The 2026 NASCAR season kicks off with the debut of The Chase, a ten‑race showdown that will determine the series champion, beginning with an iconic event at Darlington Raceway.
Opening Weekend at Darlington
Practice for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is scheduled for 1:30 PM Eastern, with qualifying at 2:35 PM. The Fleetio 200 will follow at 7:30 PM, featuring 45 laps in Stage 1, 45 laps in Stage 2 and a final 57‑lap sprint that totals 200.8 miles.
In the Cup Series, teams will hit the track for practice at 4:00 PM and qualifying at 5:10 PM on Saturday, before the Cook Out Southern 500 rolls off at 5:00 PM Eastern on Sunday, completing 115 laps in each of the first two stages and a 137‑lap finale for a distance of 501.32 miles.
The weekend will not include a Truck Series race, but the combination of Darlington’s 1.366‑mile, intermediate‑banked layout, stage racing and championship implications makes it a must‑watch start to the season.