The NASCAR Cup Series heads from the short track of Martinsville Speedway to the rough and tough banks of Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Here is everything you need to know for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington.
NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway Preview:
The NASCAR Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway is upon us, and the history is coming back. Cars throwing back to iconic drivers and their race cars. Last year, Brad Keselowski took the victory in a throwback to an old Castrol Toyota Supra, surviving against a battling Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick. Can Brad get the #6 Ford back into victory lane and defend the win? Or could Reddick or Buescher get one back?
Numerous cars this weekend are running paint schemes that pay tribute to drivers across the 75+ years of NASCAR Racing. Check out our picks for the five best from the Cup Series below.
READ MORE: The Best 2025 Darlington Throwback Paint Schemes
Race Preview:
The 2025 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway is the eighth race of the 2025 Cup Series season. This is the first of two races at Darlington on the schedule. The Goodyear 400 is a 400-mile, 293-lap race around the 1.366-mile oval. This race will have stage cautions on laps 90 and 185 and the checkered flag on lap 293. The purse for the race is $11,055,250.
The Track: Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway. The Lady in Black. The Track Too Tough Too Tame. Darlington is one of NASCAR’s oldest, having opened in 1950. Built to bring the excitement of Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the track builder’s hometown, Darlington, South Carolina. It is not a perfect oval with turns 1 and 2 (originally 3 and 4) a larger radius than the other two. That was to accommodate the minnow pond located right outside of the track.
The first race was in 1950, with Johnny Mantz winning. Mantz had the foresight to install heavy-duty truck tires on his 1950 Plymouth. While others had to pit multiple times to replace worn or blown-out tires, Mantz drove to his lone victory in the Cup Series.
David Pearson holds the wins record with 10; Denny Hamlin has the active record with four. Hamlin also holds the lap record with a 28.332-second lap set in 2018.
Cup Series Points Standings
Here are the current points standings after Martinsville:
1. William Byron: 259
2. Kyle Larson: 243
3. Chase Elliott: 227
4. Christopher Bell: 224
5. Alex Bowman: 224
6. Denny Hamlin: 218
7. Tyler Reddick: 213
8. Bubba Wallace: 208
9. Joey Logano: 199
10. Ryan Blaney: 193
READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Gets First Martinsville Win in 10 Years, While Others Leave Angry
Drivers To Watch:
We have two drivers who aren’t full-time in the field: Austin Hill from the Xfinity Series is running for RCR in the #33, and JJ Yeley for NY Racing in the #44.
To start with last week’s race winner, Denny Hamlin is riding the high of that statement win at Martinsville and has the most wins of active drivers. Rocking a great looking Carl Edwards throwback, with Edwards waving the green flag to start the race. Hamlin has been hit or miss in the early years of the Next-Gen era, but in 2024, he was consistent, with a top-five finish last year in the Spring.
Hendrick has dominated this place for the Next-Gen era. With both Byron and Larson winning races in the six since the new car debuted. Don’t be surprised if one of Rick Hendrick’s Chevrolets wins the race.
Josh Berry has had a career year, and this race last year was his first top-five for Stewart-Haas Racing. Now, with the Wood Brothers and rocking a killer throwback to Jim Clark’s 1965 Lotus 38 that won the Indy 500, I think Berry could win his second career race at Darlington. He is with a better team than last year and already has that first win off his back. Berry could be the top Ford on Sunday.
How to Watch The Cup Series at Darlington:
The Goodyear 400 race weekend kicks off on Saturday, March 5th, with practice and qualifying. Practice begins at 12:30 pm Eastern, coverage is on Amazon Prime Sports. It continues with qualifying at 1:40 PM Eastern, with coverage still on Prime. The Goodyear 400 takes place on Sunday, March 6th, Coverage begins at 3 PM Eastern on Fox Sports One.
Stay Connected to Last Word on Motorsports for all things Darlington Throwback Weekend and the Goodyear 400.
Featured Image Credit: James Gilbert, Getty Images. 5/12/2024
