Southern 500 Preview: NASCAR’s Chase Opens at Darlington

26 races of regular season action have led to this moment: the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase begins Sunday at one of the most challenging tracks on the schedule: Darlington Raceway. The Cook Out Southern 500 will be the first of 10 races that will determine the championship – and the green flag will drop on 16 playoff drivers under the microscope.

The race is set for Sunday, September 6 at 5 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The 500 mile event will be the 27th points paying race of the season.

Darlington the ideal playoff curtain-raiser

Darlington might not be a better place to start the Chase

Nicknamed the “Lady in Black” and the “Track Too Tough to Tame” Darlington is a 1.366-mile egg shaped oval where drivers must balance speed with survival. Turns 1 and 2 are banked at 25 degrees and Turns 3 and 4 at 23 degrees.

The circuit's configuration is so unusual that drivers can't simply use the same perfect set-up. Tire wear and traffic can drastically alter the handling of the car over the course of a long green-flag run, so teams need to find a compromise that works at both ends of the track.

And there is the wall.

At Darlington the fastest line often puts drivers perilously close to the outside wall. One mistake can ruin a potential top five finish and destroy a race car.

That means the Southern 500 is less about just having the fastest car and more about managing the race for 367 laps.

Reddick, Hamlin Picked

Two drivers coming to Darlington with lots of eyes on them: Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin.

Reddick already knows what it takes to be a winner at Darlington. 23XI Racing driver won the track’s spring race, the Goodyear 400 earlier this season which gave him a ton of confidence heading into the playoff opener. He also goes into the weekend as one of the early favorites to win the Southern 500.

Meanwhile Hamlin is the No. 1 seed and 2026 regular season champion entering the Chase. His consistency all season long has made him one of the biggest favorites to win the championship and Darlington is a track where experience can be very valuable.

If Sunday goes well for Hamlin he might immediately be in a great spot for the rest of the opening playoff round.

Will Chase Briscoe make history?

One of the biggest storylines heading into the race is Chase Briscoe .

Briscoe has also claimed the Southern 500 in back-to-back seasons crossing the finish line at Darlington in 2024 and 2025. Now he has the opportunity to do something rather rare: win the race three times in a row.

The last driver to win the Southern 500 three years in a row was Jeff Gordon, who won the race four consecutive years from 1995-98.

Briscoe will have to beat a loaded playoff field to make history but his recent success at the track puts him in the group of drivers nobody can afford to ignore.

Dark Horses

The championship favorites will get the lion's share of attention, but there are plenty of potential dark horses at Darlington.

Erik Jones is a name you should obviously watch. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver is a two-time winner at Darlington and has 10 top 10 finishes in 17 career starts at the track. This season, he also finished 10th in the spring race.

Another guy who can make noise is Carson Hocevar. The young Spire Motorsports driver has shown plenty of speed on the bigger ovals this season and enters the playoffs looking to make his presence known.

Ross Chastain could be a player, too. Momentum has been building in recent weeks for the Trackhouse Racing driver, and Darlington offers a chance for him to make an early statement.

38 Cars Entered

Southern 500 . The 38 car field will include all 16 drivers in the Chase .

The entry list also features two non-chartered entries with Corey Heim driving the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing and Chad Finchum driving the No. 66 Ford for Garage 66.

When the championship fight starts, each driver will have a different goal. There will be some who are out for the win, some who will be hunting stage points and some who may just want to get through Darlington without too much damage.

What to Expect

The Southern 500 is going to be a test of patience.

It's a long race, the tires will go away and the track will change during the afternoon and evening." Drivers who push too hard early on can pay the price later on, and drivers who look after their equipment can find themselves in winning positions in the closing stages of the race.

Maybe the biggest question is if Reddick can repeat his spring success, or if Hamlin, Briscoe or another playoff contender can steal the spotlight.

One thing is for sure, the road to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship starts at one of the toughest tracks in NASCAR.

And surviving the “Lady in Black” might be just as important as winning at Darlington.

Prediction Denny Hamlin Extends Chase Lead And Takes White Flag At Darlington!