Sprinter equals 100m PB to book world championships place, while Brits impress at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc

A report on GB’s strong performance at the IAU 50km World Championships in Romania, including a world record-breaking win by Aly Dixon, is here, while a round-up of England Athletics Under-17 and Under-15 Championships action is here.

You can read about the first of the IAAF Diamond League finals in Zurich, where Karsten Warholm claimed an historic hurdles win, here.

Other recent highlights are below.

ISATF, Berlin, Germany, September 1

Asha Philip secured her place on the GB team for the IAAF World Championships in Doha, following her silver medal-winning run at the British Championships with a PB-equalling 11.10 (0.7m/sec) to dip inside the qualifying time.

Her fellow Briton Imani-Lara Lansiquot ran 11.20 for fifth in a race won by Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in a PB of 11.07.

Mood right now ????… Ran 11.10 (+0.7) today in Berlin??. Equal PB. Equal 5th UK all-time. World Championships here we come ?????? .
.#WorldChamps?? #Joy #Dedication #Doha2019?? #Athlete pic.twitter.com/xdsZeCeolZ

— Asha Philip (@MissAshaPhilip) September 1, 2019

Andre de Grasse won the men’s 100m in 9.97.

Gesa Felicitas Krause broke the world best for the rarely-run 2000m steeplechase, clocking 5:52.80 just three days after breaking the German record for the 3000m steeplechase in Zurich.

Olympic champion Omar McLeod clocked a 13.07 season’s best to win the 110m hurdles ahead of Pascal Martinot-Lagarde who clocked 13.25.

Bellinzona, Switzerland, September 1

Cindy Ofili was another athlete booking their world championships place as the British champion achieved the qualifying standard in the 100m hurdles with a winning time of 12.85 (0.0m/sec) and followed that up with 11.66 (-0.2m/sec) in the 100m.

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake ran a season’s best of 10.11 (0.2m/sec) to win the men’s B 100m. Daryll Neita clocked 11.20 (0.0m/sec) for third in the women’s race won by Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji in 11.12.

World champion Justin Gatlin won the men’s A 100m, clocking 9.97.

Olympic champion Ryan Crouser broke the meeting record in the men’s shot put with 22.28m, while Katie Nageotte won the women’s pole vault with a first attempt clearance of 4.77m.

Memoriál Josefa Sečkáře, Brno, Czech Republic, August 28

British shot put champion Scott Lincoln enjoyed the week of his life as he won the national title and then threw 20.39m and 20.18m at a meeting in Brno before backing it up with 20.01m at another Czech meeting in Vlasim two days later.

Lincoln is only the eighth Briton to break 20 metres in the shot put and he became the first to do so in 11 years.

Congracts to @paulthecoach1 and @shotputtlinco on whats the best throw from a British athlete in 10474820079 years. pic.twitter.com/nOxMeNuLfI

— GHOST (@YoucefZatat) August 28, 2019

Read an interview with Lincoln in Thursday’s AW.

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, Alps, August 26-September 1

The annual, week-long, trail and mountain festival based in Chamonix attracts several thousand runners from around the world and culminates in the 170km (106-mile) circuit of Mont Blanc, with 10,000m of climb for good measure, writes Adrian Stott.

It always attracts a quality international field, possibly only rivalled by the World Ultra Trail Championships, and this year’s event was won by Spain’s Pau Capell in 20:19:07 and USA’s Courtney Dauwalter in 24:34:26.

Scottish and GB hill and trail international Tom Owens had one of the best runs of his career when claiming fourth place.

Outstanding 4th and 5th for @TomOwens100 and @andysymondsRun at @UTMBMontBlanc, words can’t describe their efforts, congratulations!#utmb@BritAthletics @scotathletics @AthleticsWeekly pic.twitter.com/tGMyZzKLcW

— Jacob Adkin (@jacob_adkin) August 31, 2019

The Shettleston Harrier, who started 2019 barely able to run after an ankle operation, has gradually built his fitness back up over the summer, but this was his first attempt at a ‘100-mile’ event.

Wisely biding his time in the early kilometres, avoiding the usual cavalry charge at the front, he was hovering around 20th place through to 50km. By 80km, as runners started drifting back, he was up to 10th and by 125km he was up to fifth.

Although struggling a little in the last 30km, he held on for fourth place, the highest placing by a GB runner since Jezz Bragg won on a shorter course in 2010 and the highest ever placing by a Scottish male athlete.

