The 76th edition of the Southern 500 is set to wave the green flag on the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with Darlington Raceway once again kicking off the 10-race chase for the crown. It’ll be the fifth time the historic oval has opened the postseason.

Known far and wide as ‘The Track Too Tough To Tame’, Darlington has handed out plenty of trophies to different drivers in recent years. Denny Hamlin, however, has managed to crack the code more than once—he’s the only repeat winner in the last 11 races and has led laps in every single one of those starts, racking up three victories along the way.

Meanwhile, William Byron has carved out his own slice of history at the track. The regular-season champ dominated back in April, setting a Darlington record by pacing the field for the first 243 laps in a race that saw just four lead changes—the fewest since the very first Southern 500 in 1950.

Here is everything you need to know about the Southern 500 Darlington playoff race, including the start time for the race.

 What channel is NASCAR on today?TV Channel: USA Network | TSN, RDS (Canada)Live stream: Fubo, Peacock (U.S.) | TSN+ (Canada)

The Southern 500 Darlington playoff race is available for live TV broadcast on USA Network in the United States. Streaming options are available on Fubo and Peacock.

Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

What time does the NASCAR race start today?Track: Darlington Raceway in South CarolinaDate: Sunday, August 31, 2025Time: 6:00 p.m. ET or 3:00 p.m. PTLength: 367 laps, 501.32 milesPurse: $10,447,135

The Southern 500 is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. ET or 3:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, August 31. The race will be held at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.

NASCAR radio station for Southern 500 Darlington playoff Race

Listen to the 2025 Southern 500 Darlington playoff and every race of the NASCAR season on SiriusXM.

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NASCAR Southern 500 starting gridRankDriverCar No.Team Name1Denny Hamlin11Joe Gibbs Racing2Chase Briscoe19Joe Gibbs Racing3Josh Berry21Wood Brothers Racing4Tyler Reddick4523XI Racing5Kyle Larson5Hendrick Motorsports6Ross Chastain1Trackhouse Racing7Christopher Bell20Joe Gibbs Racing8Bubba Wallace2323XI Racing9Austin Dillon3Richard Childress Racing10Austin Cindric2Team Penske11William Byron24Hendrick Motorsports12Ryan Blaney12Team Penske13Justin Haley7Spire Motorsports14Joey Logano22Team Penske15Chris Buescher17Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing16Ty Gibbs54Joe Gibbs Racing17Daniel Suarez99Trackhouse Racing18Cole Custer41Haas Factory Team19Erik Jones43Legacy Motor Club20Shane van Gisbergen88Trackhouse Racing21Chase Elliott9Hendrick Motorsports22AJ Allmendinger16Kaulig Racing23Kyle Busch8Richard Childress Racing24Zane Smith38Front Row Motorsports25Michael McDowell71Spire Motorsports26Carson Hocevar77Spire Motorsports27Ryan Preece60RFK Racing28Todd Gilliland34Front Row Motorsports29Alex Bowman48Hendrick Motorsports30John Hunter Nemechek42Legacy Motor Club31Ty Dillon10Kaulig Racing32Brad Keselowski6Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing33Riley Herbst3523XI Racing34Noah Gragson4Front Row Motorsports35Ricky Stenhouse Jr.47HYAK Motorsports36Cody Ware51Rick Ware Racing37Derek Kraus44NY Racing Team38Timmy Hill66Garage 66NASCAR point standings 2025

Below are the updated standings ahead of NASCAR at South Carolina.

RankDriverPoints1Kyle Larson20322William Byron20323Denny Hamlin20294Ryan Blaney20265Christopher Bell20236Shane van Gisbergen20227Chase Elliott20138Chase Briscoe20109Bubba Wallace200810Austin Cindric2008NASCAR Cup Series playoff race schedule 2025

(All times Eastern)

DateRaceTrackTimeTV/WinnerAug. 31Southern 500Darlington Raceway6 p.m.USA, FuboSep. 7Enjoy Illinois 300World Wide Technology Raceway3 p.m.USA, FuboSep. 13Bass Pro Shops Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway7:30 p.m.USA, FuboSep. 21NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at New HampshireNew Hampshire Motor Speedway2 p.m.USA, FuboSep. 28Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway3 p.m.USA, FuboOct. 5Bank of America ROVAL 400Road Course3 p.m.USA, FuboOct. 12South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway5:30 p.m.USA, FuboOct. 19NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at TalladegaTalladega Superspeedway2 p.m.NBC, FuboOct. 26NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at MartinsvilleMartinsville Speedway2 p.m.NBC, FuboNov. 2NASCAR Cup Series ChampionshipPhoenix Raceway3 p.m.NBC, Fubo