CP MOTORSPORTS - SOUTHERN 500; DARLINGTON NOTEBOOK
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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK: NO TIME FOR CAUTION
PIT STOP PUTS CARL IN VICTORY LANE - Winning in NASCAR is a team sport. From the top executives all the way down to the pit crews. It's difficult to win if the chain is not strong, link by link.
Just ask Carl Edwards.
"Well, I feel like my pit crew ought to be sitting up here doing interviews," Edwards said. "They won that race for us. It was just amazing to come down third and to go out leading the race."
Edwards won the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway Sunday night thanks to a timely exchange of pit stops while under caution with ten laps to go. Edwards, driving the No. 19 Arris Toyota, beat then race leader Brad Keselowski off of pit road to take the lead for the race's final restart.
Edwards feels honored to be amongst legends as the newest Southern 500 champion.
"I feel like it's an honor to drive here," Edwards said. "Tonight just was really special for a number of reasons, not just because it's the Southern 500 but because of how well my crew worked on pit road, how well (crew chief) Darian (Grubb) called the race. We came back, we didn't quit. All the people, like (car owner) Coach (Joe Gibbs) said, from ARRIS. This whole deal, this fourth team, a lot of people really had a lot of faith in me and Coach and Darian to come on board and do this, and so a win like this is really special, especially leading into the Chase. This is what we needed. We just needed a shot in the arm and needed to have a good night like this. All over it's cool.
"I hope I never forget those last 25 laps. That was really fun and the restart was fun, but truly racing with Brad and Kevin was a blast. I really had a good time."
Edwards held off a ferocious initial attack from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin to cruise to his second victory of the season. But it wasn't always sunshine and butterflies for Edwards as flat right front tire saw the NASCAR veteran go as many as two laps down earlier in the race.
Pole winner Brad Keselowski led 196 laps but couldn't catch up to Edwards during the race's final green flag run. Keselowski salvaged a second place finish with a late pass of third place finisher Denny Hamlin.
In a race which saw a record 18 cautions, Keselowski admitted he couldn't get in a rhythm.
"Long race, long night," Keselowski said. "We led a lot of laps which is something to be very appreciative of and we obviously started on the pole and that was great. It seemed like one of those races that kept cycling with yellows and pit stops, yellows and pit stops. I don't know how many yellows there were, I don't know if I've ever drove a Sprint Cup race with this many yellows before. A lot of yellows and a lot of back and forth there and we just came up short at the end, which was a bummer."
Joey Logano led 29 laps brought home a fourth place finish while defending Southern 500 winner Kevin Harvick led 44 laps and finished in the fifth spot. Kurt Busch recovered from a late race spin after apparent contact with Martin Truex, Jr, to finish in sixth place.
Kyle Busch finished in seventh place; the finish officially clinched Busch's spot in NASCAR's Chase for the Championship.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr, took the checkered flag in eighth place with Martin Truex, Jr, and Kyle Larson rounding out the top ten.
