William Byron finishes 37th at Darlington after engine failure in Chase opener
2 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 7, 2026, 3:01 AM
Last updated Sep 7, 2026
William Byron exited the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway prematurely on Sunday after a mechanical failure ended his night. The Hendrick Motorsports driver finished 37th after his engine expired during the final stage of the NASCAR Cup Series event. Prior to the failure, Byron triggered a caution on Lap 315 following a spin caused by a tire issue. He had performed competitively earlier in the race, placing ninth in Stage 1 and eighth in Stage 2. Byron entered the Chase as the 13th seed and has now dropped to 16th in the standings as he continues to search for his first win of the season. He remains scheduled to compete in the nine remaining races of the season.
- •William Byron finished 37th at Darlington after an engine failure.
- •The driver triggered a caution earlier on Lap 315 following a tire failure.
- •Byron placed ninth in Stage 1 and eighth in Stage 2 before exiting.
- •He moved from 13th to 16th in the Cup Series playoff standings.
- •Byron is currently winless through the 2026 season.
- 3:01 AMMotorsport.com — William Byron confounded by engine blowout that led to DNF at Darlington
- 2:06 AMYahoo Sports — William Byron Suffers Major Setback at Darlington to Start The Chase
"The first race of the Chase is officially in the books, with Christopher Bell taking the checkered flag at Darlington on Saturday. The win was a huge boon for Bell's championship chances, bumping him up to second in the points standings where he trails Denny Hamlin by just 12 points. On the other side of the outcome spectrum was William Byron, who was forced to bring his car in early due to ...Keep reading
"William Byron suffered a DNF in Sunday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington. The driver of the No. 24 wound up finishing 37th.
Sources
External links- Motorsport.comSep 7, 2026, 3:01 AMWilliam Byron confounded by engine blowout that led to DNF at Darlington
The first race of the Chase is officially in the books, with Christopher Bell taking the checkered flag at Darlington on Saturday. The win was a huge boon for Bell's championship chances, bumping him up to second in the points standings where he trails Denny Hamlin by just 12 points. On the other side of the outcome spectrum was William Byron, who was forced to bring his car in early due to ...Keep reading
- Yahoo SportsSep 7, 2026, 2:06 AMWilliam Byron Suffers Major Setback at Darlington to Start The Chase
William Byron suffered a DNF in Sunday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington. The driver of the No. 24 wound up finishing 37th.
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