Darlington is the last chance for romance for many drivers to punch their ticket to the playoffs. This is the last opportunity for many drivers to turn a rough season around and at least have a chance at the championship and a Cinderella story. Earlier this year in the first round at Darlington Chris Buescher who currently sits on the cut line 21 points above Bubba Wallace led the race late only to get caught up in a collision with Tyler Reddick fighting for the lead.
Darlington: The Lady in Black
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Darlington is known by many names, The Lady In Black, and The Track Too Tough To Tame due to how difficult it is to run fast here and how truly on the edge you have to be. The fastest line around the 1.37-mile egg-shaped oval is right up by the wall, as close as you can without hitting the wall. The tires will fade and fade quickly and they must be taken care of to last the entire stint. Pit Road is not a haven either, it is one of the toughest pit roads to get on and stay under the pit road speed. Victory Lane at Darlington is reserved only for the best of the best.
Unlike earlier this year this race is 500 miles. Drivers will have to survive an extra 100 miles to claim victory which means one or two, maybe three extra pit stops an extra hour of racing, and dealing with the treacherous conditions inside the car this time in the humid South Carolina heat. This race will test the drivers physically and mentally. Also, we have to add on the pressure of several drivers who need to win the race to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs.
Must Win for Multiple Drivers
This is the final race before the Cup Series Playoffs begin. Chris Buescher is currently on the cutline 21 points above it. Buescher doesn’t need a win to get in but can not afford a first-time winner like at Daytona last week. Should a new winner emerge at Darlington and it is not Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. he will be on the outside looking in. Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain are just below the cutline by 21 and 27 points respectively in theory can point their way in but will be a tough ask especially given how well Buescher has run here.
The other drivers below Ross Chastain in the point standings can not point their way in, they must win in order to qualify for the playoff, (and cleanly by NASCAR’s imaginary standards). Two-time Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch is the headliner for those who need to win to get into the playoffs. Stewart HAAS cars Chase Briscoe and Josh Berry are very good at tracks like Darlington Briscoe out dueling Kyle Busch in the Xfinity race in 2020. Josh Berry has three top 10s in the Xfinity Series and a third-place finish earlier this year in the cup series.
It is all on the line Sunday Night. For 12 drivers their only path to the playoff is a victory at one of the toughest tracks in NASCAR. Erik Jones is a two-time winner at Darlington and will have to make it a third if he wants to punch his ticket to playoffs. Kyle Busch has tamed the track too tough to tame, this race can and will change multiple times at the drop of the track itself will change multiple times throughout the 500-mile race whoever gets comfortable being uncomfortable will come out of the race a winner at one of the crown jewel events of NASCAR.
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