Cook Out Southern 500
Darlington Raceway — September 6, 2020
Kevin Harvick
Winner
367
Laps
21
Entries
6
Leaders
Kevin Harvick won the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 6, 2020, leading 32 of 367 laps. Austin Dillon finished second; Joey Logano rounded out the podium. The race featured 6 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Track
Season
2020
Winner
Leaders
6 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | +3 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2 | 17 | +15 | Austin Dillon |
| 3 | 2 | -1 | Joey Logano |
| 4 | 11 | +7 | Erik Jones |
| 5 | 10 | +5 | William Byron |
| 6 | 6 | — | Alex Bowman |
| 7 | 20 | +13 | Kyle Busch |
| 8 | 3 | -5 | Kurt Busch |
| 9 | 16 | +7 | Aric Almirola |
| 10 | 12 | +2 | Clint Bowyer |
| 11 | 8 | -3 | Brad Keselowski |
| 12 | 13 | +1 | Cole Custer |
| 13 | 7 | -6 | Denny Hamlin |
| 14 | 30 | +16 | Matt Kenseth |
| 15 | 28 | +13 | Ryan Newman |
| 16 | 26 | +10 | Michael McDowell |
| 17 | 19 | +2 | Ryan Preece |
| 18 | 14 | -4 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 19 | 23 | +4 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 20 | 1 | -19 | Chase Elliott |
| 22 | 5 | -17 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | 3 | 1 | — | 18 |
| Chase Elliott | 1 | 5 | — | 16 |
| Brad Keselowski | 2 | 6 | — | 14 |
| Kevin Harvick | 7 | 2 | — | 13 |
| Alex Bowman | 6 | 4 | — | 12 |
| Erik Jones | 5 | 28 | — | 6 |
| Martin Truex, Jr. | 8 | 8 | — | 6 |
| Joey Logano | 9 | 14 | — | 2 |
| Kurt Busch | 19 | 9 | — | 2 |
| Kyle Busch | 10 | 12 | — | 1 |
| Clint Bowyer | 12 | 10 | — | 1 |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 15 matched drivers, the model averaged 7.2 positions off — better than the season average of 8.5. Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Austin Dillon | 17.1 | 2 | +15.1 |
| 3 | Joey Logano | 14.7 | 3 | +11.7 |
| 4 | Erik Jones | 16.7 | 4 | +12.7 |
| 5 | William Byron | 10.7 | 5 | +5.7 |
| 6 | Alex Bowman | 13.5 | 6 | +7.5 |
| 7 | Kyle Busch | 17.0 | 7 | +10.0 |
| 11 | Brad Keselowski | 11.2 | 11 | +0.2 |
| 12 | Cole Custer | 22.9 | 12 | +10.9 |
| 13 | Denny Hamlin | 8.2 | 13 | -4.8 |
| 16 | Michael McDowell | 17.0 | 16 | +1.0 |
| 17 | Ryan Preece | 10.1 | 17 | -6.9 |
| 18 | Jimmie Johnson | 19.9 | 18 | +1.9 |
| 19 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 19.9 | 19 | +0.9 |
| 20 | Chase Elliott | 7.8 | 20 | -12.2 |
| 22 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 15.4 | 22 | -6.6 |
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
- Kevin Harvick: has 49 career starts at Darlington Raceway with a 13.0 avg finish (3 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Chase Elliott: was the model’s top pick based on 23 career starts at Darlington Raceway with a 12.8 avg finish (1 win), finishing P20 on the day.
- Austin Dillon: was the biggest surprise, finishing P2 vs predicted P17. Track history: 27 starts, 15.8 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500?
Kevin Harvick won the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway driving for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Where was the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500 held?
The 2020 Cook Out Southern 500 was held at Darlington Raceway on September 6, 2020.