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The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is shifting from the 2.5-mile-long Daytona International Speedway to the egg-shaped Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500. This weekend is set to be full of thrilling racing action, as the 1.366-mile-long track will host the Next Gen cars for the fourth time since their debut.
It was an eventful weekend in Daytona, where Chris Buescher clinched his third win of the season at the 2.5-mile-long superspeedway. It will be interesting to see how drivers cope with the challenges posed by the Cook Out Southern 500 in South Carolina.
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A total of 36 NASCAR Cup Series cars are set to start the race on Sunday (September 3) and compete for 367 laps, giving us 500 miles of bumper-to-bumper racing. Ahead of Sunday’s event, there will be a qualifying race on Saturday (September 2) to determine the starting lineup for the first playoffs race of the season.
The driver with the fastest qualifying time will win the pole. The rest of the grid for Cook Out Southern 500 will be determined according to the remaining drivers' qualifying times.
Erik Jones, the driver of the #43 Chevrolet Legacy Motor Club, won last year’s Cook Out Southern 500.
Where to watch the 2023 NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 qualifying race at Darlington Raceway
Here is the practice and qualifying schedule for this week's Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway:
Saturday, September 2, 2023
12:35 pm ET: Cook Out Southern 500 practice race
1:20 pm ET: Cook Out Southern 500 qualifying race
The practice and qualifying race will be broadcast live on USA and NBC Sports.
Who is in the top 5 in the points table ahead of the Cook Out Southern 500?
After finishing P8 last week at Daytona International Speedway, William Byron regained the top position in the Cup Series points table with 2036 points, five wins, and nine top-five finishes. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., currently sits in second place with 2036 points.
Denny Hamlin (2025 points), Chris Buescher (2021 points), and Kyle Busch (2019 points) complete the top five in the Cup Series points table.
Don't forget to catch another thrilling NASCAR Cup Series race this weekend at Darlington Raceway.
