Darlington 1 Race Results & Points
Sunday found NASCAR’s Premier Series back on track after a two-month delay. The Wuhan Institute of Virology Red Flag was finally lifted as 40 teams took to the “Track Too Tough to Tame” for the first of two races at South Carolina superspeedway.
It was good to see cars back on the track, but the event was a weird one-day affair full of No’s. No fans. No qualifying. No practice. No broadcasters at the track. No Kyle Larson. No retirement for Matt Kenseth. No more recovery for Ryan Newman. No Blue Emu on the 43.
It included four wide racing (and crashing) on a two lane track on the first lap (To finish first, first you must finish), a seven time champion wrecking a couple of hundred feet from the finish line for a stage win, debris caution created by a banner blowing off the wall onto the front end of the Denny Hamlin’s car, fire on the outside of the track, multiple single car spins for tire or wheel issues,
Points leader Kevin Harvick was the first to complete the 400 miles, leading 159 of the 293 laps, much to the delight of PattyKay Lilley. PK’s winner pick earned her 40 points and moved her up to second in the Points Standings behind leader Frank Buhrman. Four racers finished in the top 10 as shown in the race results below.
INSERT DARLINGTON FINISH
Editor’s Note: I am inserting what I was sent… twice. This is obviously from Phoenix, not Darlington, and does not belong in this space, but I seem to be having a hard time making that clear.
Sunday found NASCAR’s Premier Series back on track after a two-month delay. The Wuhan Institute of Virology Red Flag was finally lifted as 40 teams took to the “Track Too Tough to Tame” for the first of two races at South Carolina superspeedway.
It was good to see cars back on the track, but the event was a weird one-day affair full of No’s. No fans. No qualifying. No practice. No broadcasters at the track. No Kyle Larson. No retirement for Matt Kenseth. No more recovery for Ryan Newman. No Blue Emu on the 43.
It included four wide racing (and crashing) on a two lane track on the first lap (To finish first, first you must finish), a seven time champion wrecking a couple of hundred feet from the finish line for a stage win, debris caution created by a banner blowing off the wall onto the front end of the Denny Hamlin’s car, fire on the outside of the track, multiple single car spins for tire or wheel issues,
Points leader Kevin Harvick was the first to complete the 400 miles, leading 159 of the 293 laps, much to the delight of PattyKay Lilley. PK’s winner pick earned her 40 points and moved her up to second in the Points Standings behind leader Frank Buhrman. Four racers finished in the top 10 as shown in the race results below.
INSERT DARLINGTON FINISH
Editor’s Note: I am inserting what I was sent… twice. This is obviously from Phoenix, not Darlington, and does not belong in this space, but I seem to be having a hard time making that clear.
In addition to PattyKay’s home run win, Will Dossett used his Chase Elliott Pick to climb four places in points. Berra Nordin and Vivian Simons also advanced this week. Of course, when you have passers you have passes but we won’t talk about those. You can find it all in our Current Point Standings.
INSERT DARLINGTON POINTS
Editor’s note: Again, this is what I was sent and does NOT apply to this race. Still, we’re scheduled to race again tonight, and I have to put something in this space.
INSERT DARLINGTON POINTS
Editor’s note: Again, this is what I was sent and does NOT apply to this race. Still, we’re scheduled to race again tonight, and I have to put something in this space.
Toyota 500 (k)
Darlington 2
Two days off and it’s back to Darlington again for a historic mid-week battle as the Traveling Circus circles the wagons to run two points paying races at the same track in four days. Midweek races have been all talk for years but the little Chinese bug, quarantines and shelter at home orders turned talk into reality.
It will again be no fans, no practice and no qualifying as NASCAR tries another method to determine the starting lineup. Before May is over, we will have gone through four different iterations (which is silly since we’ve offered them the best in earlier writings. Maybe they will come to their senses in June). The race will run at night and will be a shorter version of Sunday’s race.
So same track. Same HP and aero setups. Shorter distance. Will we have the same picks? Let’s see what our Fantasy Racers think for our first Mid-Week race aka Darlington Lite.
PattyKay Lilley
OK, picks for Darlington. Put me down for Kevin Harvick, #4... for both races. Keeping it simple. He's my guy and I'm happiest when he wins.
Frank Buhrman
Can't think of a time it's been tougher to make a pick. We'd already had some pretty strange results in 2020, then all of a sudden, all the results were for racing that only existed in digital dust, and now we're racing multiple times a week. OK, first issue: do we consider "e" or "i" racing results at all? Timmy Hill was pretty hot, after all. Finally, it's Darlington. Here's my take. Quality and depth of assets are going to be really important, although the first race could pitch us surprises. So, with all that in mind:
Sunday: Denny Hamlin (he's won at Darlington and he's won on the computer)
Wednesday: Kyle Busch (because the team discipline at Gibbs should help with two races in four days)
I am SO glad racing is about to happen again.
Vivian Simons
Yay, we get to go racing again! At Darlington on May 17th, we will have no fans, but the racing is the important thing. For this race, I am hoping to ride with #2, Brad Keselowski right to Victory Lane and celebrate the return of racing while staying 6 feet away from my winner.
