NASCAR Predictions for Cook Out Southern 500, Starting Lineup for Darlington

The NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 gets started on Sunday, September 6, at 5:00 p.m. ET at Darlington Raceway on USA Network.

Sunday’s race features 367 laps spanning 501.32 miles at this intermediate track. Tonight begins the 10-race stretch of the Chase for the Cup, ending with a champion being crowned at Homestead on November 8.

Ryan Preece grabbed his first victory of the season last Sunday at Daytona as he clinched the 16th and final position in the Chase field. 

Below, we'll break down our NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 predictions and picks to win for Sunday’s race, including top driver picks for PrizePicks.

Make your NASCAR picks for the Cook Out Southern 500 on PrizePicks — available in South Carolina!

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NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 Winner, Top 10 Predictions for Darlington – Sunday, September 6

Denny Hamlin enters the Chase as the top seed, which is no surprise after capturing three consecutive victories in late May and June. Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick are right behind Hamlin, as those two drivers combined for eight wins this season.

Hamlin is the eighth different regular-season champion in the last eight seasons as he seeks that elusive first NASCAR title.

Tonight marks the second race of the season at Darlington, as Reddick took home the checkered flag in the Goodyear 400 on March 22. Brad Keselowski won each of the first two stages and led for 142 laps, but Reddick came out on top for the fourth of his five victories in 2026.

Reddick fell short of a win in last season’s edition of the Cook Out Southern 500, finishing second behind Chase Briscoe. It was utter domination from Briscoe, who captured the first two stages and led for a career-high 309 laps.

The favorite to win the Cook Out Southern 500 is Tyler Reddick, entering Sunday's race (5:00 p.m. ET), according to PrizePicks Team Picks.

Reddick currently has a 4.76x payout ($100 pays out $476) if he wins, while Hamlin is right behind him at a 5x payout to win at Darlington, according to PrizePicks.

Payout multipliers listed below (like 2x) indicate real-money earnings if your NASCAR predictions are correct; for example, 2x on a $100 entry pays $200 if correct on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states, including South Carolina. “Yes” payouts represent a specific outcome occurring, whereas "No" payouts indicate the opposite.

NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 Winner Payouts on PrizePicks

Here are the payouts for drivers to win the NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 Winner from Darlington Raceway on PrizePicks. Make your Cook Out Southern 500 pick on 'Yes' or 'No' to a driver to win.

NASCAR Starting Lineup for Cook Out Southern 500: Reddick Earns Pole Position

The NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 qualifying was cancelled on Saturday at Darlington Raceway due to inclement weather. According to NASCAR rules and its metrics, Reddick was awarded the pole, marking the eighth time he will start first this season.  

In four of his first seven opportunities in the starting position, Reddick finished in the winner’s circle. He has placed below eighth once after winning the pole, posting a 14th-place finish at Talladega in late April.

Daniel Suarez, who sits as the 11th seed in the Chase, starts on the first row alongside Reddick. Suarez finished second at last week’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 but owns only two Top 10 finishes at Darlington in 17 races.

Here is the full NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 starting lineup at Darlington Raceway for Sunday’s race at 5:00 p.m. ET on USA Network. 

Row 1: Tyler Reddick / Daniel Suarez

Row 2: Ryan Preece / Denny Hamlin

Row 3: Michael McDowell / Austin Cindric

Row 4: Chase Briscoe / Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

Row 5: Austin Dillon / Alex Bowman

Row 6: Christopher Bell / Brad Keselowski

Row 7: Joey Logano / Josh Berry

Row 8: Riley Herbst / Cole Custer

Row 9: Bubba Wallace / Chase Elliott

Row 10: John H. Nemechek / William Byron

Row 11: Todd Gilliand / Corey Heim

Row 12: Ross Chastain / Ryan Blaney

Row 13: Kyle Larson / Shane van Gisbergen

Row 14: Ty Dillon / Ty Gibbs

Row 15: Noah Gragson / AJ Allmendinger

Row 16: Connor Zilisch / Austin Hill

Row 17: Zane Smith / Carson Hocevar

Row 18: Chris Buescher / Erik Jones

Row 19: Cody Ware / Chad Finchum

NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 Predictions, Driver Picks for Darlington

Here are three of the top Cook Out Southern 500 picks to target in the NASCAR race from Darlington Raceway on Sunday. Top PrizePicks NASCAR picks are headlined by three drivers: Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, and Ty Gibbs.

Ryan Blaney – 7.5 Finishing Position

Ryan Blaney to Finish Top 10 in Cook Out Southern 500 via PrizePicks Team Picks: Yes 1.92x | No 1.69x

• Blaney suffered his third accident of the season last Sunday (twice at Daytona), finishing 33rd.
• In each of the two races after crashing out, Blaney placed 10th at Atlanta and Texas.
• Blaney has yet to experience a victory at Darlington but put together his best finish at this track in March (third).
• In the last six Labor Day events at Darlington, Blaney hasn’t placed higher than ninth and owns an average finish of 20.5.

Add Ryan Blaney to your PrizePicks NASCAR Picks for the Cook Out Southern 500.

Christopher Bell – 8.5 Finishing Position

Christopher Bell to Finish Top 10 in Cook Out Southern 500 via PrizePicks Team Picks: Yes 1.78x | No 1.92x

• Bell has stepped up down the stretch, finishing higher than seventh in seven of the last nine races.
• In the last two Darlington events, Bell has placed 29th and 19th. He finished third at Darlington in September 2024 and April 2025.
• Through 26 races this season, Bell closed in the Top 8 in 13 events but has yet to claim a checkered flag.
• In eight of the 10 Chase races last season, Bell finished in the Top 8. However, one of the finishes outside the Top 8 came in his 29th-place close at Darlington.

Add Christopher Bell to your PrizePicks NASCAR Picks for the Cook Out Southern 500.

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Ty Gibbs – 9.5 Finishing Position

Ty Gibbs to Finish Top 10 in Cook Out Southern 500 via PrizePicks Team Picks: Yes 2.17x | No 1.53x

• Gibbs is the fourth seed in the Chase and looks to bounce back from crashing out at Daytona last Sunday. 
• In the race after his three previous crashes this season, he placed in the Top 4 twice. 
• Gibbs hasn’t posted a finish above 15th in four Labor Day events at this track.
• He is starting 28th for the second time in 2026, marking his worst beginning position. However, he compiled a sixth-place finish in the March race at Darlington after starting towards the back of the pack.

Add Ty Gibbs to your PrizePicks NASCAR Picks for the Cook Out Southern 500.

Make NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 Predictions on PrizePicks

The Chase for the Cup begins today at Darlington Raceway. Will Hamlin begin the march towards his first title, or will a surprise driver spoil the fun in South Carolina?

Don’t wait until lock — make your NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 predictions on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

There are unique picks on the NASCAR board for every race, including driver points and starting position; just pick at least two drivers to build your lineup on PrizePicks. Or, make your picks on race winners on Team Picks, now available in 35 states, including South Carolina!

Stay locked in to Playbook throughout the season for more NASCAR picks, predictions, and news every day.