![\"Van](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/789213324_18621665560017655_1451924120399512177_n.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShane van Gisbergen during the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShane van Gisbergen during the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona.<\/p>\n
At the track dubbed \u2018Too Tough to Tame\u2019 it was the Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro, not the 1.3-mile oval, that proved too tough to get on top of.<\/p>\n
Van Gisbergen bemoaned an overall lack of grip for the duration of the 367-lap contest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how to say it. I\u2019ve never felt so slow,\u201d van Gisbergen radioed to his tema during the Lap 36 competition caution.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like I had 120-lap-old tyres when I started. I had no grip. No positives at all. My balance was okay but my grip was just so low.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the trend for the rest of the evening and into the night, with SVG spending the lion\u2019s share of the race towards the back as the team took massive swings at the set-up.<\/p>\n
Van Gisbergen ended up the best of the Trackhouse Racing trio with teammates Ross Chastain and Connor Zilisch finishing 27th and 34th respectively.<\/p>\n
The only moment of joy during the race was when van Gisbergen was told of Scott McLaughlin\u2019s IndyCar Series win at Laguna Seca, prompting a \u201cHell yeah\u201d over the radio.<\/p>\n
The race was won by Christopher Bell, who ended a streak of runner-up finishes for his first win of the NASCAR Cup Series season.<\/p>\n
The Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver had run second in seven instances this season. Bell\u2019s last win before Darlington was at Bristol in the 29th race of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been too damn long,\u201d said Bell.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my gosh, man. I\u2019m just so, so proud of all of these guys on this #20 car. All the mechanics, all the pit crew members. They deserve it more than anyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been a long time coming. Darlington has been one that I\u2019ve always wanted to win since I got into the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the ultimate drivers\u2019 track. You fans, you guys are the best. This is why we\u2019re here.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew that we\u2019d be able to win it, no matter what. I knew that we\u2019d be able to win it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can win any week, it just hasn\u2019t happened yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Darlington victory represents something of a comeback for Bell, who earlier this year was hampered by a broken wrist.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was sitting in the infield car centre at Michigan, I thought my season was over,\u201d said Bell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I was going to be out a couple of weeks, I wasn\u2019t going to be able to make the Chase.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still in it, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
The race for the win was set up on Lap 338 rain led to a caution and a brief red flag period.<\/p>\n
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson elected to stay out on track during the caution, as did Austin Cindric (Team Penske), Joey Logano (Team Penske) and Ryan Preece (RFK Racing).<\/p>\n
Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) led the cars that pitted followed by Bell (JGR), Ty Gibbs (JGR), Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing), Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) and Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing).<\/p>\n
Larson led the restart with 24 laps to go. Cindric was slow away while Logano and Bell rose to second and third respectively.<\/p>\n
Like Cindric, Logano began to fade and the Toyotas on fresher tyres surged forward. Larson held his own at the front of the field until Lap 357 when Bell got to the inside.<\/p>\n
Larosn didn\u2019t have enough tyre life and ultimately fell to fifth. Toyotas locked out the top three with Bell followed by Gibbs and Reddick. Blaney was the best of the Ford contingent in fourth.<\/p>\n
Chase Briscoe was sixth while Josh Berry was the best of the non-Chase drivers in seventh. The top 10 was rounded out by Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano and Ryan Preece.<\/p>\n
William Byron was the worst of the Chase contenders. He suffered an engine failure, forcing his retirement.<\/p>\n
Denny Hamlin had a day to forget too. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was among the contenders but was blighted by contact with Spire Motorsports\u2019 Michael McDowell, which shot him into the outside wall and damaged his Camry en route to 18th.<\/p>\n