Seven-time Darlington winner Jeff Gordon finished 16th in what is expected to be his last race at The Lady in Black.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 25
Unofficial Race Results for the 66Th Annual Bojangles' Southern 500 -
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Darlington Raceway - Darlington, SC - 1.366 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 367 Laps - 501.322 Miles - Purse: $5,762,276
Leader
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Driver Rating Winnings Status Tms Laps
1 13 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 367 47 4 106.0 $279,625 Running 3 15
2 1 2 Brad Keselowski Miller High Life Ford 367 44 2 137.4 $252,981 Running 6 196
3 6 11 Denny Hamlin Sport Clips Toyota 367 42 1 114.7 $180,915 Running 3 57
4 4 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 367 41 1 118.1 $182,073 Running 2 29
5 3 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet 367 40 1 123.6 $175,190 Running 4 44
6 2 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 367 39 1 116.4 $133,365 Running 2 7
7 10 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Crispy Toyota 367 38 1 96.8 $149,731 Running 1 3
8 26 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Valvoline Chevrolet 367 36 91.6 $120,165 Running
9 7 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 367 35 106.6 $129,660 Running
10 16 42 Kyle Larson Mello Yello Chevrolet 367 35 1 99.6 $128,873 Running 1 3
11 11 43 Aric Almirola STP Ford 367 33 85.2 $137,141 Running
12 15 5 Kasey Kahne HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet 367 33 1 78.9 $112,935 Running 1 2
13 23 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 367 31 78.3 $130,635 Running
14 20 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's/Cessna Chevrolet 367 30 81.3 $127,726 Running
15 17 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 367 30 1 91.0 $125,249 Running 1 10
16 5 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet 367 28 96.8 $140,571 Running
17 28 15 Clint Bowyer Buddy Baker Tribute Toyota 367 27 71.1 $129,493 Running
18 24 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 367 26 75.1 $126,018 Running
19 19 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 367 25 80.3 $137,996 Running
20 31 40 Landon Cassill(i) #Snap Honor Chevrolet 367 0 60.7 $93,710 Running
21 14 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 367 23 73.6 $134,996 Running
22 29 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 367 22 62.8 $128,846 Running
23 34 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/House-Autry Chevrolet 367 21 54.0 $124,018 Running
24 35 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 367 20 49.9 $106,818 Running
25 25 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Cosmo Motors Toyota 367 19 50.1 $105,613 Running
26 12 27 Paul Menard Moen/Menards Chevrolet 367 18 59.3 $97,255 Running
27 38 38 David Gilliland Love's Travel Stops Ford 367 18 1 42.7 $108,213 Running 1 1
28 33 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Winn Dixie Ford 367 16 58.5 $114,200 Running
29 32 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 366 15 53.2 $105,202 Running
30 9 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Snap-on Tools Ford 366 0 66.6 $85,955 Running
31 41 23 Jeb Burton # Estes Toyota 364 13 34.9 $86,755 Running
32 42 33 Mike Bliss(i) Little Joe's Auto Chevrolet 363 0 35.5 $84,055 Running
33 27 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 354 11 39.6 $91,855 Running
34 36 26 JJ Yeley(i) Beds For Kids Toyota 348 0 33.8 $83,655 Running
35 18 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 342 9 52.0 $128,035 Running
36 40 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Ford 332 8 31.2 $83,360 Running
37 43 98 TJ Bell Premium Motorsports Ford 325 7 28.7 $83,138 Running
38 8 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cargill Ford 313 6 54.5 $86,348 Running
39 39 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 300 5 34.7 $74,285 Running
40 21 55 David Ragan Ol' Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 275 4 73.6 $97,499 Accident
41 22 25 Chase Elliott(i) NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 227 0 45.4 $66,285 Accident
42 30 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 190 2 39.3 $70,285 Accident
43 37 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford 5 1 23.5 $58,785 Accident
Race Comments: Carl Edwards won the Bojangles' Southern 500, his 25th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory and first at Darlington Raceway. Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: No. 10 (backup car) and No. 25 (rear gear change).
Failed to Qualify: (3) 32 Josh Wise, 62 Timmy Hill(i), 30 Travis Kvapil(i).
Time of Race: 04 Hrs, 28 Mins, 35 Secs. Average Speed: 111.993 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.902 Seconds
Caution Flags: 18 for 89 laps: Laps: 8-13 (#25, 34 and 35 Accident on the backstretch [None]); 46-50 (#31 Accident in Turn 4 [47]); 62-65 (Debris on the frontstretch [16]); 110-114 (#46 Accident in Turn 2 [40]); 121-124 (#33 Accident in Turn 4 [13]); 126-132 (#26, 33 and 46 Accident on the backstretch [83]); 134-138 (#22 and 48 Accident in Turn 4 [10]); 166-169 (#6 Accident on the backstretch [47]); 190-194 (#10 Accident iin Turn 4 [5]); 199-202 (#17 Accident in Turn 4 [6]); 208-211 (#16 Accident in Turn 2 [19]); 229-237 (#25 Accident in Turn 1 [20]); 247-251 (#6 Accident in Turn 3 [38]); 266-269 (#55 Accident in Turn 4 [38]); 279-282 (#55 and 27 Accident on the frontstretch [None]); 301-305 (Debris on the frontstretch [7]); 308-312 (#41 and #78 Accident in Turn 4 [7]); 356-359 (#23 Spin in Turn 1 [48]).
