On Sunday NASCAR held one of its longest races of the season at historic Darlington Raceway. For over four hours, drivers fought other drivers under threatening skies on a track known to tear up tires and put ugly scrapes on their flashy racecars. It was a great day for race fans as it just barely rained, there were only six cautions, and once again everyone had to wait till the last laps to have any idea who the victor might be. For the fans watching from home, there was all of that… and, of course, commercials. For those who like to know precisely how many there were, and how much time they took during the broadcast, here is this week’s breakdown.
Race and Commercial Breakdown of the 2026 Cook Out Southern 500
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 4:42 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 9:13 PM
Total minutes of complete race broadcast: 271
Minutes of race broadcast: 244
Minutes of traditional commercials: 27
Minutes of side-by-side commercials: 39
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 60
Total number of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 53
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 38
Total number of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during the broadcast (split-screen): 105
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 44
Number of times USA utilized ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during the broadcast: 15
— CawsNJaws —