With the Cup Series returning to Darlington Raceway for the marquee Southern 500 and the regular season finale, here is everything you need to know heading into this weekend’s racing at The Lady in Black.
Regular Season Championship (1 Race to Go)
| Rank | Driver | Points | Difference |
| 1 | Tyler Reddick* | 823 | |
| 2 | Kyle Larson* | 806 | -17 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott* | 805 | -18 |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 755 | -68 |
| 5 | William Byron | 743 | -80 |
| 6 | Christopher Bell | 737 | -86 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 718 | -105 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | 712 | -111 |
| 9 | Martin Truex Jr. | 695 | -128 |
| 10 | Ty Gibbs | 676 | -147 |
| 11 | Chris Buescher | 658 | -165 |
| 12 | Alex Bowman | 648 | -175 |
Tyler Reddick clinches the regular season title by scoring 44 points, regardless of how Chase Elliott or Kyle Larson perform.
Regular Season Playoff Points Awarded:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
| 15 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Playoff Points Through 25 Races Among Playoff Qualifiers
| Rank | Driver | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Points |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 4 | 8 | 28 |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 12 | 25 |
| 3 | William Byron | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| 4 | Tyler Reddick | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 3 | 6 | 11* |
| 7 | Joey Logano | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 8 | Austin Cindric | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | Brad Keselowski | 1 | 5 | |
| 12 | Alex Bowman | 1 | 5 | |
| 13 | Harrison Burton | 1 | 5 |
Playoff Cut Line (1 Race to Go)
| Rank | Driver | Points | Diff. from 16th | Best Darlington Finish |
| 14 | Martin Truex Jr. | 695 | +58 | 1st (2016, 2021) |
| 15 | Ty Gibbs | 676 | +39 | 2nd (2024) |
| 16 | Chris Buescher | 658 | +21 | 3rd (2023) |
| 17 | Bubba Wallace | 637 | -21 | 5th (2023) |
| 18 | Ross Chastain | 631 | -27 | 3rd (2021) |
| 19 | Kyle Busch | 552 | MUST WIN | 1st (2008) |
If the Southern 500 winner is NOT below the cut line:
- Martin Truex Jr. will automatically clinch a playoff spot
- Ty Gibbs will automatically clinch a spot by scoring at least 16 points
- Chris Buescher will automatically clinch a spot by scoring at least 34 points
- Bubba Wallace will have to outscore Buescher by at least 21 points
If the Southern 500 winner IS below the cut line:
- Truex will automatically clinch a spot by scoring at least 19 points
- Gibbs will automatically clinch a spot by scoring at least 38 points
- Buescher will have to outscore Gibbs by at least 19 points
Darlington By the Numbers
Defending Southern 500 Winner: Kyle Larson
Defending Spring Winner: Brad Keselowski
Most Wins*: Denny Hamlin (4)
Most Top Fives*: Denny Hamlin (13)
Most Top 10s*: Denny Hamlin (17)
Most Poles*: Joey Logano (2)
Most Laps Led*: Denny Hamlin (919)
Most Laps Led, Non-Winner*: Tyler Reddick (276)
Best Average Finish (min. 5 starts)*: Denny Hamlin, 24…
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