Coming off the heels of the closest finish in NASCAR history, Darlington did not disappoint. The tires wore well, giving us comers and goers, and the almighty strategy also played a role, like any great Darlington race tempers flared after the checkered flag. This race was only 400 miles and not a playoff race as we will get later this year in the Southern 500. To make it a little spicy two of the drivers are angry with each other one is dating the other’s sister. All this wrapped in just 400 miles of thrill and excitement with a winless drought ended to boot.
Tempers Flare in Darlington
As it usually goes for tracks like Darlington several drivers were angry at one another. The first confrontation came from Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick. In the closing laps fighting for the lead, Tyler Reddick went for a slide job. Unsuccessfully clearing Buescher, Reddick slams into the 17 both receiving flat tires from the exchange. Buescher confronted Reddick after the race and voiced his displeasure to the apologetic Reddick:
It doesn’t work for me. We don’t have that (winner’s) sticker on our door right now. You need to be better
After the exchange Reddick took full responsibility he told the media:
I completely understand where he is coming from. He was running the top, running his own race, running his own line to keep me at bay, I made a really aggressive move and was hoping I was going to clear him, when I realized, I wasn’t going to, I tried to check up to not slide up into him, but yeah, I wish I wouldn’t have done that.
Buescher officially finished 30th, and Reddick finished 32nd at Darlington. Reddick already with a win at Talladega has the leeway to take that sort of chance, whereas Buescher has yet to win this year coming close Sunday at Darlington and coming in second at Kansas last week by .001 the closest finish in NASCAR history. The frustration of being so close is beginning to boil over.
More tempers flared at Darlington between Ryan Blaney and William Byron. Byron, Martin Truex Jr., and Ryan Blaney went three wide on lap 129. Byron’s car slides up into Truex causing Truex’s car to go into Blaney’s car causing enough damage to end Blaney’s race. Blaney sounded off on his sister’s boyfriend, William Byron:
One, don’t shove it three-wide at a place you can’t run three-wide. If he wants to do that, fine, but your responsibility is to leave room. You have to leave room for the top two cars. You shoved the bottom of three (wide), you have to leave space and he was off the dotted line until we were already wrecking. He faded up and sandwiched (Truex) into me. We’re as high as we can go.
The Owner Captures the Flags
Brad Keselowski took advantage of the Reddick Buescher wreck and inherited the lead, holding off the young phenom Ty Gibbs. Keselowski snaps a 110-race winless streak, and it is his first win since moving to Roush-Fenway-Keselowski racing. Jack Roush is offering the 2012 Cup Series Champion a stake in the team in 2022, making him a driver/owner.
Keselowski was also the first Ford to enter victory lane this year, snapping the longest Ford winless streak to start a season since 2010. RFK Racing is the only Ford to be a factor all year. Team Penske and Stewart-Haas are struggling out of the gate. With Buscher finishing second last week and the boss winning Sunday RFK maybe the sole flag bearer for the Blue Ovals
Keselowski is also the first Owner/Driver to win a Cup race since Tony Stewart in 2016 at Sonoma. A once common occurrence in the old days of NASCAR is now a rarity. Keselowski is the only full-time owner/driver of the Cup series. Finally breaking through into the win column, Keselowski is looking to repeat the success Stewart had as an owner, winning the Cup series championship in 2011.
The Aftermath
After the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Chris Buescher(+15) , Kyle Busch(+8) and Chase Briscoe (+6) are all just above the playoff cutline. While Bubba Wallace (-6), Joey Logano (-20) sit on the outside looking in. The only saving grace for the drivers further out then that is in this NASCAR system if you win you get in. With tracks that are unpredictable on the horizon anything in NASCAR is possible.
Points-wise, the leader is still Kyle Larson despite wrecking out at Darlington. Martin Truex Jr., despite being winless, sits second in points while his teammate Denny Hamlin is third. Hendrick teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron are third and fourth, respectively. 15 playoff points are on the line for the regular season championship.
The race after Darlington is the All-Star Race in the recently revived North Wilkesboro. The All-Star Race is a nonpoint paying event. The next points-paying race is a crown jewel event, the Coke 600. NASCAR’s longest race takes place on Memorial Day weekend, May 26th, at 6:00 Eastern time. Kyle Larson attempted the Memorial Day double racing in the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day.
About The Author
Dillon Hildreth is a writer for Total Apex and a lifelong fan of Football with my favorite teams being the New England Patriots and the Georgia Bulldogs. Dillon is also a fan of Motorsports Red Bull in Formula One and William Byron in NASCAR. You can catch Dillon Stream F1, NASCAR, and other video games and sidecasts on Twitch.