On the 20th, after a short rest, I think maybe I should ride with someone else if I want to make it all the way to Victory Lane. So, for this race, I think I will just hang out with #4, Kevin Harvick and practicing social protocol, I will stay just far enough away to be safe.
Berra Nordin
So back to racing again after the break! Let’s hope this goes well and nothing bad happens so we can continue racing! Winners I really hate this but I'm going to pick my least liked drivers to win the races......... #11 Denny Hamlin on Sunday and #22 Joey Logano on Wednesday.
Kelly Meiste
Before the stop the 18 had been knocking on the door. Watch him kick it down this week... twice!
Vicq Ruiz
Looks like I've gotta move to a contrarian plan pretty early this year. Who's going to have a decent finish and be picked by nobody else?
Clint Bowyer had a decent Phoenix, so the magic 8 ball comes up "14".
Hal Ashburn
I'll take last week’s winner Denny #11 in the first race and the #18 KB in the second.
Will Dossett
#57, Kyle Larson. Oh, this is for NASCAR, not World of Outlaws! D-1, Chase Elliot; D-2, Bowman, the Showman.
J. L. Steele
Darlington 1 - Brad Keselowski
Darlington 2 - Matt Kenseth because NASCAR seems to always get the storyline they want.
John Barnes
Sunday: Kyle Busch
Wednesday: Denny Hamlin
David Nance
So glad to get back. Missed everyone. This will be neat since I’ll get to jinx two drivers this week. Ryan Blaney is the Sunday victim. Brad K Wednesday.
Agree? Disagree? Play Along! Make your Picks in the Comments Below!
Everyone Stay Safe. Welcome Back!
Darlington 2
Two days off and it’s back to Darlington again for a historic mid-week battle as the Traveling Circus circles the wagons to run two points paying races at the same track in four days. Midweek races have been all talk for years but the little Chinese bug, quarantines and shelter at home orders turned talk into reality.
It will again be no fans, no practice and no qualifying as NASCAR tries another method to determine the starting lineup. Before May is over, we will have gone through four different iterations (which is silly since we’ve offered them the best in earlier writings. Maybe they will come to their senses in June). The race will run at night and will be a shorter version of Sunday’s race.
So same track. Same HP and aero setups. Shorter distance. Will we have the same picks? Let’s see what our Fantasy Racers think for our first Mid-Week race aka Darlington Lite.
PattyKay Lilley
OK, picks for Darlington. Put me down for Kevin Harvick, #4... for both races. Keeping it simple. He's my guy and I'm happiest when he wins.
Frank Buhrman
Can't think of a time it's been tougher to make a pick. We'd already had some pretty strange results in 2020, then all of a sudden, all the results were for racing that only existed in digital dust, and now we're racing multiple times a week. OK, first issue: do we consider "e" or "i" racing results at all? Timmy Hill was pretty hot, after all. Finally, it's Darlington. Here's my take. Quality and depth of assets are going to be really important, although the first race could pitch us surprises. So, with all that in mind:
Sunday: Denny Hamlin (he's won at Darlington and he's won on the computer)
Wednesday: Kyle Busch (because the team discipline at Gibbs should help with two races in four days)
I am SO glad racing is about to happen again.
Vivian Simons
Yay, we get to go racing again! At Darlington on May 17th, we will have no fans, but the racing is the important thing. For this race, I am hoping to ride with #2, Brad Keselowski right to Victory Lane and celebrate the return of racing while staying 6 feet away from my winner.
On the 20th, after a short rest, I think maybe I should ride with someone else if I want to make it all the way to Victory Lane. So, for this race, I think I will just hang out with #4, Kevin Harvick and practicing social protocol, I will stay just far enough away to be safe.
Berra Nordin
So back to racing again after the break! Let’s hope this goes well and nothing bad happens so we can continue racing! Winners I really hate this but I'm going to pick my least liked drivers to win the races......... #11 Denny Hamlin on Sunday and #22 Joey Logano on Wednesday.
Kelly Meiste
Before the stop the 18 had been knocking on the door. Watch him kick it down this week... twice!
Vicq Ruiz
Looks like I've gotta move to a contrarian plan pretty early this year. Who's going to have a decent finish and be picked by nobody else?
Clint Bowyer had a decent Phoenix, so the magic 8 ball comes up "14".
Hal Ashburn
I'll take last week’s winner Denny #11 in the first race and the #18 KB in the second.
Will Dossett
#57, Kyle Larson. Oh, this is for NASCAR, not World of Outlaws! D-1, Chase Elliot; D-2, Bowman, the Showman.
J. L. Steele
Darlington 1 - Brad Keselowski
Darlington 2 - Matt Kenseth because NASCAR seems to always get the storyline they want.
John Barnes
Sunday: Kyle Busch
Wednesday: Denny Hamlin
David Nance
So glad to get back. Missed everyone. This will be neat since I’ll get to jinx two drivers this week. Ryan Blaney is the Sunday victim. Brad K Wednesday.
Agree? Disagree? Play Along! Make your Picks in the Comments Below!
Everyone Stay Safe. Welcome Back!