The 2023 NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 is all set to take place on Sunday (September 3) at the Darlington Raceway. Fans can enjoy the race on USA Network, NBC Sports, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 6 pm ET.
Located in Darlington, South Carolina, Sunday’s race will be the 27th race of the 2023 NASCAR season and the first race of the Round of 16. The Darlington Raceway will host the Next Gen car in action for the fourth time since its debut.
The venue features 25 degrees of banking in turns one and two, and 23 degrees of banking in turns three and four. With three degrees on the frontstretch and two degrees on the backstretch, “The Lady in Black” will create an exciting start to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The track opened in 1950 and hosted the inaugural Cook Out Southern 500 the same year, where Johnny Mantz took the checkered flag.
The 36 drivers entering this week’s Cup Series race will compete for over 367 laps at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval track. The Cup Series weekend will start with Saturday’s (September 2) practice session. It will be followed by a qualifying race on the same day and conclude with the Southern 500 main race on Sunday.
The Cup Series drivers will be divided into two different groups. The division will be based on an odd/even order, just like every other qualifying race, to determine the starting order of the drivers for the 367-lap race.
The Darlington Raceway will host the season’s 27th event of the Cup Series and the 25th for the Xfinity Series in over two days.
Erik Jones and GMS Racing entered as the defending winner of the Cook Out Southern 500 and will look to defend his title.
Full weekend schedule for 2023 NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500
Here’s the practice, qualifying and race schedule for this weekend’s scheduled race at the Darlington Raceway:
Saturday, September 2, 2023
10:35 am ET: Xfinity Series practice
11:05 am ET: Xfinity Series qualifying
12:35 pm ET: Cup Series practice
1:20 pm ET: Cup Series qualifying
3:30 pm ET: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Sunday, September 3, 2023
6 pm ET: Cook Out Southern 500
Catch an adrenaline-fueled NASCAR weekend at the Darlington Raceway from September 2 to 3.