Goodyear 400
Darlington Raceway — May 9, 2021
Martin Truex, Jr.
Winner
293
Laps
21
Entries
9
Leaders
Martin Truex, Jr. won the 2021 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021, leading 248 of 293 laps. Kyle Larson finished second; Kyle Busch rounded out the podium. The race featured 9 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, May 9, 2021
Track
Season
2021
Winner
Leaders
9 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | +29 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 2 | 8 | +6 | Kyle Larson |
| 3 | 14 | +11 | Kyle Busch |
| 4 | 22 | +18 | William Byron |
| 5 | 4 | -1 | Denny Hamlin |
| 6 | 5 | -1 | Kevin Harvick |
| 7 | 1 | -6 | Chase Elliott |
| 8 | 27 | +19 | Ryan Blaney |
| 9 | 30 | +21 | Chris Buescher |
| 10 | 33 | +23 | Ryan Newman |
| 11 | 18 | +7 | Chase Briscoe |
| 12 | 24 | +12 | Tyler Reddick |
| 13 | 11 | -2 | Joey Logano |
| 14 | 12 | -2 | Christopher Bell |
| 15 | 9 | -6 | Ross Chastain |
| 16 | 3 | -13 | Austin Dillon |
| 17 | 36 | +19 | Alex Bowman |
| 18 | 37 | +19 | Erik Jones |
| 19 | 32 | +13 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 20 | 16 | -4 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 34 | 21 | -13 | Cody Ware |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | 3 | 1 | — | 18 |
| Joey Logano | 2 | 3 | — | 17 |
| Chase Elliott | 1 | 6 | — | 15 |
| Martin Truex, Jr. | 7 | 5 | — | 10 |
| Christopher Bell | 12 | 4 | — | 7 |
| Kyle Larson | 6 | 16 | — | 5 |
| William Byron | 22 | 7 | — | 4 |
| Austin Dillon | 8 | 14 | — | 3 |
| Kevin Harvick | 9 | 12 | — | 2 |
| Kyle Busch | 37 | 10 | — | 1 |
| Chris Buescher | 10 | 13 | — | 1 |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 18 matched drivers, the model averaged 5.1 positions off — better than the season average of 8.5. Good
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 15.4 | 1 | +14.4 |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | 12.7 | 2 | +10.7 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 17.0 | 3 | +14.0 |
| 4 | William Byron | 10.7 | 4 | +6.7 |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin | 8.2 | 5 | +3.2 |
| 7 | Chase Elliott | 7.8 | 7 | +0.8 |
| 8 | Ryan Blaney | 9.2 | 8 | +1.2 |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | 9.2 | 9 | +0.2 |
| 11 | Chase Briscoe | 11.9 | 11 | +0.9 |
| 12 | Tyler Reddick | 6.2 | 12 | -5.8 |
| 13 | Joey Logano | 14.7 | 13 | +1.7 |
| 14 | Christopher Bell | 10.7 | 14 | -3.3 |
| 15 | Ross Chastain | 13.3 | 15 | -1.7 |
| 16 | Austin Dillon | 17.1 | 16 | +1.1 |
| 17 | Alex Bowman | 13.5 | 17 | -3.5 |
| 18 | Erik Jones | 16.7 | 18 | -1.3 |
| 20 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 19.9 | 20 | -0.1 |
| 34 | Cody Ware | 56.1 | 34 | +22.1 |
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
- Martin Truex, Jr.: has 25 career starts at Darlington Raceway with a 14.3 avg finish (2 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Tyler Reddick: was the model’s top pick based on 21 career starts at Darlington Raceway with a 13.4 avg finish (1 win), finishing P12 on the day.
- Cody Ware: was the biggest surprise, finishing P34 vs predicted P56. Track history: 9 starts, 29.4 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2021 Goodyear 400?
Martin Truex, Jr. won the 2021 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Where was the 2021 Goodyear 400 held?
The 2021 Goodyear 400 was held at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021.