Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina going into the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
| NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 26 | ||||||
| Rank | Driver | Points | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | Pts From Cutoff |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 2,052 | 5 | 12 | 52 | 47 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 2,024 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 19 |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr. | 2,024 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 19 |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 2,022 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 17 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 2,021 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 16 |
| 6 | Alex Bowman | 2,015 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 10 |
| 7 | Denny Hamlin | 2,015 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 10 |
| 8 | William Byron | 2,014 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 9 |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 2,013 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 8 |
| 10 | Brad Keselowski | 2,008 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| 11 | Kurt Busch | 2,008 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| 12 | Christopher Bell | 2,005 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 13 | Michael McDowell | 2,005 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 14 | Aric Almirola | 2,005 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 15 | Tyler Reddick | 2,003 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -2 |
| 16 | Kevin Harvick | 2,002 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -3 |
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts: Race #1 (Darlington Raceway)
- The 2021 season is the second year the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has opened at Darlington Raceway (2020-2021). Darlington is the fourth different track to open postseason for the series.
- New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the first race of the Playoffs from 2004–2010.
- Chicagoland Speedway was the first race of the Playoffs from 2011–2017.
- Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the first race of the Playoffs from 2018-2019.
| First Race Of The Playoffs – Race Winners | ||
| Track | Playoff Race Winners | Date |
| New Hampshire | Kurt Busch | Sunday, September 19, 2004 |
| New Hampshire | Ryan Newman | Sunday, September 18, 2005 |
| New Hampshire | Kevin Harvick | Sunday, September 17, 2006 |
| New Hampshire | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, September 16, 2007 |
| New Hampshire | Greg Biffle | Sunday, September 14, 2008 |
| New Hampshire | Mark Martin | Sunday, September 20, 2009 |
| New Hampshire | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, September 19, 2010 |
| Chicago | Tony Stewart | Monday, September 19, 2011 |
| Chicago | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, September 16, 2012 |
| Chicago | Matt Kenseth | Sunday, September 15, 2013 |
| Chicago | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, September 14, 2014 |
| Chicago | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, September 20, 2015 |
| Chicago | Martin Truex Jr | Sunday, September 18, 2016 |
| Chicago | Martin Truex Jr | Sunday, September 17, 2017 |
| Las Vegas | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, September 16, 2018 |
| Las Vegas | Martin Truex Jr | Sunday, September 15, 2019 |
| Darlington | Kevin Harvick | Sunday, September 6, 2020 |
- Prior to the 2020 season, Darlington Raceway has hosted just one other Playoff race, the penultimate event in the inaugural Playoffs in 2004. The race was won by seven-time series champion and former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson.
- Four times the winner of the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the championship – 2004, 2011, 2012, and 2017:
- In 2004 (inaugural Cup Playoffs), Kurt Busch won the opening race of the Playoff at New Hampshire and went on to win the title.
- In 2011 (race was delayed until Monday due to rain), Tony Stewart won his first race of the Playoffs at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to set the record for the most wins in a Playoff run with five victories and the title.
- In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the opening Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to win the title.
- In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won the opening Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to win the title.
- The worst finish in the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs by a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson’s 39th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 2006 postseason.
- The worst finish in the opening NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway for a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson’s 12th-place finish in 2016.
- Eventual champions and their finishes at Chicagoland:
- 2015 Kyle Busch – ninth
- 2014 Kevin Harvick – fifth
- 2013 Jimmie Johnson – fifth
- 2012 Brad Keselowski – first
- 2011 Tony Stewart – first
- The worst finish in the opening race of the Playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by a driver that went on to win the title was Kyle Busch’s 19th-place finish in 2019.
- The worst finish in the opening race of the Playoffs at Darlington Raceway by a driver that went on to win the title was Chase Elliott’s 20th-place finish last season.
- No non-Playoff driver has ever won the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
- Since the inception of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs in 2014, entering the Playoffs as the No. 1 seed has been the most successful seeding producing three championships among two drivers – Kyle Busch (2015, 2019) and Martin Truex Jr. (2017).
- The deepest seed an eventual champion has started the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs was seventh by Kevin Harvick (2014) and Joey Logano (2018).
