Up Next: The Dodge Challenger 500, Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina. Saturday, May 10, 2008, 7:20 PM EDT, 4:20 PM PDT. Broadcast on FOX-TV with Mike Joy, Larry Mc Reynolds and Darrell Waltrip. Radio broadcast on MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Track Facts: The “Dark Lady” is a 1.366 mile oval track with 23 to 25 degree banking in the turns, plus 3 degrees of banking on the front stretch and 2 on the back stretch. The track is shaped like a tear drop on it’s side, with one side a bit narrower, because a local land owner refused to sell a part of his lot to build the race track. Grand stand seating holds 63,000 fans.

The first race at Darlington ran on September 4, 1950. Johnny Mantz won it in a Plymouth on truck tires. Apparently the surface was rough and though Mantz was slower running car, he made it by going with tires meant for trucks. NASCAR used to run two races a year until 2005- the Southern 500 and the Rebel 400- which would run on Labor Day weekend. Old school fans clamor to get that date back for racing here.

Track Records: David Pearson, “The Silver Fox” is the leading winner at Darlington with 10. Mark Martin has won 8 in the Nationwide Series, 1 in Cup competition. Jeff Gordon is the leading active winner with 6.

Pearson is the “Pole King” with 12. Ward Burton owns the fastest qualifying time at 173.797 m.p.h., a lap time of 28.295 seconds in March of 1996.

“The Intimidator”, Dale Earnhardt has run the fastest race in 3 hours, 34 minutes, and 55 seconds, on March 28, 1993.

The oldest winner was…..yes, it was Harry Gant. “Mr. September” began that magical 1991 run at this track in September, 1991 at the age of 51 years, 7 months, 22 days. The youngest winner? Terry Labonte (Bobby’s older brother) took the checkered flag at the age of 23 years, 9 months and 16 days in September of 1980.

15 caution flags came out in March of 1995. The fewest yellows? None came out September of 1963.

If you ask insiders, racing at Darlington requires discipline. The new surface will make for higher speeds like you’ll get at a super speedway, but it’s narrow, so the passes have to be fast. Small wonder that a smooth racer like David Pearson was a big winner here. When names come up for who has the best chance of winning, names like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle come up. “The Biff” won two in a row in 2005 & 2006. It’s also not hard to imagine Jeff Burton or Ryan Newman making a good run.

One of NASCAR’s most memorable finishes occured here when Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch in a photo finish- .0002 seconds in 2003. David Pearson’s 1974 Rebel 500 finish was a big enough deal, you can catch on on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s T-V show ”Back In The Day.”

This track combines some of the best elements of speedway and short track racing. When we have action at Darlington, it’s big.

This race should not disappoint.

NASCAR Terminology- A NASCAR For Dummies Primer

Slingshot: Unfortunately, I won’t have the eye-pleasing visual like Tom Cruise did when he demonstrated “The Slingshot” on Nicole Kidman’s leg in “Days of Thunder.”  It’s a manuever in which a car following the leader in a draft suddenly steers around it, breaking the vacuum; this provides an extra burst of speed that allows the second car to take take the lead.

Scuffs: Slang terms for tires that have been used at least once and saved for further racing. A lap or two is enough to “scuff” them in. Most often used in qualifying.

Stickers: Slang term for new tires. The name is derived from the manufacturer’s stickers that are affixed to each new tire’s contact surface.

Be sure to check me out later this week for the “Fearless Forecast” where I predict this Saturday’s winner. I’ll also weigh in before then with thoughts on the big buzz of the week- the Kyle Busch/ Dale Earnhardt Jr. incident last week at Richmond.

Until then- Keep it off the walls!

See ya! 

 

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