Lead Changes: 24 among 11 drivers: B. Keselowski 1-62; C. Edwards 63-65; K. Kahne 66-67; D. Hamlin 68-109; K. Harvick 110; D. Hamlin 111-117; B. Keselowski 118-137; K. Harvick 138-139; B. Keselowski 140-193; Kurt Busch 194; B. Keselowski 195-202; Kurt Busch 203-208; K. Larson 209-211; T. Stewart 212-221; D. Hamlin 222-229; K. Harvick 230-247; J. Logano 248-266; Kyle Busch 267-269; J. Logano 270-279; K. Harvick 280-302; D. Gilliland 303; B. Keselowski 304-344; C. Edwards 345; B. Keselowski 346-356; C. Edwards 357-367.
Chase Grid Outlook: 1.J. Johnson 817 (4 wins);2.KyBusch 471 (4)3.J. Logano 906 (3);4.M. Kenseth 776 (3);5.K. Harvick 948 (2);6.D. Earnhardt Jr. 855 (2);7.Ku.Busch 752 (2);8.C. Edwards 713 (2);9.B. Keselowski 837 (1);10.M. Truex Jr. 806 (1);11.D. Hamlin 754 (1);12.J. Mcmurray 726 (0);13.R. Newman 714 (0);14.J. Gordon 700 (0);15.P. Menard 692 (0);16.C. Bowyer 682 (0)
3M Lap Leader : Denny Hamlin, #11 57 Laps American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award : Joey Logano, #22
Coors Light Pole Award : Brad Keselowski, #2 178.874 mph Duralast Brakes "Brake in the Race" : Brad Keselowski, #2
Ingersoll Rand Power Move : Kurt Busch, #41 9 positions Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Roush-Yates Engines, #2
Mobil 1 Driver of the Race : Carl Edwards, #19 Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race : Carl Edwards, #19 crew chief Darian Grubb, 0.228 seconds
Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap : Matt Kenseth, #20 Sunoco Rookie of the Race : Matt DiBenedetto, #83
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Next Race: Sep. 12, 2015 - Richmond International Raceway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875
COMPETITORS PRIVY TO NASCAR'S AERO PACKAGE - It's no small task getting a majority of NASCAR competitors on the same page about anything -- just look at the restart rules.
But NASCAR has drawn a lot of praise from the drivers on the low downforce aerodynamics package which they used again, this time at Darlington.
The package which cuts the spoiler down almost in half from the 6-inch one to a 3.5-inch one. The package also downsizes the amount of spoiler overhang to 1.75 inches. New for Darlington, however, Goodyear brought a unique set of left and right side tires.
"That's what itís all about, weíre sliding cars, tires are falling off, this is the style of racing that I love," Race winner Carl Edwards said. "If there is any chance that we can run this (aero package) in the Chase, I hope we can do it."
The Southern 500 at Darlington showcased numerous green flag lead changes, 24 to be exact. While another race with this package earlier this season in Kentucky featured 22 passes.
Third place finisher Denny Hamlin didn't mince words following the race.
ìItís the package we need to run from now on," Hamlin said. "Itís unbelievable how much tire fall-off there is. Youíre sliding around, thereís more wrecks. Which is unusual but itís a good thing because guys are messing up. That happens every now and then in racing. Itís a lot of fun from our perspective and itís something that we can look forward to.î
ROWDY IS LOCKED AND LOADED - What seemed impossible back in February is now official.
