Bojangles' Southern 500
Darlington Raceway, September 3, 2017
Denny Hamlin
Winner
367
Laps
40
Entries
8
Leaders
Denny Hamlin won the 2017 Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 3, 2017, leading 124 of 367 laps. Kyle Busch finished second; Kurt Busch rounded out the podium. The race featured 8 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Track
Season
2017
Winner
Leaders
8 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | +8 | Denny Hamlin |
| 2 | 3 | +1 | Kyle Busch |
| 3 | 7 | +4 | Kurt Busch |
| 4 | 13 | +9 | Austin Dillon |
| 5 | 10 | +5 | Erik Jones |
| 6 | 11 | +5 | Matt Kenseth |
| 7 | 17 | +10 | Ryan Newman |
| 8 | 2 | -6 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 9 | 1 | -8 | Kevin Harvick |
| 10 | 5 | -5 | Jamie McMurray |
| 11 | 20 | +9 | Chase Elliott |
| 12 | 18 | +6 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 13 | 25 | +12 | Ty Dillon |
| 14 | 4 | -10 | Kyle Larson |
| 15 | 6 | -9 | Brad Keselowski |
| 16 | 21 | +5 | Paul Menard |
| 17 | 27 | +10 | Chris Buescher |
| 18 | 8 | -10 | Joey Logano |
| 19 | 30 | +11 | Michael McDowell |
| 20 | 15 | -5 | Aric Almirola |
| 21 | 31 | +10 | Landon Cassill |
| 22 | 22 | — | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| 23 | 34 | +11 | Cole Whitt |
| 24 | 23 | -1 | Kasey Kahne |
| 25 | 26 | +1 | David Ragan |
| 26 | 33 | +7 | Danica Patrick |
| 27 | 28 | +1 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 28 | 35 | +7 | Corey LaJoie |
| 29 | 14 | -15 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 30 | 37 | +7 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 31 | 12 | -19 | Ryan Blaney |
| 32 | 38 | +6 | Derrike Cope |
| 33 | 40 | +7 | Carl Long |
| 34 | 29 | -5 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 35 | 24 | -11 | Trevor Bayne |
| 36 | 36 | — | Gray Gaulding |
| 37 | 39 | +2 | Cody Ware |
| 38 | 19 | -19 | Daniel Suarez |
| 39 | 32 | -7 | Reed Sorenson |
| 40 | 16 | -24 | Clint Bowyer |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 18 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.7 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 6.2 | 1 | +5.2 |
| 4 | Austin Dillon | 19.9 | 4 | +15.9 |
| 5 | Erik Jones | 14.7 | 5 | +9.7 |
| 8 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 15.4 | 8 | +7.4 |
| 11 | Chase Elliott | 10.1 | 11 | -0.9 |
| 12 | Jimmie Johnson | 19.9 | 12 | +7.9 |
| 13 | Ty Dillon | 22.9 | 13 | +9.9 |
| 14 | Kyle Larson | 13.1 | 14 | -0.9 |
| 15 | Brad Keselowski | 15.4 | 15 | +0.4 |
| 17 | Chris Buescher | 9.2 | 17 | -7.8 |
| 18 | Joey Logano | 11.9 | 18 | -6.1 |
| 19 | Michael McDowell | 16.9 | 19 | -2.1 |
| 28 | Corey LaJoie | 22.2 | 28 | -5.8 |
| 29 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 19.9 | 29 | -9.1 |
| 31 | Ryan Blaney | 8.2 | 31 | -22.8 |
| 34 | A.J. Allmendinger | 17.1 | 34 | -16.9 |
| 37 | Cody Ware | 57.0 | 37 | +20.0 |
| 38 | Daniel Suarez | 12.7 | 38 | -25.3 |
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Denny Hamlin: has 41 career starts at Darlington Raceway with a 7.5 avg finish (10 wins) — the model correctly identified this strength.
- Cody Ware: was the biggest surprise, finishing P37 vs predicted P57. Track history: 9 starts, 31.0 avg finish.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2017 Bojangles' Southern 500?
Denny Hamlin won the 2017 Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Where was the 2017 Bojangles' Southern 500 held?
The 2017 Bojangles' Southern 500 was held at Darlington Raceway on September 3, 2017.