NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 Practice Results (Darlington)

There were definitely some surprises at the top of the speed charts in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice from Darlington Raceway, as LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones topped the speed charts.

Granted, Jones is a two-time Southern 500 winner, but in his 25-minute session, the driver of the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE ran the EXACT SAME lap time as second-place Riley Herbst, driving the No. 35 for 23XI Racing.

Austin Cindric of Team Penske was third-quickest, but did make some slight contact with the outside wall, while Spire Motorsports teammates Daniel Suarez and Carson Hocevar rounded out the top-five.

Tyler Reddick, Connor Zilisch, Michael McDowell, Kyle Busch, and Josh Berry rounded out the top-10 in practice. However, the story won’t quite be about the short-run, but rather what these drivers can do when the Goodyear tires begin to wear — and trust me, they will.

Austin Cindric was the fastest driver in the 5, 10, and 15-lap averages, while Tyler Reddick, winner of the first three NASCAR Cup Series events of 2026, was fastest in the 20, 25, and 30-lap averages.

Photo: Jonathan McCoy, TobyChristie.com

PRACTICE RESULTS: