NASCAR announced that qualifying for the 2026 Darlington Southern 500 was called off after a sudden lightning strike during a sweltering afternoon, leaving the track without any rain‑induced conditions that would normally permit a wet‑weather session.
Qualifying Canceled
Because the storm produced only brief flashes of lightning and no measurable precipitation, officials deemed the session unsafe and cancelled it outright. The series then applied a new method for setting the grid: a weighted average combining a driver’s owner standings (30%) with his or her finish in the most recent race (70%).
Starting Grid Details
Tyler Reddick, who posted a third‑place finish at Daytona, will start from pole position in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, while Daniel Suarez, the Daytona runner‑up and a Chase seed, will line up second in his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.
Ryan Preece, fresh from his first career victory last weekend, takes third in the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford, followed by Denny Hamlin, the top‑seeded Chase driver, in fourth, and Michael McDowell, the highest‑starting non‑Chase competitor, in fifth.
The top ten also includes Chase Briscoe, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman, rounding out the front row and early‑stage battle positions.
Further down the grid, title contenders Carson Hocevar and Chris Buescher are slated to begin 34th and 35th respectively, while Michael McDowell is noted as the ‘best of the rest’ in 17th place.