The NASCAR Cup Series will hold its qualifying session at Darlington Raceway on Saturday morning, August 30, to finalize the starting lineup for Sunday’s playoff opener, the Cook Out 500. This session will follow the standard format, where each driver has one lap to post their fastest time during a single round of qualifying.
Earlier in the spring Darlington race, William Byron set a remarkable lap time in the No. 24 car that broke the track’s next-gen car record, narrowly denying Ryan Preece and Denny Hamlin the pole position by less than a tenth of a second. Fans and teams alike will be watching closely to see if that record remains unchallenged this weekend.
Scheduled Start Time for Saturday’s Qualifying
The qualifying session is slated to begin at 10:10 a.m. Eastern Time, immediately following the practice session that starts at 9:00 a.m. ET on the same day. Drivers will head out in a pre-determined order to set their lap times during this window.
For viewers across the United States, the qualifying start times translate to 9:10 a.m. Central Time, 8:10 a.m. Mountain Time, and 7:10 a.m. Pacific Time, ensuring nationwide access to the event.
Broadcast Channels and Radio Coverage for Qualifying
Saturday’s qualifying will be broadcast live on truTV, with pre-race coverage beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Fans not near a television can listen to the session’s radio broadcast via SiriusXM and the Motor Racing Network (MRN), offering multiple options to follow the on-track action.
Options for Watching the Qualifying Session Online
Those wanting to watch the NASCAR Cup Series Darlington Qualifying on the go can stream the event live through the truTV app. Additionally, streaming platforms that include truTV in their channel lineup provide access, including Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and Sling TV’s Blue package.
Order of Drivers for Darlington Qualifying
The order in which drivers will take to the track to set their lap times is as follows:
1. Riley Herbst, No. 35, 23XI Racing (Toyota)
2. Noah Gragson, No. 4, Front Row Motorsports (Ford)
3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47, HYAK Motorsports (Chevrolet)
4. Derek Kraus, No. 44, NY Racing Team (Chevrolet)
5. Timmy Hill, No. 66, Garage 66 (Chevrolet)
6. Carson Hocevar, No. 77, Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet)
7. Zane Smith, No. 38, Front Row Motorsports (Ford)
8. Kyle Busch, No. 8, Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
9. Ty Dillon, No. 10, Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
10. Cody Ware, No. 51, Rick Ware Racing (Ford)
11. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16, Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
12. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42, Legacy Motor Club (Toyota)
13. Brad Keselowski, No. 6, RFK Racing (Ford)
14. Todd Gilliland, No. 34, Front Row Motorsports (Ford)
15. Michael McDowell, No. 71, Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet)
16. Ryan Preece, No. 60, RFK Racing (Ford)
17. Cole Custer, No. 41, Haas Factory Team (Ford)
18. Ty Gibbs, No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
19. Justin Haley, No. 7, Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet)
20. Erik Jones, No. 43, Legacy Motor Club (Toyota)
21. Chris Buescher, No. 17, RFK Racing (Ford)
22. Daniel Suárez, No. 99, Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
23. Austin Cindric, No. 2, Team Penske (Ford)
24. Alex Bowman, No. 48, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
25. Bubba Wallace, No. 23, 23XI Racing (Toyota)
26. Joey Logano, No. 22, Team Penske (Ford)
27. Austin Dillon, No. 3, Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
28. Tyler Reddick, No. 45, 23XI Racing (Toyota)
29. Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
30. Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
31. William Byron, No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
32. Ross Chastain, No. 1, Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
33. Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 88, Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)
34. Christopher Bell, No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
35. Josh Berry, No. 21, Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
36. Chase Elliott, No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
37. Kyle Larson, No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
38. Ryan Blaney, No. 12, Team Penske (Ford)
Significance of Qualifying and What to Expect
Qualifying at Darlington Raceway plays a crucial role in setting the tone for the Cook Out 500, especially as it marks the start of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Drivers will strive to post the fastest lap to secure advantageous starting positions on the challenging Darlington oval, which is known for its unique shape and demanding racing conditions.
Given the competitive history at this track and the record times set earlier in the season, this qualifying session is bound to be intense and critical for teams aiming for playoff success. Both drivers and fans will be eager to see if any records fall and which drivers will gain the upper hand as the playoffs commence.
