NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Can Begin 2022 Playoffs with Darlington Southern 500 Victory?
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are here. The maiden race of the Round of 16 will be the Labor Day Classic, the 73rd annual Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway. With the longest, toughest race of the calendar ahead on a grueling South Carolina track, which driver can outlast the competition and find victory lane? Darlington Raceway has very few fluke winners throughout its history, typically rewarding the best drivers and teams of the season. One past master of The Lady in Black though has nothing to lose this weekend. A Darlington win is also a guaranteed spot onto the Round of 12, who can sleep easy for the next two weeks after this crown jewel race?
Martin Truex Jr.
Despite not making the 2022 Playoffs, Martin Truex Jr. could upset this weekend with a Darlington win. The 2017 Champion is a two-time winner in South Carolina, including in May of last year. That day, Truex led a whopping 248 of 293 laps, in one of the most dominant wins of 2021. With very little to lose over the next 10 weeks, MTJ and the 19 are free to go for broke in chasing checkered flags.
“Obviously we’re disappointed,” Truex said of not making the Playoffs. “We haven’t had a great season by our standards, but it has still been a good year overall. We just haven’t been able to get a win and that cost us. Very disappointing because there are a lot of good tracks for us in this stretch. We’re not going to quit by any means. We have a lot of pride and we’re still here to win races. Darlington is a good track for us. We ran well there in the spring. I have a lot of confidence we’ll go there and run well this weekend and have a shot at it.”
Just four months ago at Darlington, Truex did lead 28 laps before crashing out. The 19 was relegated that day to a dismal 24th-place result. While not a heavyweight favorite for the win against Playoff drivers, Truex could still find victory lane as a non-contender. 2022 is Truex’s first year not in the title hunt since 2014; he’s also won ever year since then. Do not be surprised to see the 19’s winning streak continue through 2022, possibly at Darlington Raceway.
Kevin Harvick
Potentially the biggest overlooked threat in these Playoffs is the 4 of Kevin Harvick. Only making the postseason after back-to-back August wins, Harvick could be getting hot at the right time. Harvick has three past Darlington victories, including two in 2020. The South Carolina venue is also one of Harvick’s most consistent tracks, with a top 10 in 13-straight trips here. Since joining Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick has not finished worse than ninth at Darlington. The 2014 Champion detailed what makes Darlington so challenging for all drivers.
“Darlington favors the guy who can be very disciplined and is able to push the car right to 99.9 percent of where that tire run is, and be able to put the car up against the wall and not overstep those boundaries,” Harvick said. “You have to be very disciplined there to get everything out of the car and keep up with the tire fall-off and not tear anything up – on your own, let alone being around everybody else.”
“No matter how hot it is, it’s just a mentally taxing race. It’s just you against the track and being able to have that mindset and know that every lap you have to be up on top of the wheel in order to keep yourself from rubbing up against the wall or doing something that’s detrimental to your car, but also pushing the car hard enough and keeping up with the tire fall-off and understanding all the things that are going on. There are just a lot of moving pieces at Darlington, but it’s really taxing, mentally.”
Perhaps in similar fashion to boss Tony Stewart in 2011, Harvick could be starting a heater in perfect time to upset as champion. The three tracks in the opening round are all historically great for the 4 team, with none better than Darlington. It will be little surprise to see Harvick take his third win in five weeks on Sunday.
Kyle Larson
Nobody in the Cup Series has been closer to more Darlington wins but struck out every time than Kyle Larson. Across nine starts at the historic track, Larson has seven top-10s, including a streak of three-straight runner-ups that ended last year. Larson gave it his all in the Southern 500 just 12 months ago, with a ‘video-game move’ attempted on Denny Hamlin coming to the checkers. If not for May engine issues, Larson could have extended that top-five streak. After starting second that day, a possible win escaped the 5. Larson returns to South Carolina now eyeing an all-important Playoff win.
“We had a really fast car last time before we had trouble,” Larson said. “The first round has a lot of really good tracks for us. Darlington, Kansas and Bristol. Those are honestly three of my best racetracks. I really like that round and hopefully we can do well in it and get some wins and get some bonus points. I have always run really well at Darlington, but have not gotten a win there yet. Finished second three times in a row before this year, so would love to be one spot better there and finally get that Darlington win that I have been close to getting.”
With only two wins entering his title-defense Playoffs, Larson has a tougher path ahead than last year. While the 5 does not need to win yet, he easily could find victory lane in this first round. Perhaps no track is better suited for Larson than Darlington, as he’s led close to 700 laps here.
Joey Logano
May’s winner at Darlington, Joey Logano started that day on pole and led 107 laps in his first Darlington triumph. His win was not free of controversy however, as he had to move William Byron for the lead in the closing laps. With such a fast car in the spring here, the 22 is favored for another win. Since everything is now on the line for the Playoffs, Logano’s aggression will take no prisoners once again. Should the 22 be running second late again, the leader better brace for wall impact.
Denny Hamlin
Darlington is admittedly Denny Hamlin’s favorite track on the NASCAR schedule, as he won the Southern 500 12 months ago. With three more victories here, Hamlin is one of Darlington’s all-time masters. Entering this year’s Southern 500 as the sixth seed, Hamlin eyes another trophy in the crown jewel race.
“I feel really good about where our team is at,” Hamlin said. “We have as much potential as anybody in the field if we can just put it all together. Darlington is obviously a great place to get that started with our history there. It would be nice to go in there Saturday, qualifying up front and be able to maintain that throughout the night Sunday. That’s easier said than done, but Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) and everyone on our 11 team is doing everything they can right now, so I’m excited to see it play out.”
Typically running double-duty this weekend, Hamlin is skipping the Xfinity race because of soreness from his Daytona crash. With the extent of this injury being an unknown, it is yet to be seen if Hamlin can race to his full potential this weekend. The FedEx 11 was taken out in a late crash in the spring. Hamlin and his team are hoping for a much smoother Darlington race this time around.
Chase Elliott
2022 regular season champion Chase Elliott is another driver yet to find Darlington victory lane. However, driver 9 has been close here multiple times before. In 2020 alone, Elliott was within reaching distance of two wins, before being wrecked late. In 11 Darlington starts, Elliott has five top-10s, including fifth in May. Coming into these Playoffs as the favorite and riding high on consistency, Elliott could win just about anywhere. The 2020 Champion is well aware that this week is only the start of a long and grueling postseason.
“Darlington (Raceway) is the beginning of a long road ahead,” Elliott said. “A lot can happen in 10 weeks. A lot can happen in one race weekend, much less 10. So, you know, it’s baby steps and one weekend at a time. Darlington is that first stop and you want to try to get off on a good note and see where it takes you.
“We’re happy to have those 15 bonus points. We’ve never been in a position to have many bonus points going into the final 10. Hopefully, we can take those points we’ve accumulated and help us get through these rounds. Hopefully, we don’t need them, but if you do have a bad day, you have a little bit of something to fall back on which is always nice. I’m looking forward to getting going and seeing where we stack up this first week and where we need to go from there.”
Do not be shocked to see Elliott cross Darlington off the winless tracks list, joining his father as a Southern 500 winner. Should Elliott win Sunday, it would surprisingly be Hendrick Motorsports’ first Darlington win since 2012.
For 16 drivers, Darlington offers a golden ticket to the next Playoff round. One team will be celebrating big after this crown jewel event late Sunday night, as Southern 500 winners. Be sure to not miss a lap of NASCAR Playoff action from Darlington. Coverage of the 73rd Cook Out Southern 500 is Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
