NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Darlington Raceway

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Cook Out Southern 500
The Place: Darlington Raceway
Track Length: 1.366 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, August 31
The Time: 6 p.m. ET
The Purse: $10,447,135
TV: USA, 5:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 501.32 miles (367 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 115),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 230), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 367)

Where To Watch NASCAR This Weekend:

Friday, August 29

NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 3 p.m. ET)

Saturday, August 30

NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM at 9 a.m. ET)

NCTS Race: Sober or Slammer 200 (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 12 p.m. ET)

NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 3 p.m. ET)

NXS Race: Pacific Office Automation 147 (CW, MRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)

Sunday, August 31

NCS Race: Cook Out Southern 500 (USA, MRN, SiriusXM at 6 p.m. ET)

Darlington Raceway Storylines and Insights:

• This weekend marks the 129th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, and the 76th running of the Southern 500.
• This is the sixth time Darlington hosted a Playoff race, and the fifth-time it has hosted the opening race (2020-2023, 2025).
• Darlington Raceway is one of five different tracks to open the postseason for the NASCAR Cup Series alongside New Hampshire (2004-2010), Chicagoland (2011-2017), Las Vegas (2018-2019) and Atlanta (2024).
• Five times the winner of the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the championship – 2004 (Kurt Busch), 2011 (Tony Stewart), 2012 (Brad Keselowski), 2017 (Martin Truex Jr.) and 2024 (Joey Logano).
• The last seven Darlington Cup races were won by seven different drivers.
• Denny Hamlin, with three wins, is the only repeat winner in the last 11 Darlington races.
• This weekend. eight of the 55 NASCAR Cup Series Darlington race winners are active this weekend.

• The final green flag stretch was less than 17 laps in only two of the last 10 Darlington races.
• The driver who led the most laps finished 22nd or worse in three of the last five Southern 500s.
• Last year’s Southern 500 had 26 lead changes, the most for a race at Darlington since 2008.  By contrast, last April’s race at Darlington featured only four lead changes, the fewest for a Cup race at Darlington since the inaugural Southern 500 in 1950.
• William Byron led the opening 243 laps at Darlington in April; the most laps led from the start in the track’s history. He won both stages but finished second in the race.
• A driver swept the stages at Darlington seven times, but only once went on to win (Martin Truex Jr – 05/2021).
• Eight of the 14 stage winners at Darlington in the Next Gen car finished 25th or worse.
• Every winner since 2006 at Darlington had a minimum of 100 career Cup starts.
• Six drivers earned their first Cup Series win at Darlington, four of them got their only Cup victory.
• Nine drivers snapped 50+ race winless streaks at Darlington including both 2024 races; tied for the most among non-drafting tracks with Phoenix.
• Denny Hamlin led in the last 11 Darlington races, the longest streak at the track since Darrell Waltrip’s 17 straight races from 1976-1984.
• Ross Chastain is set to make his 250th Cup start this weekend, six drivers won their 250th Cup start (most recently Chris Buescher at Bristol in September 2022) and two did so at Darlington.
• Ryan Blaney finished in the top-10 in the last six races, his longest ever Cup top-10 streak.
• 2025 is the fifth straight season that a Hendrick Motorsports driver entered the Playoffs seeded #1.
• The average time for the Southern 500 is 4:15:50, the average time for the Coke 600 is 4:26:55.
• The eventual winner of the Southern 500 didn’t lead for the first time until Lap 158 in eight of the last nine Darlington races.
• The Southern 500 hasn’t ended in overtime since 2014.

NCS Clinch Scenarios For Darlington Raceway (Playoff Race #1):

Already Clinched

• No drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Win

• The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Kyle Larson, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Shane Van Gisbergen, Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Josh Berry, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman

NASCAR & Darlington, Etc.

Historical & Significant Events at Darlington Raceway:

• Darlington Raceway was originally built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-1950.
• In 1949, Darlington, South Carolina native Harold Brasington leased cotton and peanut farmland on the west side of town from his poker playing friend Sherman Ramsey. On that property Brasington created an egg-shaped oval with one corner tighter, narrower, and more steeply banked because he promised Ramsey that the new track wouldn’t disturb his minnow pond at the west end. He broke ground on December 13, 1949 and almost single handedly built the track in spite of continually having to find necessary funding.
• Known as NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway, Darlington Raceway also has earned the nicknames – ‘Lady In Black’ and ‘The Track Too Tough To Tame.’
• Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history, the first on an oval-track longer than a mile and the first on asphalt on September 4, 1950 – 75 cars competed in the inaugural event.
• Qualifying for the first race at Darlington was held ‘Indianapolis style’ over 15 days from August 19th-Sept 2nd. The five fastest cars each day qualified for the race. Curtis Turner was the fastest on the first day and won the pole. The fastest qualifier was Wally Campbell.  Many competitors drove their racecars to the track.
• For the first NASCAR cup Series race at Darlington, Curtis Turner won the pole at 82.034 MPH, and the race was won by Johnny Mantz (Plymouth, 75.250 MPH). The race took 6 hours, 38 minutes, and 40 seconds to complete.
• The three longest races in NASCAR History were all held at Darlington and all three were over 6 hours and 30 minutes.
• The longest race in the history of NASCAR lasted 6 hours, 42 minutes and 37 seconds and was held at Darlington on September 1, 1952 and won by Fonty Flock.
• In 1953 the track was expanded to 1.375 miles by rebuilding turns one and two (now three and four) and raising the banking to 25 degrees. In the early years there was a pedestrian crossover that spanned the backstretch (now front).
• The largest field ever in a NASCAR race was in the September 3, 1953 race at Darlington when 82 cars competed in the race and for the record, pole winner Frank Mundy finished last, and Herb Thomas won from second.
• The largest Margin of Victory ever was at Darlington on September 6, 1965 when Ned Jarrett won by over 14 laps.
• In 1970 the track was measured at 1.366 miles (like it is today) after retaining walls were added around the track and turns three and four (now one and two) banked at 23 degrees.
• The track was repaved in 1995.
• Prior to the 1997 Southern 500 the track was ‘reversed’ switching the front and back stretches.
• Lights were added in the fall of 2004. The 2005 race was the first Saturday night race at Darlington Raceway.
• The track was again repaved prior to the 2008 season.
• The Throwback theme started in 2015.
• In 2020, multiple races were run at the track in the same week without fans in attendance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first live major sporting event back up and running during the pandemic.
• In total, there have been 127 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.
• From 1960 – 2004 the track hosted two Cup Series races per year and from 2005 – 2019 it was just one race per season. The series returned to multiple races per season in 2020.
• Darlington has hosted a race in all but the first season of the NASCAR Cup Series (1950-present).

