NASCAR at Darlington race results, highlights: William Byron takes advantage of late wreck to win Goodyear 400

David Suggs

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NASCAR at Darlington race results, highlights: William Byron takes advantage of late wreck to win Goodyear 400 image

The Lady in Black is quite the dance partner. She swirls and tumbles like any other great race track. But she does so with such grace and elegance. Racing on the 1.366-mile oval can look rather elegant, if one does it right.

Sunday was not one of those examples. Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain battled for first place throughout the final two stages, each showcasing the high-end speed expected of NASCAR Cup Series contenders. Ultimately, neither one ended the day in victory lane.

That honor instead went to William Byron, who thrust his No. 24 car through the wreckage to capture a thrilling overtime win at Darlington.

Byron was in the mix for much of the race, but it wasn't until Chastain and Larson collided like a pair of bickering schoolchildren that the win became achievable.

The tango was a sight to behold. Larson veered into Chastain, who — per usual — had his foot on the throttle. The result? A less-than-stellar finish for Larson (20th). Chastain, meanwhile, saw his day end after his car tore into the wall. He finished 29th.

It's easy for questions to arise after the drivers came together. Was it intentional? Does it matter? Who knows? But Byron was the beneficiary, and he made up for a dramatic loss at the same track last year with a frenzied celebration.

MORE: Watch NASCAR Cup Series races live with Fubo (free trial)

The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday's race at Darlington Raceway, the Goodyear 400. Scroll below to see all the action as it happened at the famed South Carolina track.

NASCAR at Darlington final top-10 results

(Results are unofficial)

Place Driver Car No. Team
1 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
2 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
3 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
4 Brad Keselowski 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
5 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
6 Harrison Burton 21 Wood Brothers Racing
7 Kyle Busch 8 Richard Childress Racing
8 Justin Haley 31 Kaulig Racing
9 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
10 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing

NASCAR at Darlington live updates, highlights from 2023 race

(All times Eastern)

6:36 p.m.: Byron out in front as the white flag is waved. Looks like the No. 24 car is finishing the day in victory lane! 

6:34 p.m.: Byron and Harvick in the front row. We'll see how things go when they get back to green.

6:33 p.m.: Chastain is done for the day. Of the eight cars out front, but one — Byron — has captured a win. We're in overtime and we're going to have fun here at Darlington.

6:31 p.m.: Larson's spotter Cliff Daniels is not happy.

6:27 p.m.: CAUTION! Larson and Chastain get into it on the restart, T-boning as they head into the first turn off of green flag. It was written.

6:23 p.m.: Cadre of Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the Top 5: Larson is trailed by Byron (P3) and Elliott (P40. Gonna be hard for Chastain to overcome all that momentum.

6:17 p.m.: CAUTION! Huge wreck on the restart. Truex slides into Logano before veering into the wall. Left a ton of skid marks, all while collecting a hearty number of cars in its wake. Things are getting interesting.

6:15 p.m.: Bell headed to pit road once more. Loose lug nut for the No. 20. That will bump everyone up a spot. Logano has climbed himself into contention seemingly out of nowhere.

6:12 p.m.: 19 lead laps cards headed to pit road. Looks like Truex and Chase Elliott took advantage of all the chaos, moving up four spots each during their race to the line.

6:10 p.m.: CAUTION! Ryan Newman twirls around Turn 3 in his return to the Cup Series, driving in Cody Ware's No. 51. This could make things very interesting with 18 laps left.

6:07 p.m.: 24 laps to go. At the moment, it's Larson's to lose. But you never know at the Lady in Black.

6:03 p.m.: Hamlin headed to pit road. Larson will take the lead. Clear skies for the No. 5 car, who is 30 laps away from his first-ever Cup Series win at Darlington.

6:00 p.m.: Larson building his lead over Christopher Bell in P3. Hamlin holds the edge as of now, although he hasn't yet pitted. Larson should pull in front sooner or later.

5:55 p.m.: Larson headed to pit road, as are Byron and Chastain. 45 laps to go before the checkered flag is waved. Things have been smooth atop the field throughout. Looks like Larson's going to beat Chastain out of pit road. Huge run by the No. 5 car, who is right in the mix.

5:50 p.m.: Chastain holds the slight edge over Byron with 55 laps to go. Busch and Keselowski not too far behind.

5:32 p.m.: CAUTION! Stenhouse spins out! Unfortunate for the No. 47, who had raced wonderfully over the course of the weekend.

5:27 p.m.: Larson is quite loose as we go back to green! Chastain and Busch taking advantage, sitting in P1 and P2. Chastain reporting that he's loose, though. Could be some more cautions here.

5:26 p.m.: Daniel Suarez out of the race after suffering yet another speeding penalty. Frustrating for the Trackhouse Racing talent, who seemed to have one of the faster cars entering into the weekend.

5:16 p.m.: CAUTION! Whole lot of laundry left on the track after Erik Jones' right rear wheel snaps off the mores. That is a seriously costly error there. Collected what felt like a dozen or so cars in the process. That will leave a mark.

5:14 p.m.: Larson takes P1 after a speedy stay in pit road. Chastain in P2. Stage 3 is off the mark!

5:04 p.m.: CAUTION! Truex spins out! Good hard racing there, but Truex unable to hold his grip. Chastain takes the stage through plumes of smoke.

