NASCAR Preview: Southern 500
- Ashton Hughes
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington for the second time this season as the 10-race Chase begins.
Track Preview
Darlington Raceway is a 1.366-mile oval located in Darlington, South Carolina. The track features 25 degrees of banking in turns 1 and 2 and 23 degrees of banking in turns 3 and 4. Darlington Raceway is shaped asymmetrically, meaning the second set of corners has a tighter radius than the first set. Between the challenging layout and a notoriously abrasive surface, it makes for a gruelling 500-mile contest.
The Southern 500 is one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events. The race has a rich history dating back to 1950, when 75 cars competed. Johnny Mantz was the victor. Jeff Gordon holds the record for most Southern 500 wins to date, with 6.
The race is scheduled to include 367 laps. Stages 1 and 2 will each last 115 laps, and Stage 3 will include 137 laps.
Weather Forecast
The weather report indicates possible rain, especially around the start of the race. Temperatures will be around 27 degrees Celsius when the race begins, but will cool down after sunset.
The race is scheduled to begin on September 6 at 17:00 EST (14:00 PT, 22:00 BST).
The Storylines
Tyler Reddick won at Darlington in March, finished second in last summer’s Southern 500 and was fourth in the 2025 spring race. Over the last four seasons, he has led more laps at the track than any other driver in the Cup Series, with 387. His third-place result at Daytona last weekend was his best in 10 races. Is a return to his early season form imminent? After dropping from first to third in points since the spring, that is certainly what Reddick’s team is hoping for, especially now that The Chase is underway.
Denny Hamlin enters The Chase as the points leader. He holds the highest average finish at Darlington since 2023, at 9.6. He has won the Southern 500 three times, most recently in 2021, and also took first in the spring 2025 race. With veteran experience and recent success on his side, he may be the toughest driver to beat.
Chase Briscoe was the Southern 500 champion in 2024 and 2025. He only has one win to his name in 2026, which came from Chicagoland Speedway in July. However, his 10 top-fives have put him in a good spot heading into The Chase. He sits fifth in points. Expect him to be near the front on Sunday as he embarks on a chase of his own, seeking a third-straight Southern 500 victory.
Brad Keselowski’s most recent win came at Darlington in May 2024. That victory ended a 110-race winless streak. Keselowski has gone another 85 races without a win, but he has come close on multiple occasions. In the March race at Darlington, he led 142 laps before finishing second to Tyler Reddick. Last season, he recorded three runner-up finishes. Recent history suggests he might have another strong run at Darlington this weekend, but it will take good handling, strategy and perhaps a little luck to get back to victory lane.
Ryan Blaney has never won at Darlington, but he finished third in the March race. He comes into The Chase ranked second, with two wins in the past seven races. It has been a season of consistency for Blaney. His team has shown they have what it takes to compete for wins each weekend. Another strong performance is likely, but how it will compare to those of his opponents remains to be seen.
Edited by Tarun Suresh
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