CUP: Chad Finchum nearly makes it to the checkered flag in first Southern 500
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: Steven Taranto, @STaranto92
Chad Finchum picked up the 4th last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway when his #66 AutoParts.com Ford fell out with transmission issues after he completed 234 of 367 laps.
The finish, which came in Finchum’s 19th series start, was his first of the season and first since June 30, 2024 at Nashville, 80 races ago. In the Cup Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 16th due to the suspension, the 73rd for the #66, and the 773rd for Ford. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 60th for the suspension, the 98th for the #66, and the 1,102nd for Ford.
Finchum remains one of the drivers who’s run a few races per season with Carl Long’s single-car “open” team outfit, Garage 66. While he hasn’t been featured on this site for a points-paying last-place finish in the Cup Series since 2024, he’s since finished last in the All-Star Open for the 2025 race at North Wilkesboro, where he was last of the 18 entrants to complete the full 100-lap distance. That same year, he finished 35th at both Nashville and Bristol, which were ironically his best Cup finishes since 2021. Things have improved somewhat in the current year, where Sunday’s race marked his seventh Cup start of the season, marking the first time he’d started more than three in a year. His best runs have been a pair of 28th-place showings at Talladega and Nashville, though his latest run in the 450-lapper at North Wilkesboro saw his rear gear go out near the end, leaving him 35th of the 37 starters.
This increasing number of starts for Finchum has also seen him carry new sponsors on Long’s white #66 Fords. Among these have been Brian King Roofing, Cooper & Hunter, and Kingscrowd. For Sunday, his first Cup start at Darlington, he carried logos for AutoParts.com. In conjunction with Finchum’s effort, the auto parts website issued coupon code “GO66” for 6.6% off customers’ orders. Finchum was to be the first driver to take time in qualifying, but persistent lightning and rain eventually cancelled both practice and qualifying, leaving the #66 in the 38th and final starting position.
No drivers fell to the rear prior to the start of Sunday’s race, though Finchum’s outside line didn’t get as good of a start as the inside, letting 37th-place starter Cody Ware in the #51 ApexFX Chevrolet to pull ahead to the inside of Erik Jones’ #43 Dollar Tree Toyota. Across the stripe, Finchum was already 3.307 seconds back of the lead with Ware ahead by nearly three-tenths, his 3.055 alongside 36th-place Jones with a 3.012. The gap increased to four-tenths at the end of Lap 1 with Finchum now 4.977 back of the lead, then 8.237 by Lap 4, and 12.648 on Lap 7, when Ware climbed to 36th past Noah Gragson in the #4 Southeastern Equipment and Supply / Tennant Ford. Gragson dropped Ware to 37th again on Lap 9, by which point Finchum was 1.5 seconds behind the pair.
On Lap 12, Shane Van Gisbergen fell to 37th in the #97 Red Bull Chevrolet, and Finchum started to close the gap. He was just one second behind that time by, chipped off another tenth on Lap 14, but lost another three tenths on Lap 17. On Lap 21, Finchum had to lift off Turn 4, dropping him over two seconds back of Van Gisbergen and 28.579 seconds back of the lead. By Lap 26, Finchum was 31.245 behind the leader and almost four full seconds back of Van Gisbergen at a 27.578. The next time by on Lap 27, race leader Denny Hamlin got under Finchum off Turn 4, followed by 2nd-place Tyler Reddick at the stripe, putting Finchum the first car one lap down. Fortunately, a competition caution called due to Saturday’s rain came out on Lap 37. Hamlin hadn’t caught 37th-place Van Gisbergen, so Finchum got his lap back.
During pit stops under the caution, the last spot briefly swapped on Lap 39 between Ty Dillon in the #10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet, then Ware’s #51. On Lap 40, as Ware pulled into Turn 1, he dropped Finchum back to last, just before the restart on Lap 41. This time, Finchum caught the tail end of the field, looking under new 37th-place runner Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the #47 Ram Self Storage Chevrolet, but Stenhouse pulled ahead to battle to the outside of Ware’s #51. This kept Finchum last on Lap 43, when he was 6.975 back of the lead. By Lap 47, he’d fallen 12.756 behind the lead and seven-tenths back Ware, who again held the 37th spot. On Lap 61, he was 29.908 seconds back, nearly five full seconds back of Ware and again in danger of losing a lap. This came to pass just before the start of Lap 64, when Hamlin pulled to his inside at the stripe.
