William Byron finishes 37th at Darlington after engine failure in Chase opener
5 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 8, 2026, 9:21 AM
Last updated Sep 8, 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.
- 9:21 AMYahoo Sports — NASCAR Just Gave William Byron a Massive Reality Check
- 10:03 AMYahoo Sports — NASCAR Darlington winners, losers as Christopher Bell wins for first time in 2026
- 3:41 AMNASCAR — William Byron spins, suffers mechanical failure in Chase opener - NASCAR.com
- 3:01 AMMotorsport.com — William Byron confounded by engine blowout that led to DNF at Darlington
- 3:01 AMYahoo Sports — 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 probably didn’t expect the NASCAR playoffs to start like this. And honestly, neither did anyone else. The Hendrick Motorsports driver entered the Chase as one of the championship favorites. Then Darlington happened. Byron finished 37th. That’s not a typo. His night went sideways after an engine problem with just 48 laps remaining, turning…
"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- Yahoo SportsSep 8, 2026, 9:21 AMNASCAR Just Gave William Byron a Massive Reality Check
William Byron probably didn’t expect the NASCAR playoffs to start like this. And honestly, neither did anyone else. The Hendrick Motorsports driver entered the Chase as one of the championship favorites. Then Darlington happened. Byron finished 37th. That’s not a typo. His night went sideways after an engine problem with just 48 laps remaining, turning…
- Yahoo SportsSep 7, 2026, 10:03 AMNASCAR Darlington winners, losers as Christopher Bell wins for first time in 2026
William Byron's disappointing 2026 season continued into the Chase among NASCAR Darlington's race winners and losers.
- NASCARSep 7, 2026, 3:41 AMWilliam Byron spins, suffers mechanical failure in Chase opener - NASCAR.com
William Byron spun at Lap 316 of the Southern 500 and ultimately suffered a mechanical failure to end his Chase opener prematurely.
- 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, 3:01 AMWilliam Byron confounded by engine blowout that led to DNF at Darlington
What could have been a promising day for William Byron turned into a disaster for his championship aspirations
- 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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