The 2026 NASCAR season will travel to Darlington Raceway in September for the Southern 500, the headline event that marks the 29th race of the schedule and features both the premier Cup Series and the supporting O'Reilly Series.
Schedule and Broadcast Details
Fans can look forward to a full weekend of action, with O'Reilly Series practice slated for 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 5, followed by qualifying at 2:35 p.m. ET, while the Cup Series will hold its own practice at 4:00 p.m. ET and qualifying at 5:10 p.m. ET on the same day.
The O'Reilly Series race, the Fleetio 200, will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 5, and the Cup Series Southern 500 is scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. ET start on Sunday, September 6, giving viewers a full day of racing excitement.
The weekend’s broadcast will be available across a range of platforms, including ESPN Unlimited, truTV, Fubo TV and Max, ensuring that audiences can watch live from multiple devices.
In the previous year, Chase Briscoe claimed victory over Tyler Reddick at Darlington, securing his second win of the 2025 season and underscoring the competitive nature of the event.