Six laps from a season-saving victory at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR Cup Series’ Erik Jones endured a push from Kyle Larson.
The Legacy Motor Club driver maintained control of the No. 43 Toyota and kept it from hitting the wall. Still, he dropped from title contention to the mid-teens.
Jones rallied for a P5, but after the Coke Zero Sugar 400, he told Frontstretch.com that Larson of “shoving pretty hard. He had me out of shape pretty good a couple of times the lap before and then all but wrecked (me).”
The move cost Jones his last chance at qualifying for the 16-team playoffs, which begin Saturday night at Darlington Raceway. Postseason-bound Larson finished one spot behind Jones.
Ryan Blaney executed a rally to remember, coming back from P13 with two laps remaining to earn the title in the regular-season finale.
Larson explained his intention, suggesting the 2021 Cup titleholder was “just trying to hit (Jones) and get our lane going. I feel like the Fords, you can just really lock onto and push.
“Like Toyotas and Chevys, we don’t latch bumpers very well, so I feel like the slams help advance the lane more. Maybe he thinks differently. I did get him a little bit out of shape one time, I think, and then I think that’s when I got by him.”
#NASCAR … Erik Jones on the shove from Kyle Larson that got him out of shape in the final laps. pic.twitter.com/wyMHI67V4V
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) August 24, 2025
NASCAR National Series, ARCA Series West Weekend Schedule
NASCAR National Series and ARCA Menards Series West’s list of weekend events at Darlington Raceway and Portland International Raceway (All Times ET):
Friday
- 2 p.m.: ARCA Series West practice at Portland
- 3:05 p.m.: Truck Series practice at Darlington
- 3:20 p.m.: ARCA Series West qualifying at Portland
- 4:10 p.m.: Truck Series qualifying at Darlington
- 7 p.m.: ARCA Series West Portland 112 race at Portland
Saturday
- 9 a.m.: Cup Series practice at Darlington
- 10:10 a.m.: Cup Series qualifying at Darlington
- Noon: Truck Series Sober or Slammer 200 race at Darlington
- 3 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice at Portland
- 4:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying at Portland
- 7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pacific Office Automation 147 race at Portland
Sunday
- 6 p.m.: Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 race at Darlington
Happy race week!!! Let the #NASCARPlayoffs begin! pic.twitter.com/JFOIOEnHws
— Darlington Raceway (@TooToughToTame) August 25, 2025
NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 Entry List
NASCAR Cup Series’ entry list for Saturday night’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway:
Entry, Driver, Car No.
- 1, Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
- 2, Austin Cindric No. 2 Ford
- 3, Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
- 4, Noah Gragson, No. 4 Ford
- 5, Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
- 6, Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
- 7, Justin Haley, No. 7 Chevrolet
- 8, Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
- 9, Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
- 10, Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet
- 11, Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
- 12, Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
- 13, AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet
- 14, Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
- 15, Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Toyota
- 16, Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
- 17, Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford
- 18, Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
- 19, Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
- 20, William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
- 21, Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford
- 22, Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota
- 23, Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford
- 24, Cole Custer, No. 41 Ford
- 25, John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
- 26, Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
- 27, JJ Yeley, No. 44 Chevrolet
- 28, Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
- 29, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Ford
- 30, Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
- 31, Cody Ware, No. 51 Ford
- 32, Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
- 33, Ryan Preece, No. 60 Ford
- 34, Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet
- 35, Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet
- 36, Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Chevrolet
- 37, Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet
On the other side of this gauntlet lies the ultimate prize.
The #NASCARPlayoffs start now! pic.twitter.com/nKZPYaxVhW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 24, 2025