By now, Carl Long called for an air pressure adjustment on his next stop around Lap 75, adding a pound to the left-rear. Other drivers started pitting as early as Lap 73, including Austin Dillon, whose #3 Boot Barn Chevrolet took the last spot that time by, lifting Finchum to 36th ahead of both Dillon and new 37th-place runner Riley Herbst in the #35 Gogo Squeez Toyota. On Lap 75, Connor Zilisch took the spot after pitting his #88 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet. Finchum’s stop ended up pushed to Lap 77, when he pitted from 27th and took the last spot from Zilisch. Still under green on Lap 87, Finchum was now the only driver two laps down. Holding the 37th spot was Corey Heim, whose #67 Fleetio Toyota was the last car one lap down after serving a penalty for an uncontrolled tire. On Lap 103, new leader Tyler Reddick got under Finchum on the approach to Turn 3, putting the #66 a third lap down. On Lap 107, moments after Finchum reported his car was “still a little bit free on the long runs,” a timely caution fell after Carson Hocevar bumped, then spun Brad Keselowski’s #6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford in Turn 4. Keselowski escaped serious damage, but came in to check his car’s flaps as the ensuing yellow ended Stage 1.
On Lap 113, Finchum paused on the frontstretch, letting the tail end of the field pull away from him just before the Lap 114 restart. Two laps later, Finchum’s crew reported he ran his fastest lap of the race. Ahead of him, Ware was battling back to 36th, dropping Van Gisbergen to 37th once more. On Lap 126, Cole Custer made a four-tire stop off-sequence, dropping his #41 Sysco / Parker’s Kitchen Chevrolet to the 37th spot, the only car two laps down. Coming to start Lap 137, race leader Reddick beat Finchum to the stripe, putting Finchum a fourth lap down. Ware then lost a second lap on Lap 144, dropping behind Custer. On Lap 146, Keselowski’s night became worse when he spun at pit entrance, forcing a three-point turn and another stop, leaving him 37th and two laps down behind Ware.
On Lap 153, just two laps before his next scheduled stop, Finchum bounced off the Turn 2 wall. He let several cars pass him as he pulled to the apron, then made it to the pits. There, the crew decided to change only the right-side tires, sending him back on track five laps down. But by Lap 165, Finchum was struggling to get through Turns 1 and 2 so badly that his spotter noticed and relayed it to Long. Finchum pitted on Lap 168, received his left-side tires, and was back up to speed on Lap 171, now seven laps behind. Around this time, a piece of rubber lining came loose from the gap between his hood and his right-front fender, uncoiling as it nearly pulled itself free. The material flapped against the car’s body like a streamer for much of the remaining race.
On Lap 187, Finchum hit the wall a second time, this time off Turn 4, and reported his car was “driving funny.” He pulled to the apron and came back in for four tires, the crew replacing at least one bent wheel. Now nine laps down, Finchum was back up to speed on Lap 190, but only for a moment. He pulled to the apron, saying he didn’t have a vibration, but that something still felt off. On Lap 191, he made another stop, but quickly returned to the track after fuel from his previous stop ignited in his stall. He returned on Lap 193, where this time the crew looked under the hood. Long reported he had a bent toe link, and directed him to go to the “Damaged Vehicle Policy” Zone. Unsure where the garage entrance was, Finchum rolled past it, then was directed by his spotter to come around and re-enter pit road. He did this, and this time drove into the entrance marked by the pylon in the infield, taking care to steer around three cones placed at the entrance.