“Wow that was quite an adventure,” said Owens. “That was so long!

“I had a fall around 90km so my knees were mega sore for all the descents, which made it super tough.

“I was still able to climb well though. Delighted to finish so high up in such a quality field in my first 100-miler.”

Taking fifth place was Owens’ good friend and former Carnegie Harrier, now resident in France, Andy Symonds, who clocked 22:35:15.

Other notable GB runners were Harry Jones in 15th with 24:03:53 and Paul Giblin in 24th with 24:53:30.

Fellow GB international Beth Pascall also impressed in a very high-class field, placing fifth in 26:26:48.

In the slightly shorter but no less competitive 100km CCC race, Holly Page finished ninth in 13:56:57 and there was a big breakthrough for Inverurie’s Meryl Cooper, the Dubai-based teacher finishing 13th in 14:35:52.

The longest event of the week is the wonderfully-named Petit Trotte de Leon which encompasses 300km (190 miles) with a massive 25,000m of ascent. It is run in teams and Carnethy’s Spine Race winner Jasmin Paris, along with her husband Konrad Rawling and good friend Jim Mann, finished fifth overall and first mixed team after 103 hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds – almost four and a half days.

Belgian Championships, Brussels, August 31-September 1

Dai Greene just missed the 400m hurdles qualifying standard for the IAAF World Championships, winning in 49.49.

Jessie Knight improved her PB to 56.04 in the women’s event, while Nathan Douglas won the triple jump with a leap of 16.03m.

African Games, Rabat, August 30

Marie Josée Ta Lou won the 100m in 11.09 ahead of Gambia’s Gina Bass but Bass got victory in the 200m, clocking a national record of 22.58 as Ta Lou clocked 23.00 for third but had to be stretchered from the track after sustaining an injury.

Zambia’s Sydney Siame won the men’s race in 20.35.

Robert Kiprop led a Kenyan sweep in the 5000m, winning in 13:30.96.

George Manangoi won the 1500m in 3:38.27 ahead of Ayanleh Souleiman’s 3:38.44.

Tonbridge Twilight Invitational, August 30

Mark English of Ireland won the 800m in 1:45.98 from British champion Spencer Thomas (1:46.08 PB) and Guy Learmonth (1:46.31) as they just missed the Doha standard of 1:45.80.

Mark English finishes a fraction outside the qualifying standard for Doha with Spencer Thomas and Guy Learmonth close behind at the Tonbridge Twilight meet. ?@James_athletics pic.twitter.com/vfBfK1IDl4

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 30, 2019

Elliot Giles ran 3:56.47 to beat James West with 3:57.94 in the mile.

Kieran Clements won the men’s 3000m in 8:07.59, while Muriel Coneo Paredes of Colombia won the women’s 3000m in 9:10.27 from Amelia Quirk and Kate Avery.

Phil Norman agonisingly missed the Doha 3000m steeplechase qualifying standard by little over half a second with 8:29.54.

Ladywell 10000, September 1

Ross Skelton went sub-30 minutes for the first time, winning the day’s final race in 29:53.80.

Ross Skelton goes sub 30 in the Ladywell 10000 #ladywell10000 pic.twitter.com/lbMXvmsYbr

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 1, 2019

Chris Greenwood ran 30:50.88 to go second all-time among M45s.

Hendon, August 31

Heather Paton clocked 13.22 to improve her own Scottish 100m hurdles record.

After his silver at the British Championships, Lawrence Okoye continued his comeback with a throw of 59.47m to win ahead of current British No.1 Gregory Thompson with 59.20m.

Amelia Strickler won the shot put with 17.10m.

Rovereto, Italy, August 27

Steeplechaser Aimee Pratt followed up her bronze medal-winning performance at the British Championships by setting a PB of 9:39.60 to achieve the world championships qualifying time and put her well in the running for a place on the team for Doha.

Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff 10k, Wales, September 1

Jake Smith and Charlotte Arter were victorious as warm and still conditions allowed for competitive racing at the 35th edition of the race which saw over 7000 runners take to the streets of the Welsh capital, writes Alex Donald.

Local man Smith had shared the early front running with Aldershot, Farnham & District’s Joshua Grace and Cardiff club-mate and training partner Ciaran Lewis.

The half way point was passed in 14:44, with the three athletes some way clear and another Cardiff duo, Matt Clowes and James Hunt, still visible someway further back with Exmouth Harrier Tom Merson.

