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  • Elliott Sadler heads to Darlington Raceway with confidence

    Elliott Sadler heads to Darlington Raceway with confidence

    After a hard fought fifth place finish at Road America last week, Elliott Sadler clinched a spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. As he heads to Darlington Raceway this week he has a new goal – to win.

    Sadler won the VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 in 2016 and feels confident that his JR Motorsports team can visit victory lane at the 1.366-mile track once more. On August 15, he announced that this year would be his last full-time season making this his last chance to repeat and tame the “Lady in Black” again.

    His stats at Darlington paint a hopeful picture. In 14 starts, Sadler has five top-five finishes and six top 10s with one pole award in 1997. In his last five races at the track, he has finished second twice (2013, 2014), earned an 11th place in 2015 and scored a win in 2016. Last year he finished 33rd after being involved in a crash.

    Sadler commented on the upcoming race, saying, “This is one of my favorite race weekends of the year. Darlington Raceway has always been a special track for me and seeing all of the retro paint schemes always brings back good memories. My Armour Chili team has one goal this weekend – of course, aside from winning – and that’s to earn as many points as we can.

    “This is a track where I have previously won and, as a team, we’ve run well in the past. I know this will be a key track to make up some points, and hopefully put us back in the lead with only a few races left before the Playoffs.”

    This year will also be his last opportunity to win the Xfinity Series championship. In 10 years of full-time competition in the series, Sadler has finished in the runner-up position four times – in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017.

    There are only three races remaining before the series crowns the regular season champion, awarding that driver 15 playoff points. Sadler is currently third in the standings, 12 points behind leader Justin Allgaier. A win and/or playoff points this weekend could propel him to first place and one step closer to a championship.

    Tune into the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 on Saturday, September 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC with MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR providing radio coverage.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • Full weekend schedule for Darlington Raceway

    Full weekend schedule for Darlington Raceway

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series will be in action at Darlington Raceway, while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

    Note: All times are ET

    FRIDAY, Aug. 31
    1:05-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    2:05-2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    3:05-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    4:05-4:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    11:10 a.m.: Derrike Cope and Bojangles’ President Randy Poindexter
    11:30 a.m.:  NASCAR partnership announcement
    11:45 a.m.: Justin Allgaier and Christopher Bell
    12:05 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
    12:30 p.m.: Kyle Larson
    1:00 p.m.: Kurt Busch
    1:15 p.m.: Matt Kenseth

    SATURDAY, Sept. 1
    12:35 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)
    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (147 laps, 200.8 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    2:45 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
    5:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race

    SUNDAY, Sept. 2
    6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 (367 laps, 501.3 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

    PRESS PASS (Watch live)
    2 p.m.: STP and Richard Petty Motorsports
    10:15 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race

  • Upon Witnessing the Southern 500

    Upon Witnessing the Southern 500

    Posting from the great state of South Carolina today. I slept during the Bojangles’ Southern 500 race and awoke late to chronicle the iconic race. It seems like the throwback idea is going to last awhile. The crowd was large and everywhere you looked, the 80s were apparent. Does that show that NASCAR fans want to go back to the 1980s? Maybe. The jury is still out on whether the Lucky Dog, the Wave Around, and double file restarts are the reason for the swoon in attendance.

    Anyway, the only thing that didn’t take fans back 30 years was the race was one of those dusk-dark features. Start in daylight and end in the dark. Until nearly 11:00! In former times, the race was on Labor Day and was over by at least 5 p.m. but TV and the sanctioning body, as well as the tracks, like this schedule. It’s up to conjecture whether the fans like it, but it’s what we have. And it was good except one little thing.

    After a slow start, Joe Gibbs Racing and its six Toyotas are domination. I say six because it’s obvious the two at Furniture Row Racing are part of the Gibbs team somewhat like Wood Brothers Racing is part of Team Penske. I’ve even seen the No. 21 in the Penske shop alongside the other two Penske cars. Somewhat like Hendrick Motorsports in the 90s and up until recently. Harvick on the pole? Only temporary. Once the race starts, the Gibbs cars take over the show, while the fast Chevys and Fords fall behind.

