The opening stage of the NASCAR Cup Series event at Darlington Raceway unfolded on September 6, with the field racing under the bright lights of a packed Southern venue as drivers jostled for position in the early laps.
Early Caution Ends Stage Prematurely
Carson Hocevar lost control of his No. 00 Chevrolet, spinning into Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford and sending the two cars into a tangled heap that forced the caution flag to wave, while Joey Logano narrowly avoided a secondary collision.
NASCAR’s updated stage‑completion protocol, which mandates an immediate end to a stage when a caution is displayed within the final three laps, was triggered, bringing the stage to a premature conclusion despite the race still being in its opening phase.
Tyler Reddick managed to navigate the field after the caution and secured the stage victory, with Bubba Wallace finishing in second place and Denny Hamlin rounding out the podium in third.
The incident marked the first caution of the entire Darlington race, setting a tense tone for the remainder of the event.