The pace eased somewhere around the seventh kilometre giving Cardiff AC club stalwart Clowes an opportunity to get back to the leaders. It was shortly before the eight kilometre mark where Clowes and Smith made a move with the latter finally breaking clear with around 200m left to run.

Smith’s winning time was just a second under his previous best for the distance in 29:30 and enough to steal victory over Clowes who finished just ahead of him 12 months ago.

This also meant a win for an athlete from the Cardiff Metropolitan University stable and for Team Thie with coach James watching closely.

Clowes was next home in 29:33 and further back Lewis overcame Grace to finish two seconds inside his PB with 29:45. The Aldershot man also dipped under 30 minutes in the Cardiff sunshine.

Cardiff AC’s Arter and Jenny Nesbitt had started as big race favourites in the women’s race, passing 5km in 16:11 with Arter going on to win in 32:45 and Nesbitt going under 33 minutes for the first time with 32:52.

Arter’s win hinted at the kind of form that saw her claim the British 10,000m title in 2018 and gain her a Welsh record over the half-marathon distance back in February with a British rankings lead of 69:40. It was also a season’s best for the athlete who won the Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay Run with 32:49 back in March.

After Nesbitt, it was another of their training group next home, with Clara Evans finishing in 34:06.

JCP Swansea Half Marathon Champion, Tracy Barlow of Thames Valley Harriers clocked 34:25 for fourth place with the 2018 English National and Inter-Counties cross country champion Phoebe Law of Kingston & Poly AC fifth home in 34:42.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic is out of the US Open after quitting because of injury against Swiss 23rd seed Stan Wawrinka as defeat loomed in an electrifying fourth-round match.

Djokovic, 32, retired with a shoulder problem seconds after a double fault left him two sets and a break down.

Loud boos greeted the Serb's decision, with more heard as he walked off court.

"I'm sorry for the crowd. They came to see a full match but it wasn't to be," said world number one Djokovic.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka had dominated the last-16 contest in a boisterous atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium, producing a powerful display reminiscent of his best to lead 6-4 7-5 2-0, when Djokovic decided he could not continue.

Wawrinka, 34, will play Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals.

'You know when you're not able to hit the shot any more'

Djokovic was the hot favourite to retain his title at Flushing Meadows and earn a 17th Grand Slam title which would move him closer to Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (18) in the race to be deemed the greatest men's player of all time.

But he had been hampered throughout the tournament with a left shoulder injury, which he says has left him in "constant pain for a few weeks".

Djokovic particularly struggled during his second-round match against Argentina's Juan Ignacio Londero on Wednesday, needing intense treatment three times before coming through in straight sets.

Before his next match against American Denis Kudla, there had been speculation he might withdraw because of the problem, only to show few signs of the issue in a comfortable win on Friday.

But Djokovic said the intensity of the pain returned against Wawrinka.

"It is very frustrating. Of course it hurts that I had to retire," said the Serb.

"Some days the pain has been higher, some days with less intensity. Obviously I was taking different stuff to kill the pain instantly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

"You just know when you know, when you feel like you're not able to hit the shot any more."

Djokovic did not want to discuss the near 24,000 crowd's reaction to his early exit, while Wawrinka said he was surprised by negativity.

"He's an amazing champion," added the Swiss.

"If he has to retire, it's not the best for a tennis player to have to leave the court like that."

Wawrinka delighted with impressive performance

Djokovic's withdrawal failed to take the shine off a breathtaking performance from Wawrinka, who earned his biggest victory since beating Britain's Andy Murray, then world number one, in the 2017 French Open semi-finals.

Shortly after that run, Wawrinka's career stalled because of a left knee injury, which left him needing two operations.

It has been a slow climb back up the rankings for the former world number three, but proved he could still cause problems for the best - whatever their physical state - in a powerful display.

Wawrinka came out firing from the start, piercing Djokovic's famed defence with blistering groundstrokes as he broke for 3-2 and producing thumping aces to stave off a break point in the next game on his way to clinching the opener.

Wawrinka had beaten Djokovic three times at a Grand Slam - including their last meeting in the 2016 final at Flushing Meadows - having lost the opening set in each of them.

This proved different, despite Djokovic coming out fighting by holding to love in the first game of the second set, and then breaking to gain an early advantage.

Wawrinka, backed by a vociferous New York crowd, was soon level after breaking back in a pivotal seventh game in which Djokovic coughed up two double faults serving for a 5-2 lead, and the Swiss landed a beautiful one-handed backhand down the line which left some fans climbing to their feet in admiration.