Now parked in the garage stall, Long’s crew jacked up the right side and set to work, but had trouble replacing the bolts on the toe link. On Lap 209, Finchum was now 25 laps down, and on Lap 218, his crew discussed getting the saws-all to dislodge the broken part. On Lap 228, the crew raised the hood again, then on Lap 231 lowered it again as the caution fell to end Stage 2. One lap later, under the ensuing yellow, Finchum got a tear-off removed from his windshield and returned to the track. He exited through the same entrance he’d just used, now 49 laps down to the field. He got one lap back soon after, showing 48 down, and Long told him to return to the pits if the car didn’t feel right. Finchum didn’t lose the 49th lap again until Lap 256, well after Denny Hamlin’s tangle with Michael McDowell that dropped Hamlin’s Toyota to 20th. Finchum’s lap was lost after new leader Kyle Larson got under him in Turns 3 and 4. Larson then lapped Hamlin on Lap 265.
Now within the final 100 laps of the race, Finchum first reported his car was “nothing crazy one way or the other,” then “a bit loose.” Long called for a pound added to the right-front tire on their next stop. This was done on Lap 278, the same lap Hamlin came in for a quick four-tire change. By then, Finchum was now 51 laps down to the leader. Three laps later on Lap 281, Finchum said he “might have another bent right-rear toe link.” Long responded, “All right, park it then,” knowing the crew didn’t have another replacement toe link. But when Finchum pitted, the crew sent him back out, 52 laps down. Shortly after, Zane Smith spun his #38 Aaron’s Dream Machine Ford off Turn 4. Finchum remained on track, and again voluntarily dropped to the back of the field. Since the yellow fell during a round of stops, the crew expected a chaotic restart. During the yellow, Long realized his timing and scoring wasn’t refreshing fast enough, explaining why they were struggling to pit on their planned laps.
On Lap 289, Finchum reported his car was too free, and Long suggested he’d come in for further adjustments. Meanwhile, his spotter was having radio trouble, as if someone else had broken into their channel. On Lap 296, Finchum slowed on the backstretch and onto the apron. Now 53 laps down, he pulled into his stall, then was told by Long to pull behind the wall. He did this on Lap 299, then carefully drove at 13mph through the near pitch-black infield toward the team’s hauler. Finchum apologized for his mistakes, and said he wasn’t sure when his next start would be. Long’s team offered words of encouragement. At the team’s hauler, a NASCAR official took a photo of Finchum’s right-front fender. He was declared out on Lap 308, and his on-board camera shut off on Lap 318.
For the second-straight Cup race at Darlington, it appeared the Garage 66 car would be the race’s only retiree, and the remaining 37 starters remained within four laps of the leaders. That changed on Lap 317, when Chase contender William Byron spun his #24 Valvoline Restore & Protect Chevrolet entering pit road. The crew checked over the left side of the car and sent him back out, only for the engine to fail on the backstretch, forcing him behind the wall and out of the race. Ware, Stenhouse, and Zilisch completed the Bottom Five, all still under power.
Berry continues record-shattering top-ten streak for Wood Brothers
While Chase storylines dominated the front of the pack, Josh Berry clawed his way into the Top 10 midway through the race and finished 7th in his #21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford. This extended his already impressive streak of top-ten finishes to six in a row, the longest streak since 1976 with David Pearson, and the longest in seven consecutive scheduled races since 1964 with Marvin Panch.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*Finchum came just six laps short of beating Josh Berry’s record for most laps completed by a last-place finisher of a Cup race at Darlington, a record Berry set in this same race last year (LINK). Berry completed 239 laps to Finchum’s 234. Finchum did tie the late Greg Biffle for the second-most, matching the 234 laps he turned in his #16 3M Ford before engine issues on May 10, 2008.
*This marked the first time the last-place finisher of a Cup race at Darlington fell out due to suspension issues.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
38) #66-Chad Finchum / 234 laps / transmission
37) #24-William Byron / 319 laps / engine
36) #51-Cody Ware / 363 laps / running
35) #47-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. / 363 laps / running
34) #88-Connor Zilisch / 365 laps / running
2026 LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Trackhouse Racing (6)
2nd) Joe Gibbs Racing (4)
3rd) Hendrick Motorsports (3)
4th) 23XI Racing, Garage 66, Kaulig Racing, Live Fast Motorsports, RFK Racing (2)
5th) Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports, Wood Brothers Racing (1)
2026 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (15)
2nd) Ford (6)
3rd) Toyota (5)
2026 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
