2024 Cook Out Southern 500
{{distinguish|text=the 2024 Cook Out 400 (Martinsville), held in April, or the 2024 Cook Out 400 (Richmond), held in August}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 26 of 36 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series
| Race Name = Cook Out Southern 500
| Details ref = {{cite web |title=2024 schedule |url=https://www.jayski.com/nascar-cup-series/2024-nascar-cup-series-schedule/|website=Jayski.com|publisher=Jayski's Silly Season Site |accessdate=October 10, 2022}}{{cite web |title=Darlington Raceway |url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-tracks/darlington-raceway.html |website=NASCAR.com |publisher=NASCAR Media Group, LLC. |access-date=August 7, 2022 |archive-date=April 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430210206/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-tracks/darlington-raceway.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url= https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2023/10/04/nascar-reveals-2024-cup-schedule-as-atlanta-watkins-glen-move-to-playoffs/amp/|title=NASCAR unveils 2024 Cup schedule as Atlanta, Watkins Glen move to playoffs |date=October 4, 2023 |accessdate=April 21, 2024 |publisher=National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC}}{{cite news|url= https://www.cbssports.com/nascar/news/nascar-cup-series-2024-schedule-announcement-new-additions-race-dates-plus-the-complete-calendar/|title= NASCAR Cup Series 2024 schedule announcement: New additions, race dates, plus the complete calendar|author=Taranto, Steven |date=October 4, 2023 |accessdate=April 21, 2024 |publisher=CBS Broadcasting Inc}}{{cite web |title=Entry List|url=https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/8/31/12426_ENTNUM.pdf|website=Jayski.com|publisher=Jayski's Silly Season Site|access-date=August 26, 2024|date=August 26, 2024}}{{cite web|title=Practice Results|url=https://www.nascar.com/results/racecenter/2024/nascar-cup-series/darlington-raceway-2/stn/practice-1/|website=NASCAR.com|publisher=NASCAR|access-date=August 31, 2024|date=August 31, 2024}}{{cite web|title=Qualifying Results|url=https://www.nascar.com/results/racecenter/2024/nascar-cup-series/darlington-raceway-2/stn/qualifying/|website=NASCAR.com|publisher=NASCAR|access-date=August 31, 2024|date=August 31, 2024}}{{cite web|title=Cook Out Southern 500 Results|url=https://www.nascar.com/results/racecenter/2024/nascar-cup-series/darlington-raceway-2/stn/results/|website=NASCAR.com|publisher=NASCAR|access-date=September 1, 2024|date=September 1, 2024}}{{cite web|title=Points standings|url=https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/9/2/12426_REUNOFFDRIVPTS.pdf|website=Jayski.com|publisher=Jayski's Silly Season Site|access-date=September 1, 2024|date=September 1, 2024}}
| Fulldate = {{Start date|2024|09|01}}
| Year = 2024
| Image = File:75th annual Southern 500 logo.png
| Caption = The commemorative logo for the event.
| Location = Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina
| Course_mi = 1.366
| Course_km = 2.198
| Distance_laps = 367
| Distance_mi = 501.322
| Distance_km = 806.666
| Weather =
| Avg = {{convert|127.800|mph|km/h}}
| Pole_Driver = Bubba Wallace
| Pole_Team = 23XI Racing
| Pole_Time = 29.421
| Most_Driver = Kyle Larson
| Most_Team = Hendrick Motorsports
| Most_laps = 263
| Car = 14
| First_Driver = Chase Briscoe
| First_Team = Stewart-Haas Racing
| Network = USA
| Announcers = Leigh Diffey, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte
| Ratings =
| Radio = MRN
| Booth_Ann = Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace
| Turn_Ann = Dave Moody (1–2) and Mike Bagley (3–4)
}}
The 2024 Cook Out Southern 500, the 75th running of the event, was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on September 1, 2024, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina on the {{Convert|1.366|mi|km|adj=on}} speedway, it was the 26th race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, last race of the regular season, and the final Crown Jewel of the year. Chase Briscoe won the race, his first win since the 2022 Ruoff Mortgage 500. Kyle Busch finished 2nd, and Christopher Bell finished 3rd. Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five, and Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Corey LaJoie, and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top ten.
This was Stewart-Haas Racing's final win in the Cup Series before shutting down after the season.
Report
=Background=
File:Darlington Raceway 2024.svg, where the race was held.]]
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition." It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that is effective at both ends.
{{clear}}
==Entry list==
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Practice
Erik Jones was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 29.542 seconds and a speed of {{Convert|166.461|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.
