It’s the dawn of a new day as Xfinity and Cup Series drivers prepare to enter their eighth race of the 2025 season at Darlington Raceway this weekend. The 1.366-mile oval is the oldest active running track in the NASCAR circuit. The venue has been dubbed “Too Tough to Tame” by drivers and spectators alike because of its unique layout.
It features a series of narrow and steep 25-degree half turns, 23-degree quarter turns, and 90-foot wide front and back stretches. The track is difficult for drivers because its roughness often causes significant wear and tear to tires. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how drivers navigate the iconic track this weekend. Stay tuned for an action-packed and eventful race weekend in Darlington, South Carolina.
Recap of Martinsville Xfinity and Cup Series Races
To recap, Justin Allgaier, who started P6 and finished P3 on Saturday, lost his bid for a third-consecutive win at Martinsville Speedway. That’s a stark contrast from Las Vegas, where he led 102 laps and emerged victorious, capturing the checkered flag in a photo finish. Tempers also flared at Martinsville during the U.S. Marine Corps 250 between Taylor Gray and Sammy Smith on the race’s final lap.
Gray started off in a hopeful spot, leading 87 of 256 laps until he rounded turn 3, and Sammy Smith slammed into him. This allowed Richard Childress’ driver, Austin Hill, to round the outside and steal the lead. Before Hill knew it, he was on the other side of the finish line, leaving behind the aftermath of Smith and Gray’s wreck.
He made history for Richard Childress Racing, earning the team their 100th Xfinity victory and the twelfth of his career. However, he felt residual guilt after teammate Jesse Love got caught up in the crossfire. He mentioned to reporters in a post-race interview that he took responsibility for the incident.
The upcoming race weekend at Darlington will be a double-header for Hill, who is set to run in both the Xfinity and Cup Series. The Cook Out 400 saw an unlikely winner in Denny Hamlin last week. The 23XL owner and Joe Gibbs driver broke a 31-race winless drought after crossing the finish line Sunday. The Cook Out 400 win was the sixth for Hamlin at the iconic Martinsville Speedway. He is now tied with Rusty Wallace for the 11th all-time winner. Can he do it again this weekend at Darlington?
Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
(Darlington Xfinity Series Entries)
- 1. Sheldon Creed, No. 00 Ford
- 2. Carson Kvapil, No. 1 Chevrolet
- 3. Jesse Love, No. 2 Chevrolet
- 4. Parker Retzlaff, No. 4 Chevrolet
- 5. Kris Wright, No. 5 Chevrolet
- 6. Justin Allgaier, 7 Chevrolet
- 7. Nick Leitz, No.07 Chevrolet
- 8. Sammy Smith, No. 8 Chevrolet
- 9. Ross Chastain No. 9 Chevrolet
- 19. Daniel Dye, No. 10 Chevrolet
- 11. Josh Williams, No. 11 Chevrolet
- 12. Garrett Smithley, No. 14 Chevrolet
- 13. Christian Eckes, No. 16 Chevrolet
- 14. Chase Elliot, No. 17 Chevrolet
- 15. William Sawalich, No. 18 Toyota
- 16. Christopher Bell, No. 19 Toyota
- 17. Brandon Jones, No. 20 Toyota
- 18. Austin Hill, No. 21 Chevrolet
- 19. Harrison Burton, No. 25 Ford
- 20. Dean Thompson, No. 26 Toyota
- 21. Jeb Burton, No. 27 Chevrolet
- 22. Kyle Sieg, No. 28 Ford
- 23. Blaine Perkins, No.31 Chevrolet
- 24. Austin Green, No. 32 Chevrolet
- 25. Greg Van Alst, No. 35 Chevrolet
- 26. Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Ford
- 27. Sam Mayer, No. 41 Ford
- 28. Anthony Alfredo, No. 42 Chevrolet
- 29. Brennan Poole, No. 44 Chevrolet
- 30. Mason Massey, No. 45 Chevrolet
- 31. Nicholas Sanchez, No. 48 Chevrolet
- 32. Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Chevrolet
- 33. TBA , No. 53 Chevrolet
- 34. Taylor Gray, No. 54 Toyota
- 35. Leland Honeyman, No. 70 Chevrolet
- 36. Ryan Ellis, No. 71 Chevrolet
- 37. Dawson Cram, No. 74 Chevrolet
- 38. Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Chevrolet
- 39. Josh Bilicki, No. 91 Chevrolet
- 40. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 99 Chevrolet
The Good Year 400 at Darlington
(Darlington Cup Series Entries)
- 1. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
- 2. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
- 3. Austin Dillon, N0. 3 Chevrolet
- 4. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Ford
- 5. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
- 6. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
- 7. Justin Haley, No. 7 Chevrolet
- 8. Kyle Busch, No.8 Chevrolet
- 9. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
- 10. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet
- 11. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
- 12. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
- 13. A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet
- 14. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
- 15. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota
- 16. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
- 17. Josh Berry No. 21, Ford
- 18. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
- 19. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
- 20. William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
- 21. Austin Hill, No.33 Chevrolet
- 22. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford
- 23. Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota
- 24. Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford
- 25. Cole Custer, No. 41 Ford
- 26. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
- 27. Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
- 28. JJ Yeley, No. 44 Chevrolet
- 29. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
- 30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet
- 31. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
- 32. Cody Ware, No. 51 Ford
- 33. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
- 34. Ryan Preece, No. 60 Ford
- 35. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet
- 36. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet
- 37. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Chevrolet
- 38. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet
Darlington Raceway Weekend Schedule
Saturday, April 5, 2025
(Darlington Schedule)
- Xfinity Series Practice—10:05 a.m. EST
- Xfinity Series Qualifying—11:10 a.m. EST
- Cup Series Practice—12:35 p.m.
- Cup Series Qualifying—1:40 p.m.
- Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (Xfinity Series) —3:30 p.m. EST
Sunday, April 6, 2025
(Darlington Schedule)
- Goodyear 400 (Cup Series) —3:00 p.m.
Where to Watch
- Xfinity Practice and Qualifying—CW App
- Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200—CW, MRN, SiriusXM, NASCAR Radio
- Cup Practice and Qualifying—Prime Video
- Goodyear 400—Fs1, HBO Max, MRN, SiriusXM, NASCAR Radio
Final Thoughts
As the NASCAR and Xfinity Series gear up for Darlington this weekend, the Craftsman Truck Series is taking a brief hiatus. The series will resume its regular schedule on April 11th for the Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The race is 250 laps and stretches approximately 133.25 miles. Tune into your regularly scheduled programming to catch the Sports Clips Haircuts Help a Hero VFW 200 and Good Year 400.