- Below are the seedings of the eventual champions as they entered the Playoffs (2014-2020):
- Kevin Harvick, 2014 (seventh seed)
- Kyle Busch, 2015 (No. 1 seed)
- Jimmie Johnson, 2016 (fifth seed)
- Martin Truex Jr., 2017 (No. 1 seed)
- Joey Logano, 2018 (seventh seed)
- Kyle Busch, 2019 (No. 1 seed)
- Chase Elliott, 2020 (fifth seed)
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Darlington Raceway
| Rank | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating | |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 6.0 | 111.5 | |
| 2 | Martin Truex Jr | 18 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 11.2 | 103.9 | |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19.0 | 74.1 | |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 19 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 10.7 | 103.1 | |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 17.2 | 90.3 | |
| 6 | Alex Bowman | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 17.1 | 79.9 | |
| 7 | Denny Hamlin | 18 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 7.4 | 107.3 | |
| 8 | William Byron | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 18.7 | 87.1 | |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 14.7 | 91.1 | |
| 10 | Brad Keselowski | 15 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 11.3 | 96.1 | |
| 11 | Kurt Busch | 27 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 16.3 | 86.4 | |
| 12 | Michael McDowell | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 28.3 | 47.6 | |
| 13 | Christopher Bell | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20.8 | 66.7 | |
| 14 | Aric Almirola | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18.5 | 69.8 | |
| 15 | Tyler Reddick | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13.8 | 81.0 | |
| 16 | Kevin Harvick | 27 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 12.6 | 104.4 |
* – Based on last 19 races at Darlington Raceway (2005 – 2021).
Darlington Raceway Data
Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-05-21)
Playoff Race #: 1 of 10
Track Size: 1.366-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,229 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,229 feet
Race Length: 367 laps / 501.3 miles
Stage 1 Length: 115 laps
Stage 2 Length: 115 laps
Final Stage Length: 137 laps
Top 12 Driver Ratings at Darlington
Kyle Larson ……………………….. 111.5
Denny Hamlin……………………… 107.3
Kevin Harvick……………………… 104.4
Martin Truex Jr……………………. 103.9
Kyle Busch…………………………. 103.1
Erik Jones………………………….. 100.0
Brad Keselowski……………………. 96.1
Joey Logano………………………… 91.1
Chase Elliott…………………………. 90.3
William Byron……………………….. 87.1
Ryan Newman………………………. 87.0
Kurt Busch…………………………… 86.4Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2021 races (19 total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.
Qualifying Data
2020 Darlington #1 pole winner:
None – Qualifying by Random Draw
Brad Keselowski – Started 1st
2020 Darlington #2 pole winner:
None – Qualifying by Inverting Field
Ryan Preece – Started 1st
2020 Southern 500 pole winner:
None – Qualifying by Metric Qualifying
Chase Elliott – Started 1st
Track qualifying record:
Aric Almirola, Ford
184.145 mph, 26.705 secs., April, 11, 2014
(Set in Round 1 of 2)
Race Data
2020 Darlington #1 race winner:
Kevin Harvick, Ford
115.815 mph, (03:27:21), May 17, 2020
2020 Darlington #2 race winner:
Denny Hamlin, Toyota
104.984 mph, (02:42:23), May 20, 2020
2020 Southern 500 winner:
Kevin Harvick, Ford
132.256 mph, (03:47:26), Sept. 6, 2020
Track race record (500 miles):
Matt Kenseth, Toyota
141.383 mph, (03:32:45), 05-11-13
At Darlington Raceway:
HISTORY
- Darlington Raceway was built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-1950.
- Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt on Sept. 4, 1950 – 75 cars competed in the event – Curtis Turner won the pole at 82.034 mph, and the race was won by Johnny Mantz (Plymouth, 75.250 mph, 6:38:40).
- The track was re-measured to 1.375 miles in 1953.
- The track was re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race in 1970.
- The track was repaved in 1995.
- The 2005 race was the first Saturday night race at Darlington.
- The track was repaved again prior to the 2008 season.
- There have been 120 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Darlington Raceway.
STARTS
- A total of 744 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway; 463 drivers have competed in more than one race at Darlington.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Darlington with 65.
- Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in starts at Darlington with 27 each.
- A total of 124 different drivers have made their NASCAR Cup Series career debut at Darlington Raceway; the most recent was T.J. Bell (May 7, 2011).
- Fred Lorenzen (16 starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Darlington with a 3.688.
- Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Darlington with a 8.778 in 18 starts.
Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Darlington Raceway (All-Time and Active)
| Rank | All-Time Drivers | Avg Start | Races | Rank | Active Drivers | Avg Start | Races |
| 1 | Fred Lorenzen | 3.688 | 16 | 1 | Denny Hamlin | 8.778 | 18 |
| 2 | David Pearson | 6.277 | 47 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | 9.000 | 15 |
| 3 | Frank Mundy | 6.667 | 3 | 3 | Kyle Larson | 10.286 | 7 |
| 4 | Fonty Flock | 7.000 | 8 | 4 | Joey Logano | 10.467 | 15 |
| 5 | Jeff Gordon | 7.000 | 36 | 5 | William Byron | 11.833 | 6 |
| 6 | Scott Pruett | 7.000 | 2 | 6 | Chase Elliott | 11.889 | 9 |
| 7 | Dick Hutcherson | 7.200 | 5 | 7 | Ryan Blaney | 11.889 | 9 |
| 8 | Fireball Roberts | 7.200 | 20 | 8 | Kurt Busch | 11.963 | 27 |
| 9 | Bob Burdick | 7.500 | 2 | 9 | Ryan Newman | 12.040 | 25 |
| 10 | Pete Hamilton | 7.600 | 5 | 10 | Kevin Harvick | 13.593 | 27 |
POLES
- A total of 51 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at least one pole at Darlington Raceway.
- Six of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series Darlington pole winners are active this weekend.
| Rank | Active Pole Winners | Poles |
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 2 |
| 2 | Kurt Busch | 2 |
| 3 | Brad Keselowski | 1 |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin | 1 |
| 5 | Ryan Newman | 1 |
| 6 | William Byron | 1 |
- NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Darlington Raceway with 12 poles – (1967, ’70, ’72, ’73 sweep, ’75 sweep, ’76 sweep, ’77, ’78 and ’82)
- Pearson’s 12 Darlington poles are tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough (12 poles at Daytona) for the second-most poles all-time at a single track in the NASCAR Cup Series. Pearson also holds the series record with 14 poles at Charlotte.
- Kurt Busch (2001, 2013) and Kevin Harvick (2014, 2017) lead all active drivers in poles at Darlington with two each.
- Curtis Turner won the inaugural pole at Darlington Raceway in 1950 in an Oldsmobile with a speed of 82.034 mph.
- Youngest Darlington pole winner: William Byron (09/01/2019 – 21 years, 9 months, 3 days).
- Oldest Darlington pole winner: David Pearson (09/06/1982 – 47 years, 8 months, 15 days).
- In total, nine drivers have won consecutive poles at Darlington Raceway – most recently Kasey Kahne (2004, 2005).
- David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Darlington with five straight (1975 – 1977).
- Eight drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series pole at Darlington Raceway.
| First-Time Pole Winners | Season | Driver’s Age |
| Clint Bowyer | 2007 | 27 |
| Elliott Sadler | 2003 | 27 |
| Kurt Busch | 2001 | 23 |
| John Andretti | 1995 | 32 |
| Ken Schrader | 1987 | 31 |
| Bill Elliott | 1981 | 25 |
| Fred Lorenzen | 1961 | 26 |
| Cotton Owens | 1957 | 33 |
A total of 12 different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway.
- Ford leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Darlington Raceway with 43 poles; followed by Chevrolet (22), Mercury (13), Pontiac (10), Dodge (8), Buick (3), Oldsmobile (3), Plymouth (3), Toyota (2), Chrysler (1), Hudson (1) and Studebaker (1).
WINS
- A total of 51 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Darlington Raceway.
- Six of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series Darlington race winners are active this weekend.
| Rank | Active Race Winners | Wins | Seasons |
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 3 | 2020-3, 2020-1, 2014 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 3 | 2020-2, 2017, 2010 |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr | 2 | 2021, 2016 |
| 4 | Erik Jones | 1 | 2019 |
| 5 | Brad Keselowski | 1 | 2018 |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | 1 | 2008 |
- NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in victories at Darlington Raceway with 10 wins (1968, ’70, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’76 sweep, ’77, ’79, 80); followed by Dale Earnhardt with nine and Jeff Gordon with seven.
- Denny Hamlin (2010, 2017, 2020-2) and Kevin Harvick (2014, 2020-1, 2020-3) lead all active drivers with three wins each.
- Youngest series Darlington winner: Kyle Busch (5/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).
- Oldest series Darlington winner: Harry Gant (09/01/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 22 days).
- 13 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Darlington; Dale Earnhardt (1989-1990) and Jeff Gordon (1995-1996) are tied for the series-most consecutive wins at Darlington with three each.
- Six drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway: Johnny Mantz (1950), Nelson Stacy (1961), Larry Frank (1962), Terry Labonte (1980), Lake Speed (1988) and Regan Smith (2011).
