South Carolina 400 results: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has strong run in return to No. 8 car, Treyten Lapcevich comes away victorious

David Suggs

•
South Carolina 400 results: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has strong run in return to No. 8 car, Treyten Lapcevich comes away victorious image

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was back in the No. 8 Budweiser on Saturday evening. 

For a certain generation of stock car racing enthusiasts, the red-and-black No. 8 scheme can elicit feelings of euphoria. Earnhardt, 50, is one of NASCAR's most popular drivers, breaking into the mainstream with his larger-than-life personality and his heroics across asphalt.

The 26-time race winner was a force in any of his racing stripes, but that No. 8 paint scheme proved especially notable to the masses of Cup and Xfinity Series fans.

He got a chance to recreate some of his career magic on Saturday when taking part in the South Carolina 400, with Earnhardt sporting his iconic colors once more. By the end of the night, Earnhardt didn't wind up finishing the race due to late car issues, but he did provide a thrilling storyline for the majority of the event.

Over the course of the 250-lap race, Earnhardt slowly moved up the ranks of drivers. He eventually reached second place behind the eventual victor, Treyten Lapcevich, for an extended period before heading to pit road with a fuel pump issue. While his return to the No. 8 Budweiser car didn't end as some fans may have hoped, Earnhardt did put on a good show in his return to the track.

The Sporting News tracked live updates from Earnhardt's return on Saturday night. Here's what you may have missed as one of racing's most popular figures attempted to turn back the clock.

STREAM: Watch the South Carolina 400 live with FloSports

Dale Earnhardt Jr. race results, updates, highlights from South Carolina 400

(All times ET)

12:31 a.m. — Treyten Lapcevich has won the South Carolina 400. After the 250th lap, he officially finishes in first, followed by Doug Barnes and Sam Yarbough. While Lapcevich held first place for a majority of the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. came within striking distance on a few occasions, but wasn't able to finish with his car issues.

12:28 a.m. — 10 laps remain. The top three remains the same, with Lapcevich holding a 1.4-second advantage over Barnes. The South Carolina 400 is coming to a close.

12:24 a.m. — With Earnhardt Jr. out of the picture, Lapcevich still leads, now trailed by Barnes and Sam Yarbrough. 

12:21 a.m. — It would seem that Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s race is over. He climbed through the ranks all night to reach second place, but ultimately, issues with his car keep Earnhardt Jr. from finishing out the race.

12:18 a.m. — There's been two more brief cautions since Earnhardt Jr. went to pit road. Now inside the final 50 laps, they'll only count if they come during green flags.  

12:14 a.m. — Earnhardt Jr. is on pit road during the caution. They've just restarted the race, and per Matt Weaver, Earnhardt Jr. said "the motor won't keep running" in his car.

12:11 a.m. — CAUTION! This one comes from Jake Crum, with the race now into Lap 219. 

12:08 a.m. — Back to green, with the drivers now in Lap 215. Earnhardt Jr. trails Lapcevich for first place by around a half second.

12:01 a.m. — There's just 40 laps remaining, and the top 3 remains Lapcevich, Earnhardt Jr. and Barnes. NASCAR's message about the streaming difficulties tonight:

11:52 p.m. — CAUTION! The first yellow flag since the halfway point comes on Lap 195 as Alex Meggs spins. These drivers have an opportunity to take a quick resting period before picking things back up, as Earnhardt Jr. remains in second place, unofficially trailing Lapcevich by .78 seconds.

11:41 p.m. — The live stream of the race is currently having technical difficulties, but per some media members on site for it, the top 3 is currently Lapcevich, Earnhardt Jr. and Barnes after Lap 146. Earnhardt Jr. trails first place by around 1.2 seconds. 

11:33 p.m. — The race is back under way, with Lapcevich and Earnhart Jr. at the front of the pack. 125 down, 125 to go. 

11:05 p.m. — The drivers are officially halfway through their 250 laps, due for a brief break. Treyten Lapcevich leads the way, with Earnhardt Jr. in second.

11:03 p.m. — What a drive for Earnhardt Jr. so far. He's now up to second place, overtaking it from Berry. His No. 8 Budweiser car has consistently moved through the ranks since this race began.

10:59 p.m. — Earnhardt Jr. continues to move up. He's now inside the top 5 drivers with the halfway point coming up, gaining on Barnes with 13 laps left until Lap 125. 

10:52 p.m. — CAUTION! This time, Ryan Glenski's car appeared to go off the track. Earnhardt Jr. is running in seventh as of Lap 105.

