Throwback weekend is here. The now spring annual tradition at Darlington will see most of both fields don unique schemes to honor the past. For many NASCAR fans, this weekend is one of the best due to the throwback theme. However, the throwback schemes work well when mixed with the old-school Darlington Raceway. NASCAR’s first “superspeedway”, Darlington is the perfect location to utilize the throwback idea. The track still gives off that old-school vibe, blending perfectly with a layout and racing surface that puts the strain on drivers. Darlington is certainly a driver’s track, where their skill is on display for the fans to enjoy. While fast equipment is still important, a great driver can elevate their car to competitiveness. Throwback Darlington offers a great variety in terms of who to choose for this week’s Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch.
Since 2020, only 3 drivers have won multiple times at Darlington Raceway. For the Cup Series, their only representative there is Denny Hamlin. However, no driver has won twice at Darlington in the Gen7 car. Plus, there have been a couple of surprise winners throw in. While that has been most reserved for the Southern 500, notable names have been in the mix in each throwback race. Meanwhile, the Xfinity Series has seen JR Motorsports be the dominate organization. Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson are the 2 Xfinity drivers to have won twice since 2020. More notable than that though is they are the only fulltime Xfinity drivers to win at Darlington since 2021. Cup Series regulars have won 3 of the past 4 Darlington Xfinity races. With 3 Cup drivers in the field, can a Xfinity regular pull the upset?
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Ross Chastain
Outside of his home state of Florida, 2025 has been a bounce back season thus far for Ross Chastain. After missing the playoffs, Chastain has rattled off 3 Top-10s and sits 13th in points. If you only look at the tracks away from the sunshine state, the Melon Man’s average finish is 8.4. While there have been questions about Trackhouse Racing’s performance, the 1 team has managed to answer those doubts with solid performances. Now, Chastain heads to one of his better tracks. Although the results might now show it, Darlington has been friendly to Ross Chastain.
Ironically, Ross Chastain’s best races at Lady in Black feature his 2 DNFs. Both of those races were during throwback weekend as well, where he led a combined 119 laps. The DNFs were the result of aggressive driving while fighting for the lead. That 2022 race is often cited where Chastain was reigned in as a driver. After tangling with Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports had a word with Justin Marks and Chastain. However, that tamer Chastain is seemingly wearing away as his aggressive driving style is appearing more often. If it has returned fully, expect a fast 1 car this weekend that will battle for the win. With Chastain near the front, there could be fireworks late as Chastain contends for the win.
Erik Jones
Fresh off a disqualification at Martinsville, Erik Jones will be looking to turn around his season at his best track. There has been plenty of dialogue around the downturn of Legacy Motor Club. Last year saw the team take another step back. In 2025, the 43 team has been off the mark again. That is more concerning as John Hunter Nemechek in the 42 looks improved thus far. Jones’ best finish this season is 15th at Homestead. Meanwhile, Nemechek has logged a Top-5 and 2 Top-10s. Plus, Nemechek sits 17th in points while Jones finds himself in familiar territory in 29th.
On the positive side, Darlington Raceway has been kind to Erik Jones in his career. He won the Southern 500 twice, including the first of the Gen7 era. Jones is the usual underdog pick for any Darlington race given his positive track record. However, that success mostly lives during Jones’ Joe Gibbs Racing days. Since joining Legacy Motor Club, the 43 driver only has 2 Top-10 finishes. After his 2022 win, Jones is averaging a 19.5 finish with a single lap led in 4 starts. In those 4 starts, twice has Jones finished off the lead lap. Maybe the struggling equipment is overmatching his talent at the track. However, Erik Jones is in need of a strong run this weekend.
Zane Smith
Rounding out the Cup Series Drivers to Watch this week is Zane Smith. Quietly, Smith is putting together a solid season. His average finish sits inside the Top-20, which is a 3.9 position improvement compared to his average last year. Since Daytona, Smith’s average finish on ovals is 14th with a Top-10 at Phoenix. His return to Front Row Motorsports should be seen as a positive thus far. Sitting only one spot behind teammate Todd Gilliland in points, the expectation would be to see Smith progress similarly to how he did last year. Although is overall numbers from 2024 look weak, Smith ended on a strong note with positive momentum heading into this year.