    Why is this? Lots of theories are out there. One contends that the domination is a money thing—that Toyota is spending more on development. Another says it’s a driver talent advantage. Still, another believes that it’s just luck. This writer is in two of the three camps. It’s obvious Toyota has the coffers open for whatever their team needs or wants as well as the luck argument. Racing luck is always a part of the sport. Some make their own luck, however, but luck is always on the table. Driver talent? No. No one can tell me the talents of Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski (two noted champions) and many others are inferior to the ones driving the Gibbs cars. They’re all good, and to rate them would be insulting.

    NASCAR believes in parity (at least they say that), but until guilt is found, if indeed it exists, it’s up to Hendrick, Penske, Childress, Roush, SHR, and others to get better. Ford has their Performance Center in Concord, NC, and you cannot tell me Team Chevy isn’t also working on the problem. Until the performance improves from Ford and Chevy teams, this is what we have.

  • Truex Finishes Eighth after Blowing Tire in Closing Laps

    Truex Finishes Eighth after Blowing Tire in Closing Laps

    DARLINGTON, S.C. — Martin Truex Jr. put on a strong drive in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 and had the race in check as the laps wound down, but the defending race winner blew a tire in Turn 3, costing him the win, and nursed his damaged car around to an eighth-place finish.

    After the completion of the final cycle of green flag pit stops, Kevin Harvick cycled to the head of the field, with Kurt Busch and Truex in tow. Busch snagged the lead from his teammate with 47 laps to go, then lost it when Truex made a banzai move into Turn 1 with 42 to go.

    The race was in his control from that point on. But then Denny Hamlin, who lost the lead with 55 to go when he overshot the entrance to pit road, moved his way through the running order on much fresher tires and took second with 20 to go. With 10 to go, the gap from Truex to Hamlin was less than two seconds. Coming to five to go, Hamlin was on Truex’s tail.

    Entering Turn 3, Truex suffered a right-front tire blowout and hit the wall.

    He said after the race that it wasn’t a hard hit.

    “It was literally at the end of the backstretch. I was so high getting in the corner anyway that I only had six inches to go to hit it,” Truex said. “I literally stepped on the brake. The car turned right. I was a foot from the wall when the tire popped, and I just kind of glanced off it and glanced around the track. It really wasn’t bad at all, and I was actually able to make two laps with the thing on the inner liner and finish eighth. Not bad, just disappointing more than anything.”

    Hamlin ducked underneath him to take the lead and drive on to victory. Truex, meanwhile, rode out the remaining two and a half laps and brought his car home to eighth.

    While a solid finish nonetheless, Truex said it was “bittersweet” to come up two laps short. Especially on a night when he swept the stages, including edging out Kyle Larson to the line on the final lap of the first stage, which clinched him the regular season championship (and an extra 15 playoff points).

    “Yeah, I mean, it was definitely a bittersweet night for us, to come up just two laps short there, blow a tire at the end after having no issues with tires all night and having such a good race car,” Truex said. “I don’t know if that last run was the longest one we made all night. I’m not really sure to be honest. I was kind of out there caught up driving my guts out at the end trying to hang on. It’s unfortunate we blew the tire, but really proud of everybody on this team for an amazing season so far, and to lock up the regular season points is a huge accomplishment for us, for our team. I feel like we’ve come a long way in just a few years together and continue to climb. Proud of everybody. Wish we could have won, but that’s the breaks. Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t, and tonight we come up a little short. But definitely a lot to be proud of.”

    Truex leaves Darlington with a 107-point lead over Kyle Busch.