=Practice results=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" |
| Pos
! {{Tooltip|No.|Car number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Time ! {{Tooltip|Speed|MPH}} |
|---|
| 1
| 43 || Erik Jones || Legacy Motor Club || Toyota || 29.542 || 166.461 |
| 2
| 11 || Denny Hamlin || Joe Gibbs Racing || Toyota || 29.598 || 166.146 |
| 3
| 47 || Ricky Stenhouse Jr. || JTG Daugherty Racing || Chevrolet || 29.603 || 166.118 |
| colspan="7"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/8/31/12426_PRACFINAL.pdf Official practice results] |
Qualifying
Bubba Wallace scored the pole for the race with a time 29.421 of and a speed of {{Convert|167.146|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|last=DeGroot|first=Nick|title=Southern 500: Bubba Wallace beats Hocevar to pole in dramatic session|url=https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/bubba-wallace-beats-hocevar-to-pole-in-stunning-darlington-qualifying/10649965/|website=Motorsport.com|publisher=Motorsport Network|access-date=August 31, 2024|location=Darlington, South Carolina|date=August 31, 2024}} Rookie Carson Hocevar scored a personal and team best qualifying effort in 2nd.
=Qualifying results=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" |
| Pos
! {{Tooltip|No.|Car number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! {{Tooltip|R1|Best time in Round 1}} ! {{Tooltip|R2|Best time in Round 2}} |
|---|
| 1
| 23 || Bubba Wallace || 23XI Racing || Toyota || 29.328 || 29.421 |
| 2
| 77 || Carson Hocevar (R) || Spire Motorsports || Chevrolet || 29.419 || 29.445 |
| 3
| 14 || Chase Briscoe || Stewart-Haas Racing || Ford || 29.294 || 29.576 |
| 4
| 5 || Kyle Larson || Hendrick Motorsports || Chevrolet || 29.445 || 29.444 |
| 5
| 19 || Martin Truex Jr. || Joe Gibbs Racing || Toyota || 29.292 || 29.582 |
| 6
| 45 || Tyler Reddick || 23XI Racing || Toyota || 29.463 || 29.446 |
| 7
| 12 || Ryan Blaney || Team Penske || Ford || 29.375 || 29.617 |
| 8
| 24 || William Byron || Hendrick Motorsports || Chevrolet || 29.439 || 29.528 |
| 9
| 20 || Christopher Bell || Joe Gibbs Racing || Toyota || 29.239 || 29.670 |
| 10
| 17 || Chris Buescher || RFK Racing || Ford || 29.622 || 29.650 |
| 11
| 2 || Austin Cindric || Team Penske || Ford || 29.444 || — |
| 12
| 6 || Brad Keselowski || RFK Racing || Ford || 29.624 || — |
| 13
| 54 || Ty Gibbs || Joe Gibbs Racing || Toyota || 29.472 || — |
| 14
| 11 || Denny Hamlin || Joe Gibbs Racing || Toyota || 29.649 || — |
| 15
| 4 || Josh Berry (R) || Stewart-Haas Racing || Ford || 29.509 || — |
| 16
| 3 || Austin Dillon || Richard Childress Racing || Chevrolet || 29.670 || — |
| 17
| 8 || Kyle Busch || Richard Childress Racing || Chevrolet || 29.531 || — |
| 18
| 42 || John Hunter Nemechek || Legacy Motor Club || Toyota || 29.696 || — |
| 19
| 7 || Corey LaJoie || Spire Motorsports || Chevrolet || 29.534 || — |
| 20
| 9 || Chase Elliott || Hendrick Motorsports || Chevrolet || 29.791 || — |
| 21
| 51 || Justin Haley || Rick Ware Racing || Ford || 29.538 || — |
| 22
| 1 || Ross Chastain || Trackhouse Racing || Chevrolet || 29.806 || — |
| 23
| 22 || Joey Logano || Team Penske || Ford || 29.563 || — |
| 24
| 21 || Harrison Burton || Wood Brothers Racing || Ford || 29.849 || — |
| 25
| 31 || Daniel Hemric || Kaulig Racing || Chevrolet || 29.571 || — |
| 26
| 71 || Zane Smith (R) || Spire Motorsports || Chevrolet || 29.852 || — |
| 27
| 48 || Alex Bowman || Hendrick Motorsports || Chevrolet || 29.601 || — |
| 28
| 43 || Erik Jones || Legacy Motor Club || Toyota || 29.925 || — |
| 29
| 10 || Noah Gragson || Stewart-Haas Racing || Ford || 29.632 || — |
| 30
| 41 || Ryan Preece || Stewart-Haas Racing || Ford || 29.981 || — |
| 31
| 34 || Michael McDowell || Front Row Motorsports || Ford || 29.653 || — |
| 32
| 99 || Daniel Suárez || Trackhouse Racing || Chevrolet || 30.015 || — |
| 33
| 38 || Todd Gilliland || Front Row Motorsports || Ford || 29.853 || — |
| 34
| 16 || Shane van Gisbergen (i) || Kaulig Racing || Chevrolet || 30.267 || — |
| 35
| 15 || Kaz Grala (R) || Rick Ware Racing || Ford || 30.142 || — |
| 36
| 47 || Ricky Stenhouse Jr. || JTG Daugherty Racing || Chevrolet || 0.000 || — |
| 37
| 66 || Timmy Hill (i) || Power Source || Ford || 31.296 || — |
| colspan="7"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/8/31/12426_QUALRES.pdf Official qualifying results] |
Race
=Race results=
==Stage results==
Stage One
Laps: 115
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98% | |||||
| Pos
! {{Tooltip|No|Car Number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 4 | Josh Berry (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 1 |
| colspan="6"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/9/1/12426_UNOFFRES.pdf Official stage one results] |
Stage Two
Laps: 115
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98% | |||||
| Pos
! {{Tooltip|No|Car Number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 4 | Josh Berry (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 2 |
| 10 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 1 |
| colspan="6"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/9/1/12426_UNOFFRES.pdf Official stage two results] |
=Final Stage results=
Stage Three
Laps: 137
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98% | |||||||
| Pos
! Grid ! {{Tooltip|No|Car Number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Laps ! Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 367 | 57 |
| 2 | 17 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 367 | 35 |
| 3 | 9 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 367 | 46 |
| 4 | 4 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 367 | 53 |
| 5 | 22 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 367 | 32 |
| 6 | 10 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 367 | 32 |
| 7 | 14 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 367 | 43 |
| 8 | 23 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 367 | 29 |
| 9 | 19 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 367 | 28 |
