Bojangles’ Southern 500
Darlington Raceway
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race #25 of 36
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 6:15pm/et
Laps/Stages: 367 laps total. Stages end on laps: 100/200/367
Average time of race: 3:51:07
Minimum speed: 17.5 % / 34.22 seconds
Fuel window: 59 laps
Average # caution flags: 8
Pit road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 50 mph
TELEVISION / RADIO / STREAMING
Television Coverage: Time 6:00pm/et, NBCSN and streamed at NBC Sports Live (available with participating TV provider login)
Radio Coverage (over the air and streaming): Motor Racing Network (MRN) / SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR (available with subscription)
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
On track schedule
Practices:
Friday, August 30, 2:05-2:55pm/et, TV-NBCSN;
Friday, August 30, 4:05-4:55pm/et, TV-NBCSN.
Qualifying: Saturday, August 31 at 2:05pm/et, TV-NBCSN.
Complete Event Schedule (times local to the track) – REVISED August 21
Thursday, August 29
8:30 PM-10:30 PM MENCS HAULERS ENTER (EQUIPMENT UNLOAD)
Friday, August 30
11:00 AM-7:30 PM MENCS GARAGE OPEN
12:45 PM MENCS ROOKIE MEETING & RANDOM DRAWING
2:05 PM-2:55 PM MENCS 1ST PRACTICE
4:05 PM-4:55 PM MENCS FINAL PRACTICE
Saturday, August 31
9:30 AM-3:30 PM MENCS GARAGE OPEN
2:05 PM MENCS QUALIFYING IMPOUND (SINGLE VEHICLE / ONE LAP ALL POSITIONS)
Sunday, September 1
1:00 PM MENCS GARAGE OPEN
4:00 PM MENCS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING
5:20 PM MENCS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS
6:00 PM MENCS RACE (STAGES 100/200/367 LAPS = 501.3 MILES)
MENCS = Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Links to race, practice, qualifying results (in pdf): (will be added as available)
Contingency awards
Race Results
Drivers Points
Owners Points
Cumulative Race Report
Penalty Report
Pitstalls
Starting Lineup
Qualifying Results
Qualifying Order
Practice 2 Speeds
Practice 1 Speeds
Crew Rosters
Latest / Final Entry List
Preliminary Entry List
Darlington playoff clinch scenarios
RACE RUNDOWN….News & Links
Erik Jones claims Southern 500 win, but Playoff spots are still up for grabs: As the clock ticked toward 2 a.m. on Monday, in a race delayed by rain for nearly four hours, Erik Jones claimed the most important victory of his career in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. With his contract status at Joe Gibbs Racing a source of speculation throughout much of the current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, Jones made an emphatic statement, holding off teammate Kyle Busch and charging Kyle Larson after taking the lead from Larson on Lap 283. “It was a lot of pressure,” said Jones, who claimed his first victory of the season and the second of his career. “Kyle (Busch) is a great race car driver. I’ve raced him a lot, and obviously you want to beat him to win, right? I was just locked in, man. I stayed focused. I really thought it was our night when we got out front.[More](9-2-2019)
#20-Erik Jones won the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. The win is his 1st win of 2019, 1st win at Darlington and 2nd career win.
#42-Larson finished 2nd followed by #18-Busch, #4-Harvick, #2-Keselowski, #14-Bowyer, #1-Busch, #95-DiBenedetto, #21-Menard, and #3-Dillon.
Jones’ win clinched him a spot in the playoffs. In addition, #42-Larson, #12-Blaney, #24-Byron, and #10-Almirola clinched playoff spots on points. Two playoff spots remain with just next week’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway remaining in the regular season.
The start of the race was delayed nearly 4 hours because of rain. It went green at 10:07pm/et.
Stage 1 was won by #1-Busch. Stage 2 was won by #18-Busch.
There were 13 lead changes among 8 drivers and 7 cautions for 35 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 133.825mph.
See race details at: Race Results (pdf), Drivers Points Standings, Owners Points Standings, Cumulative Report, Penalty Report
Race Fast Facts – Darlington
Erik Jones won the 70th Annual Bojangles’ Southern 500, his second victory in 100 Monster Energy Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and 13th top-10 finish in 2019.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Darlington Raceway.
Kyle Larson (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in six races at Darlington Raceway. It is his 12th top-10 finish in 2019.
Kyle Busch (third) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 15 races at Darlington Raceway.
Ryan Preece (22nd) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kyle Busch leads the point standings by 64 points over Joey Logano.