  • Hamlin Rallies from Pit Road Overshoot to Win Southern 500 at Darlington

    Hamlin Rallies from Pit Road Overshoot to Win Southern 500 at Darlington

    DARLINGTON, S.C. — Denny Hamlin overcame a botched pit road entry, resulting in him missing the pits entirely, and took advantage of Martin Truex Jr. collecting the wall with three laps to go to win the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

    As the field started hitting pit road on Lap 298 for the final round of green flag stops, Hamlin waited until 55 before making his final stop. He came in too hot and turned his car out onto the track to avoid hitting the sand barrels that line the leading edge of the pit walls.

    However, the high number of cars lapped kept him in contention. As a result, he used his fresher tires to run down the cars in the running order, culminating with his late battle with Truex.

    Entering Turn 3 with three to go, Truex suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall. This allowed Hamlin to moezie on by and score his 31st career victory in his 423rd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start.

    “Drove our ass off. That’s as hard as I could drive. We got ‘The Flying 11.’ It’s flying.

    “This track is just amazing. I love this race track.

    “This was weird. To go through the adversity we did right there, missing pit lane. I knew I had to drive my tail off to get it back.

    “It’s good to see the entire state of South Carolina in the stands. Thank you so much,” Hamlin said.

    Kyle Busch finished second and Kurt Busch rounded out the podium.

    Austin Dillon and Erik Jones rounded out the top-five.

    Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Truex, Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top-10.

    RACE SUMMARY

    Kevin Harvick led the field to the green flag at 6:20 p.m. After caution flew for the first time on Lap 15 for a two-car wreck in Turn 1, Kyle Busch exited pit road with the race lead. Kyle Larson took the lead going into Turn 1 on the ensuing restart. Truex ran down and passed Larson exiting Turn 4 on the final lap of the stage to win the first stage.

    Exiting pit road with the race lead, Larson led the field to the green on Lap 107. Truex took it back on Lap 148, only to lose it to Denny Hamlin on pit road under caution, a result of a two-car wreck in Turn 2 on Lap 155. But Truex forced a three-wide battle down the backstretch to take the lead exiting Turn 4, and with caution flying for Gray Gaulding spinning out in Turn 2 on Lap 197, the second stage ended with Truex winning the stage.

    Hamlin exited pits with the lead and led the field back to green on Lap 204. A cycle of green flag stops sent Truex to the front, only for a caution for debris in Turn 2 to give the lead back to Hamlin, and setting up the run to the finish.

    CAUTION SUMMATION

    Caution flew first on Lap 15 when Trevor Bayne slammed the Turn 1 wall, followed moments later by AJ Allmendinger spinning and collecting the left-rear of Bayne. Caution flew for the second time on Lap 40 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slammed the frontstretch wall. The third caution flew for the end of the first stage on Lap 100. The fourth flew on Lap 125 when Daniel Suarez pounded the wall in Turn 1. Caution flew for the fifth time on Lap 155 for a two-car wreck in Turn 2. Gray Gaulding brought out the sixth caution on Lap 197. David Ragan brought out caution for the seventh time on Lap 206 with his spin in Turn 2. Debris in Turn 2 brought out the eighth and final time on Lap 260.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted three hours, 46 minutes and 34 seconds, at an average speed of 132.761 mph. There were 20 lead changes among eight different drivers and eight cautions for 38 laps.

    Truex leaves with a 107-point lead over Kyle Busch, having mathematically clinched the 15-point regular season points bonus.

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  • Denny Hamlin Takes Lead on Final Restart to Win XFINITY Race at Darlington

    Denny Hamlin Takes Lead on Final Restart to Win XFINITY Race at Darlington

    DARLINGTON, S.C. —Denny Hamlin took the lead on the final restart, passing Joey Logano with a last lap inside crossover move to win the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 Saturday at Darlington Raceway. It was his fifth XFINITY win at Darlington.

    “Just a really good restart, got through (Turns) 1 and 2 really good, just held it wide open through l and 2,” Hamlin said after the race, “great run by the 22 (Logano) getting back to me there on the last lap. I think that was a throwback to Dale Earnhardt there in Turns 3 and 4.”

    Logano led a race-high 58 laps in his No. 22 Ford and was disappointed with his second-place finish.

