Chase Briscoe defeats Kyle Busch in Southern 500, secures spot in NASCAR Cup playoffs

Chase Briscoe secured a thrilling victory at the Southern 500 on Sunday night, passing Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain for the lead in a three-wide move. The win not only granted Briscoe the prestigious title but also secured his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. In a gripping final restart with 17 laps to go at Darlington Raceway, Briscoe managed to hold off Kyle Busch, who was also vying for a victory to advance to the postseason.

An emotional Briscoe expressed his joy over the radio, declaring, “We just won the Southern 500.” Briscoe’s triumph came at a crucial time as his Stewart-Haas Team had announced closure earlier in the season, providing him with an opportunity to showcase his talent and determination in the last 10 weeks of the season.

In a competitive battle for playoff spots, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. clinched the final two postseason positions based on points. On the other hand, Bubba Wallace and Chastain narrowly missed out on securing playoff berths, both falling short by a slim margin within 27 points of the cutoff line at the start of the race.

Despite Kyle Larson’s impressive display leading 263 laps at Darlington, his dominance was overshadowed by Briscoe’s strategic move. Larson’s pursuit of overtaking Tyler Reddick for the regular-season points title, and the accompanying 15 bonus points for the leader, fell just one point short of his target.