NASCAR’s premier stock car racing series, originated in 1949 in Daytona Beach, Florida by Bill France Sr. and a group of dedicated racers.
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Enjoy Illinois 300
The Place: World Wide Technology Raceway
Track Length: 1.25 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, September 7
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $9,797,935
TV: USA, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 300 miles (240 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 140), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 240)
The Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setup that awaits NASCAR Cup Series teams at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) this weekend is new to the Illinois track but already familiar to teams, having debuted at Iowa Speedway a month ago.
These new left and right side tires were initially developed with Iowa’s fast cornering speeds in mind and are also the product of a June tire test at WWTR, where drivers Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson tested them.
DARLINGTON, S.C. — It was a Southern 500 race that didn’t follow form—not anywhere close.
The presumptive favorites for the NASCAR Cup Series championship didn’t perform like favorites in Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500, the opening race in the 2025 Playoffs.
NASCAR Media Conference
Press Conference
Sunday, August 31, 2025
An Interview with: Chase Briscoe
For the first time ever, the NASCAR Cup Series haulers will parade through downtown Concord, N.H. at approximately 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19. Fans are encouraged to line Main Street while Gov. Kelly Ayotte waves the green flag as the haulers pass the New Hampshire State Capitol Building. The haulers will then arrive at NHMS’s North Entrance & make their way through the campgrounds before entering the infield tunnel at 2 p.m.
There’s one consistent theme as the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs get under way with Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Drivers who eliminate or minimize mistakes are likely to survive the Round of 16, but at treacherous Darlington, that’s easier said than done.
STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 28, 2025 – The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin with the Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway in South Carolina this Sunday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network. Live pre-race coverage on USA Network begins at 5:30 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green. A “Crown Jewel” event, the Cook Out Southern 500 is one of the sport’s most iconic races, taking place on a track both physically and mentally demanding.
Chase Briscoe has turned in a personal best season in his first year driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, claiming a series-high six pole positions (including the Daytona 500), winning at Pocono Raceway this summer and eclipsing all his season-best marks in top-five (10) and top-10 (12) finishes with 10 races remaining. And he made the Playoffs.
Alex Bowman didn’t know until the absolute last second whether he would have a Playoff spot or not.
On the final lap of the final NASCAR Cup Series regular-season race last Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, two winless drivers—Cole Custer and Justin Haley—alternately surged ahead. A victory by either driver would have eliminated Bowman from the Playoffs.