5:02 p.m.: Tight battle between Chastain and Truex for P1 in the final lap...enthralling stuff here.

4:55 p.m.: Chastain holding firm in first. Blaney and Tyler Reddick get into each other as we approach the final stretch of the second stage.

4:45 p.m.: Chastain takes the lead! Truex reporting that he's lost a lot of his grip when moving to the top lane of the track. Track is starting to get a bit tattered as we approach the end of Stage No. 2.

4:40 p.m.: With the No. 12 and No. 23 cars headed to pit road, Truex returns to the front. However, Byron has cut the lead down to 1.40 seconds. That's much closer than he was prior to his pit stop. You have to credit his spotter for having him come in a lap earlier than some of the other race leaders. May have just put him in position to capture this stage.

4:38 p.m.: Blaney and Wallace take P1 and P2, respectively. Best friends forever!

4:36 p.m.: A remarkably clean race at Darlington through 137 laps. Pit road opens as cars stream towards the expansive apparatus to replace their tires. Truex on his way to pit road, surrendering his lead in the process.

4:28 p.m.: A surprise name sits just outside the Top-5: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The Daytona 500 winner has showed some ferocious speed the straight aways, putting together a Top-5 fastest lap time in the opening stage. Car was a little tight but he's been promising this weekend. Only thing his team is looking for is for him to clean up his entries on Turn 3. Let's see if he could get it done.

4:20 p.m.: We're back to green at the Lady in Black. Truex and Byron holding firm, enjoying themselves in an oasis of clean air.

4:17 p.m.: Wallace's pit crew struggles to replace his right rear tire. Serious delay in his pit stop. He drops from P3 to P18 as a result. His pit woes continue. Could be very challenging for him to get back in the front of the pack.

4:05 p.m.: And it's Truex who takes Stage 1. That's his 57th career stage win.

4:04 p.m.: Interesting battle going on between Wallace and Chastain for P3. Wallace holds the slightest of leads as we approach the final lap of the stage.

4:00 p.m.: Looks like Wallace is dropping off ever so slightly. Just flipped spots with Byron, who now finds himself about 4.50 seconds behind first-place Truex. Nine laps to go until stage break.

3:54 p.m.: With 20 laps remaining in the first stage, here's how things are shaping up: Truex-Wallace-Byron-Busch-Chastain. Truex has led all but one of today's laps.

3:42 p.m.: Back to green at Darlington. William Byron slips in front of Wallace for P2. Truex still staying steady out in front.

3:33 p.m.: CAUTION! Fluid on the track! Denny Hamlin might have taken some damage on his right front as a result.

3:24 p.m.: Erik Jones has looked strong, climbing six spots in the opening 22 laps. No other driver has fared better.

3:18 p.m.: 10 laps down and it's Truex and Wallace showing out! Toyotas looking rather strong thus far.

3:13 p.m.: We're off at Darlington! Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace leading the line!

2:55 p.m.: Ross Chastain's mom leading the the pre-race prayer on Mother's Day. That's NASCAR, folks.

2:36 p.m.: Chase Elliott sporting a special palette for today's race. What a way to honor dad (and NASCAR legend) Bill Elliott:

What channel is the NASCAR race on today?

  • TV channel: FS1 (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
  • Live stream: FoxSports.com, Fubo

The Goodyear 400 will be broadcast on FS1 in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN.

Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy will call the lap-by-lap action. He'll be joined in the booth by former Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer, alongside a host of racing luminaries: Kyle and Richard Petty (Stage 1), Carl Edwards (Stage 2) and Bill Elliott (Stage 3).

Fans can watch online via FoxSports.com or Fubo, which offers a free trial. 

NASCAR start time today

  • Date: Sunday, May 14
  • Start time: 3 p.m. ET

Sunday's race has a 3 p.m. ET listed start time, but pre-race activities are expected to push the waving of the green flag back to 3:12 p.m. ET.

Goodyear 400 starting lineup 2023

Starting pos. Driver Car No. Team
1 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
2 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
3 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
4 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
5 Ross Chastain 1 Trackhouse Racing
6 Daniel Suarez 99 Trackhouse Racing
7 Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports
8 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
9 Tyler Reddick 45 23XI Racing
10 Brad Keselowski 6 RFK Racing
11 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
12 Kyle Busch 8 Richard Childress Racing
13 Ty Gibbs 54 Joe Gibbs Racing
14 Harrison Burton 21 Wood Brothers Racing
15 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
16 Christopher Bell 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
17 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
18 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
19 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
20 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
21 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
22 Justin Haley 31 Kaulig Racing
23 Josh Berry 48 Hendrick Motorsports
24 Todd Gilliland 38 Front Row Motorsports
25 Austin Cindric 2 Team Penske
26 Ryan Newman 51 Rick Ware Racing
27 Chris Buescher 17 RFK Racing
28 Erik Jones 43 Legacy Motor Club
29 Noah Gragson 42 Legacy Motor Club
30 A.J. Allmendinger 16 Kaulig Racing
31 Chase Briscoe 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
32 Ryan Preece 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
33 Ty Dillon 77 Spire Motorsports
34 Corey LaJoie 7 Spire Motorsports
35 B.J. McLeod 78 Live Fast Motorsports
36 Brennan Poole 15 Rick Ware Racing

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.