NASCAR returns to Darlington Raceway for a Sunday afternoon race (3 p.m. ET on FS1).
This race concludes NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend, the annual celebration of motorsports history. This is the first of two races at Darlington this season.
Kyle Larson maintains first place in NASCAR Power Rankings after win at Kansas
The Kansas weekend featured NASCAR’s closest Cup finish yet.
Here’s a look at the drivers to keep an eye on during Sunday’s race
FRONTRUNNERS
Denny Hamlin
Point position: 4th
Best ending this season: 1st (Bristol I, Richmond I, Dover)
2024 Statistics: Three wins, four top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes. An average finish of 13.4 with 606 laps led.
Set in Darlington: Twenty-three starts with four wins, 12 top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes. Hamlin led 978 laps at Darlington.
Kyle Larson
Point position: 1st
Best ending this season: 1st (Las Vegas I, Kansas I)
2024 Statistics: Two wins, six top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes. They led 634 laps, the best in the series, and an average finish of 10.8.
Set in Darlington: Twelve matches with one win, six top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes. He led 770 laps at Darlington. Larson won last season’s playoff race at Darlington.
NASCAR’s closest results in the Next Gen era
Kansas winner Kyle Larson has achieved more Cup finishes since 2022 than any other driver in the series.
William Byron
Point position: 7th
Best ending this season: 1st (Daytona 500, Circuit of the Americas, Martinsville I)
2024 Statistics: Three wins, four top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes. An average finish of 13.0 with 185 laps led.
Set in Darlington: Thirteen matches with one win, four top-five finishes, five top-10 finishes and seven withdrawals. Byron leads all Cup drivers with 898 top-five laps at Darlington in the Next Gen car. He leads all drivers with 1,083 top-10 laps at Darlington in the Next Gen.
Erik Jones
Point position: 27th
Best ending this season: 8th (Daytona 500)
2024 Statistics: An average result of 21.0 with a top 10 result. Two races missed due to injury.
Set in Darlington: Twelve matches with two wins, five top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes. An average finish of 11.8.
Michael McDowell will leave Front Row Motorsports at the end of the 2024 season
Michael McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500 and last year’s race on the IndyCar road course with Front Row Motorsports.
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
Ryan Blaney
Point position: 6th
Best ending this season: 2nd (Atlanta I)
2024 Statistics: Four top five finishes, five top 10 finishes and an average result of 13.7. Blaney led 122 laps.
Set in Darlington: Fourteen matches with three top 10 finishes and an average score of 17.2. Blaney led just 21 laps at Darlington.
Ross Chastain
Point position: 10th
Best ending this season: 4th (Las Vegas I)
2024 Statistics: One top five finish, four top 10 finishes and an average result of 13.8. Chastain led 108 laps.
Set in Darlington: Nine starts with two top-five and two top-10 finishes. Chastain has had top-five finishes and three 20th or worse finishes at Darlington in the Next Gen era.
Joey Logano
Point position: 17th
Best ending this season: 2nd (Richmond I)
2024 Statistics: One top five finish, three top 10 finishes and an average result of 18.7. Logano led 199 laps.
Set in Darlington: Twenty matches with one win, six top-five finishes and 10 top-10 finishes. Logano finished first and fourth at Darlington in 2022. He finished 18th and 12th in last season’s races at Darlington.
Alex Bowman
Point position: 9th
Best ending this season: 2nd (Daytona 500)
2024 Statistics: Four top five finishes, seven top 10 finishes and an average result of 13.1.
Set in Darlington: Twelve matches with one top-five finish and three top-10 finishes. An average finish of 19.6. Bowman has one top 10 and two DNFs in three Next Gen starts at Darlington. He missed last spring’s race at Darlington with an injury.
