This article is a race finish projection for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Playoff race at Darlington Raceway. The finishing order below is determined based on the statistics used in the Darlington Cup Outlook article (mainly track stats and track style stats), weekend practice speeds (both single lap and multi-lap averages), and qualifying results. There is little opinion on the matter as this is based on mostly statistics, so just because a driver with bad stats is in a good car does not mean he will be bumped up based on the car/team he is with.
Last weeks projected winner: Joey Logano
Finished: 5th
Last weeks winner: Chris Buescher
Projected Finish: 11th
Additional notes from last week:
-3 drivers finished where they were projected (Kyle Busch (7th), Kevin Harvick (9th) & Bubba Wallace (12th))
-16 of the 39 drivers finished within 5 spots (better or worse) of where they were projected to finish
-Only 11 of the 39 drivers finished 15+ spots (better or worse) than they were projected to finish
-8 of the Top 13 drivers were projected to finish in the Top 13
Notable results this week
Winner: Denny Hamlin
One to Watch: Brad Keselowski
Disappointment: Chase Elliott
* = In Driver/Owner Playoff
| Proj. Finish | Number | Driver | Finish/Diff. |
| 1. | 11 | Denny Hamlin* | 25th -24 |
| 2. | 45 | Tyler Reddick* | 2nd +0 |
| 3. | 5 | Kyle Larson* | 1st +2 |
| 4. | 24 | William Byron* | 4th +0 |
| 5. | 8 | Kyle Busch* | 11th -6 |
| 6. | 6 | Brad Keselowski* | 6th +0 |
| 7. | 20 | Christopher Bell* | 23rd -16 |
| 8. | 23 | Bubba Wallace* | 7th +1 |
| 9. | 12 | Ryan Blaney* | 9th +0 |
| 10. | 22 | Joey Logano* | 12th +2 |
| 11. | 2 | Austin Cindric | 31st -20 |
| 12. | 19 | Martin Truex Jr.* | 18th -6 |
| 13. | 4 | Kevin Harvick* | 19th -6 |
| 14. | 17 | Chris Buescher* | 3rd +11 |
| 15. | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr.* | 16th -1 |
| 16. | 1 | Ross Chastain* | 5th +11 |
| 17. | 43 | Erik Jones | 10th +7 |
| 18. | 9 | Chase Elliott* | 8th +10 |
| 19. | 10 | Aric Almirola | 14th +5 |
| 20. | 99 | Daniel Suarez | 34th -14 |
| 21. | 34 | Michael McDowell* | 32nd -11 |
| 22. | 54 | Ty Gibbs | 21st +1 |
| 23. | 14 | Chase Briscoe | 15th +8 |
| 24. | 48 | Alex Bowman | 33rd -9 |
| 25. | 21 | Harrison Burton | 35th -10 |
| 26. | 42 | Carson Hocevar | 17th +9 |
| 27. | 3 | Austin Dillon | 20th +7 |
| 28. | 16 | A.J. Allmendinger | 13th +15 |
| 29. | 31 | Justin Haley | 24th +5 |
| 30. | 51 | Ryan Newman | 27th +3 |
| 31. | 41 | Ryan Preece | 28th +3 |
| 32. | 7 | Corey LaJoie | 22nd +10 |
| 33. | 38 | Todd Gilliland | 26th +7 |
| 34. | 77 | Ty Dillon | 29th +5 |
| 35. | 15 | J.J. Yeley | 30th +5 |
| 36. | 78 | B.J. McLeod | 36th +0 |
This will be updated after the race is over so you can compare how the projection did with the actual finishing order.