- A total of 11 different drivers have won from the pole at Darlington Raceway in the NSCAR cup Series.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in wins from the pole at Darlington with four wins (1971, 1972, 1976 sweep).
- Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to win from the pole (2014) at Darlington.
- 20 of the 120 (16.667%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent was Kevin Harvick in 2014.
- The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Darlington. The outside front row (second-place) has produced the second-most wins (17).
NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Darlington Raceway
| Starting Position | Wins | Winning % | Starting Position | Wins | Winning % |
| 1 | 20 | 16.67% | 11 | 3 | 2.50% |
| 2 | 17 | 14.17% | 12 | 1 | 0.83% |
| 3 | 13 | 10.83% | 13 | 3 | 2.50% |
| 4 | 9 | 7.50% | 14 | 2 | 1.67% |
| 5 | 12 | 10.00% | 15 | 3 | 2.50% |
| 6 | 5 | 4.17% | 16 | 1 | 0.83% |
| 7 | 4 | 3.33% | 23 | 2 | 1.67% |
| 8 | 7 | 5.83% | 31 | 1 | 0.83% |
| 9 | 8 | 6.67% | 37 | 2 | 1.67% |
| 10 | 6 | 5.00% | 43 | 1 | 0.83% |
| Additional Statistics | Winning % | Wins | |||
| Winning from the first Starting Position: | 16.67% | 20 | |||
| Winning from the Front Row: | 30.83% | 37 | |||
| Winning from a top-five Starting Position: | 59.17% | 71 | |||
| Winning from a top-10 Starting Position: | 84.17% | 101 | |||
| Winning after Starting Outside the top 20: | 5.00% | 6 | |||
- The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Darlington is 43rd by Johnny Mantz in 1950 – the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event held at the historic raceway.
- Kurt Busch leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington without visiting Victory Lane at 27; followed by Ryan Newman with 25.
- Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14 victories – Tim Richmond (1986), Ricky Rudd (1991), Jeff Gordon (1995, ’96 sweep, ’97, ’98, ’02, ’07), Terry Labonte (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep and 2012) and Mark Martin (2009).
- A total of 11 different manufacturers have won in the series at Darlington; led by Chevrolet with 41 victories; followed by Ford (31), Mercury (10), Oldsmobile (six), Toyota (eight), Dodge (five), Pontiac (five), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Hudson (three) and American Motor Company (two).
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
Runner-Up Finishes:
- A total of 62 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at Darlington Raceway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty with eight second-place finishes each.
- Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in second-place finishes at Darlington with three.
Top Five In Runner-Up Finishes at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)
| Rank | All-Time Drivers | Runner-Ups | Rank | Active Drivers | Runner-Ups |
| 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 8 | 1 | Denny Hamlin | 3 |
| 2 | Richard Petty | 8 | 2 | Kevin Harvick | 2 |
| 3 | David Pearson | 7 | Kyle Busch | 2 | |
| 4 | Mark Martin | 6 | Kyle Larson | 2 | |
| 5 | Fireball Roberts | 4 | 5 | Alex Bowman | 1 |
| Jeff Gordon | 4 | Austin Dillon | 1 | ||
| Brad Keselowski | 1 | ||||
| Joey Logano | 1 | ||||
| Kurt Busch | 1 | ||||
| Ryan Newman | 1 |
Top-Five Finishes:
- A total of 141 different drivers have finished in the top-five at Darlington Raceway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with 25 top-five finishes.
- Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Darlington with 11.
Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)
| Rank | All-Time Drivers | Top Five | Rank | Active Drivers | Top Five |
| 1 | Richard Petty | 25 | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 11 |
| 2 | David Pearson | 24 | 2 | Denny Hamlin | 10 |
| 3 | Bill Elliott | 22 | 3 | Ryan Newman | 7 |
| 4 | Dale Earnhardt | 19 | 4 | Kyle Busch | 6 |
| 5 | Jeff Gordon | 19 | 5 | Brad Keselowski | 5 |
Top-10 Finishes:
- A total of 233 different series drivers have posted top-10 finishes at Darlington Raceway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott with 35.
- Kevin Harvick leads all active series drivers in top 10s at Darlington with 16 top 10s.
Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)
| Rank | All-Time Drivers | Top 10 | Rank | Active Drivers | Top 10 |
| 1 | Bill Elliott | 35 | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 16 |
| 2 | Richard Petty | 34 | 2 | Denny Hamlin | 14 |
| 3 | David Pearson | 30 | 3 | Ryan Newman | 14 |
| 4 | Bobby Allison | 26 | 4 | Kyle Busch | 13 |
| 5 | Mark Martin | 26 | 5 | Kurt Busch | 11 |
Average Finishing Position:
- Bob Burdick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington Raceway with a 3.0 in two starts.
- Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington with a 6.0 in seven starts.
Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)
| Rank | All-Time Drivers | Avg Start | Races | Rank | Active Drivers | Avg Start | Races |
| 1 | Bob Burdick | 3.000 | 2 | 1 | Kyle Larson | 6.000 | 7 |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | 6.000 | 7 | 2 | Erik Jones | 7.000 | 7 |
| 3 | Erik Jones | 7.000 | 7 | 3 | Denny Hamlin | 7.389 | 18 |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin | 7.389 | 18 | 4 | Kyle Busch | 10.737 | 19 |
| 5 | Marty Robbins | 8.000 | 2 | 5 | Martin Truex Jr | 11.167 | 18 |
| 6 | Shorty Rollins | 9.000 | 2 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | 11.333 | 15 |
| 7 | Bill Elliott | 9.365 | 52 | 7 | Austin Dillon | 12.400 | 10 |
| 8 | Herb Thomas | 10.429 | 7 | 8 | Kevin Harvick | 12.630 | 27 |
| 9 | Nelson Stacy | 10.500 | 6 | 9 | Ryan Newman | 12.720 | 25 |
| 10 | Kyle Busch | 10.737 | 19 | 10 | Tyler Reddick | 13.750 | 4 |
TRACK / EVENT STATS
- Since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway is the March 16, 2003 race won by Ricky Craven with a margin of victory of 0.002 second over Kurt Busch.
- Darlington’s 0.002 sec. margin of victory is tied with the 2011 Spring Talladega race as the closest finishes in the series using electronic scoring.
Top Five Closest Margins of Victory at Darlington Raceway
| Margin Of Victory | Date | Race Winner | Runner-Up |
| 0.002 | 3/16/2003 | Ricky Craven | Kurt Busch |
| 0.132 | 3/21/2004 | Jimmie Johnson | Bobby Labonte |
| 0.144 | 8/31/1997 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Burton |
| 0.169 | 3/23/1997 | Dale Jarrett | Ted Musgrave |
- Four NASCAR Cup Series races have resulted in a NASCAR Overtime finish at Darlington Raceway:
| Race Winner | Date | Scheduled No. Of Laps | Actual No. Of Laps | NASCAR Overtime Laps |
| Kevin Harvick | 4/12/2014 | 367 | 374 | 7 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 5/12/2012 | 367 | 368 | 1 |
| Regan Smith | 5/7/2011 | 367 | 370 | 3 |
| Greg Biffle | 5/7/2005 | 367 | 370 | 3 |
- Nine of the 118 races at Darlington Raceway have been shortened from their scheduled number of laps; the most recent was earlier this season.
| Date | Scheduled Laps | Actual Laps | Fewer Laps | Race Winner |
| Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 228 | 208 | 20 | Denny Hamlin |
| Sunday, September 3, 2000 | 367 | 328 | 39 | Bobby Labonte |
| Sunday, September 5, 1999 | 367 | 270 | 97 | Jeff Burton |
| Sunday, March 21, 1999 | 293 | 164 | 129 | Jeff Burton |
| Sunday, September 5, 1993 | 367 | 351 | 16 | Mark Martin |
| Sunday, September 6, 1992 | 367 | 298 | 69 | Darrell Waltrip |
| Sunday, September 6, 1987 | 367 | 202 | 165 | Dale Earnhardt |
| Sunday, April 13, 1980 | 367 | 189 | 178 | David Pearson |
| Monday, September 1, 1969 | 367 | 230 | 137 | LeeRoy Yarbrough |
| Monday, September 1, 1958 | 367 | 364 | 3 | Fireball Roberts |
- Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway seven times: 1952, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2016. The most recent qualifying (2020) was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and instead was determined by a random draw or inverted field.
LAP LEADERS
- In total 174 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have led at least one lap at Darlington Raceway.
- Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Darlington Raceway with 2,648 laps led in 44 series starts.
- Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with 792 laps led in 27 starts.
- The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway by the race winner was 351 laps of the scheduled 400 laps (87%) by Johnny Mantz on September 4, 1950. He started the race from the 43rd position.
