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Darlington Today
By the People, for the People
NASCAR Insider Calls Darlington Race "Overhyped"
Analyst says Sunday's Cup Series event at Darlington didn't live up to the pre-race hype.
Mar. 23, 2026 at 2:10am
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A NASCAR insider has criticized the narrative surrounding this year's spring NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, saying the event was "overhyped" and didn't live up to expectations. Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic said on his podcast that while the race was "fine," it "could have been better" and lacked the "old-school Darlington" feel of having to "manage your equipment" and "persevere." Bianchi also noted the race had limited lead changes in the first two stages.
Why it matters
Darlington is one of NASCAR's most historic and challenging tracks, so expectations were high for an exciting and unpredictable race. The insider's comments suggest the event failed to deliver on that promise, potentially disappointing fans and raising questions about the state of competition in the Cup Series.
The details
On his podcast "The Teardown," The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi said Sunday's Darlington race "was not what I think a lot of people expected." He noted there was only one natural lead change in the first two stages and that issues for drivers like Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney early on created more of a "storyline" than great racing. Bianchi said the race lacked the "old-school Darlington" feel of needing to "manage your equipment" and "persevere."
- The NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway took place on Sunday, March 23, 2026.
The players
Jordan Bianchi
A NASCAR insider and reporter for The Athletic who provided commentary on the Darlington race.
Tyler Reddick
The driver who won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway.
Ryan Blaney
A NASCAR driver who experienced issues early in the Darlington race.
Kevin Harvick
A NASCAR driver and analyst who had high expectations for the Darlington race due to rule changes, weather, and tire wear.
Brad Keselowski
The driver who finished second at Darlington and won the first two stages of the race.
What they’re saying
“It was not what I think a lot of people expected. It's fair to say that it was probably a little overhyped if you go back and look at some of the comments and everything. And that's fine because no one knew what to expect. But it wasn't old-school Darlington in that sense, where you had to manage your equipment, you had to manage the conditions, and it was about perseverance.”
— Jordan Bianchi, Reporter, The Athletic
“Race the racetrack. Only go as fast as your car will go, and just keep yourself in the game because so many people are going to make mistakes. … This weekend's Cup race could be the gnarliest race that we have seen there in a long time.”
— Kevin Harvick
What’s next
The NASCAR Cup Series will return to Darlington Raceway for the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.
The takeaway
While the Darlington race produced an exciting winner in Tyler Reddick, the event failed to live up to the pre-race hype and expectations set by drivers and analysts. This raises questions about the current state of competition in NASCAR and whether the series needs to make changes to create more unpredictable and thrilling races at historic tracks like Darlington.
