Critical Path Security 2026 5 Drivers to Watch: Darlington

Darlington Raceway awaits all three top NASCAR Series this weekend. While Throwback Weekend has been put on ice, plenty of teams are still choosing to honor some drivers and schemes from yesteryear. Fans can still get their fix of seeing some old paint schemes sprinkled through the field. Additionally, Darlington continues this early testing period of the season, especially for the Truck Series who returns this weekend. All three series will have to tackle the grind that is Darlington. For the Cup Series, the increased horsepower with low downforce could put on the best race of the Gen7 era at the track. Darlington has remained an entertaining venue with this new car, so an improvement to that racing in enticing. With the potential for great racing, who will be picked as the Critical Path Security 5 Drivers to Watch for Darlington?

Kaden Honeycutt

Replacing the driver who made history is never an easy feat. Kaden Honeycutt took over for Corey Heim in TRICON’s 11 truck. After that team scored 12 wins last year, the expectations are high for Honeycutt. Honeycutt, who impressed during his tenure with Niece Motorsports, could have the talent to somewhat live up to those expectations. Will he win 12 races this year? Most likely not, but he should be able to find his way to victory lane multiple times. Through 3 races, Honeycutt has picked up a Top-5 and 2 Top-10s. However, the start the Truck Series season was back-to-back superspeedways then racing on a street circuit for the first time. This weekend marks the true evaluation of Honeycutt in that 11 truck.

Friday night will mark Honeycutt’s third start at the Lady in Black. He picked up a Top-10 in his first start running for Young’s Motorsports while a late tire strategy play unraveled a potential Top-5 last year. There is no reason to expect Honeycutt not to be in the mix this weekend. His best competition though might be the old driver of the 11. Corey Heim will be making the start with TRICON’s 5 truck this weekend. The direct comparisons will be featured all race long. If Honeycutt can beat Heim in equal equipment, that should be a massive feather in his cap moving forward.

Timmy Hill

If there you are looking for a longshot driver to score a Top-10 this weekend on Friday night, look no further than Timmy Hill. Hill will be looking to make his 7th start at Darlington Raceway. If he his able to make the field, he will certainly be a threat to pick up his fourth Darlington Top-10. This is all while driving for his own underfunded team that struggled to make certain races throughout the seasons. This year already, Hill failed to qualify for the season opener at Daytona. Hill raced on the streets of St Petersburg, but that did not net a good result. Darlington should be the place for that.

Timmy Hill’s success at Darlington certainly reinforces the notion that Darlington rewards driving ability over the pure strength of the vehicle. For Hill to consistently Top-10 at this track, it proves that he knows how to ride the wall in his truck. Part of the strength for Hill is winning the war of attrition. Despite 3 Top-10s, the owner-driver has never qualified better than 21st. Keeping the fenders on and handling tire wear have been the key to Hill’s Top-10s. Make sure to watch him Friday night (if he makes the race).

Parker Retzlaff

So far, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has not included much surprise. JR Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and Haas Factory Team lead the way. Despite two superspeedways and a road course, there has been no surprise winner nor do the standings offer much variation. However, there is one noticeable driver featured inside the Top-10: Parker Retzlaff. Sitting ninth in points, Retzlaff with Vikings Motorsports has started the season off right. His lone finish outside the Top-15 was at COTA, which would be blamed on sway bar issues. Heading into Darlington, Retzlaff could continue his strong start and solidify his place in the points.

Parker Retzlaff’s career at Darlington has been underwhelming thus far. To be fair, he has never driven in top equipment in the O’Reilly Series. That said, Darlington is a driver’s track where skill can help bridge the gap of equipment. Retzlaff has never finished better than 13th, but his worst results arrived due to getting caught up in wrecks. If Retzlaff can keep his car clean, he should be able to put himself in position to nab another Top-15 on the season.

John Hunter Nemechek

Usually if you are considering a Legacy Motor Club driver to run well at Darlington, it would be Erik Jones. Afterall, the LMC driver has two Southern 500 wins and scored a Top-5 last year at the track. However, Jones is not the choice to be highlighted this week. Instead, the focus will go to his teammate: John Hunter Nemechek. The last time that the Cup Series raced at Darlington, Nemechek joined his teammate inside the Top-5 throughout the race. Finishing fourth, the LMC driver picked up his first Top-5 at the track and his first Top-10 since his first in 2020.

While seeing both Legacy Motor Club entries running near the front at any track is certainly a surprise, the 42 being there in the Southern 500 was a stunner. Although Nemechek picked up a Top-10 in his first race at Darlington, his average finish in the following 5 races was 31.4. This is why Nemechek is one to watch this weekend. Did something click during the Southern 500 or will it prove to be a one off?

Chris Buescher

When looking for takeaways from Las Vegas, there was not much that was unexpected. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports dominated the day, but Chris Buescher was the driver to break up the parade between the two teams. Flirting with a Top-5, Buescher finished sixth amongst the JGR/Hendrick contingent. It certainly proved to be a promising run for Buescher and RFK Racing, who had all 3 entries finish in the Top-11. With Buescher leading the charge, the next test will be to see how the Ford team stacks up to the top entries in South Carolina. Luckily for them, Darlington Raceway has been one of their best tracks in the Gen7 era.

Had it not been for Tyler Reddick’s dive bomb in the spring of 2024, Chris Buescher would enter this weekend with 6 straight Top-10s. The 17 team has been consistent at this track, with some key moments of race winning speed. The race where Reddick doored Buescher was eventually won by Brad Keselowski, but Buescher ran Top-5 all race. If the Las Vegas speed is an accurate representation of where the 17 stacks up, then it could be a strong day. RFK Racing already has found victory lane this year with Ryan Preece at The Clash. Maybe Darlington can be the place of their first points paying win of 2026. If it is Buescher, it would snap his winless streak that stretches back to Watkins Glen 2024.

Critical Path Security is a cyber security firm protecting clients in the United States and the world beyond. Founded in 2017, they are as dedicated as ever to providing coverage for their clients in numerous industries. Please give them a follow (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) and thank them for their continued sponsorship of the Critical Path Security Drivers to Watch series.