Denny Hamlin ready to start over, but he hasn’t forgotten Phoenix
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.
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.
Team Penske changed pit crews because championships are serious business
Rajah Caruth is ready to rip into NASCAR’s Chase
Justin Allgaier enters the Chase with a target on his back
Jesse Love is winless, fast and tired of things going wrong
Cole Trickle would have approved of Ryan Preece’s Daytona gamble
After everything, Daytona finally loves Ryan Preece back
Larson enters NASCAR’s Chase amid his longest drought in years, but history has taught the two-time champion that strange things can happen.
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

Cook Out Southern 500
Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC
Date: Sunday Sept. 6, 2026
TV: USA
Green Flag: 5:00 PM ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM
Laps: 367
Miles: 501.32
Track: 1.366 mile paved track
Defending Winner: Chase Briscoe
Coke Zero 400
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
| POS | NO. | DRIVER | PTS | STG PTS | BEHIND | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 2100 | 199 | 0 | |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | 2075 | 214 | -25 | |
| 3 | ▲1 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 2065 | 154 | -35 |
| 4 | ▼1 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | 2060 | 211 | -40 |
| 5 | ▲1 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | 2055 | 156 | -45 |
| 6 | ▼1 | 20 | Christopher Bell | 2050 | 162 | -50 |
| 7 | 5 | Kyle Larson | 2045 | 203 | -55 | |
| 8 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 2040 | 104 | -60 | |
| 9 | 22 | Joey Logano | 2035 | 148 | -65 | |
| 10 | 17 | Chris Buescher | 2030 | 98 | -70 | |
| 11 | ▲2 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | 2025 | 77 | -75 |
| 12 | ▼1 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | 2020 | 121 | -80 |
| 13 | ▼1 | 24 | William Byron | 2015 | 123 | -85 |
| 14 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 2010 | 116 | -90 | |
| 15 | 2 | Austin Cindric | 2005 | 113 | -95 | |
| 16 | ▲1 | 60 | Ryan Preece | 2000 | 97 | -100 |