Djokovic started to look rattled by the injury and the atmosphere, coming up with poor shots as he tried to respond, allowing Wawrinka another break and the chance to serve out for a two-set advantage.

Treatment at the changeover was a last-ditch attempt by Djokovic to improve his physical - and perhaps mental - state, but it did not prove successful and he quit a few minutes later.

"I'm sorry he had to retire to finish the game like that, but for me, most important is the way I'm playing, the way I'm moving," Wawrinka said.

"The more the match was going, the better I was playing. I was hitting the ball really hard. I was feeling great on court."

Analysis

Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent

Wawrinka had been in rampant form. He was pummelling the ball and reminding us of the man who, before knee surgery, had won three Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic was, however, very subdued. He seemed to be observing events, rather than influencing them.

Only he knows whether he could have finished the match, but to leave the court with boos ringing in his ears was a very harsh send-off for a 16-time Grand Slam champion.

The odds on Nadal and Federer will now shorten further. But perhaps we do need to look outside the top three for a potential champion.

Wawrinka might be 34, but when he reaches the second week of a Grand Slam in this kind of mood he can be very difficult to stop.

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Kyle Busch stopped his older brother’s roll to claim the second stage of Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

The 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, who won the Southern 500 in 2008, beat Kurt Busch off pit road under caution at lap 160 and held serve for the remaining distance for his 10th stage win of the season.

Kyle Busch’s stage points put him in position to possibly clinch the regular-season title, after Joey Logano came to the pits with a flat tire on lap 172 and lost a lap as a result.

Meanwhile, Kurt Busch chased his brother to the green-checkered flag, coming in 1.734 seconds adrift after taking second place from Clint Bowyer on lap 188.

Denny Hamlin eventually finished third in the stage, followed by Erik Jones, Kyle Larson and Bowyer.

Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick completed the points-scoring drivers in the top 10 at the second stage break.

Kurt Busch has led the most laps so far, running out front three times for 92 of the first 200 laps around the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval.

The second stage was slowed three times by yellow flags, including a stage-ending caution on lap 198 after B.J. McLeod spun with assistance from Matt Tifft in turn one.

Daniel Suarez sent fellow playoff bubble driver Ryan Newman around on lap 141 to bring out the first yellow of the second stage, while Corey LaJoie spun in turn two on lap 158, necessitating a caution that ultimately put Newman back on the lead lap with the free pass.

Notables deep in the field at the end of stage two included Martin Truex Jr. in 29th and Logano in 32nd. Both were one lap down to leader and stage winner Kyle Busch.

Stage 1 Report: Kurt Busch Dominates Opening Stage At Darlington

WEST UNION, Iowa – Two-time USMTS national champion Rodney Sanders kicked off the month of September on Sunday with a victory at Fayette County Speedway during the seventh annual War in West Union presented by KSE Racing Products.

Sanders, who garnered the 2012 and 2013 United States Modified Touring Series titles, was on a hot streak through the first half of the USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup, but had been shut out of the winner’s circle for the last six events prior to Sunday’s weekend closer.

The win was the ninth of the season for the 29-year-old from Happy, Texas, while Dereck Ramirez recorded a second-place finish for the 11th time during the 2019 campaign.

Sanders started fifth on the grid and had to run down Ramirez, who led early from the outside of the front row. Once out front, Sanders was uncontested except for some late-race troubles with lapped cars that allowed his pursuers to narrow the gap.

Jake O’Neil finished third behind Sanders and Ramirez, Zack VanderBeek was a solid fourth-place finisher and Ryan Gustin rounded out the top five.

J.D. Auringer, Hunter Marriott, Blake Arndt, Travis Saurer and Jacob Bleess completed the top 10.

With his 95th career USMTS triumph, Sanders solidified his spot at the top of the points in both ‘The Hunt’ and Casey’s General Stores USMTS National Championship.

