Goodyear 400

The Goodyear 400 will precede the longest race in NASCAR Cup Series schedule, the Coca-Cola 600. The Goodyear 400 has seen many changes throughout its history including a drop-off in favor of other tracks. The race will set the mood for the upcoming season and will be a prime event to watch.

The drivers are looking forward to stopping the duo of William Byron and Denny Hamlin who have already racked three wins in the season. Ryan Blaney, the reigning champion from 2023 Cup Series is yet to win a race but he came close on several occasions.

The Darlington race will be characterized by the Darlington stripes which will earn their place on the driver’s car. The stripes are a series of scratches which appear on drivers' cars, as they navigate the treacherous turns driving along the walls of the track. The 2024 Goodyear 400 will mark the 122nd race hosted by the Darlington Raceway. Goodyear 400 was where Kevin Harvick achieved his 50th race victory.

The Goodyear 400 in 2003 is in joint contention for the closest finish in NASCAR with 2011 Aaron’s 499. Richard Petty’s horrific crash in 1970 at the Darlington Raceway caused NASCAR to develop window nets, to prevent the driver's head from hitting the track in case of a crash.

Goodyear 400 History

The Goodyear 400 race was started in 1952 and the race was won by Dick Rathamann in its inaugural season. However, it didn’t become a regular race on the NASCAR schedule until the 1957 season. The Goodyear 400 changed its total race distance many times before it was relegated to 400 miles in the 1994 Cup Series season.

It was dropped in 2005 due to the Ferko lawsuit and returned during COVID in 2020. The Goodyear 400 weekend is the throwback weekend in all three NASCAR series. Goodyear took up the title sponsorship of the race in 2021. The Goodyear 400 in 2023 was won by William Byron for Hendrick Motorsports.

Goodyear 400 2024 Schedule

The Goodyear 400 in 2024 will be held from May 11th-12th. The race will be a 293 lap event that goes on for 400 miles. It is going to be divided into three stages. The first and second stages will be of 90 and 95 laps respectively, whereas the final stage of the race will be 108 laps long.

As posted by NASCAR on their official site, the Goodyear 400 Qualifying session will be on Saturday 11th May, from 11:20 AM Eastern Time. The race will be held on Sunday, 12th May from 3 P.M. Eastern time.

Goodyear 400 2024 Venue

The Goodyear 400 will be held at the Darlington Raceway, in Darlington, South Carolina. The track is a paved Speedway oval. It is 1.366 miles long and has a 23 degree banking on the turns with a 6 degree banking on the straights.

The track record is held by Denny Hamlin. He set a time of 0:28.332 at the Bojangles’ Southern 500 in 2018 in his Toyota Camry. The Darlington Raceway is often advertised as a track, “Too Tough to Tame”. It is nicknamed as “The Lady in Black”.

Goodyear 400 2024 Drivers Standings

The Drivers Standings for the Goodyear 400 race is led by Kyle Larson. The Top-10 drivers have remained almost unchanged over the AdventHealth 400 race. Ryan Blaney is the only exception, claiming the 6th spot over Wiliam Byron. The drivers standings are as follows:

Drivers with most wins in the Goodyear 400

The victory tally in the Goodyear 400 is held by NASCAR Hall of Famer, David Pearson. He has achieved seven victories in the event with three consecutive victories from 1972-1974. David Pearson’s last victory in the Goodyear 400 came in 1980. He is closely followed by Dale Earnhardt who achieved 6 victories. Holman Moody is the best team in the race with seven race victories until the 1970 season.

Where to watch the Goodyear 400 2024?

The Goodyear 400 2024 will be broadcasted on FS1 network according to the official site of NASCAR. The radio coverage will be handled by MRN and SiriusXM throughout the event.

Goodyear 400 2024 start times in different Time Zones