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NASCAR race time today
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
NASCAR's Cook Out Southern 500 starts 5 p.m. ET Sunday at Darlington Raceway.
The race opens the 10-race Chase with 16 drivers vying for the title.
Background
The Cook Out Southern 500 is the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, known as the Chase. This year, the playoff format has changed: no more eliminations and no championship race, with the champion decided over 10 races. Tyler Reddick starts on the pole after qualifying was canceled.
How it unfolded
- Sep 3, 2026NASCAR publishes key info for Darlington weekend, noting Chase Briscoe is defending two-time Southern 500 winner.
- Sep 5, 2026Qualifying is canceled; starting lineup set by rule book metric, putting Tyler Reddick on pole.
- Sep 6, 2026Race day: Cook Out Southern 500 scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on USA Network, with pre-race at 4:30 p.m.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- NASCAR states the race is the first of 10 postseason races to determine the Cup Series champion.
- Analysts
- Crew chiefs face a strategic question on how to use 12 new tire sets across the race's three stages.