The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series hits Darlington Raceway for qualifying today, and we've got all of the timing, scheduling, and TV channel information you need ahead of the action.
Drivers will get a single timed lap each to set the order for Sunday's race. Last year's spring race saw William Byron take pole from Ryan Preece, while the summer race saw Denny Hamlin set the fastest lap ahead of the race.
Last spring's Darlington race winner, Hamlin, qualified in third for the spring race, and is also looking for his second straight win this year after taking victory at Las Vegas last week.
It's also well worth keeping an eye on Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing team-mate Chase Briscoe. While he's had a run of poor fortunate in races so far this year, the driver of the No. 19 qualified fourth and second for the spring and summer races last year – winning the latter.
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What time is NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Darlington?
NASCAR Cup Series qualifying from Darlington Raceway takes place on Saturday, March 14, at 3:40 p.m. ET.
This follows immediately after the one and only Cup Series practice session this weekend, which starts at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Here are the start times converted to your local time zones.
| City (Time Zone) | Practice Start Time | Qualifying Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC (ET) | 2:30 P.M. | 3:40 P.M. |
| New York, NY (ET) | 2:30 P.M. | 3:40 P.M. |
| Columbia, SC (ET) | 2:30 P.M. | 3:40 P.M. |
| Charleston, WV (ET) | 2:30 P.M. | 3:40 P.M. |
| Augusta, ME (ET) | 2:30 P.M. | 3:40 P.M. |
| Chicago, IL (CT) | 1:30 P.M. | 2:40 P.M. |
| Pierre, SD (CT) | 1:30 P.M. | 2:40 P.M. |
| Nashville, TN (CT) | 1:30 P.M. | 2:40 P.M. |
| Des Moines, IA (CT) | 1:30 P.M. | 2:40 P.M. |
| Montgomery, AL (CT) | 1:30 P.M. | 2:40 P.M. |
| Denver, CO (MT) | 12:30 P.M. | 1:40 P.M. |
| Salt Lake City, UT (MT) | 12:30 P.M. | 1:40 P.M. |
| Albuquerque, NM (MT) | 12:30 P.M. | 1:40 P.M. |
| El Paso, TX (MT) | 12:30 P.M. | 1:40 P.M. |
| Los Angeles, CA (PT) | 11:30 A.M. | 12:40 P.M. |
| Las Vegas, NV (PT) | 11:30 A.M. | 12:40 P.M. |
| Seattle, WA (PT) | 11:30 A.M. | 12:40 P.M. |
| Portland, OR (PT) | 11:30 A.M. | 12:40 P.M. |
| San Francisco, CA (PT) | 11:30 A.M. | 12:40 P.M. |
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup Series on today?
Today's NASCAR Cup Series qualifying action from Darlington will not be broadcast live on traditional TV. Instead, it will be shown live on Prime Video.
You can download the Prime Video app on your handheld device from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store.
You can also download the app on your TV on devices such as the following:
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- VIZIO Smart TV
- LG TV
- Chromecast
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Samsung Smart TV
Today's qualifying session will also be broadcast live on the radio, with PRN and SiriusXM having the call.
Live stream options
The best live stream option for today's NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Darlington is Prime Video.
For the first half of the season through San Diego (June 21), Prime Video is set to air all Cup Series practice and qualifying, with the exception of the Clash, Daytona 500, and All-Star Race.
Entry List and Qualifying Order
Here is the full list of Cup Series drivers set to take part in this weekend's event at Darlington, listed in the order in which they will qualify.
| Qualifying Position | Driver | Car No. | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timmy Hill (i) | 66 | 1 |
| 2 | Cody Ware | 51 | 1 |
| 3 | Todd Gilliland | 34 | 1 |
| 4 | Connor Zilisch # | 88 | 1 |
| 5 | Josh Berry | 21 | 1 |
| 6 | Ty Dillon | 10 | 1 |
| 7 | Shane van Gisbergen | 97 | 1 |
| 8 | Noah Gragson | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | Cole Custer | 41 | 1 |
| 10 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | 1 |
| 11 | Justin Allgaier (i) | 48 | 1 |
| 12 | Kyle Busch | 8 | 1 |
| 13 | Riley Herbst | 35 | 1 |
| 14 | Michael McDowell | 71 | 1 |
| 15 | Austin Cindric | 2 | 1 |
| 16 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | 1 |
| 17 | Erik Jones | 43 | 1 |
| 18 | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | 1 |
| 19 | Carson Hocevar | 77 | 1 |
| 20 | Ross Chastain | 1 | 2 |
| 21 | Daniel Suárez | 7 | 2 |
| 22 | Austin Dillon | 3 | 2 |
| 23 | Zane Smith | 38 | 2 |
| 24 | Joey Logano | 22 | 2 |
| 25 | Chase Briscoe | 19 | 2 |
| 26 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | 2 |
| 27 | Ryan Preece | 60 | 2 |
| 28 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | 2 |
| 29 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 2 |
| 30 | Kyle Larson | 5 | 2 |
| 31 | Chris Buescher | 17 | 2 |
| 32 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 2 |
| 33 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | 2 |
| 34 | Christopher Bell | 20 | 2 |
| 35 | William Byron | 24 | 2 |
| 36 | Chase Elliott | 9 | 2 |
| 37 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | 2 |
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