The NASCAR Chase begins with the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sept. 5 at Darlington Raceway.
The Labor Day weekend tradition is quite the task to open the 10-race run to the Cup Series championship. The 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval is a demand for pit crews, cars and drivers.
Denny Hamlin enters the Chase as the top seed, 25 points ahead of Ryan Blaney.
Here are The Tennessean's expert picks for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona:
NASCAR predictions for Darlington Cup Series race: Here's who wins the Southern 500
Mike Organ's pick: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Byron is one of six drivers in the NASCAR Chase who did not win a race in the regular season, but he did build some momentum late with nice runs at Iowa and Richmond. I realize Chevrolets have only won one race since May, but Byron has run well at Darlington in the past so he's my pick.
Nick Gray's pick: Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Briscoe is showing the same kind
of form as last season, when he peaked through the autumn race weekends. Briscoe would have quite the resume builder by winning three Southern 500s in a row.
Tom Kreager's pick: Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Hamlin opens the Chase with a dominant win at Darlington, where he has four top-10 finishes and a win over the past five races.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Darlington predictions 2026, expert picks for Southern 500 Cup race
