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Having hosted the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opening race for the past several years, the 1.3-mile egg-shaped track bringing different results every time. One common thing we have seen is misfortune for one or more of the drivers in the Playoff field, competing for a championship.
Chase Elliott, who won the 2022 Regular-Season championship, was not exempt from the chaos of the ever-changing storyline. The No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro broke loose and spun around into traffic, collecting fellow Playoff driver Chase Briscoe's No. 14 machine. Elliott broke the rear toe-link on his car in the incident and retired from the race on lap-113. Briscoe managed his damaged machine to finish the race, just a few laps down.
Kevin Harvick's No. 4 Ford Mustang went up in flames after his exhaust had a misfunction and caught the car on fire. After being released from the Care Center, a not so "Happy Harvick" gave his take on the newer race car, likely pissing off some of the higher-ups in the NASCAR Management ranks.
However, that was not the end to the chaos.
Under the final caution, brought out by the No. 51 car after it clobbered the wall, leader Kyle Busch looked like he was well on his way to victory lane. That was until his engine began spitting out blue smoke from the exhaust pipes: the symptoms of an expiring engine. Just laps prior to the caution, non-playoff driver Martin Truex, Jr. retired the race from the lead due to an engine issue, making two TRD engines go bad within minutes of each other.
Busch having to quit the race handed the lead over to eventual race-winner Erik Jones, who is not in the Playoffs.
Darlington Raceway proved to be a disaster for the playoffs, and you never know what could happen next week at Kansas Speedway.
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