    “Obviously, second hurts, Logano said. We want to win every one of them and we just got out-motored. He went through the gear box and got position on me and off he went.  He had me at his right-rear quarter, which allowed him to stay wide open and clear me. I thought I had a run down the backstretch. He knew what I was thinking and I knew what he was thinking. I was just hoping that I got up to the wall and was able to rotate when I got there, but I just got tight when I got there.”

    Harvick was also a strong contender in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford, leading 54 laps during the race, but had to settle for third.

    ‘We had a great Hunt Brothers Ford,” he said, but “it just didn’t wind up working out there at the end. I wound up on the bottom and I kept my foot in it over there, got loose underneath the 20. We weren’t the strongest for five or 10 laps and that didn’t really work out with that short run there at the end and we got stuck on the bottom. We got loose and then we got freight-trained, but just a great car. It wound up being a great race and that’s all you can ask for.”

    Erik Jones scored fourth place with William Byron rounding out the top five finishers. Elliott Sadler remains the points leader with a 91 point advantage over second-place Byron.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

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  • Harvick Captures Coors Light Pole for Darlington Southern 500

    Harvick Captures Coors Light Pole for Darlington Southern 500

    DARLINGTON, S.C. — Kevin Harvick topped qualifying in all three rounds for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 in his No. 4 Busch Beer Throwback Ford winning his fourth Coors Light Pole Award this season with a speed of 177.730 mph. It’s his third pole at Darlington Raceway and his 21st career pole. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver also captured one win in 2014 after starting from the pole.

    “It feels pretty good,” Harvick said after winning the pole, “It’s been a good start to the weekend for us and the car is driving good and we’re able to put three laps together. Everything is going well.”

    When asked about the benefits of starting from the pole at Darlington, Harvick commented that “track position is never a disadvantage no matter if it’s high tire wear, low tire wear (track). The biggest advantage here is the first pit stall because the timing line is so close to the pit exit there with the first stall. So that’s really the biggest advantage. I think if your car is handling good, you can make your way through traffic, but having that first pit stall if your car is not handling good, it allows you to make up two or three spots if you have a decent pit stop and hopefully, keep that track position all night. That’s really the biggest advantage.”

    Martin Truex Jr. will start on the outside pole in his No. 78 Toyota after qualifying with a speed of 177.077 mph

    “That was definitely a good, successful qualifying session for us,” Truex said. “It – we thought we were off a little bit the first round then just kept working on the car and kind of adjusted the driving style a little throughout all three rounds and we ended up second. So seems like we’ve been second a lot this year and it’s been a good number for us and hopefully, it’ll be a good one tomorrow night.”

    Kyle Busch will start third after a 176.682 mph lap.

    Busch called his qualifying run, okay, saying, “You know, car felt really, really good first round, second round and then there just made the right adjustments – just the race track wasn’t quite what we expected it to be, so it was just a tick loose the last run and came home with a third, so we’ll take that and be happy with it and start up front.”

    Kyle Larson will begin the race from fourth place in his Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

    “I got through Turn Three and Turn Four better (than previous runs) but I was still too loose to commit to wide-open throttle, which hurt my overall speed,” Larson commented. “It’s a lot better than I’ve ever qualified here, so hopefully that will give us a better pit stall selection for tomorrow’s race. This is a fun place, but it’s definitely tough.”

    Jamie McMurray rounds out the top five in the No. 1 McDonalds Chevy.

    McMurray said, “Qualifying was pretty eventful.  It’s fun here to qualify and it’s maybe one of the funnier qualifying sessions we get to run with the exception of maybe a road course just because the corners are so different and so fast there is not a lot of grip. But, yeah, we were I think like third, fourth and fifth, we were kind of the same in all three sessions. The car was good though. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I thought we were good in race trim.”

