Throughout the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, drivers have maintained that to have a shot at this year’s championship, they need to go into the 10-race, 16-driver Chase ranked among the top-four or five in the reseeded standings.
Hamlin enters NASCAR’s Chase as the top seed after a dominant title-race performance last year ended in one of racing’s cruelest twists.
MOTORSPORTS TV THIS WEEK (ET)
Saturday, September 5 1:30 p.m., NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Practice and Qualifying at Darlington Raceway, ESPN Unlimited 4 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice and Qualifying at Darlington Raceway, truTV 6:30 p.m., NASCAR Countdown Live, The CW 7:30 p.m., NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Fleetio 200 at Darlington Raceway, The CW Sunday, September 6 4:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: USA Sports Prerace, USA Network 5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, USA Network 9 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: USA Sports Post-Race, USA Network
Winner: Ryan Preece Average Speed of Race Winner: 154.69 mph. Time of Race:2 Hrs, 40 Mins, 58 Secs. Margin of Victory:Under Caution Caution Flags: 4 for 23 laps. Lead Changes: 41 among 22 drivers. Stage 1 Top 10: 97,54,22,43,19,5,23,60,42,2 Stage 2 Top 10: 12,60,38,24,34,5,19,7,9,33 Fastest Lap: #4 Lap 21 /45.353
