NASCAR results at Darlington: Erik Jones edges out teammate Kyle Busch to win Bojangles' Southern 500

Edward Sutelan

•
NASCAR results at Darlington: Erik Jones edges out teammate Kyle Busch to win Bojangles' Southern 500 image

In the end it came down to two teammates — the favorite Kyle Busch and the protege Erik Jones.

Busch, listed as the odds-on favorite by FanDuel before Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 race, had dominated the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings to this point.

But after a big crash pushed Busch back in the standings, Jones took the lead with Kyle Larson in second. Before too long, Busch was back in second and after a pit stop among all the leaders, it became all about the pair before Larson rejoined the two leaders to make it close. In the end, Jones held on for the win, his first in the 2019 Cup Series. Larson finished second and Busch third.

MORE: Watch NASCAR live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day trial)

The race itself was delayed four hours due to rain at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. But after the racetrack was dry and Brad Keselowski — the 2018 winner of the race led for 19 laps — Kurt Busch took the lead.

Kurt hung on for the Stage 1 win, but it was Kyle who dominated the second stage for a clear win.

The Cup Series will be back in just one week on Sunday, Sept. 8, for the final race of the series in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sporting News tracked live race updates and highlights from the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Follow along below.

Finish Driver Team (Car No.) Laps Led
1 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing (20) 79
2 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing (42) 44
3 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing (18) 118
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Hass Racing (4) 0
5 Brad Keselowski Team Penske (2) 19
6 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing (14) 1
7 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Raching (1) 94
8 Matt DiBenedetto Leavine Family Racing (95) 0
9 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing (21) 0
10 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing (3) 0
11 Daniel Suarez Stewart-Haas Racing (41) 0
12 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing (37) 0
13 Ryan Blaney Team Penske (12) 0
14 Joey Logaro Team Penske (22) 0
15 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing (19) 0
16 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports (48) 3
17 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas (10) 0
18 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports (88) 0
19 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports (9) 9
20 Ty Dillon Germain Racing (13) 0
21 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports (24) 0
22 Ryan Preece Joe Gibbs Racing (47) 0
23 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing (6) 0
24 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports (43) 0
25 Landon Cassill StarCom Racing (00) 0
26 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports (38) 0
27 Matt Tifft Front Row Motorsports (36) 0
28 Ross Chastain JD Motorsports (15) 0
29 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing (11) 0
30 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports (77) 0
31 Joe Nemechek Premium Motorsports (27) 0
32 JJ Yeley Rick Ware Racing (52) 0
33 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing (17) 0
34 Joey Gase MBM Motorsports (66) 0
35 Garrett Smithley JD Motorsports (54) 0
36 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing (32) 0
37 Daniel Hemric Richard Childress Racing (8) 0
38 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports (34) 0
39 B.J. McLeod Rick Ware Racing (51) 0

NASCAR at Darlington: Live updates, highlights from Bojangles' Southern 500

The race is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET. Live updates will begin at that time.

Caution flags: 7

Lead changes: 12

Lap leaders: Kyle Busch (118), Kurt Busch (92), Erik Jones (63), Kyle Larson (44), Brad Keselowski (19), Chase Elliott (9), Jimmie Johnson (3), Clint Bowyer (1)

1:52 a.m.: Erik Jones holds on for his second-career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, and his first of this year.

1:48 a.m.: 10 laps to go and Erik Jones remains in the lead ahead of teammate Kyle Busch (P2) and Kyle Larson (P3)

1:41 a.m.: Erik Jones is clinging to the lead, but Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson are on his tail.

1:32 a.m.: Teammates Erik Jones and Kyle Busch are now battling for the lead at Darlington.

1:26 a.m.: With 50 laps to go, Jones remains in the lead over Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch.

1:09 a.m.: Erik Jones caputres first place for the first time this race, passing Larson.

1:08 a.m.: The green flag is up and there is a new leader, with Kyle Larson again in first place. Erik Jones and Alex Bowman in P2 and P3, respectively, with Kyle Busch in P4.

12:59 a.m.: Caution flag on Lap 275 after big crash involving Michael McDowell, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and William Byron

12:55 a.m.: 100 laps left to go and Kyle Busch remains ahead of teammate Erik Jones.

12:52 a.m.: Several of the leading racers make pit stops, including Kyle Busch, but even the stop can't keep the race's leader from regaining his lead

12:45 a.m.: Kyle Busch officially has been in first place for more laps than any other racer. He passes his brother with his 93rd lap in P1.

12:45 a.m.: Brad Keselowski makes a pit road stop after missing it the first time. 

12:34 a.m.: Alex Bowman just passed Jimmie Johnson for P5

12:23 a.m.: Kyle Busch gets off to a hot start on the restart on Lap 207 to stay in first place.

