex now has a win in the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500, and he was just 0.010 seconds away from adding the Daytona 500 to that list. Truex now joins all four of the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in the two-win club, as every member in the team and every member associated has at least two victories on the season. Its incredible to think about a single-car team helping a driver win just his fifth Cup Series race in 11 full-time seasons in the sport, but thats exactly what the No. 78 team did -- and at Darlington of all places. They accomplished the victory by staying consistent with their pit stop times and staying patient on the track. .theiaPostSlider_nav._lower { display: none !important } must read: Results From Darlington Martin Truex Jr. will soon embark on another run in the Chase. With two wins on the season, we could potentially see him make it back-to-back trips to the Championship 4. This article originally appeared on

Orignial Link :

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/09/05/nascar-winners-and-losers-from-darlington.html

crawlTime:

9/12/2016 4:14:49 PM