    Harvick will lead the field to green Sunday at 6 p.m. ET for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on NBCSN. Radio coverage can be heard on  MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

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  • Clint Bowyer calls Mark Martin a ‘hero who paved the way for all of us’

    Clint Bowyer calls Mark Martin a ‘hero who paved the way for all of us’

    DARLINGTON, S.C. — This weekend during the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Clint Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford will feature a throwback design that pays tribute to Mark Martin’s 1988-91 XFINITY Series Carolina Ford Dealers car. Friday, at Darlington Raceway, the two racers met with the media to discuss its significance.

    Martin was clearly flattered, saying, “Man, it is really, really cool. It was so amazing when they pulled the cover off of it at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The first thing I thought of was the setup that I ran in that old car, and how it was pretty much unbeatable at Darlington. Clint’s a man to take it to Victory Lane, but I don’t want to lose sight…”

    At this point, Bowyer interrupted Martin and jokingly said, “By the way, we do have that setup in the car. I sure hope it was a good one.” To which Martin quickly replied, “You better change it.”

    The genuine affection between the two drivers was immediately apparent. Martin went on to explain why this particular paint scheme means so much to him.

    “I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that there are several things that are really important to me,” he said. “One is a friend of mine from Batesville, Arkansas decided he wanted to be a car owner and got started and built a late model and built an XFINITY car, and his name was Bill Davis. He was the owner of that car who went on to win the Daytona 500 and I think the Southern 500 as well. That’s really important to me because the history is what it’s all about and that’s something that is really special. I didn’t want to lose sight of that fact. The Carolina Ford Dealers was the first sponsor that I had an opportunity to really do a big marketing program, so I got a lot of experience doing TV and radio spots for the Carolina Ford Dealers and that really makes it cool to be on Clint’s car.

    “And then, thirdly, I finished the last 13 races or so of my career in the 14 car subbing for Tony Stewart, so this makes it all pretty cool and, lastly, Clint Bowyer is one of the oldest school and coolest dudes in NASCAR today, so it’s pretty neat.”

    The decision to run a Mark Martin paint scheme was an easy one for Bowyer.

    “That’s what’s so special about this weekend in Darlington,” he explained, “being able to pay tribute to all of our heroes that paved the way for all of us to have this opportunity. Mark Martin, a teammate of mine back in 2012, one of the neatest things that ever happened in my career, and then just his story from that Midwestern kid that grew up beating up and down the road, making a name for himself in those late models that he just spoke about, the ASA Series, and then making the most of those opportunities and becoming a legend of this sport and a Hall of Famer. So to be able to pay tribute to him means a lot to me personally.”

    The Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will wrap up the throwback weekend celebration Sunday evening at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

     

     

  • Darlington Southern 500 – Did You Know?

    Darlington Southern 500 – Did You Know?

    DARLINGTON, S.C. — The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway this Labor Day weekend for the Bojangles’ Southern 500. This is the third straight year of Darlington’s throwback campaign and this edition will focus on the 1985-89 era. There are 40 drivers on the entry list and, as of today, 32 will run retro paint schemes to honor the rich history of the sport.

    The tributes are as varied as the drivers. Did you know that three different Cup Series drivers will feature a salute to Dale Earnhardt? Earnhardt has nine Darlington victories, second only to David Pearson. Jeffrey Earnhardt’s No. 33 car will feature a green and white scheme that resembles the one his grandfather drove in the XFINITY Series in the 1980s. Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy and Ryan Newman’s No. 31 will honor Earnhardt’s yellow and blue Wrangler scheme. This particular paint scheme is similar to the one Earnhardt drove in 1987 when he won his first Southern 500.

    Jamie McMurray will pay tribute to David Pearson, who leads all drivers with 10 Darlington wins, Brad Keselowski will honor Rusty Wallace’s 1994 “Midnight” paint scheme and Trevor Bayne’s car will represent the scheme that Mark Martin drove when he claimed the first Cup victory for Roush Fenway Racing at North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1989.

    Other drivers being honored includes Davey Allison (Corey LaJoie), Bobby Allison (Matt DiBenedetto) and Alan Kulwicki (Michael McDowell). Check out this preview of all the Darlington throwback paint schemes.