Kyle Busch will be racing for a Sprint Cup championship as part of NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. Busch, who missed the first 11 events of the 2015 Sprint Cup season, finished in seventh in Sunday's Southern 500 along with his four wins earlier this season mathematically clinches his Chase spot.
ìMaking the Chase was something we werenít all sure was possible after my injuries,î Busch said. "Itís a great opportunity to be with these guys on this M&MíS Crispy team. Theyíre working really hard at Joe Gibbs Racing weíve got a lot of speed and I think all four cars have a really good shot at this championship.î
Busch's speedy recovery and ultimate success even stunned team owner Joe Gibbs.
"I think everything that happened to us at Daytona and then to bounce back in 11 weeks, I thought the odds were against us," Gibbs admitted. "And for him to be able to pull this off, win four times and get back in the Chase tonight. They had a great game plan, (crew chief) Adam (Stevens) and Kyle, and first up was to make sure they had enough points tonight that they didnít have to worry next week.
"I think that's also a great sports story. It was great for Kyle."
TRUEX SETTING THE MARK AT FURNITURE ROW RACING - Darlington Raceway is the stage for Furniture Row Racing's biggest triumph in NASCAR. Back in 2011 while driving for FRR, Regan Smith took the traditional matte black Chevrolet to victory lane in an upset for the ages.
Darlington hosted yet another major accomplishment by the single car team out of Denver, Colorado. Martin Truex, Jr, recorded a ninth place finish and in doing so set a team record for most top ten finishes in a single season with 17; just 25 races into the 2015 season.
"We lost the handling late in the race and went backwards," said Truex, "We were a top-five car all night and to come away ninth is disappointing. We just didn't have the grip at the end to run closer to the front. I would feel better about the team record had we finished in the top-five."
Truex, who sustained damage in the race, admitted the top ten was a disappointment because of how fast they were all night.
"We were in a survival mode at that stage of the race and managed to get one position back," Truex said. "There are times when you're ok with a top-10, but not tonight."
STP BRINGS TOGETHER '72 CHAMPIONS - They don't call him The King for nothing.
Richard Petty had a multitude of amazing seasons but 1972 is one he won't ever forget. Petty went to victory lane 8 times, recorded 25 top five finishes and had an average finish of 4.7. But more importanly Petty will never forget the crew which helped get him there.
"You have to figure back then we had eight or ten people, that was motor room and everything," Petty said. "One car. A good season, we'd have two cars. They did everything, they worked on the car, they painted the car, they changed gears, they built gears, they did everything and then they went to the track and pitted the car. It wasn't a deal where you had an engineer for this and an engineer for that. Everyone of them could do anything on the car so I guess that's what was good.
Petty says he was just a hired gun but confidence was mutually exuded from the team.
"I look around and look at these guys and I think, 'You mean to tell me these guys put a race car together to win a race?'. But they did a heck of a job. I just drove the car. They did all the work. If the cars don't finish the race then I don't win but they had a lot of confidence in me driving the car and I had all the confidence in the world in them doing the car. I never worried about pieces falling off of it or having any trouble with it. I knew when we made a pit stop our pit stops were going to be as good as anybody elses. This was a complete crew."
BOBBY ALLISON: "THIS RACE BELONGS HERE, ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND"- Not only is NASCAR celebrating a throwback weekend with retro paint schemes, facial hair and outfits it's also returning the Southern 500 to it's traditional date on the schedule of Labor Day weekend.
For the first time since 2003, the Southern 500 weekend coincides with the unofficial end of Summer and for NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, it's a welcome sight.
"This race belongs here on Labor Day weekend," Allison said. "We went through lots of them. I won in four different brands of cars but also four different car owners which was kind of an indication that I could race pretty good but I couldn't keep a job. Other than that I had a lot of good times here and I'm just really, really glad to see this thing like it is."
Brad Keselowski's No. 2 Miller High Life Ford, which will start from the pole, is a tribute to Allison who once won at Darlington while driving for Roger Penske.
