The stage is set at NASCAR’s toughest oval as the Southern 500 returns to Darlington, promising history and high stakes. Opened in 1950 as NASCAR’s first true superspeedway, it quickly became known for its unconventional, egg-shaped oval, crafted to preserve a neighbor’s minnow pond, and earned nicknames like “The Lady in Black” and “The Track Too Tough to Tame.” It’s banking, ranging from 23 to 25 degrees in the turns, and its unforgiving asphalt surface has challenged drivers for decades, solidifying its reputation as one of the toughest tracks on the calendar. This rich history bleeds directly into a long lineage of iconic races. And when it comes to champions, Darlington’s legacy only grows richer.

The Southern 500 at Darlington has produced a gallery of legendary winners, and its record books are filled with towering names. David Pearson reigns with 10 Southern 500 victories, while Dale Earnhardt is right behind with nine wins at the track overall. NASCAR icons like Jeff Gordon claimed six Southern 500 titles, and Bobby Allison, Hall of Famer and founder of the famed “Alabama Gang,” scored four wins at the track. Chase Briscoe also broke through for a dramatic victory in the 2024 Southern 500, ending a lengthy winless streak and delivering a payoff for Stewart-Haas Racing. And this year, all eyes turn to August 31, 2025, when the Southern 500 will roar back into life as Race 27 of 36 in the Cup Series and first of the playoffs, setting the stage for rivals Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin.

With practice, qualifying, and race day action spread across three jam-packed days, here’s how the Darlington weekend unfolds.

Your guide to the Southern 500 weekend

The Darlington race weekend begins on Friday, August 29th, with a busy afternoon of track activity. The day starts at 2:00 p.m. ET with Menards West Series practice at Portland International Raceway, followed by Craftsman Truck Series practice at Darlington at 3:05 p.m. ET, airing on FS2. Shortly after, Portland hosts West Series qualifying at 3:20 p.m. ET before the Truck Series takes its turn with qualifying at 4:10 p.m. ET on FS2. The night closes with the Portland 112 for the Menards West Series, a 57-lap race at 7:00 p.m. ET, streamed on FloRacing with radio coverage from MRN.

Saturday, August 30th, is packed with action across multiple series. The Cup Series opens with practice at 9:00 a.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 10:10 a.m. ET, both shown on truTV with MRN radio coverage. At 12:00 p.m. ET, the Truck Series playoff race, the Sober or Slammer 200, kicks off for 147 laps on FS1 and MRN. Later in the day, the Xfinity Series takes over Portland with practice at 3:00 p.m. ET and group qualifying at 4:05 p.m. ET, both carried on the CW app. The Xfinity race, the Pacific Office Automation 147, follows at 7:30 p.m. ET on CW and MRN, before the day wraps with the Toyota Mod Classic 150 from Oswego at 8:00 p.m. ET on FloRacing.

On Sunday, August 31, the final day of the weekend begins with the Canadian NASCAR Series at CTMP, where the WeatherTech 200 goes green for 51 laps at 2:00 p.m. ET, streaming live on YouTube. The centerpiece of the weekend, the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, begins at 6:00 p.m. ET on USA Network with MRN radio providing full coverage. This 367-lap, 501-mile crown jewel also marks the opening race of the Cup Series Playoffs, making it one of the season’s most significant showdowns.

To close the weekend under the lights, the Menards Series takes the stage at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds with the Southern Illinois 100. This 100-lap dirt track race is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, offering a thrilling contrast to the asphalt battles earlier in the weekend. With three days of nonstop NASCAR action spanning Trucks, Xfinity, and Cup, West Modified, and ARCA competition, Darlington‘s second race weekend of 2025 is shaping up as one of the most diverse and entertaining slates of the season. As the playoff opener looms, the playbook has put familiar favorites on top of the driver odds, leaving room for dark horses, too.

Who the oddsmakers favor at Darlington

Kyle Larson, the 2023 Southern 500 winner, opens as the favorite at +500, followed closely by Denny Hamlin at +575. Right behind them sit Ryan Blaney and William Byron at +600, while Tyler Reddick rounds out the top tier at +700, making the playoff opener a tightly contested battle among proven contenders.

Just outside the frontrunners, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe both stand at +1000, while veterans like Joey Logano (+1600) and Chase Elliott (+1800) could offer strong value for bettors. Middle-tier drivers, such as Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski, and Bubba Wallace, come in at +2000, with Ross Chastain (+2200) and Kyle Busch (+3000) presenting intriguing dark-horse potential, given their past success at Darlington.

Further down the list, longshots like Erik Jones (+6500), Austin Dillon (+10000), and Daniel Suárez (+15000) will need big upsets to break through. Deep odds are given to drivers such as A. J. Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, and Todd Gilliland (+25000), while names like Ty Dillon (+100000) and Josh Bilicki, Derek Kraus, and Cody Ware (+250000) sit as extreme underdogs.

With such a wide range, the Southern 500 odds reflect both the unpredictability of Darlington and the high stakes of the playoff opener.