Driver Averages | Laps Led Leaders | Driver Ratings | Past Winners
Detailed driver notes and statistics to help set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Who’s HOT at Darlington
- Kevin Harvick is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last six races, including a win in 2014.
- Denny Hamlin has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last nine starts, including two wins.
- Kyle Larson has combined to lead 456 laps and has posted a 7.6 average finish in his five starts.
- Martin Truex Jr. has recorded an average finish of 7.3 in his last four starts, including a win in 2016.
- Kyle Busch, who won in 2008, has finished in the top 10 in six of the last seven races.
- Defending race winner Brad Keselowski leads all drivers with a 6.8 average finish in the last four races.
Keep an Eye On at Darlington
- Erik Jones has finished in the top 10 in his two starts at Darlington.
- Joey Logano has three top fives in the last four races at Darlington.
- Kurt Busch has posted three top 10s in the last four races at Darlington.
- William Byron (11.2), Alex Bowman (11.6) and Ryan Newman (12.0) each rank in the top 10 in average finish in the last five races – not including Daytona – this season with the 550 horsepower/aero ducts rules package.
- Chase Elliott has an 8.7 average finish in his last three starts at Darlington.
- Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney and Austin Dillon were among the top-10 finishers at Chicagoland with the tire combination that will be used again this weekend. Not including Daytona, the Chicago finish for Johnson and Dillon was their last top 10 of the season.
- Matt DiBenedetto has posted a 10.0 average finish in the last five races this season. However, he’s yet to post a top-20 finish in four starts at Darlington.
Notes: Darlington will mark the 12th race of the season with the 550 horsepower rules package with aero ducts…Atlanta featured the 550 package, but with no aero ducts…Teams will compete with the same combination of left- and right-side tires that were run at Chicagoland in June…Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin will compete in the Xfinity race, which will also use this tire combination…The Southern 500 was moved back to Labor Day weekend in 2015…The pole position has produced the most winners (20) at Darlington…Kevin Harvick was the last to win from the pole in 2014 – race held in April.
*Best Average Finish at Darlington
| Last # of Races | Driver | Average Finish |
| Two Races | Kurt Busch/Kyle Busch | 4.5 |
| Four Races | Denny Hamlin | 4.5 |
| Six Races | Kevin Harvick | 4.3 |
| Eight Races | Denny Hamlin | 5.9 |
| Ten Races | Denny Hamlin | 6.1 |
*The best average finish is based off a driver entered in the race who has competed in every race during that time span.
Laps Led Leaders at Darlington
| Last # of Races | Driver | Laps Led |
| Two Races | Kyle Larson | 408 |
| Four Races | Kyle Larson | 456 |
| Six Races | Kevin Harvick | 518 |
| Eight Races | Kevin Harvick | 565 |
| Ten Races | Kevin Harvick | 567 |
Click Here to view all laps led leaders at Darlington over the past 10 races.
Darlington Loop Data Stat Leaders (Last Three Races)
| Average Running Pos. | Laps in Top 15 |
| 1. Kevin Harvick – 4.6 | 1. Denny Hamlin – 1,095 |
| 2. Kyle Larson – 4.8 | 2. Kyle Busch – 1,091 |
| 3. Martin Truex Jr. – 5.8 | 3. Kevin Harvick – 1,082 |
| 4. Denny Hamlin – 6.2 | 4. Joey Logano – 1,075 |
| 5. Brad Keselowski – 6.9 | 5. Kyle Larson – 1,071 |
| Fastest Laps Run | Driver Rating |
| 1. Kyle Larson – 154 | 1. Martin Truex Jr. – 121.8 |
| 2. Martin Truex Jr. – 109 | 2. Kyle Larson – 119.7 |
| 3. Kevin Harvick – 82 | 3. Kevin Harvick – 119.1 |
| 4. Denny Hamlin – 74 | 4. Denny Hamlin – 112.8 |
| 5. Brad Keselowski – 70 | 5. Brad Keselowski – 111.7 |
Top 10 Stage 1 & 2 Points Earned at Darlington
Two Races
| Driver | Points Earned |
| Kyle Larson | 36 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 28 |
| Brad Keselowski | 26 |
| Denny Hamlin | 21 |
| Kevin Harvick | 21 |
| Erik Jones | 20 |
| Joey Logano | 18 |
| Kyle Busch | 13 |
| Kurt Busch | 12 |
| Chase Elliott | 8 |
2018 Darlington Stage Finishes
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| 1. Kyle Larson | 1. Kyle Larson |
| 2. Erik Jones | 2. Brad Keselowski |
| 3. Martin Truex Jr. | 3. Joey Logano |
| 4. Joey Logano | 4. Chase Elliott |
| 5. Brad Keselowski | 5. Erik Jones |
| 6. Kevin Harvick | 6. Kurt Busch |
| 7. Denny Hamlin | 7. Ryan Newman |
| 8. Kurt Busch | 8. Kyle Busch |
| 9. Kyle Busch | 9. Jamie McMurray |
| 10. Chase Elliott | 10. Kevin Harvick |
Top Five in Stage Points Earned in 2019 (24 Races)
| Driver | Stage Points | Stage Wins |
| Joey Logano | 240 | 7 |
| Kevin Harvick | 216 | 4 |
| Kyle Busch | 200 | 9 |
| Chase Elliott | 184 | 4 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 179 | 3 |
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kyle Larson
Pete Pistone: Denny Hamlin
Tyler Burnett: Kyle Larson
Kenneth Lee: Kyle Larson
Driver Notes – Ordered by Average Finish (Top 15) in the Last Five Races at Bristol
Kevin Harvick is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last six races at Darlington. He won this event in 2014 when the race was held in April. Excluding Daytona and Talladega, Harvick has fourth best average finish in the 11 races with the 550 horsepower/aero ducts rules package. He’s finished sixth and first, respectively, in the last two 550 races.
