38 NASCAR Cup cars on entry list for Southern 500 playoff opener at Darlington

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup and Truck Series will both be competing at the historic Darlington Raceway, which plays host to the playoff opener for both divisions.

Darlington also hosts the fourth and final crown jewel event of the season with the 76th running of the Southern 500. The event has been part of the NASCAR Cup calendar since 1950, which was won by Johnny Mantz.

William Byron (Daytona 500), Ross Chastain (Coca Cola 600), and Bubba Wallace (Brickyard 400) won the previous four crown jewels on the 2025 schedule.

Chase Briscoe is the defending winner of the Southern 500 at Darlington, while Denny Hamlin is the most recent Cup winner at the South Carolina track, winning the 400-miler there earlier this year.

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

This weekend’s grueling 500-mile race will feature the usual 36 full-time drivers/teams, but also two part-time entries. The NY Racing team has entered its No. 44 Chevrolet with Derek Kraus behind the wheel, while Garage 66 has entered the No. 66 Ford with Josh Bilicki as the driver.

The NASCAR Truck Series race will feature 32 entries with no Cup drivers choosing to run double duty.

2025 NASCAR Cup entry list for Southern 500 at Darlington

*Playoff drivers in bold

No.

Driver

Team

Manufacturer

Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing

Chevrolet

Austin Cindric

Team Penske