DARLINGTON, S.C. — Whereas Denny Hamlin celebrated his Darlington victory Sunday, the sensation of these additional down pit highway was a lot completely different.
“Simply sucks,” stated William Byron, who led the primary 243 laps earlier than ending second. “It’ll sting to be this shut.”
“That stings,” stated Ryan Blaney, who misplaced the lead on pit highway forward of the time beyond regulation restart and completed completed fifth. “I actually wished to win right here.”
He seized the lead on the ultimate pit cease beneath yellow.
As a substitute, it was Hamlin profitable for the fifth time at this monitor and 56th time in his Cup profession. And he did so with out the perfect automobile.
“I informed the crew, the crew chief, I stated don’t get offended once I debrief and say that we most likely had an eighth-place automobile,” Hamlin stated.
That received’t make Byron or Blaney really feel any higher.
It will be comprehensible if Byron was crestfallen after changing into the primary driver since Jeff Burton at New Hampshire in 2000 to guide greater than 210 laps to open a Cup race.
The race winner thanked his pit crew and a competitor after his second consecutive victory.
Byron did it by profitable the pole and profiting from monitor place. Darlington’s distinctive form makes for a extra slim groove than many massive tracks so monitor place is crucial. Run out entrance in clear air and life is sweet. Run within the pack and life may be depressing.
Byron stayed within the lead and caught a break when a warning for particles interrupted a green-flag pit cycle at Lap 139 of the 297-lap race. Byron was amongst a few dozen automobiles that had but to pit. That allowed him to keep up management of the race.
Issues modified when Tyler Reddick pitted on Lap 240 beneath inexperienced. He was among the many first drivers to pit in that green-flag cycle and got here in 4 laps earlier than Byron.
After the cycle ended, Reddick had a six-second lead on Christopher Bell and a 6.2-second lead on Byron because of the sooner laps on the brand new tires when Bell and Reddick had but to pit.
“We knew that Tyler was going to beat us (on the cycle),” stated Rudy Fugle, crew chief for Byron. “However with four-lap (brisker tires) and if we come out the place we’re supposed to return out, I feel it goes rather well. It simply didn’t work out. That’s racing. Every little thing comes all the way down to that execution.”
Stated Byron: “We misplaced a couple of spots on that green-flag sequence and that was the distinction. Had an excellent first rate run that point. (Bell) did an excellent job type of air blocking and simply type of protecting us behind. It took me a very long time to get by him.”
It’s his 56th profession victory, placing him in sole possession of eleventh on the all-time win record.
Then got here Blaney.
He had one of many higher automobiles however one thing at all times appeared to occur to him Sunday.
“Only a day the place nothing actually went our means,” he stated.
A particles warning at Lap 139 interrupted a green-flag pit cycle. Blaney and Reddick had pitted in order that they weren’t caught a lap down as others however they have been behind all those who had but to pit and misplaced monitor place. Blaney labored his strategy to fourth to finish the second stage however misplaced 12 spots with a gradual pit cease after the stage ended.
Within the remaining stage, he pitted two laps after Byron within the green-flag cycle (Hamlin additionally pitted that lap). With brisker tires, Blaney proved to be stronger because the run went, taking the lead on Lap 291 from Reddick. However a warning for Kyle Larson’s incident despatched the race into time beyond regulation.
Hamlin’s pit crew obtained out first, setting him as much as win.
Byron exited pit highway third; Blaney fourth.
“I had an awesome pit cease there on the very finish and was in a position to line up on the second row,” Byron stated. “Simply want the entrance row to have a shot to win right here.”
Stated Blaney: “Misplaced the lead on pit highway, misplaced the entrance row beginning spot. By no means had a shot (after that).”
