The 2023 Cook Out Southern 500, the 74th running of the event, was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on September 3, 2023, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Contested over 367 laps on the egg-shaped oval, it was the 27th race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, the first race of the 2023 NASCAR playoffs, and the first race of the Round of 16.
Report
Background
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition." It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that is effective at both ends.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes the driver ineligible for series driver points. (P) denotes playoff driver. (OP) denotes owner’s playoffs car.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain (P) Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski (P) RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Kyle Busch (P) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott (OP) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher (P) RFK Racing Ford 19 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano (P) Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell (P) Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Carson Hocevar (i) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 45 Tyler Reddick (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Ryan Newman Rick Ware Racing Ford 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Christopher Bell was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 29.197 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 20 Christopher Bell (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.197 168.428 2 34 Michael McDowell (P) Front Row Motorsports Ford 29.398 167.277 3 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 29.438 167.049 Official practice results
Qualifying Christopher Bell scored the pole for the race with a time of 29.065 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 20 Christopher Bell (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.985 29.065 2 11 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.907 29.091 3 45 Tyler Reddick (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 28.800 29.103 4 12 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske Ford 28.870 29.224 5 6 Brad Keselowski (P) RFK Racing Ford 29.078 29.232 6 22 Joey Logano (P) Team Penske Ford 28.924 29.245 7 4 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 29.155 29.249 8 17 Chris Buescher (P) RFK Racing Ford 28.944 29.278 9 34 Michael McDowell (P) Front Row Motorsports Ford 29.177 29.290 10 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 29.161 29.406 11 8 Kyle Busch (P) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.030 — 12 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 29.034 — 13 9 Chase Elliott (OP) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.095 — 14 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 29.108 — 15 42 Carson Hocevar (i) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 29.154 — 16 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 29.168 — 17 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.192 — 18 5 Kyle Larson (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.200 — 19 23 Bubba Wallace (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 29.206 — 20 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 29.215 — 21 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 29.236 — 22 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 29.252 — 23 24 William Byron (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.256 — 24 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.284 — 25 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 29.299 — 26 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 29.306 — 27 1 Ross Chastain (P) Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 29.337 — 28 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.410 — 29 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 29.447 — 30 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 29.452 — 31 19 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.462 — 32 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 29.477 — 33 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 29.478 — 34 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 29.574 — 35 51 Ryan Newman Rick Ware Racing Ford 29.711 — 36 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 29.989 —Official qualifying results
Race
Race results
Stage results
Stage One Laps: 115
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 11 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 45 Tyler Reddick (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 93 5 Kyle Larson (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 84 4 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 75 12 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske Ford 66 6 Brad Keselowski (P) RFK Racing Ford 57 9 Chase Elliott (OP) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 20 Christopher Bell (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39 17 Chris Buescher (P) RFK Racing Ford 210 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 115
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 11 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 5 Kyle Larson (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 84 45 Tyler Reddick (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 75 24 William Byron (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 66 8 Kyle Busch (P) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 57 12 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske Ford 48 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39 6 Brad Keselowski (P) RFK Racing Ford 210 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage results
Stage Three Laps: 137
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 18 5 Kyle Larson (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 367 572 3 45 Tyler Reddick (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 367 513 8 17 Chris Buescher (P) RFK Racing Ford 367 364 23 24 William Byron (P) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 367 395 27 1 Ross Chastain (P) Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 367 326 5 6 Brad Keselowski (P) RFK Racing Ford 367 387 19 23 Bubba Wallace (P) 23XI Racing Toyota 367 308 13 9 Chase Elliott (OP) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 367 339 4 12 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske Ford 367 3810 20 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 367 3511 11 8 Kyle Busch (P) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 367 3112 6 22 Joey Logano (P) Team Penske Ford 367 2513 16 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 367 2414 10 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 367 2415 12 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 367 2216 25 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 367 2217 15 42 Carson Hocevar (i) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 367 018 31 19 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 367 1919 7 4 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 367 2520 28 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 367 2021 17 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 367 1622 22 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 367 1523 1 20 Christopher Bell (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 366 1724 29 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 366 1325 2 11 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 366 3226 30 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 366 1127 35 51 Ryan Newman Rick Ware Racing Ford 365 1028 34 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 364 929 26 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 364 830 33 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 362 031 14 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 361 632 9 34 Michael McDowell (P) Front Row Motorsports Ford 329 533 24 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 322 434 21 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 320 335 32 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 318 236 36 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 210 1Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 13 among 7 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 8 for 51 laps Red flags: 1 for 10 minutes Time of race: 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 47 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television USA covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, two–time Darlington winner Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. called Stages 1 and 3 of the race from the broadcast booth. Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty called Stage 2 of the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Kim Coon and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties from pit lane.
USABooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve LetarteColor-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Throwback commentator: Dale JarrettThrowback commentator: Kyle Petty Dave BurnsKim CoonMarty Snider
Radio MRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Todd Gordon Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Jason Toy Steve PostChris WilnerBrienne PedigoAlex Weaver
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 William Byron 2,075 4 2 Kyle Larson 2,074 (–1) 7 3 Tyler Reddick 2,060 (–15) 4 Chris Buescher 2,057 (–18) 2 5 Denny Hamlin 2,057 (–18) 4 6 Martin Truex Jr. 2,055 (–20) 2 7 Kyle Busch 2,050 (–25) 1 8 Brad Keselowski 2,048 (–27) 1 9 Ryan Blaney 2,046 (–29) 2 10 Ross Chastain 2,043 (–32) 11 Joey Logano 2,033 (–42) 5 12 Christopher Bell 2,031 (–44) 3 13 Bubba Wallace 2,030 (–45) 1 14 Kevin Harvick 2,029 (–46) 1 15 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2,027 (–48) 3 16 Michael McDowell 2,012 (–63)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 1,000 2 Ford 929 (–71) 3 Toyota 927 (–73)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
References