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The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway with the Cook Out Southern 500. (Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, and the Cook Out Southern 500 gives The Chase the kind of opener it deserves. Ryan Preece forced his way into the 16-driver field with a win at Daytona last weekend, grabbing the final playoff spot and adding one more dramatic twist before the ***** le fight officially begins. Now the regular season is over, the field is set, and only 16 drivers have a path to the championship.
Denny Hamlin starts The Chase in the best position, carrying a 25-point lead over Ryan Blaney, while the rest of the field has plenty of ground to make up. Preece enters as the final seed and starts 100 points back, but with 10 races still ahead, there is still plenty of time for chaos, comebacks, and mistakes that can reshape the standings quickly. Darlington is the perfect place to start, with its tire wear, narrow racing groove, and unforgiving walls ready to punish anyone who gets too aggressive too early. The Chase is wide open, and Sunday night is the first real test.
The green flag drops for the first race of The Chase at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, and racing fans can watch every lap on Sling TV.
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The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway with the Cook Out Southern 500. (Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, and the Cook Out Southern 500 gives The Chase the kind of opener it deserves. Ryan Preece forced his way into the 16-driver field with a win at Daytona last weekend, grabbing the final playoff spot and adding one more dramatic twist before the ***** le fight officially begins. Now the regular season is over, the field is set, and only 16 drivers have a path to the championship.
Denny Hamlin starts The Chase in the best position, carrying a 25-point lead over Ryan Blaney, while the rest of the field has plenty of ground to make up. Preece enters as the final seed and starts 100 points back, but with 10 races still ahead, there is still plenty of time for chaos, comebacks, and mistakes that can reshape the standings quickly. Darlington is the perfect place to start, with its tire wear, narrow racing groove, and unforgiving walls ready to punish anyone who gets too aggressive too early. The Chase is wide open, and Sunday night is the first real test.
The green flag drops for the first race of The Chase at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, and racing fans can watch every lap on Sling TV.
#series
10 days ago