- The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway by a driver that did not win the race was 284 laps of the scheduled 367 laps (77%) by Kyle Larson on September 2, 2018. He started the race from the second position.
- The fewest laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway by the race winner was just the final lap by Ricky Craven on March 16, 2003. He started the race from the 31st position.
Top 10 Lap Leaders at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)
| Rank | All-Time Drivers | Led | Completed | % Led | Rank | Active Drivers | Led | Completed | % Led |
| 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 2,648 | 14,011 | 19% | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 792 | 9,003 | 9% |
| 2 | Richard Petty | 2,391 | 17,120 | 14% | 2 | Kyle Busch | 725 | 6,585 | 11% |
| 3 | David Pearson | 2,116 | 12,536 | 17% | 3 | Martin Truex Jr | 692 | 6,304 | 11% |
| 4 | Jeff Gordon | 1,744 | 11,458 | 15% | 4 | Denny Hamlin | 598 | 6,299 | 9% |
| 5 | Darrell Waltrip | 1,723 | 16,395 | 11% | 5 | Kyle Larson | 500 | 2,501 | 20% |
| 6 | Cale Yarborough | 1,647 | 12,959 | 13% | 6 | Brad Keselowski | 384 | 5,196 | 7% |
| 7 | Bobby Allison | 1,601 | 12,630 | 13% | 7 | Kurt Busch | 365 | 8,944 | 4% |
| 8 | Harry Gant | 1,088 | 9,144 | 12% | 8 | Ryan Newman | 339 | 8,537 | 4% |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | 980 | 17,477 | 6% | 9 | Chase Elliott | 151 | 2,845 | 5% |
| 10 | Fireball Roberts | 916 | 4,572 | 20% | 10 | Joey Logano | 122 | 5,133 | 2% |
Female Competitor Stats
- Three female drivers have competed at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series – Danica Patrick, Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson.
| Active Drivers | Starting Position | Finishing Position | Date |
| Danica Patrick | 33 | 26 | 9/3/2017 |
| Danica Patrick | 25 | 24 | 9/4/2016 |
| Danica Patrick | 30 | 42 | 9/6/2015 |
| Danica Patrick | 33 | 22 | 4/12/2014 |
| Danica Patrick | 40 | 28 | 5/11/2013 |
| Danica Patrick | 38 | 31 | 5/12/2012 |
| Averages | 33.2 | 28.8 | |
| Inactive Drivers | Starting Position | Finishing Position | Date |
| Janet Guthrie | 26 | 16 | 9/5/1977 |
| Shawna Robinson | 42 | 42 | 3/17/2002 |
NASCAR IN SOUTH CAROLINA
- South Carolina has hosted a total of 315 NASCAR national series races among 10 different tracks.
| Track Name | City | Cup | Xfinity | Truck | Combined | First Year |
| Darlington Raceway | Darlington | 120 | 62 | 8 | 190 | 1950 |
| Coastal Speedway | Myrtle Beach | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1956 |
| Columbia Speedway | Columbia | 43 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 1951 |
| Gamecock Speedway | Sumter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1960 |
| Greenville-Pickens Speedway | Greenville | 29 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 1951 |
| Hartsville Speedway | Hartsville | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1961 |
| Lancaster Speedway | Lancaster | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1957 |
| Newberry Speedway | Newberry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1957 |
| Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds | Spartanburg | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1953 |
| Rambi Race Track | Myrtle Beach | 9 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 1958 |
| Totals | 230 | 77 | 8 | 315 |
- The first NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of South Carolina was at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4, 1950 – the event was won by Johnny Mantz in a Plymouth.
SOUTH CAROLINA IN NASCAR
- A total of 140 different drivers have made at least one NASCAR national series start with their home state recorded as South Carolina.
- James Hylton leads all NASCAR drivers from South Carolina with the most NASCAR national series starts with 607.
- Three drivers from South Carolina have been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame – David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Cotton Owens.
- 11 drivers from South Carolina have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; seven have won in the NASCAR Cup Series.
| Driver | Cup | Xfinity | Trucks | Combined |
| David Pearson | 105 | 1 | 0 | 106 |
| Cale Yarborough | 83 | 0 | 0 | 83 |
| Cotton Owens | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Tiny Lund | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| James Hylton | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Johnny Allen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joe Eubanks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Larry Pearson | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Jason Keller | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Butch Lindley | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Jeremy Clements | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals | 206 | 33 | 0 | 239 |
— NASCAR —