After nearly four hours of delay from rain, the Southern 500 got started just after 10 pm ET. William Byron began the race on the pole but was passed by Brad Keselowski before the first lap was completed. Byron would spend most of the first stage of the race slowly slipping back in the pack. Kurt Busch would assume the lead on lap 19 while brother Kyle who started at the rear of the field had already worked his way up to 21st.
A competition caution would take place on lap 35 but the first caution for action on the track came on lap 68 with Garrett Smithley spinning on the back stretch. Chase Elliott would use a pit stop to get around Busch following that caution but by lap 78 Busch was back in the lead. Busch would hang on the win the stage followed by Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch who had now worked his way up to fourth. Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.
As Larson began clicking off laps as the leader, Kyle Busch would work his way up to third. Pole sitter Byron continued to fall though the pack. While the front of the field remained unchanged for much of the second stage, the race saw plenty of action though the pack. Ryan Newman would spin in turn 2 on lap 141 after contact with Daniel Suarez bringing out the fourth caution of the night. The Busch brothers would be the first two cars off of pit road on the ensuring pit-stops. Kyle Busch would assume the lead after coming off pit road first on lap 159 following a caution. He would finish the stage there and then lead the field off pit road after pitstops to start stage 3.
With 94 laps to go Hamlin, Johnson and Michael McDowell were all a part of an incident which started as a tire went down on Daniel Hemric’s car following contact with Ryan Newman earlier in the stage. Larson and Erik Jones would battle for the lead on the ensuing restart with the latter clearing with 84 to go.
Jones remained out front though pit stops while Kyle Busch would attempt to chase him down. Seeking his second career win Jones did not falter as Busch made contact with the wall multiple times. This was Jones’ 100th career start in the Cup Series.
Southern 500 Results
- Erik Jones
- Kyle Larson
- Kyle Busch
- Kevin Harvick
- Brad Keselowski
- Clint Bowyer
- Kurt Busch
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Paul Menard
- Austin Dillon
- Daniel Suarez
- Chris Buescher
- Ryan Blaney
- Joey Logano
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Jimmie Johnson
- Aric Almirola
- Alex Bowman
- Chase Elliott
- Ty Dillon
- William Byron
- Ryan Preece
- Ryan Newman
- Bubba Wallace
- Landon Cassill
- David Ragan
- Matt Tifft
- Ross Chastain
- Denny Hamlin
- Reed Sorenson
- Joe Nemechek
- JJ Yeley
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Joey Gase
- Garrett Smithley
- Corey LaJoie
- Daniel Hemric
- Michael McDowell
- BJ McLeod
