Previewing the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begins with a crown jewel event for the series, the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. After hosting the regular season finale one year ago, the Southern 500 returns to the Playoffs in 2025 and provides a stiff test for the Round of 16 drivers.
Fast Facts: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington
Date: August 31, 2025
Track: Darlington Raceway (Darlington, South Carolina)
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: USA Network
Stages: 115/230/367
Defending Winner: Chase Briscoe
Cook Out Southern 500 Schedule
Date | Time | Session | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
Sat., Aug. 30 | 9 a.m. ET | Practice | truTV |
Sat., Aug. 30 | 10:10 a.m. ET | Qualifying | truTV |
Sun., Aug. 31 | 6 p.m. ET | Cook Out Southern 500 | USA Network |
VIEWING GUIDE: How to Watch the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington
The Playoffs Begin at The Lady in Black
After 26 regular-season races, the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs journey begins on Sunday with the Cook Out Southern 500. Known as one of the most demanding tracks on the circuit, Darlington will be a massive test to open the Playoffs.
Darlington is known by several nicknames, including The Track Too Tough to Tame and The Lady in Black. No matter what you call it, the high-banked, egg-shaped 1.366-mile oval challenges drivers with its narrow and abrasive racing surface.
For those 16 playoff drivers, this will be a chance to punch an early ticket into the Round of 12 and turn their focus to the next step in the championship journey ... but it won't be an easy task.
READ MORE: How the 16 Playoff Drivers Historically Perform at Darlington Raceway
Chasing a Crown Jewel
Whether you are a playoff driver or not, Sunday's race is the final chance to add a crown jewel win to your resume during the 2025 season. Dating back to 1950, the Southern 500 has roots in the earliest days of the sport and still challenges drivers to this day.
For playoff drivers, there will be a balancing act between the desire to earn a coveted Southern 500 trophy and balancing earning points to stay in the posteason battle. Risky moves and bold strategies are always measured carefully at Darlington, but they'll be even more so for teams facing playoff ramifications.
For those outside of the playoff battle, however, this is a chance to earn a first win of the season in a big way, on one of the grandest stages in the series. Nothing would ease the pain of missing the playoffs like a Southern 500 triumph.
Earning Your Stripes
The trademark of any race at Darlington Raceway is the "Darlington Stripe." While the track is technically nearly 80 feet wide at its most spacious point, only the outermost lanes of the track feature the highest banking, and thus the fastest way around the track.
As a result, competitors drive against the wall as close as possible for much of the lap around Darlington Raceway, sometimes within inches of the retaining wall. Contact with that wall leaves the tell-tale stripe along the right-hand side of the race car.
It's hard to go fast around Darlington without picking up at least one "Darlington Stripe" but repeated contact can obviously cause further problems for the car. That's part of what makes Darlington so challenging.
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Zach Evans is the Managing Editor of RacingAmerica.com, with nearly a decade of experience in motorsports. He has been with Racing America since 2017.
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