Erik Jones has finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in his two starts at Darlington. He ranks sixth in stage points earned in those two races. Excluding Daytona, Jones has finished in the top 10 in the last five races with the 550 horsepower rules package.
Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10 in nine of his 14 starts at Darlington, including a win in 2008. Since the race returned to Labor Day weekend in 2015, Busch has posted an average finish of 6.8. Busch is tied with teammate Denny Hamlin for the second best average finish (5.7) in the 11 races (excluding Daytona and Talladega) with the 550 horsepower/aero ducts rules package. He’s finished in the top 10 in the last three 550 races, including a second-place finish at Kentucky.
Denny Hamlin has posted 11 top-10 finishes in 13 starts at Darlington, including two wins (2010 and 2017). He’s combined to lead 205 laps since the race went back to Labor Day weekend in 2015, including 124 in 2017. Hamlin has finished in the top five in the last three races with the 550 horsepower rules package.
Kyle Larson has posted a 7.6 average finish in five starts at Darlington. He’s combined to lead 456 laps since the race went back to Labor Day weekend in 2015, including 284 last year when he finished third. Larson also leads all drivers in stage points earned in the last two races. Excluding Daytona, Larson leads all drivers with a 5.6 average finish in the last five races with the 550 horsepower rules package.
Brad Keselowski won this event last year for his third top 10 in the last four races at Darlington. Excluding Daytona, Keselowski has posted an 11.6 average finish in the last five races with the 550 horsepower rules package.
Martin Truex Jr. has finished 11th or better in the last four races at Darlington, including a win in 2016. Excluding Daytona, Truex has the third best average finish (7.6) in the last five races with the 550 horsepower rules package, including three top fives.
Ryan Newman has finished in the top 10 in four of the last six races at Darlington. This weekend will mark his first track start with Roush Fenway Racing. Excluding Daytona, Newman has posted a 12.0 average finish in his last five races with the 550 horsepower rules package.
Joey Logano has finished in the top five three times since the Southern 500 went back to Labor Day weekend in 2015. Last year, he finished second after leading 18 laps. Excluding Daytona, Logano has an 8.2 average finish in the last five races with the 550 horsepower rules package, including a win at Michigan.
Austin Dillon recorded his only top 10 (fourth) in five starts at Darlington in 2017. Dillon’s pair of 10th-place finishes at Auto Club and Chicagoland are his only top 10s with the 550 horsepower rules package.
Chris Buescher has posted a 15.7 average finish in three starts at Darlington. Excluding Daytona, Buescher has posted a 14.8 average finish in the last five races with the 550 horsepower rules package, including a 10th at Kentucky.
Kurt Busch has finished sixth or better in three of the last four races at Darlington. Excluding Daytona and Talladega, Busch has posted a 10.3 average finish in the 11 races with the 550 horsepower/aero ducts rules package, including a win at Kentucky.
Chase Elliott has two top 10s in four starts at Darlington, including a fifth last season. Elliott’s ninth-place finish at Michigan this month was his first top 10 with the 550 horsepower rules package since Pocono on June 2.
Ty Dillon has a 17.0 average finish in two starts at Darlington with a best of 13th in 2017. Excluding Daytona and Talladega, Dillon is coming off his best finish with the 550 horsepower rules package, 11th at Michigan.
Aric Almirola recorded his best finish in seven starts at Darlington in 2015 with Richard Petty Motorsports, 11th. Last year he finished 14th in his first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing. Excluding Daytona and Talladega, Almirola has posted a 13.5 average finish in the 11 races with the 550 horsepower/aero ducts rules package.