    Darlington Raceway’s throwback weekend pays homage to a tradition that began on Sept. 4, 1950, when they hosted NASCAR’s first 500-mile race. There were 75 drivers entered into the event but did you know that the race was won by Johnny Mantz? It was his first and only win in the Cup Series. There have been 113 Cup races at the 1.366-mile track and 49 different drivers have won.

    Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner and is one of only six active drivers who has visited Victory Lane at Darlington. Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with three victories while Kevin Harvick (2014), Matt Kenseth (2013), Denny Hamlin (2010) and Kyle Busch (2008) have one win each. But did you know that the last 11 races have been won by 11 different drivers?

    With only two races remaining in the regular season, the Southern 500 should deliver a night to remember. Capture the Coors Light Pole Award and you’re one step closer to victory. The pole is the most proficient starting position at Darlington. It has produced 20 winners while 17 drivers have won from the second place starting position. But did you know that the deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 43rd? That driver was Johnny Mantz in the Darlington inaugural Cup Series race in 1950. Qualifying for this year’s Southern 500 will be held Saturday at 1:45 p.m. ET.

    Tune in this weekend for all the on-track action beginning with the first Cup Series practice Friday at 1 p.m. ET followed by the final practice at 3:30 p.m. The Southern 500 closes out the weekend Sunday at 6 p.m. on NBCSN.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Darlington and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Darlington and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

    DARLINGTON, S.C. — The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the XFINITY Series head to Darlington Raceway as the Camping World Truck Series travels to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Darlington will close out the “The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR” with The Bojangles’ Southern 500 Sunday at 6 p.m.

    There are 40 drivers on the entry list for the Southern 500 battling for a berth in the Cup Series playoffs as the regular season winds down with only two more chances to secure a spot. Tune into NBCSN for coverage of the Cup and XFINITY Series events while FS1 will televise the Truck Series race.

    Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

    Friday, September 1

    On Track-Darlington:
    12-12:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN
    1-1:55 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – NBCSN
    2:30-3:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    3:30-4:55 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 a.m.: Jeremy Clements
    10:30 a.m.: Elliott Sadler
    11:45 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
    12 p.m.: Chase Elliott
    12:15 p.m.: Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin
    2:45 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
    5:20 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    11:30 a.m.: XFINITY Series
    12:30 p.m.: Cup Series

    Saturday, September 2

    On Track-Darlington:
    12:05 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    1:45 p.m.: Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN
    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (147 laps, 200.8 miles) – NBCSN

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    2:30 p.m.: Post-Cup Series Qualifying
    6 p.m.: Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series Race

    On Track-Canadian Tire:
    9:30 a.m.:  Camping World Truck Series Practice (Watch live)
    11:35 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice (Watch live)
    5:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS2

    Sunday, September 3

    On Track-Canadian Tire:
    2 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 (64 laps, 157.37 miles) – FS1

    On Track-Darlington:
    6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 (367 laps, 501.3 miles) – NBCSN

    Press Conference: (Watch live)
    2 p.m.: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Darrell Waltrip
    3 p.m.: Bill Elliott
    10:30 p.m.: Post-Cup Series Race

    Complete TV Schedule

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

    Race Details:

    NASCAR XFINITY Series
    Race: Sport Clips Help a Hero 200
    Place: Darlington Raceway
    Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
    Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
    TV: NBCSN, 3 p.m. ET
    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 200.8 miles (147 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 147)

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
    Race: Chevrolet Silverado 250
    Place: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
    Date: Sunday, Sept. 3
    Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
    TV: FS1, 2 p.m. ET
    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 157.37 miles (64 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 20), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on lap 64

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

    Race: Bojangles’ Southern 500
    Place: Darlington Raceway
    Date: Sunday, Sept. 3
    Time: 6 p.m. ET
    TV: NBCSN, 5:30 p.m. ET
    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Distance: 501.3 miles (367 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 100), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 200), Final Stage (Ends on lap 367)