Heading to Darlington, Zane Smith has not found the most success at the track too tough to tame. While he only has 2 Cup Series starts, his 5 Truck Series races do not inspire a lot of confidence. In those 5 starts, Smith only managed 2 Top-10s while racing in top equipment. Neither of those Top-10s were better than 8th, which came in 2022. On the flip side, Ford has found solid speed at Darlington. Last year in this race, both RFK cars ran inside the Top-3 while 3 other Fords finished in the Top-10. This includes Michael McDowell. It should have included Todd Gilliland as well, but the pit crew struggled that day. Considering how the Fords ran in last year’s race, Zane Smith could be in for a career day at Darlington.
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Taylor Gray
Taylor Gray could have been entering Throwback Weekend with his first career Xfinity Series win. Unfortunately, Sammy Smith had other intentions entering Turn 3 at Martinsville. Obviously, there will be plenty of attention paid to both Gray and Smith after that incident. It will likely be the central story of the pre-race coverage. For Gray, retaliation is not on his mind. Not because he forgives Smith, but due to the respect he has for JR Motorsports and no desire to tear up their stuff. That said, surely there will be a bumper given if there is an opportunity.
As for Darlington, Gray has limited experience at NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway. Between Xfinity and Trucks, he only has 3 starts. Between those 3 starts, Gray has only a single Top-10. Last year in this race, Gray drove for Joe Gibbs Racing and piloted the 19 car to a 18th place finish. Gray will need to perform better this weekend. Entering the weekend on a cold streak, Gray has not picked up a Top-10 since Phoenix. Granted, last week should have been a win but the result is what it is. If Darlington is not a Top-10, that would mark 4 straight races without one.
Nick Sanchez
Thus far through 2025, it has been a mixed bag for rookie Nick Sanchez. Sanchez alternates good runs with bad results. Starting with the season opener at Daytona, every odd race sees Sanchez wreck out or either run near the rear. On even-numbered races, Sanchez picks up a Top-10. If the pattern holds, Darlington should see Sanchez pick up his 4th Top-10 of the season. Plus, Big Machine Racing has found moderate success in South Carolina over the past couple of seasons. With Parker Kligerman behind the wheel, the 48 machine finished in the Top-15 3 of the past 4 Darlington races.
As for Nick Sanchez, his last visit to the Lady in Black saw him finish second after qualifying on pole in the Truck Series. Despite the pole position, Sanchez failed to lead a single lap that race. Still, Sanchez managed to find himself in a position to steal a win on the final restart. His only other start at Darlington also saw a strong qualifying performance. Between his two Truck Series, his 2023 outing was the better run, as his average running position remained inside the Top-10. If anything, Sanchez will be one to watch during qualifying Saturday morning.
Leland Honeyman Jr
Back in the Cope Family Racing 70 car this week is Leland Honeyman Jr. Darlington will mark Honeyman’s 5th start of the 2025. Despite picking up a Top-10 in the second race of the season, it has been a struggle for Cope Family Racing. The team failed to qualify for COTA with Thomas Annunziata behind the wheel. On the non-superspeedways, the 70 car has not finished inside the Top-30. Meanwhile, Leland Honeyman Jr impressed in his one fulltime season with Young’s Motorsports. However, Darlington was not one of the tracks where that was the case. All that said, this is a good driver/team combination to follow this season.
One main reason to watch Honeyman this week is the great throwback scheme they are running. Paying homage to Jeff Green’s 2000 Nesquik paint scheme from his championship, the 70 car will noticeable on track. The yellow base of the scheme will certainly pop as the car rolls the highline around Darlington. Hopefully, the CW will pick up the back half of the field to highlight this beauty. Plus, maybe Honeyman will wheel this thing to the team’s first non-superspeedway Top-20.
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