| 10 | 6 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 367 | 37 |
| 11 | 20 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 367 | 26 |
| 12 | 30 | 41 | Ryan Preece | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 367 | 25 |
| 13 | 11 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 367 | 24 |
| 14 | 12 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 367 | 24 |
| 15 | 16 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 367 | 22 |
| 16 | 1 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 367 | 32 |
| 17 | 33 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 367 | 20 |
| 18 | 32 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 366 | 19 |
| 19 | 27 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 366 | 18 |
| 20 | 13 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 366 | 26 |
| 21 | 24 | 21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 365 | 16 |
| 22 | 36 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 365 | 15 |
| 23 | 26 | 71 | Zane Smith (R) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 364 | 14 |
| 24 | 28 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 364 | 13 |
| 25 | 18 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 364 | 12 |
| 26 | 34 | 16 | Shane van Gisbergen (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 364 | 0 |
| 27 | 21 | 51 | Justin Haley | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 363 | 10 |
| 28 | 31 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 363 | 9 |
| 29 | 25 | 31 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 362 | 8 |
| 30 | 8 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 344 | 17 |
| 31 | 15 | 4 | Josh Berry (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 343 | 12 |
| 32 | 29 | 10 | Noah Gragson | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 343 | 5 |
| 33 | 2 | 77 | Carson Hocevar (R) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 335 | 4 |
| 34 | 35 | 15 | Kaz Grala | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 332 | 3 |
| 35 | 37 | 66 | Timmy Hill (i) | Power Source | Ford | 278 | 0 |
| 36 | 5 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 2 | 1 |
| 37 | 7 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 2 | 1 |
| colspan="8"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/9/1/12426_UNOFFRES.pdf Official race results] |
=Race statistics=
- Lead changes: 26 among 11 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 7 for 39
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 3 hours, 55 minutes and 14 seconds
- Average speed: {{convert|127.800|mph|km/h}}
Media
=Television=
USA covered the race on the television side. Leigh Diffey, two–time Darlington winner Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Kim Coon and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties from pit lane.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" | |
| colspan="2"|USA | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap: Leigh Diffey Color-commentator: Jeff Burton Color-commentator: Steve Letarte | Dave Burns Kim Coon Marty Snider |
=Radio=
MRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" | ||
| colspan="3"|MRN Radio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Alex Hayden Announcer: Jeff Striegle Announcer: Todd Gordon | Turns 1 & 2: Dave Moody Turns 3 & 4: Mike Bagley | Steve Post Chris Wilner Brienne Pedigo Alex Weaver |
Standings after the race
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Drivers' Championship standings after Playoffs reset
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| ! Pos
! Driver ! Points |
|---|
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,040 |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,032 (–8) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,028 (–12) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,022 (–18) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,018 (–22) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,015 (–25) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,014 (–26) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,008 (–32) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,007 (–33) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,007 (–33) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 11 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,006 (–34) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px | style="text-align:center;"| 12 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,005 (–35) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 13 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,005 (–35) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 20 | style="text-align:center;"| 14 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,005 (–35) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 15 | Ty Gibbs | style="text-align:center;"| 2,004 (–36) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 16 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,004 (–36) |
| class="sortbottom"
!colspan="9"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2024/9/2/12426_REUNOFFDRIVPTS.pdf Official driver's standings] |
{{col-2}}
;Manufacturers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| ! Pos
! Manufacturer ! Points |
|---|
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 944 |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2 | Toyota | style="text-align:center;"| 929 (–15) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 3 | Ford | style="text-align:center;"| 908 (–36) |
| class="sortbottom" |
- Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{NASCAR next race
| Series = NASCAR Cup Series
| Monsteryear = 2024
| Previous_race = 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400
| Next_race = 2024 Quaker State 400
}}
{{2024 NASCAR Cup}}
{{Southern 500}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook Out Southern 500, 2024}}
Category:2024 NASCAR Cup Series
Category:NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway