Overview

• Chase Briscoe swept both stages from the pole and led 309 of 367 laps to win the Southern 500, locking into the Round of 12 and moving atop the playoff standings.
• Denny Hamlin said Briscoe has the tools to be a Championship 4 contender and questioned Hendrick Motorsports’ outlook for Gateway while favoring Team Penske’s form on flat tracks.
• Hendrick’s struggles at Darlington drew an internal rebuke, with crew chief Rudy Fugle calling the performance embarrassing as Elliott, Larson, Byron and Bowman all finished 17th or worse.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. forecast Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen as vulnerable to first‑round elimination based on their post‑Darlington positions and recent consistency.
• Portland’s Xfinity finish remains under fire after Connor Zilisch used the Turn 1 penalty lane on the overtime restart and no post‑race penalties were issued, prompting calls from spotters and drivers, including Briscoe, for stricter enforcement.