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GettyDARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 21: Brandon Jones, driver of the #20 Menards/Pelonis Toyota, and Parker Retzlaff, driver of the #99 South Carolina Outcast Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway on March 21, 2026 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/
The 2026 NASCAR Chase begins thisLabor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway, but fans will not see all three national series compete at the South Carolina track. The NASCAR Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will race at Darlington, while the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is off this weekend. That creates a split NASCAR schedule for fans looking for TV coverage and streaming options.
The Fleetio 200 opens the O’Reilly playoffs Saturday night, while the Cook Out Southern 500 starts the Cup Series Chase Sunday. All times are Eastern. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry radio coverage for both Darlington races. The Truck Series will return to playoff action later this month at Bristol.
NASCAR Cup Series TV Schedule at Darlington
The NASCAR Cup Series takes center stage Sunday with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The 77th running of the crown-jewel event starts at 5 p.m. ET on USA Network, with streaming available through HBO Max. USA Network begins its pre-race coverage at 4:30 p.m., while the green flag is scheduled for about 5:10 p.m.
The NASCAR Cup Series race will run 367 laps and cover about 501 miles. The three stages are scheduled for 115, 115, and 137 laps.
Cup Series practice and qualifying will take place Saturday. Practice begins at 4 p.m. ET, with qualifying scheduled for 5:10 p.m. Both sessions will air on truTV and HBO Max. No Cup practice is scheduled for Sunday.
Denny Hamlin enters the NASCAR Cup Series Chase as the No. 1 seed. Chase Briscoe is the two-time defending Southern 500 winner, while Tyler Reddick won the spring race at Darlington.
Thirty-eight cars are entered for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. The field includes additional starts for Chad Finchum and Corey Heim. After Darlington, the Cup Series travels to World Wide Technology Raceway before heading to Bristol.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Darlington
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series begins its 2026 Chase Saturday night at Darlington Raceway with the Fleetio 200. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on The CW, with streaming available through ESPN Unlimited.
O’Reilly Series practice is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, with qualifying starting at 2:35 p.m. Both sessions are availablefor 147 laps and 200.8 miles, with stages of 45, 90, and 147 laps
Justin Allgaier enters the NASCAR O’Reilly playoffs as the top seed. He also won the Darlington race in March. Twelve drivers are competing in the O’Reilly Chase.
Thirty-eight cars are entered for the Fleetio 200, meaning the full field will start. Jake Finch will make his second O’Reilly Series start of the 2026 season for JR Motorsports.
After Darlington, the O’Reilly Series heads to Gateway before continuing the playoffs at Bristol.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Darlington
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will not race at Darlington Raceway this weekend. There is therefore no live Truck Series TV window from the track during the Labor Day weekend schedule.
The Truck Series last raced at Darlington on March 20, when Corey Heim won. The 2026 Truck Series Chase will resume Thursday, Sept. 17, at Bristol with the UNOH 200. That race will air on FS1. Kansas is scheduled to host the next Truck Series playoff race on Sept. 26.
Most NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 2026 are carried by FS1, with selected events on Fox and streaming services that include those channels.
Although the Truck Series is off at Darlington, Corey Heim is entered in a 23XI Racing Cup car for Sunday’s Southern 500, giving the Truck Series winner another chance to compete on the NASCAR Cup Series stage this weekend.