The finish:

1. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustoms/Hatfield, 40, $2500.
2. (2) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Cornett, 40, $1500.
3. (7) 0 Jake O’Neil, Tucson, Ariz., LG2/Cornett, 40, $1000.
4. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Stoen, 40, $800.
5. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/TriStar, 40, $700.
6. (1) 00 J.D. Auringer, Waterloo, Iowa, Rage/KSE, 40, $400.
7. (12) 62 Hunter Marriott (R), Brookfield, Mo., Rage/KSE, 40, $550.
8. (18) 51a Blake Arndt (R), Brownsdale, Minn., Shaw/KSE, 40, $500.
9. (13) 21x Travis Saurer, Elizabeth, Minn., MBCustoms/ChevPerf, 40, $450.
10. (14) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., VanderBuilt/KSE, 40, $400.
11. (17) 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan., Jet/Speedway, 40, $375.
12. (15) 15w Alex Williamson (R), Rushford, Minn., SSR/KSE, 40, $350.
13. (11) 17 Mike Striegel (R), Wheatland, Mo., GRT/Eagle, 40, $325.
14. (19) 91 Shawn Ryan, Waterloo, Iowa, DirtHustler/King, 40, $300.
15. (16) 6 Dustin Kruse (R), Brandon, S.D., Sidebiter/ChevPerf, 40, $275.
16. (10) 51 Chris Oertel, Marshfield, Wis., MBCustoms/Mullins, 40, $250.
17. (4) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., MBCustoms/Stoen, 40, $250.
18. (8) 4h Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Cornett, 40, $250.
19. (20) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Earlham, Iowa, Hilsabeck/Mullins, 40, $250.
20. (9) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 40, $250.

WEST UNION, Iowa – The Arnold Motor Supply Iron Man Challenge invaded Fayette County Speedway on Sunday, with Mitch Hovden and Kris Jackson kicking off September the same way they ended the month of August.

The two drivers are the defending Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series national champions and are leading the current national points in their respective divisions. Both were winners in Saturday night’s show at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., as well.

Hovden continued his march toward an unprecedented sixth American Racer USRA Stock Cars world title with a spectacular victory from the eighth starting spot Sunday night at the semi-banked, three-eighths-mile clay oval.

Fellow Decorah, Iowa driver Kyle Falck settled for the runner-up paycheck, while Lynn Panos finished third. Thirteenth-starting Brayden Gjere clawed his way to fourth at the finish and 2017 Iron Man champion Derek Green rounded out the top five.

In Out-Pace USRA B-Mod action, Kris Jackson drew the pole for the start of the 20-lap main event and that was as close as anybody got to taking the top spot away from him.

The Lebanon, Mo., racer collected $500 for his efforts, while Dan Hovden – who sits second in the division’s national points race – took second place after rolling off seventh on the starting grid.

Ben Moudry was third, Josh Roney finished fourth and Iron Man points leader Jared Boumeester completed the first five to the checkered flag.

QUINCY, Ill. – Bobby Pierce survived late race motor woes and a mid-race exchange of slide jobs for the race lead on Sunday night to capture his fifth Lucas Oil MLRA win of the year.

The win, Pierce’s second at Quincy Raceways, netted him $5,000 in the inaugural Scottie 45.

At the drop of the green, polesitter Pierce picked up right where he left off back in May, jumping to the race lead and setting a blistering pace.

The races lone caution waved on lap 14 for the stalled car of Reid Millard at the top of turn three. The caution appeared to be a break for Pierce, as it saved him from having to navigate heavy lapped traffic with the No. 1v of Vaught closing in.

The move of the night came on the ensuing restart when Mitch McGrath darted from his 3rd position to the inside of Pierce at the entrance of turn one, stealing the lead with the first slide job of the night.

McGrath escaped the grasp of Pierce and was able to maintain a constant two to three car length advantage over the next 14 laps, with Pierce and Vaught in tow.

Just past the mid-way point, McGrath began running a lower line, opening up the top side for the “Smooth Operator.”

On the races 29th lap, Pierce returned the favor with a slide job for the lead in turns one and two, stalling the momentum of McGrath and allowing Vaught to slip by and into the second spot.

Vaught would pressure Pierce for the next ten laps, pulling along alongside in lapped traffic, but in the end it would be Pierce pulling away for the convincing win at the quarter-mile oval.

Vaught extended his championship lead after coming home in second, while McGrath settled for third at the line. Jason Papich collected his second top five of the weekend, coming home forth, while leading rookie candidate Logan Martin rounded out the top five.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Pierce commented on the exchange of slide jobs for the lead.

“I didn’t really appreciate the move, so I wasn’t the friendliest giving it back to him. It is what it is, and luckily we got the job done,” noted Pierce. “Right when that happened, I went down a cylinder I think, maybe two. Something was really wrong and my oil pressure was pretty low so we will check it out, but hopefully it’s alright.”

“He (McGrath) capitalized on that restart,” continued Pierce. “I didn’t get a good start and that made me more motivated to get him back, because I really wanted that win.”