The Chase for the NASCAR Cup Series continues with the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway on September 14.<\/p>\n
Results: NASCAR Cup Series Cook-out Southern 500, Darlington Raceway\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pos
\nNum
\nDriver
\nTeam
\nCar
\nLaps\/Diff
\nGap<\/p>\n
1
\n20
\nChristopher Bell (C)
\nJoe Gibbs Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n367<\/p>\n
2
\n54
\nTy Gibbs (C)
\nJoe Gibbs Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n1.038
\n1.038<\/p>\n
3
\n45
\nTyler Reddick (C)
\n23XI Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n2.533
\n1.495<\/p>\n
4
\n12
\nRyan Blaney (C)
\nTeam Penske
\nFord Mustang
\n3.367
\n0.834<\/p>\n
5
\n5
\nKyle Larson (C)
\nHendrick Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n3.932
\n0.565<\/p>\n
6
\n19
\nChase Briscoe (C)
\nJoe Gibbs Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n4.31
\n0.378<\/p>\n
7
\n21
\nJosh Berry
\nWood Brothers Racing
\nFord Mustang
\n5.24
\n0.93<\/p>\n
8
\n23
\nBubba Wallace (C)
\n23XI Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n7.787
\n2.547<\/p>\n
9
\n22
\nJoey Logano (C)
\nTeam Penske
\nFord Mustang
\n8.548
\n0.761<\/p>\n
10
\n60
\nRyan Preece (C)
\nRFK Racing
\nFord Mustang
\n9.201
\n0.653<\/p>\n
11
\n77
\nCarson Hocevar (C)
\nSpire Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n9.591
\n0.39<\/p>\n
12
\n48
\nAlex Bowman
\nHendrick Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n10.088
\n0.497<\/p>\n
13
\n2
\nAustin Cindric (C)
\nTeam Penske
\nFord Mustang
\n12.509
\n2.421<\/p>\n
14
\n9
\nChase Elliott (C)
\nHendrick Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n13.123
\n0.614<\/p>\n
15
\n43
\nErik Jones
\nLegacy Motor Club
\nToyota Camry
\n13.83
\n0.707<\/p>\n
16
\n34
\nTodd Gilliland
\nFront Row Motorsports
\nFord Mustang
\n14.954
\n1.124<\/p>\n
17
\n71
\nMichael McDowell
\nSpire Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n15.714
\n0.76<\/p>\n
18
\n11
\nDenny Hamlin (C)
\nJoe Gibbs Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n15.897
\n0.183<\/p>\n
19
\n67
\nCorey Heim
\n23XI Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n16.355
\n0.458<\/p>\n
20
\n17
\nChris Buescher (C)
\nRFK Racing
\nFord Mustang
\n16.714
\n0.359<\/p>\n
21
\n7
\nDaniel Suarez (C)
\nSpire Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n16.765
\n0.051<\/p>\n
22
\n16
\nAJ Allmendinger
\nKaulig Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n17.502
\n0.737<\/p>\n
23
\n6
\nBrad Keselowski
\nRFK Racing
\nFord Mustang
\n18.617
\n1.115<\/p>\n
24
\n42
\nJohn Hunter Nemechek
\nLegacy Motor Club
\nToyota Camry
\n19.017
\n0.4<\/p>\n
25
\n38
\nZane Smith
\nFront Row Motorsports
\nFord Mustang
\n21.305
\n2.288<\/p>\n
26
\n97
\nShane Van Gisbergen
\nTrackhouse Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
27
\n1
\nRoss Chastain
\nTrackhouse Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
28
\n33
\nAustin Hill
\nRichard Childress Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
29
\n3
\nAustin Dillon
\nRichard Childress Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
30
\n35
\nRiley Herbst
\n23XI Racing
\nToyota Camry
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
31
\n10
\nTy Dillon
\nKaulig Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
32
\n4
\nNoah Gragson
\nFront Row Motorsports
\nFord Mustang
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
33
\n41
\nCole Custer
\nHaas Factory Team
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
34
\n88
\nConnor Zilisch
\nTrackhouse Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n2 laps
\n1 lap<\/p>\n
35
\n47
\nRicky Stenhouse Jr.
\nHyak Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n4 laps
\n2 laps<\/p>\n
36
\n51
\nCody Ware
\nRick Ware Racing
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n4 laps<\/p>\n
37
\n24
\nWilliam Byron (C)
\nHendrick Motorsports
\nChevrolet Camaro
\n48 laps
\n44 laps<\/p>\n
38
\n66
\nChad Finchum
\nGarage66
\nFord Mustang
\n124 laps
\n76 laps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shane van Gisbergen during the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona. At the track dubbed \u2018Too Tough to Tame\u2019…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":882881,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[572],"tags":[64,63,806,805,803,804,9909,12357,85],"class_list":["post-882880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-motosport","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-motor","tag-motor-sports","tag-motosport","tag-motosports","tag-shane-van-gisbergen","tag-slot1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=882880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/882881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=882880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=882880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=882880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}