12:18 a.m.: Kyle Busch clings to his lead out of pit road with Erik Jones and Kyle Larson falling in behind him at P2 and P3, respectively.

Stage 2 winner: Kyle Busch

12:10 a.m.: The caution flag is being waved at 198 after BJ McLeod hit a wall. The Busch brothers still out at first and second. Denny Hamlin is now at third place. 

12:06 a.m.: Kurt Busch passes Clint Bowyer for second place on Lap 91. Trails only Kyle Busch with nine laps left in Stage 2.

11:59 p.m.: Joey Logano hit with a flat tire on his right, rear tire and has to come in for a pit stop.

11:52 p.m.: Green flag is back out for Lap 163. Clint Bowyer now trails Kyle Busch with Kurt in third and Johnson in fourth.

11:49 p.m.: Kyle Busch has slowly but surely been making progress the whole race. Now he takes the lead off pit road.

11:46 p.m.: Corey LaJoie has a flat titre on Lap 158 and the caution flag is out. 

11:37 p.m.: Kurt Busch retakes the lead out of the pit stop with Kyle right behind him. Truex is now in third. 

11:33 p.m.: Ryan Newman spins and there will be a fourth caution flag being waved on lap 140. 

11:29 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. makes his move again to pass Erik Jones and Joey Logano to take P7. 

11:24 p.m.: After several pass attempts, Joey Logano finally makes his move past Chase Elliott for seventh place.

11:15 p.m.: Larson is holding the lead after the green flag on lap 107.

11:14 p.m.: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was issued a safety violation on pit road.

11:12 p.m.: Kyle Larson takes the lead off the pit stop for the fourth lead change of the race. Kurt Busch remains in second and Kyle Busch is now in third.

11:08 p.m.: Denny Hamlin passes Brad Keselowski and is now in fifth place. Order after the first lap of Stage 2 is Kurt Busch, Johnson, Larson, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Elliott, Keselowski.

Stage 1 winner: Kurt Busch

11:03 p.m.: Kyle Busch is now in fourth place in the race after passing Elliott. He now trails just Kurt, Johnson and Kyle Larson.

10:56 p.m.: Kurt Busch retakes the lead and Jimmie Johnson passes Elliott for second. 

10:53 p.m.: The Busch brothers are now within four spots of one another as on lap 73, the race goes back to green. 

10:49 p.m.: Chase Elliott, who had been in P17, wins the race off pit road,

10:47 p.m.: Caution flag goes up on lap 67 as Garrett Smithley started spinning, but he righted his car

10:45 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson, who has won this race twice, passed Keselowski for fifth place

10:39 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. had been as low as 22nd in this race. Now? All the way up to seventh on lap 54.

10:34 p.m.: Jumping out of the competition caution, the race is back to green and there's been some shifting behind Busch. William Byron is now in second with Kyle Larson in third, Chase Elliott in fourth and Keselowski in fifth.

10:26 p.m.: Drivers have hit the first competition caution flag on lap 36. The cars are all hitting pit road.

10:22 p.m.: Kurt's younger brother, Kyle, is making some moves early. He has already moved up to P15.

10:17 p.m.: Busch is the first car to pass Keselowski tonight.

10:14 p.m.: With Keselowski out to an early lead through the first 12 laps, the closest battle remains for second place with Kurt Busch and William Byron neck and neck. 

10:09 p.m.: Brad Keselowski jumps out to the lap 1 lead. 

10:07 p.m.: The green flag has been waved and this race is underway!

9:44 p.m.: It is time for the National Anthem and Invocation. 

9:40 p.m.: NASCAR is warning that there is a competition caution on Lap 35 of the race.

9:20 p.m.: Car covers are coming off! This race is getting ready to get started!

9:10 p.m.: The National Anthem and Invocation is expected to take place at 9:30 p.m.

8:40 p.m.: NASCAR officials are estimating the track will be ready by 10 p.m.

8:22 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr. said race officials expect the race to take place tonight

7:43 p.m.: The track has begun to be dried by the crew. 

7:20 p.m.: The race is still in a rain delay, but that isn't stopping Clint Bowyer from having some fun on the NBC broadcast.

6:05 p.m.: The start of the race has been delayed due to rain. No time given yet on when it will begin.

5:50 p.m.: Alex Bowman is getting himself ready for the cameras. 

Edward Sutelan

Edward Sutelan Photo

Edward Sutelan joined The Sporting News in 2021 after covering high school sports for PennLive. Edward graduated from The Ohio State University in 2019, where he gained experience covering the baseball, football and basketball teams. Edward also spent time working for The Columbus Dispatch and Cape Cod Times.