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DARLINGTON, S.C. — Erik Jones used every bit of stamina he had at Darlington Raceway. Few know better than Jones the effort it took to hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and win the rain-delayed Southern 500.

Erik Jones drives into Turn 1 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. Jones held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch to win the rain-delayed Southern 500 that ended early Monday morning.(AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

Jones took the lead from Kyle Larson 85 laps from the end and stayed in front of Busch the rest of the way to add a win at iconic Darlington Raceway with his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona in July 2018.

Some had wondered if the 23-year-old Jones was the soft spot in the JGR powerhouse as Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. had all won four times apiece this season while Jones’ No. 20 was winless.

Larson was second, his third top three finish at Darlington in the past four years. He led 497 laps during that stretch, including 44 in this one.

Busch, who started in the back after swapping out an engine after qualifying, got up to Jones’ bumper near the end. But he brushed the wall on the next-to-last lap and ended third.

Busch clinched the regular-season points lead.

Kevin Harvick was fourth and Brad Keselowski was fifth.

Clint Bowyer was sixth followed by the winner of the opening stage, Kurt Busch, Matt DiBenedetto, Paul Menard and Austin Dillon.

UP NEXT — The Cup series ends the regular season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski won the event on a Monday after all weekend on-track activity was cancelled by rain.

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