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Darlington Today
By the People, for the People
NASCAR Drivers Predict Darlington Race Will Be 'Absolutely Wild'
Chase Briscoe agrees with Denny Hamlin's assessment that the new short track package will make the upcoming race at Darlington Raceway extremely challenging.
Mar. 13, 2026 at 1:38am
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NASCAR drivers Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin have both predicted that the upcoming race at Darlington Raceway on March 22 will be "absolutely out of control" due to the new short track aerodynamic package being used. The package features 750 horsepower, a three-inch rear spoiler, and fewer diffuser strakes, which Hamlin says will lead to as much as four seconds of tire fall-off per lap, making the race extremely chaotic and unpredictable.
Why it matters
Darlington Raceway, known as "The Lady in Black," is one of the most challenging tracks on the NASCAR circuit, and the new short track package is expected to make it even more demanding on drivers and teams. This could lead to an exciting and unpredictable race that shakes up the standings in the early part of the season.
The details
Briscoe, who has won the last two Southern 500 races at Darlington, said the new package will make the track "the hardest we run on all year long." He added that in simulator testing, he was "crashing every corner on every lap, even on new tires" due to the lack of underbody downforce. Hamlin went as far as to predict tire fall-off in the four-second range or more, making the cars "absolutely out of control" even on fresh tires.
- The race at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for March 22, 2026.
The players
Chase Briscoe
A NASCAR driver who has won the last two Southern 500 races at Darlington Raceway.
Denny Hamlin
A veteran NASCAR driver who predicted the upcoming race at Darlington will be "absolutely out of control" due to the new short track aerodynamic package.
What they’re saying
“It's gonna be absolutely out of control. It's gonna be I think the hardest track we run on all year long. The added power is one thing, but the biggest thing is taking the diffuser and everything off. I mean, I've ran the sim for probably a week-and-a-half and you are crashing every corner on every lap, even on new tires.”
— Chase Briscoe
“These cars, with essentially little to no underbody because we're now going to the short track aerodynamic package for Darlington, these cars are out of control. I'm predicting four seconds of fall off, it might be more. It's just the cars with the underbody taken off and that simple diffuser, just even on new tires, just absolutely out of control. So, it's going to be a wild card race.”
— Denny Hamlin
What’s next
The race at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for March 22, 2026, and will be a key early-season test for drivers and teams as they adapt to the new short track aerodynamic package.
The takeaway
The upcoming race at Darlington Raceway is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable and challenging events of the NASCAR season, with drivers and teams forced to adapt to a new aerodynamic package that is expected to make the already-difficult track even more demanding.