Latest News & Events at Darlington Raceway:

• Darlington Raceway has announced that in celebration of the venue’s 75th anniversary, the track will be unveiling and highlighting the 75 greatest moments to have taken place at The Lady in Black. The campaign will be showcasing the legacy, culture, and evolution of the track “Too Tough to Tame,” while engaging fans across digital, social, and at track experiences in lead-up to the 2025 Cook Out Southern 500, Aug. 31.

• • The 75 greatest moments from NASCAR’s original superspeedway will be revealed as “eras” in chronological order as opposed to a countdown list, beginning this week with crucial moments in the track’s infancy. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite all-time moments from the track that will be spotlighted prior to the Labor Day race weekend. The rollout will occur over a 10-week period and take place across Darlington Raceway’s X, Facebook, and Instagram pages as well as at darlingtonraceway.com/75Moments.

• As part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, Darlington Raceway will host several events throughout the community as the anticipation builds for the opening round of the NASCAR Playoffs.

• • Wednesday, Aug. 27 – Track Laps for Charity with Zane Smith: From 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., fans can drive their own personal vehicle around the famed Darlington Raceway and get a taste of what it’s like to tackle the Lady in Black. Those wishing to participate can sign up with a price of $30 per car for 3 laps and a photo in Mobil 1 Victory Lane with NASCAR Cup Series driver Zane Smith. For more information, visit this LINK.
  • Thursday, Aug. 28 – Hauler Showcase and Parade with Cole Custer: At 4:00 p.m., fans are invited to nearby Florence-Darlington Technical College, where they can take photos by their favorite, colorful haulers from all the 36 NASCAR Cup Series teams. The haulers will depart Florence-Darlington Technical College at 6 p.m. and parade through downtown Darlington and onto the historic Darlington Raceway where they will load into the NASCAR Cup Series Garage, with NASCAR Cup Series Driver Cole Custer acting as the Grand Marshal, giving the commands for the hauler drivers to start their engines.
  • Friday, Aug. 29 – The NASCAR Foundation Speediatrics Fun Day Festival with Austin Dillon: On Friday at 9:00 a.m., The NASCAR Foundation and Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon will host kids from the Black Creek Elementary School at the NASCAR Experience in the Fan Zone at Darlington Raceway for the Speediatrics Fun Day Festival. The NASCAR-themed field day inside the NASCAR Experience display promotes healthy lifestyle habits for children in local racing communities through racing-themed lifestyle programming.

• • Friday, Aug. 29 – American Red Cross Blood Drive: From 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Darlington Raceway and the American Red Cross will host a blood driver in front of the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum & Gift Shop. All donors will receive a free gift from the American Red Cross, and the first 30 donors will receive two (2) tickets to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Sober or Slammer. Donors can register by visiting http://www.redcrossblood.org using Sponsor Code: DARLINGTONRACEWAY.

• • Saturday Aug. 30 – Sunday Aug. 31 – Turn 2 Tailgate Zone: As the college football season gets underway on Labor Day weekend, Darlington Raceway invites fans to watch their favorite teams at a new Tailgate Zone in the area outside Turn 2 at the corner of Race Track Road and Harry Byrd Highway. The track will have food vendors and multiple TVs playing a variety of college football games, including the South Carolina vs. University of Virgina matchup on Sunday.
  • Saturday, Aug. 30 – Terrence Carraway Memorial 5K with Ross Chastain: at 5:30 p.m. runners will take to the track Too Tough to Tame in their own race to the checkered flag in the Terrence Carraway Memorial 5K. Trackhouse Racing Driver Ross Chastain will be joining runners to give encouragement throughout the race. Proceeds from the 5K will go towards the Terrence F. Carraway Foundation. For more information on how to sign-up, please visit https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/events/memorial5k/.
  • Now – Aug. 31 – 50/50 Raffle: South Carolina residents and NASCAR fans located in the state of South Carolina during the time of the 50/50 raffle can purchase 50/50 raffle tickets to take home a cash prize. Half of the prize will go to the selected winner, with the other half being donated to Darlington Shares, a donor-advised fund of The NASCAR Foundation whose mission of improving the quality of life for the Pee Dee region through the support of youth-focused organizations and life-enriching programs. For more information visit visiting http://www.darlingtonraceway5050.com.