NASCAR’s 2025 Southern 500 Race Weekend: TV Schedule, Entry Lists, Race Info, and More

DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 12: A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 12, 2024 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Portland International Raceway this weekend, while the NASCAR Truck and Cup Series battle on one of the sport’s traditional battle grounds, Darlington Raceway, for the first race of the 2025 Playoffs.

  • The 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway hosts two of NASCAR’s most anticipated weekends each season. First is NASCAR’s throwback weekend in May alongside Labor Day Weekend’s Southern 500, NASCAR’s oldest crown jewel race.
  • Darlington hosted the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time in 1950, with Johnny Mantz winning the inaugural Southern 500. The Craftsman Trucks Series made its Darlington debut in 2001 and left after 2004, returning from 2010 to 2011, and made its most recent return to the track in 2020.
  • Jeff Gordon is the winningest driver in Southern 500 history, having won an impressive four in a row from 1995 to 1998. Only one active driver has more than one Southern 500 win, that being Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who won the race in 2010, 2017, and 2021.

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times EST) (Portland International Raceway)

Saturday, August 30: Xfinity Series Practice and Qualifying | Xfinity Series Race

  • 3:05 PM – 4:00 PM — Xfinity Series Practice on the CW App
  • 4:10 PM – 5:00 PM — Xfinity Series Qualifying on the CW App
  • 5:30 PM – Xfinity Series Pacific Office Automation 147 on the CW [TV] & MRN [Radio]

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times EST) (Darlington Raceway)

Friday, August 29: Truck Series Practice and Qualifying

  • 3:05 PM – 4:00 PM: Truck Series Practice on FS2
  • 4:10 PM – 5:00 PM: Truck Series Qualifying on FS2

Saturday, August 30: Cup Series Practice and Qualifying | Truck Series Race

  • 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Cup Series Practice
  • 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM: Cup Series Practice and Qualifying
  • 12:00 PM: Truck Series Sober or Slammer 200 on FS1 [TV] & MRN [Radio]

Sunday, August 31: Cup Series Race

  • 6:00 PM — Cup Series Southern 500 on USA [TV] & MRN [Radio]

Race Facts: Portland International Raceway

Track Facts: Portland International Raceway
  • Year Opened: 1961
  • Length: 1.967 Miles
  • Turns: 12
  • Surface: Asphalt
  • Rain Tires: Yes
  • Lights: No

Pacific Office Automation 147 on the CW:
  • Race Length: 75 Laps (147.75 Miles)
  • Stages: 25 Lap Stage One, 25 Lap Stage Two, 25 Lap Final Stage
  • Most Recent Race Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

Race Facts: Darlington Raceway

Track Facts: Darlington Raceway
  • Year Opened: 1950
  • Length: 1.366 Miles
  • Banking: 25° in Turns One and Two; 23° in Turns Three and Four
  • Surface: Asphalt
  • Rain Tires: No
  • Lights: Yes

Sober or Slammer 200 on FS1:
  • Race Length: 147 Laps (200.8 Miles)
  • Stages: 45 Lap Stage One, 45 Lap Stage Two, 57 Lap Final Stage
  • Most Recent Race Winner: Ross Chastain (Spring 2024)

Southern 500 on USA:
  • Race Length: 367 Laps (501.32 Miles)
  • Stages: 115 Lap Stage One, 115 Lap Stage Two, 137 Lap Final Stage

2024 Southern 500 Results:
  • First: Chase Briscoe — No. 14
  • Second: Kyle Busch — No. 8
  • Third: Christopher Bell — No. 20
  • Fourth: Kasey Kahne — No. 5
  • Fifth: Ross Chastain — No. 1

Top Storylines of the Weekend

  • The first race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs is here. Unlike the NASCAR Cup Series, the trucks have yet to touch Darlington Raceway in 2025. During the series’ most recent race last spring, current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points leader Corey Heim went on to lead a race-high 77 laps en route to a 28th-place finish after a mid-race crash.
  • This is the final Road Course race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season. So far, Connor Zilisch has won three of the five road course races, with the other two going to JRM part-timers Shane van Gisbergen and Daniel Suarez. While the 19-year-old may be the favorite this weekend, look out for other talented road course racers like Sheldon Creed to be hungry for a win and a playoff birth.
  • The Southern 500 returns to round one of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in 2025, and gives several drivers an opportunity to prove their worth early on. During the spring race at Darlington, all four drivers to lead laps eventually made the playoffs, including William Byron, who led 243 of the race’s 297 laps (though ultimately coming up short), and went on to win the NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season title.

