The NASCAR regular season came to a dramatic close as Ryan Preece notched his first points-paying Cup Series win and punched his postseason ticket in the process. Now, for the first time since 2013, NASCAR returns to the Chase format. Instead of a series of elimination races, the top sixteen drivers will compete over the final ten races of the season for the honor of lifting the championship trophy at Homestead. The Chase for the Championship begins with the 2026 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington.
16 drivers. 10 races. The pressure is high from the start as the best in NASCAR hope to claim the championship. Will one of the Chasers begin their campaign with a win, or could we see someone outside the Chase pull off an upset and find solace in a victory at the Track Too Tough to Tame?
Let’s dive in.
2026 Cook Out Southern 500 Entry List
After last week featured a full field at Daytona, just two non-charter entries occupy the field at Darlington. Corey Heim will once again be behind the wheel of the #67 for 23XI, while Chad Finchum will pilot the #66 for Garage 66.
Can @chasebriscoe make it a three-peat? 😏 pic.twitter.com/B7kymrw4BX
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 2, 2026
No matter how much changes in NASCAR over the years, one thing always remains the same. Darlington confounds drivers as one of the most challenging tracks on the schedule. The drastically different ends of the track from turns 1 and 2 to turns 3 and 4, the deceivingly narrow racing lines, and the exceedingly difficult pit road entry. All challenge the mental fortitude of the drivers. The field can get spread out with differing strategies, but all it takes is one momentary slip-up, and all strategy goes out the window. I can’t promise a thrilling race from start to finish, but that mental aspect makes Darlington one of my favorite tracks NASCAR goes to. The Southern 500 is a Crown Jewel for a reason.
Chase Standings
Courtesy of his 2026 Regular Season Championship, Denny Hamlin heads into the Chase with a 25-point lead over Ryan Blaney in second place. The rest of the field descends in points all the way down to Ryan Preece in 16th, who starts the Chase 100 points behind Hamlin.
- Denny Hamlin
- Ryan Blaney -25
- Tyler Reddick -35
- Ty Gibbs -40
- Chase Briscoe -45
- Christopher Bell -50
- Kyle Larson -55
- Chase Elliott -60
- Joey Logano -65
- Chris Buescher -70
- Daniel Suarez -75
- Carson Hocevar -80
- William Byron -85
- Bubba Wallace -90
- Austin Cindric -95
- Ryan Preece -100
Though points deficits can disappear in a hurry in the Chase, realistically, I believe the winner will come from the current top six in the standings. Denny Hamlin is my pick, a boring cop out to be sure, but it truly feels like the consistency of the #11 team will carry him through the Chase. Chase Briscoe is one driver I’m keeping an eye on as well, especially given his success at Darlington and how that could gather momentum for the #19 team as the postseason begins.
If I were to highlight one driver below the top six who might compete, it would be Joey Logano. Logano’s recent form has been undeniably impressive. However, I just don’t know if he’ll be able to keep that up as NASCAR moves away from the short-track stretch back to 1.5-mile circuits. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are within striking distance as well, but Hendrick Motorsports simply hasn’t looked like Championship material this season.
2026 Cook Out Southern 500 Race Predictions
I touched on it a bit above, but no driver has had more success at Darlington in recent times than Chase Briscoe. Briscoe has won the last two Southern 500s, with two different teams.
However, Briscoe did not win at Darlington back in the spring. Instead, it was 23XI driver Tyler Reddick who went to Victory Lane. The driver of the #45 has seen his early-season momentum come to a screeching halt, but he finished the regular season strong at Daytona. Reddick has to be factored into the equation as a potential winner, as he runs nearly as well at Briscoe here at Darlington.
The track @TooToughToTame is no stranger to great finishes.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 1, 2026
This one may be at the top of the list. pic.twitter.com/xYRk71NYvU
However, I’m going to go in a bit of a different direction for my race winner pick. Ryan Blaney has looked in championship form heading into the Chase. The driver of the #12 finished third here in the spring. I like Blaney to start the postseason off with a bang by claiming victory in the Southern 500.
Check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action this week!
Saturday 09/05
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice – 12:30 p.m. CT on the ESPN App
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying – 1:35 p.m. CT on the ESPN App
NASCAR Cup Series Practice – 3:00 p.m. CT on TruTV
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 4:10 p.m. CT on TruTV
Fleetio 200 (NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) – 6:30 p.m. CT on the CW
Sunday 09/06
Cook Out Southern 500 (NASCAR Cup Series) – 4:00 p.m. CT on USA and HBO Max
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