It’s race day at Darlington Raceway, and we’ve got all the information you need to get ready for Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500, the 25th race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:
START TIME: 6 p.m. ET. GREEN FLAG: 6:15 p.m. ET.
Joe Gibbs, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Waddell Wilson and Bojangles’ CEO Jose Armario will instruct drivers to start their engines at 6:07 p.m. ET.
TV: NBCSN. Pre-race broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. ET.
RADIO: Motor Racing Network. STREAMING: For those who sign in with their cable/satellite provider’s credentials, you can watch at stream.nbcsports.com.
RACE DISTANCE: 367 laps around the 1.366-mile track for a total of 501 miles.
STAGE LENGTHS (laps per stage): Stage 1: 100, Stage 2: 100, Stage 3: 167.
Brad Keselowski (2) leads Kyle Larson (42) and Joey Logano (22) on a restart during the 2018 Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. (Photo: Adam Hagy, USA TODAY Sports)
NATIONAL ANTHEM: Multi-platinum selling recording artist Edwin McCain, from Greenville, South Carolina, will perform the anthem at 6:01 p.m. ET, followed by a flyover by four F-16s from the 169th Fighter Wing, nicknamed the Swamp Foxes, out of the McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover, S.C.
WEATHER: The Weather Channel is forecasting scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon leading up to the race but conditions should vastly improve in the evening. Expect partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the low 80s and a 35% chance of rain for the green flag.
LAST TIME: Brad Keselowski passed Kyle Larson, who led 284 laps, on lap 346 and led the final 22 laps to score his first career victory in the Southern 500. Keselowski’s teammate Joey Logano finished second and Larson third.
LINEUP: Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron won his fourth pole of the season after outdueling Team Penske’s Keselowski during Saturday’s qualifying.
Here is the lineup for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 (car number in parentheses):
1. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
2. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford
3. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
4. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
5. (41) Daniel Suarez, Ford
6. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
7. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
8. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
9. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
10. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
11. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
12. (37) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet
13. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford
14. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
15. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota
16. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
17. (21) Paul Menard, Ford
18. (8) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
19. (95) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota
20. (47) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet
21. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford
22. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
23. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
24. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford
25. (00) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet
26. (38) David Ragan, Ford
27. (32) Corey LaJoie, Ford
28. (43) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet
29. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
30. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
31. (15) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
32. (36) Matt Tifft, Ford
33. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
34. (77) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet
35. (52) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet
36. (51) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
37. (27) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet
38. (54) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet
39. (66) Joey Gase, Toyota
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