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The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs have arrived as 16 drivers begin their chase for the 2025 championship.
The 10-race playoffs kick off Sunday, Aug. 31 at Darlington Raceway, where drivers will seek to conquer the track known as “Too Tough to Tame.” The primetime race will be a test of skill and endurance, and a constant battle between playing it safe and utilizing the high line to go for broke with mere inches separating the car from the outside walls.
A victory today by any of the 16 playoff drivers guarantees automatic advancement into the Round of 12, but points will also be at a premium as the championship contenders strive to remain above the cut line with the first elimination race just two weeks away.
But the playoff drivers won’t be racing alone. They will still have to contend with the rest of the field, and those racers will be just as hungry to take the checkered flag and celebrate in victory lane.
USA TODAY Sports will have full coverage of the Cook Out Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina. Follow along for live updates and highlights of the action.
Chase Briscoe, who has led every lap of the Cook Out Southern 500 so far, led a wave of drivers down pit road for green-flag pit stops. The opening stage is 70 laps, so pit stops occurred at about the halfway point of Stage 1. The race is scheduled for 367 laps.
Josh Berry got loose and careened into Tyler Reddick before slamming the back of his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford into the outside wall on the first lap of the race. Reddick was just able to save his No. 45 Toyota from hitting the wall, but Berry’s vehicle suffered major damage, and he was forced to drive it back to the garage for repairs.
Chase Briscoe, who started second, was able to grab the lead from pole sitter Denny Hamlin on that first lap and maintained it on the restart.
How to watch NASCAR race today: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington
- Date: Sunday, Aug. 31
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
- Location: Darlington Raceway
Stream the NASCAR race at Darlingon on Fubo
Here are the reset NASCAR standings entering the first playoff race at Darlington Raceway, with points and number of wins in parentheses:
- Kyle Larson (3)….. 2,032
- William Byron (2) ….. 2,032
- Denny Hamlin (4) ….. 2,029
- Ryan Blaney (2) ….. 2,026
- Christopher Bell (3) ….. 2,023
- Shane van Gisbergen (4) ….. 2,022
- Chase Elliott (1) ….. 2,013
- Chase Briscoe (1) ….. 2,010
- Bubba Wallace (1) ….. 2,008
- Austin Cindric (1) ….. 2,008
- Ross Chastain (1) ….. 2,007
- Joey Logano (1) ….. 2,007
- Josh Berry (1) ….. 2,006
- Tyler Reddick (0) ….. 2,006
- Austin Dillon (1) ….. 2,005
- Alex Bowman (0) ….. 2,002
Denny Hamlin, who has won four times this season and has five career victories at Darlington Raceway to lead all active drivers, will start on pole in the Cook Out Southern 500 in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. His JGR teammate Chase Briscoe, also a playoff driver, will start alongside Hamlin on the front frow.
Drivers, crew members and fans alike couldn’t have asked for better conditions for the Cook Out Southern 500. The Weather Channel is calling for sunny skies and temperatures right around 80 degrees when the green flag drops. After the sun goes down, skies will remain clear, and temperatures will fall into the 70s and perhaps high 60s for the checkered flag. Precipitation will not be a factor at all tonight.
What is the lineup for NASCAR playoff race at Darlington?
Here is the lineup for tonight’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (car number in parentheses; P=playoff driver):
- (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
- (19) Chase Briscoe (P), Toyota
- (21) Josh Berry (P), Ford
- (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
- (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
- (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
- (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
- (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
- (3) Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet
- (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
- (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
- (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
- (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
- (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
- (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
- (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
- (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
- (41) Cole Custer, Ford
- (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
- (88) Shane Van Gisbergen (P), Chevrolet
- (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
- (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
- (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
- (38) Zane Smith, Ford
- (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
- (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
- (60) Ryan Preece, Ford
- (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
- (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet
- (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
- (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
- (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
- (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
- (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
- (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
- (51) Cody Ware, Ford
- (44) Derek Kraus, Chevrolet
- (66) Timmy Hill, Ford
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: 70 laps; Stage 2: 160 laps; Stage 3: 170 laps.
William Byron led 246 of 297 laps in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington on April 6, 2025, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver did not walk away with the tropy. Denny Hamlin powered through following a late-race caution to score the overtime victory, his second of four wins this season.
Here are the favorites to win the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, according to BetMGM odds (as of afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 31):
- Denny Hamlin +475
- Kyle Larson +500
- William Byron +650
- Tyler Reddick +700
- Ryan Blaney +750
- Christopher Bell +900
- Chase Briscoe +900
- Ross Chastain +1600
- Josh Berry +1800
- Bubba Wallace +2200
- Joey Logano +2200
- Chase Elliott +2500
What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Darlington start?
The Cook Out Southern 500 is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.
The Cook Out Southern 500 will be broadcast on USA Network, the channel for most of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Yes, the Cook Out Southern 500 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
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