Daytona, Atlanta, COTA, and now Darlington. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick is driving away with the championship lead, and on this age of parity, a win report like that’s almost unparalleled.
However 23XI wasn’t the one crew that turned heads on Sunday, with RFK and Spire each exhibiting good tempo, whereas titans like HMS and JGR lagged behind.
36 of the 37 starters completed Sunday’s race, however there was nonetheless loads of on-track drama to debate:
WINNER: Regardless of setbacks, Tyler Reddick’s dominance continues
Watch: Reddick on Darlington win: ‘I do know by no means to surrender’
What extra can we are saying in regards to the driver of the #45 Toyota? Reddick has now gained 4 of the primary six races of the 12 months and leads the championship standings by 95 factors. 33% of Reddick’s 12 profession wins have come within the final two months. It is astonishing, particularly after the entire adversity he needed to overcome throughout the race. A cool go well with failure, electrical points, a gradual pit cease, a battery change, and even an incident within the last 50 laps of the race. However simply how lengthy can they maintain this up earlier than one other crew catches up?
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LOSER: Bubba Wallace and what may have been
On the opposite finish of the 23XI spectrum was Wallace, who was additionally very quick on Sunday. He began on the entrance row and seemed to be a risk for the win as effectively. Nevertheless, an ungainly pit cease the place the crew had him backup to ensure the wheels have been tight put Wallace in the course of the pack. He rapidly charged ahead, solely have a entrance row seat for an incident involving Erik Jones and his boss, Denny Hamlin. Wallace had nowhere to go, hitting Hamlin and the surface wall, knocking the toe out on his #23 Toyota. He limped round for the remainder of the race, ending thirty fourth, 5 laps down.
WINNER: The appropriate route with this package deal
Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace lead the sphere to the inexperienced flag, 23XI Racing Toyotas
Photograph by: David Jensen / Getty Photos
The updates guidelines package deal, which included extra horsepower and a softer Goodyear tire, helped drivers to really make strikes on Sunday. It wasn’t a spectacular race, however drivers weren’t caught they usually may really management their future a bit extra, which was a step in the appropriate route. The collection simply must maintain going that means. After the race, Ryan Blaney mentioned, “That is like the primary time I feel in my Cup profession that I might let a man go, like a couple of laps right into a restart if he is hounding me or come off pit highway and I mentioned to myself, ‘I will see you in about 20 laps and that occurred.” Now that is good to listen to.
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LOSER: Joey Logano’s actually terrible day
Joey Logano, Crew Penske
Photograph by: David Jensen / Getty Photos
Whereas each Blaney and Penske teammate Austin Cindric had sturdy days, the place was their different teammate, the three-time collection champion? Logano had completely nothing to work with on Sunday, struggling from the beginning and by no means in a position to overcome it. He did not even know what to say to the crew to try to assist, because the #22 was to this point off. He ended the race in thirty third place, three laps down. He dropped 5 positions within the standings, and is now on the Chase bubble.
WINNER: Spire rises even increased
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Photograph by: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos
The highest Chevrolet crew at Darlington was not Hendrick Motorsports, as their top-running drivers may solely watch as one other Chevy crew drove proper on by within the closing laps. That crew was Spire Motorsports, which continues to impress in 2026. Carson Hocevar drove from the very again of the sphere to complete fourth, and Daniel Suarez positioned seventh. The highest-finishing Hendrick driver was William Byron in eighth.
LOSER: Larson and Briscoe make late-race contact, dropping precious factors
Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
Photograph by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Photos
Within the closing laps, Kyle Larson regarded like he was going to complete round eleventh or twelfth, whereas Chase Briscoe was about to attain a high 5 end. However when Briscoe collided with a slower Riley Herbst and hit the wall, he light to twelfth. For Larson, it was far worse, sliding into the wall, breaking a toe-link, and falling all the best way again to thirty second, dropping about 20 factors in an unforced error.
WINNER: RFK Racing reveals unimaginable tempo
Watch: Keselowski OK with being ‘first-place loser’ to Reddick
At one level, the Biffle-themed Roush vehicles have been all operating 1-2-3 at Darlington. And whereas they did not win, it was one other very spectacular race for a company that went utterly winless in 2025. Brad Keselowski gained each phases and completed second. Chris Buescher was going to be proper with him, however a late-race incident dropped him to ninth. Ryan Preece ended up thirteenth, however he was operating high 5 for an excellent portion of the race as effectively.
LOSER: RCR’s sturdy qualifying effort couldn’t be replicated within the race
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
Photograph by: David Jensen / Getty Photos
Each RCR vehicles certified inside the highest ten, however neither may keep that throughout the race on Sunday. Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon completed outdoors the highest 20, putting twenty first and twenty fifth, respectively. It was one other disheartening race day for a crew that confirmed some promise on Saturday. However RCR aren’t alone in trying to find velocity among the many Chevy camp, a producer that was anticipated to far more with this up to date ZL1 physique for 2026.
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