NASCAR is back.
The official entry list for the Darlington 400 scheduled for May 17 has been released. The Darlington Raceway contest marks the first event in the NASCAR Cup Series since the race at Pheonix Raceway nearly two months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
40 drivers are entered, which means all will qualify, baring any late entry list changes.
Ryan Newman returns to the seat of his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Newman missed three NCS events after being injured on the final lap of the 2020 Daytona 500. Ross Chastain, who subbed for Newman, will not compete in any Cup ride this weekend.
Also returning to NASCAR competition is 2003 NCS champion Matt Kenseth. Kenseth will wheel the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet following the termination of Kyle Larson due to his use of a racial slur during an iRacing event.
Tommy Baldwin Racing is returning to Cup competition after a lengthy absence. Josh Bilicki will pilot TBR’s familiar No. 7 Chevrolet. Brennan Poole will stay in his familiar No. 15 entry, but an ownership change is apparent, as Rick Ware Racing has inherited the Premium Motorsports operation.
RWR’s familiar drivers will also swap rides. Joey Gase moves into the No. 51 entry while Garrett Smithley slides into the No. 52. JJ Yeley moves from the No. 52 to the No. 53.
Reed Sorenson will again wheel the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. Sorenson has made three starts in that ride this season.
Finally, NASCAR welcomes a new team to the series as BJ McLeod Motorsports expands its operation from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to include a Cup entry. Team owner BJ McLeod is listed as the driver.
Complete Darlington 400 Entry List
The green flag for the Darlington 400 is set to drop at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17. FOX will provide live television coverage.
About the author
Never at a loss for words, Zach Gillispie is a young, talented marketing professional from North Carolina who talks and writes on the side about his first love: racing! Since joining Frontstretch in 2018, Zach has served in numerous roles where he currently pens the NASCAR 101 column, a weekly piece delving into the basic nuts and bolts of the sport. Additionally, his unabashedly bold takes meshed with that trademarked dry wit of his have made Zach a fan favorite on the weekly Friday Faceoff panel. In his free time, he can be found in the great outdoors, actively involved in his church, cheering on his beloved Atlanta Braves or ruthlessly pestering his colleagues with completely useless statistics about Delma Cowart.
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