Entry Lists

Cup Series

Notable and Open Entries:

  • #4 – Noah Gragson
  • #23 – Bubba Wallace
  • #34 – Todd Gilliland
  • #35 – Riley Herbst
  • #38 – Zane Smith
  • #44 – Derek Kraus
  • #45 – Tyler Reddick
  • #66 – Josh Bilicki

Xfinity Series

Notable Entries:

  • #07 – Alex Labbe
  • #11 – Will Brown
  • #19 – Jack Perkins
  • #24 – Alon Day
  • #28 – Joey Hand
  • #45 – Vincente Salas
  • #53 – Kyle Sieg
  • #70 – Thomas Annunziata
  • #91 – Josh Williams

Truck Series

Notable Entries:

  • #02 – Nathan Byrd
  • #1 – Trevor Bayne
  • #2 – Stephen Mallozzi
  • #7 – Corey Day
  • #22 – Clayton Green
  • #33 – Mason Maggio (substitute)
  • #74 – Caleb Costner

Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.

Share this:

Chris Gabehart and Denny Hamlin

Chris Gabehart Responds to JGR’s Lawsuit

What’s Happening?

Chris Gabehart has responded to Joe Gibbs Racing’s lawsuit, strongly denying the allegations and calling the claims “false,” “frivolous,” and “retaliatory” in a public statement released this Friday.

After the lawsuit became public, on Thursday, Gabehart spoke out for the first time, stating that he did not share any confidential JGR information with Spire Motorsports or any third parties and that he intends to prove that in court. He also said a third-party forensic review of his personal devices found no evidence supporting the accusations, adding that JGR declined an offer to examine Spire’s systems before filing suit.

“Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming — falsely — that I shared JGR confidential information with Spire Motorsports and/or other unnamed third parties… I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.”

Gabehart said he will address the matter further in a formal legal response in the coming days.

You can learn more about the lawsuit, why it started and all the context surrounding it in the article linked below

What Happens if it Rains at Atlanta This Weekend?

What’s Happening?

Weather could play a major role in the NASCAR weekend at EchoPark Speedway, with current forecasts calling for a 40% chance of rain Saturday afternoon and increasing to 55% in the evening. While conditions are expected to improve, contingency plans are already in place in case races cannot be completed as scheduled

If Saturday Goes as Planned
  • All scheduled events run normally across the NASCAR Truck Series, O’Reilly Series, and Cup Series
  • No changes to Sunday’s schedule
If One Saturday Race Is Postponed
  • The delayed race would move to Sunday morning
  • It would run before the Cup Series race
  • Other races remain in their original slots
If Both Saturday Races Are Postponed
  • Sunday becomes a tripleheader, with the expected running order being: 1. O’Reilly Series, 2. Cup Series, 3. Truck Series
  • Schedule subject to change depending on conditions

NASCAR has not announced any official schedule changes yet, as decisions will be based on how conditions develop in real time. With rain chances increasing through Saturday afternoon and evening, teams are preparing for multiple outcomes, and Sunday is expected to serve as the primary backup window if events can’t be completed as planned.

Conditions are constantly being monitored, but fans should be prepared for possible schedule adjustments throughout the weekend. We’ll keep you updated throughout the race weekend here on The Daily Downforce

Joe Gibbs Racing/Chris Gabehart Lawsuit is WILD | Complete Breakdown

Just when things finally seemed to calm down in the NASCAR garage, a bombshell dropped. Joe Gibbs Racing is officially suing former competition director Chris Gabehart, and the allegations are serious. Power struggles, confidential data, secret photos, and a potential move to Spire Motorsports.

  • What exactly is Joe Gibbs Racing accusing Gabehart of taking?
  • Did a disagreement with Joe Gibbs spark this entire fallout?
  • How deep does the alleged data access really go?
  • And the biggest question: how badly does Spire still want him now?

From competition department tension to an $8 million damages figure, this lawsuit could have major implications beyond just one team. Gabehart helped elevate Denny Hamlin back into championship form and played a key role in JGR’s recent success, which makes this split even more shocking. This preview only scratches the surface. The full breakdown dives into the timeline, the alleged evidence, and what this could mean for the Cup Series balance of power moving forward. Watch the full video to learn much more

Watch Also