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(9-1-2019)
2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings after Darlington:
1 race until the playoffs begin
1) #18-Kyle Busch [4 wins] 983 pts (points leader and regular season champion)
2) #11-Denny Hamlin [4 wins]
3) #19-Martin Truex, Jr. [4 wins]
4) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins]
5) #22-Joey Logano [2 wins]
6) #4-Kevin Harvick [2 wins]
7) #9-Chase Elliott [2 win]
8) #1-Kurt Busch [1 win]
9) #88-Alex Bowman [1 win]
10) #20-Erik Jones [1 win]
clinched playoff spot on points
11) #42-Kyle Larson, 714
12) #12-Ryan Blaney, 710
13) #24-William Byron, 683
14) #10-Aric Almirola, 674
not clinched
15) #14-Clint Bowyer, 625, -8 points in the playoffs
16) #41-Daniel Suarez, 617, +0
currently outside the playoffs:
17) #6-Ryan Newman, 617, -0 points out of the playoffs (Loses on a tiebreaker. Newman’s best finish of the year is 5th, Suarez’s is 3rd.)
18) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 599, -18
See the Drivers Points Standings and Owners Points Standings.
To the rear: #10-Almirola (backup car) #18-Busch (engine change), #27-Nemechek (unapproved adjustments), #51-McLeod (unapproved adjustments), #77-Sorenson (transmission change)
Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway have been made.
Pole winner #9-Byron chose pit stall 1.
Outside pole sitter #2-Keselowski took the eighth stall.
#42-Larson, starts 3rd and chose the seventh stall.
The final pit stall was taken by #48-Johnson, who starts sixth.
See all pit choices on Pit Stall chart.(8-31-2019)
QUALIFYING INFO, PRACTICE SPEED and ENTRIES
William Byron makes history with pole run at Darlington: In his sophomore season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series—and his first with veteran crew chief Chad Knaus—William Byron continues to make history.[More](8-31-2019)
#24-William Byron the Busch pole for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway with a speed of 172.487mph for his fourth pole of 2019, first at Darlington and fourth of his career.
#2-Brad Keselowski will start 2nd followed by #42-Kyle Larson, #1-Kurt Busch, #41-Daniel Suarez, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #22-Joey Logano, #9-Chase Elliott, #11-Denny Hamlin, and #12-Ryan Blaney.
Driver(s) who will miss the race: none as 39 were entered for 40 spots
See qualifying results on the Qualifying results page (pdf) and the complete starting lineup on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(8-31-2019)
Darlington Raceway – Qualifying Fast Facts:
William Byron won the Pole Award for the 70th Annual Bojangles’ Southern 500 with a lap of 28.51 seconds, 172.487 mph.
This is his fourth pole in 61 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races.
This is his fourth pole and 12th top-10 start in 2019.
This is his first pole in two races at Darlington Raceway.
Brad Keselowski (second) posted his 14th top-10 start of 2019 and his seventh in 11 races at Darlington Raceway.
Kyle Larson (third) posted his third top-10 start at Darlington Raceway.
It is his 11th in 25 races this season. Daniel Hemric (18th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(8-31-2019)
Happy Hour (final) practice for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#16-Stenhouse 168.845
#42-Larson 168.764
#24-Byron 168.480
#1-Busch 168.261
#95-DiBenedetto 168.250
Slowest: #66-Gase 154.578
Most laps run: #22-Logano, 61
Best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 26 drivers): #42-Larson, 166.897mph
Notes: #10-Almirola got into the wall and the team will move to a back-up car.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the Happy Hour Practice speeds page (pdf).(8-30-2019)
First practice for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest and notes:
#1-Busch 171.261
#24-Byron 170.703
#10-Almirola 170.065
#88-Bowman 169.989
#48-Johnson 169.660
Slowest: #54-Smithley 159.398 & #27-Nemechek 158.817mph.
Most laps run: #1-Busch, 34 laps.
Best 10 consecutive lap avg (of 15 drivers): #24-Byron, 167.183mph.
See the fastest speeds, best 10 consecutive lap average, laps run on the First Practice speeds (pdf) page.(8-30-2019)
Inspection at Darlington: Cars will be impounded after qualifying at Darlington on Saturday. The starting lineup is official at the conclusion of qualifying.
Entry List for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway is posted, 39 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed.
Some of the drivers entered include: #15-Chastain, #27-Nemechek, #51-McLeod, #52-Yeley, #54-Smithley, #66-Gase, #77-Sorenson.
Since 39 cars are entered, all drivers will make the race.
See the full entry list on the Entry List (pdf).
Darlington playoff clinch scenarios
Weekend Preview: Darlington Raceway
NASCAR National Series News & Notes – Darlington Raceway
Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Bojangles’ Southern 500
September 2018: see the Darlington Race Info page
Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshals: 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class
Command to start engines: Joe Gibbs and Bojangles’ CEO Jose Armario
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: TBA
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Edsel Ford
Color Guard: SC Air National Guard Color Guard
Invocation: Dr. Bill Curtis, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Darlington
National Anthem: Edwin McCain
Flyover: None
WEATHER
Weather Channel
Accuweather
National Weather Service
Race Weather
Race Day Forecast
WeatherBug
Weather Underground
Brian Neudorff @NASCAR_WXMAN
TIRE NOTES & FACTS