10:46 p.m. — Earnhardt Jr. remains in the top 10 as the race gets going again. Berry leads approaching the halfway point. Here's a good look at Earnhardt Jr. climbing up the leaderboard earlier in the race:

10:45 p.m. — After the long delay, they're almost set to resume the South Carolina 400. There's no clear footage of the crash, as the FloRacing stream was at a commercial break when it happened.

10:23 p.m. — We've got a fight between Connor Jones and Mason Diaz after the crash. The race is in a long pause.

10:21 p.m. — CAUTION! While the live stream was at a commercial break, there appeared to have been a massive pile up. 

10:15 p.m. — CAUTION! One of the race's leaders, Berry, appeared to spin out toward the front. They've gotten through around 85 laps so far in the South Carolina 400. 

10:13 p.m. — Earnhardt Jr. said he wanted to be in the top 20 after the first half of the race, and he's making good on that goal. He's currently in the top 10 through Lap 83.

10:02 p.m. — CAUTION! Jared Fryar and Landon Huffman were involved in another collision. Berry has been in control of the race as the drivers slowly approach the halfway point. 

9:57 p.m. — They've restarted the race again, currently through 55 of 250 laps.

9:50 p.m. — CAUTION! Now past Lap 50, it looked like Ryan Wilson was in a collision, slowing this race down for now. Earnhardt Jr. was slowly working his way up, reaching 24th.

9:43 p.m. — Caden Kvapil was pacing the group for some time, but he's now fallen back to fourth. As of Lap 28, Berry and Gentry remain in front.

9:34 p.m. — With the race back underway, Riley Gentry and Josh Berry each take the lead in a close bunch. Earnhardt Jr. is currently 31st, but there's a long way to go with 239 laps.

9:28 p.m. — CAUTION! Justin Hicks, one of the provisional drivers, appeared to get a flat tire early in this race. His car is getting checked out now. 

9:27 p.m. — Lap 1 of 250 is complete. There's a long way to go for these drivers, with Millington still holding the early lead.

9:23 p.m. — Ryan Millington and Doug Barnes Jr. make up Row 1 to begin this race. 

9:15 p.m. — The South Carolina 400 is set to get started momentarily, with all of the drivers ready on the track. 250 laps to go.  

9:06 p.m. — Earnhardt Jr. is among the list of eight provisionals:

9:05 p.m. — Earnhardt Jr. tells the broadcast before the race that he thinks finishing in the top 10 would be a successful night for him. 

8:55 p.m. — The drivers are now being introduced, with Earnhardt Jr. receiving a nice round of applause from the crowd.

8:45 p.m. — As we await the start of the main event, here's a good look at Earnhardt Jr. racing in Heat 1 earlier:

8:29 p.m. — The scene is set for the South Carolina 400, and the Palm Tree is ready to be planted for this year's winner.

8:15 p.m. — Thrasher is the Mini Stock victor, claiming the top spot in the final race before the headliner. 

8:09 p.m. — Now in the Mini Stock Feature, Thrasher has a wide lead on Johnson with just three laps to go. 

7:52 p.m. — Both Heat 1 and Heat 2 are complete, with the top six advancing in each race. Earnhardt Jr. finished 16th in Heat 1, with Sam Yarbrough claiming the top spot. As for Heat 2, Treyten Lapcevich led the way. 

7:35 p.m. — Earnhardt Jr. qualified earlier this evening. A look at his No. 8 Budweiser on the track:

7:30 p.m. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared this on social media earlier today:

How to watch the South Carolina 400

  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live stream: FloRacing
  • Radio: MRN

Sunday's South Carolina 400 will not be aired on television. Rather, it will be broadcast exclusively on FloRacing, which airs all of NASCAR's regional events.

South Carolina 400 start time

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
  • Time: 6 p.m. ET

Saturday's South Carolina 400 has a listed start time of 6 p.m. ET. FloRacing's broadcast of the race begins at 4:15 p.m. ET, starting with qualifying for Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Late Models divisions. 

The race will be held at Florence Motor Speedway in Timmonsville, S.C.

When does Dale Earnhardt Jr. race today?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is racing in the Late Model race at the South Carolina 400, the final event of the night. Pre-race ceremonies are scheduled for 6 p.m. ET followed by Late Model heats, Street Stock and Mini Stock races before the 250-lap race featuring Earnhardt. Expect Earnhardt to take the track late Saturday evening.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.