Following 26 regular-season races, the NASCAR postseason has arrived with a revamped Chase format and the elimination of, well, eliminations.
The Chase kicks off Sunday, Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway, the first of 10 postseason races. But the playoff format, which the Cup Series had used since 2014, has been scrapped. That means no more driver eliminations after every three races, and, perhaps more important, no more championship race.
Instead, NASCAR is reverting to the Chase format it first implemented in 2004, with the season championship determined by the driver who scores the most points through all 10 postseason races, rather than an end-of-season championship race contested by four drivers.
What remains from the previous iteration of the playoffs
is the number of drivers who advanced to the postseason. Sixteen drivers will battle for the 2026 Cup Series title, but unlike the past 12 years, there won't be elimination races that cut the contenders down from 16 to 12 to eight to four.
Points were reset for the 16 Chase drivers, with Denny Hamlin, who is still seeking the first championship of his brilliant career, topping the standings entering the postseason. Ryan Blaney, the 2023 champion, enters the Chase ranked second, while Tyler Reddick, whose five wins were the most this season, sits third in the points.
While all 16 Chase drivers – plus the rest of the field entered in the Southern 500 – will race for the win, it won’t be easy. Darlington is nicknamed “Too Tough To Tame” for a reason, and the Southern 500 is a grueling race that will test drivers’ skill, strategy and stamina.
Who will tame the South Carolina track? Here is all the information you need to get ready for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway:
What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington start?
The Cook Out Southern 500 is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington on?
The Cook Out Southern 500 will be broadcast on USA Network. Pre-race coverage will start at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington?
Subscribers to Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV can watch the Cook Out Southern 500 through those services.
HBO Max will continue to provide live streams of in-car cameras, while MRN will carry the live radio broadcast.
Stream the Cook Out Southern 500 on Fubo
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington?
The Cook Out Southern 500 is 367 laps around the 1.366-mile track for a total of 501.32 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 115 laps; Stage 2: 115 laps; Stage 3: 137 laps.
Which drivers made the NASCAR postseason Chase?
Here are the reset Cup Series standings entering the first of 10 races in the 2026 Chase, with points and number of wins in parentheses:
- Denny Hamlin (4) ..... 2,100
- Ryan Blaney (3) ..... 2,075
- Tyler Reddick (5) ..... 2,065
- Ty Gibbs (2) ..... 2,060
- Chase Briscoe (1) ..... 2,055
- Christopher Bell (0) ..... 2,050
- Kyle Larson (0)..... 2,045
- Chase Elliott (2) ..... 2,040
- Joey Logano (2) ..... 2,035
- Chris Buescher (0) ..... 2,030
- Daniel Suarez (1) ..... 2,025
- Carson Hocevar (1) ..... 2,020
- William Byron (0) ..... 2,015
- Bubba Wallace (0) ..... 2,010
- Austin Cindric (0) ..... 2,005
- Ryan Preece (1) ..... 2,000
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Darlington?
Tyler Reddick led 77 of 293 laps, including the final 28 in the Goodyear 400 on March 22, 2026, before crusing to a 5.847-second victory over Brad Keselowski. The victory marked the fourth win for Reddick in the first six races of the 2026 season.
And one year ago, Chase Briscoe completely dominated the Cook Out Southern 500, leading 309 of 367 laps on Aug. 31, 2025, before holding off Reddick by 0.408 seconds to earn his second of three wins last season.
What is the lineup for the Cook Out Southern 500?
(Car number in parentheses; C=Chase driver)
- (45) Tyler Reddick (C), Toyota
- (7) Daniel Suarez (C), Chevrolet
- (60) Ryan Preece (C), Ford
- (11) Denny Hamlin (C), Toyota
- (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
- (2) Austin Cindric (C), Ford
- (19) Chase Briscoe (C), Toyota
- (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
- (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
- (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
- (20) Christopher Bell (C), Toyota
- (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
- (22) Joey Logano (C), Ford
- (21) Josh Berry, Ford
- (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
- (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet
- (23) Bubba Wallace (C), Toyota
- (9) Chase Elliott (C), Chevrolet
- (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
- (24) William Byron (C), Chevrolet
- (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
- (67) Corey Heim(i), Toyota
- (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
- (12) Ryan Blaney (C), Ford
- (5) Kyle Larson (C), Chevrolet
- (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
- (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
- (54) Ty Gibbs (C), Toyota
- (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
- (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
- (88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet
- (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
- (38) Zane Smith, Ford
- (77) Carson Hocevar (C), Chevrolet
- (17) Chris Buescher (C), Ford
- (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
- (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet
- (66) Chad Finchum, Ford
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR Darlington start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Southern 500
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