The NASCAR Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will kick off the revamped Chase series for the Cup championship on Sunday, with the green flag expected to drop just after 5 p.m.
Front‑Row Start for Reddick and Suarez
Because qualifying was called off due to inclement weather, NASCAR turned to its metric system to set the starting grid, granting Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez the front‑row positions for the 16‑car field.
Among the contenders are Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece, Denny Hamlin and the historic figure Robert Byron, whose 1949 triumph marked the beginning of the championship’s modern era.
The race represents the start of a new playoff structure that expands the competition to sixteen drivers, each vying for a spot in the championship hunt that has evolved since the format’s inception in 1949.
Fans and teams alike anticipate a tightly contested event on Darlington’s famed oval, where the metric‑derived lineup adds an extra layer of drama to the start of the Chase.