DARLINGTON, S.C. — Jimmie Johnson knows he’s staring down the wrong kind of history when he lines up at Darlington Raceway.

The seven-time NASCAR champion is 18th in the standings heading into the Southern 500 on Sunday, two spots and a huge 26 points out of NASCAR’s 16-team playoffs – a grid Johnson has made since the postseason started in 2004.

While the fire still burns for the 43-year-old driver, Johnson must confront an 83-race winless streak, a crew chief in the job just over a month and only two chances left in the regular season to keep his playoff run intact.

“I want to get out there and earn another victory and earn my way into these playoffs,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’re all here for.”

Johnson’s road since his seventh title in 2016 has been rocky. His last win came in Dover in June 2017, an interminable drought for someone tied for sixth in career victories with 83.

“I would like to see him just win to shut everyone up, I guess,” said racing rival Kyle Larson, a Johnson fan growing up.

Johnson would have to best some of the hottest drivers to do it.

Denny Hamlin, winless in 2018, has had a big bounce-back season and seems to be peaking as the playoffs approach. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won four times this year, including at Pocono and Bristol in the past four events.

“We want to win as many races as I can, especially after not winning last year,” Hamlin said. “We want to take advantage of every single opportunity we can to win. Certainly over the last eight weeks, when we consider our best finishing potential, it’s all been a streak of ones.”

Hamlin starts ninth Sunday night. William Byron, Johnson’s Hendrick teammate, won the pole, his fourth of the season.

XFINITY: A joyful Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to the racetrack Saturday, finishing sixth in the Xfinity event at Darlington Raceway, two weeks after he and his family escaped a plane in flames in Tennessee.

The race was a welcome relief from thinking about the crash for Earnhardt and his family. His glee was apparent when he told fellow broadcaster Jeff Burton, “I didn’t think I’d be this good.”

It was Earnhardt’s only race this season.

Denny Hamlin crossed the line first but was disqualified and stripped of the win when his car failed inspection. Cole Custer was awarded the victory.

FORMULA ONE: Charles Leclerc took the third pole position of his career, comfortably ahead of Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Leclerc was .748 seconds faster than Vettel and .763 ahead of points leader Lewis Hamilton.

INDYCAR: Josef Newgarden made a pair of mistakes in qualifying, and the IndyCar points leader will start behind two of his three rivals Sunday at Portland International Raceway.

Colton Herta won the pole. Of the four drivers mathematically eligible to win the season title, only reigning series champion Scott Dixon advanced to the final round of six in qualifying. Newgarden was surprisingly eliminated in the first round, which was a sweep of Honda drivers. Newgarden, in a Chevrolet for Team Penske, will start 13th after missing a curb on one of his laps.

“You can’t make a mistake and I made a couple,” Newgarden said. “But our car is good, it has been fast all weekend.”

Newgarden has a 38-point lead over Indianapolis 500 winner and teammate Simon Pagenaud, while Alexander Rossi is 46 points out. Pagenaud also failed to advance out of the first round and will start 18th.