Pierce was hoping for congestion in order to pounce in the closing stages, and got it.

“I was kind of waiting for lapped traffic. We weren’t catching them super fast, so I really had to get up on the wheel,” Pierce said. “When he started changing his line, going a little bit lower on the top, it let me have the cushion. It’s hard when you get in the dirty air; you don’t want to push and shove off the track.

“At least this place doesn’t have walls, so you won’t hit concrete, you just go off.”

DARLINGTON, S.C. – All year long, Erik Jones has been surrounded by questions of when he would join his three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates as a 2019 winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Sunday night, Jones gave an emphatic answer to those queries and in the process, etched his name in history as a winner of one of stock-car racing’s crown jewel events.

Jones captured the 70th annual Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, leading the final 41 laps after a late cycle of green-flag pit stops en route to his first victory at the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval.

The Byron, Mich., native – piloting a throwback No. 20 Toyota Camry which hearkened back to his rookie year in an asphalt late model – fended off a series of advances from Kyle Busch in the closing laps, only securing the victory for good after Busch slapped the outside wall while giving chase with three to go.

From there, Jones raced away to the checkered flag, beating Kyle Larson to the stripe by 4.058 seconds.

The win made Jones the 11th different driver this season to top a Cup Series race. All four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have now visited victory lane at least once this year, combining for 13 victories.

Jones wasn’t worried about all of his teammates on Sunday night, however. He was just focused on one – Busch – and making sure he played perfect defense down the stretch to keep Busch behind him.

He did just that, but it left him exhausted after climbing from his car on the frontstretch.

“I’m wore out, both mentally and physically,” said Jones. “It’s more mentally than anything. Kyle was really running hard, and he’s one of the best guys out there. Our SportClips Camry was good, but man, I was pedaling as hard as I could. I’m just glad to hold him off and to finally get to Victory Lane, because I feel like it’s been coming for us for a long time.

“Man, it just feels really good to get the job done here.”

The race, which started four hours later than scheduled and actually ended in the early hours of Monday morning, was a topsy-turvy affair that didn’t actually see Jones rise into proper contention until the second half.

Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch split the stage victories, but it was a six-car accident in turn four with 93 laps left that changed the complexion of the race and catapulted Jones to the front of the field.

After Daniel Hemric blew a tire and spun in front of a pack of frontrunners in turns three and four, collecting top-five runners Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, Jones and the remainder of the lead-lap cars came down for their penultimate round of pit service, with Larson winning the race off pit road.

Jones joined him on the front row for the ensuing restart, and when the green flag waved with 86 to go, the hunt was on for the lead and the Southern 500 trophy.

Larson and Jones traded sliders in back to back corners on the first lap after the restart, but Jones powered underneath Larson again with 85 to go to take control of the top spot, trying to motor away.

Larson didn’t let Jones get very far, however, keeping him within arm’s reach all the way until Jones made his final stop from the race lead with 47 laps left. When the round of service concluded seven circuits later, Jones found himself back out front – but this time with Busch’s No. 18 hot on his heels.

For 40 grueling and intense laps, Busch tried to pressure Jones into making a mistake. But other than a brush with the outside wall with five to go, Jones never blinked, and Busch finally did on lap 365.

That sealed the deal for Jones, who charged away to a 1.6-second margin and gained more ground when Busch socked the SAFER Barrier hard coming off turn two on the second-to-last revolution.

“Several times in those last 80 laps, I really felt in control and thought to myself, ‘I don’t know why we can’t win this thing,’” Jones explained. “You have to believe, and I just kept my focus on the goal at hand. We’ve struggled to close the deal a few times this year and just missed out, but we did it tonight.”

Larson slipped past Busch in the closing moments to finish second, while Busch limped home in third and secured the regular-season championship with a 64-point margin over Joey Logano, who cut a tire on lap 172 and finished one lap down in 14th.

The Ford pair of Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski completed the top five, followed by Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Matt DiBenedetto, Paul Menard and Austin Dillon.

Polesitter William Byron never led a lap and finished 21st, two laps of the pace of the leaders.

As he reflected in the minutes after celebrating in victory lane, Jones let the impact of winning one of NASCAR’s biggest events wash over him, knowing he’d accomplished something momentous.

“It’s going to feel pretty special,” Jones said of his Southern 500 win. “There’s a lot of great names on this trophy, and this is one – this race for me has always held a special place.

“When you think of NASCAR, for myself, I think of Darlington and this tough place. We tamed it tonight.”

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.