NASCAR travels to Darlington Raceway this weekend with all three national series competing at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.”
NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers Harry Gant and Kurt Busch will be the Grand Marshals for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 and give the command, “Drivers, start your engines!”
Mark Martin, also a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, will have the role of Honorary Pace Car Driver and lead the field to green for the Goodyear 400. His success at Darlington makes him the perfect candidate with 12 wins across multiple series, highlighted by two Southern 500 victories.
Martin commented on social media, saying, “Some tracks never leave you. Honored to return this Spring as the Honorary Pace Car Driver and lead the field to green at the Lady in Black. See you there.”
Dave Marcis, a NASCAR veteran with 883 career starts, will serve as the honorary starter and also present the Goodyear 400 trophy to the winner in Victory Lane.
Denny Hamlin, fresh off a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend, is the returning race winner.
On Tuesday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that “Alex Bowman will miss at least the next three races as he continues to recover from vertigo. Justin Allgaier will fill in through Bristol. Alex continues to experience symptoms, so we are following the guidance of the medical team and giving him the time he needs to recover.”
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Triple Truck Challenge returns this year, beginning at Darlington Raceway. Drivers will compete to earn a $50,000 bonus for winning a race. The bonus multiplies if a driver wins more than one of the races. If a driver wins two of the three races, they will receive $150,000. Win all three races in the Triple Truck Challenge and a bonus of $500,000 is awarded. Eligible drivers must have declared to collect Craftsman Truck Series points.
Triple Truck Challenge Schedule:
March 20: Darlington Raceway
April 3: Rockingham Speedway
April 10: Bristol Motor Speedway
Friday, March 20
3:30 p.m.: Craftsman Truck Series Practice – FS2
4:35 p.m.: Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying – FS2
7:10 p.m.: Craftsman Truck Series Driver Intros
7:30 p.m.: Craftsman Truck Series Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.8 Miles
FS1/SiriusXM
Post-race: NASCAR Press Pass
Saturday, March 21
Noon: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice – CW App
1:05 p.m.: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying – CW App
2:30 p.m.: 3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Practice
Prime/MRN/SiriusXM
3:40 – 4:30 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound)
Prime/MRN/SiriusXM
Post Cup Series Qualifying: NASCAR Press Pass
5 p.m.: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Driver Intros
5:30 p.m.: O’Reilly Auto Parts Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.8 Miles
Post-race: NASCAR Press Pass
Sunday, March 22
2:20 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Driver Intros
3 p.m.: Goodyear 400 Stages 90/185/293 Laps = 400.2 Miles
FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
Post-race: NASCAR Press Pass
*All times are Eastern