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - TRY TO TAME THE LADY IN BLACK
HAMLIN RUNS AWAY WITH ANOTHER NXS WIN - Denny Hamlin used a fast car and timely strategy to make sure the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 from Darlington Raceway was not a contest.
Hamlin, who started from the top spot, led 117 of the race's 147 laps en route to his third Xfinity series win on the season and his fourth win in the series at Darlington. The win also marks the third time this season which Hamlin has won the pole and the race.
In a familiar turn of events, the other front running drivers were Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. Kyle Busch, who started in 36th place due to an error in qualifying, finished in the runner up spot with rookie sensation Daniel Suarez finishing in third place.
With the third place finish, Suarez won in this round of Xfinity's Dash4Cash program.
Kevin Harvick, driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports, brought home a fourth place finish with Chris Buescher finishing in fifth place.
Buescher was able to extend his stranglehold on the Xfinity points lead to 29 points over defending series champion Chase Elliott, who suffered from engine issues and had to settle for a 24th place finish.
Joey Logano finished in sixth place with Kyle Larson, Landon Cassill, Regan Smith and Ross Chastain rounding out the race's top ten.
Race Results
Darlington Raceway
33rd Annual VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200
UNOFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics Saturday, 9/5/2015 @ 5:30 PM Eastern UNOFFICIAL
Fin Str Car Driver Team Lap Pts BPts Status TLd LLd
1 1 20 Denny Hamlin(i) Sport Clips Toyota 147 0 Running 4 117
2 36 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota 147 0 Running
3 2 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 147 42 1 Running 1 14
4 9 88 Kevin Harvick(i) Armour Sandwich Creations Chevrolet 147 0 Running 3 16
5 10 60 Chris Buescher AdvoCare Ford 147 39 Running
6 4 22 Joey Logano(i) Hertz Ford 147 0 Running
7 3 42 Kyle Larson(i) AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 147 0 Running
8 19 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 147 36 Running
9 8 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer Bowl Chevrolet 147 35 Running
10 14 4 Ross Chastain # South Carolina Education Lottery Chevrolet 147 34 Running
11 24 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 147 33 Running
12 12 2 Brian Scott Safeway/Sanderson Farms Chevrolet 146 32 Running
13 6 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 146 31 Running
14 15 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Scotchman Ford 146 30 Running
15 13 3 Ty Dillon Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet 146 29 Running
16 11 28 JJ Yeley JGL Racing Toyota 146 28 Running
17 18 39 Ryan Sieg Uncle Bob's Self Storage Chevrolet 146 27 Running
18 26 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 146 26 Running
19 21 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 146 25 Running
20 16 51 Jeremy Clements AllSouthElectric.com/RprblVhcls.com Chev 145 24 Running
21 20 97 Parker Kligerman VroomBrands Chevrolet 145 23 Running
22 25 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 145 22 Running
23 17 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 145 21 Running
24 7 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 144 20 Running
25 5 33 Paul Menard(i) Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 144 0 Running
26 23 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 144 0 Running
27 22 8 Blake Koch LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota 143 17 Running
28 33 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 142 16 Running
29 28 90 Todd Bodine Chevrolet 141 15 Running
30 32 52 Joey Gase Agri Supply/DB Sales Company Chevrolet 141 14 Running
31 31 13 BJ McLeod(i) Braille Battery/Grafoid Chevrolet 138 0 Running
32 30 70 Derrike Cope Sammi's Best/Wheel Chill Chevrolet 134 12 Running
33 35 0 Harrison Rhodes # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 83 11 Vibration
34 38 74 Mike Harmon WCI Parts Dodge 82 10 Suspension
35 34 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 34 9 Brakes
36 27 26 TJ Bell(i) JGL Racing Toyota 23 0 Clutch
37 37 15 Carlos Contreras BYBExtreme.com Chevrolet 10 7 Accident
38 29 19 Jeff Green TriStar Motorsports Toyota 6 6 Suspension
39 39 40 Carl Long Braille Battery/Grafoid Dodge 4 5 Suspension
40 40 17 Ryan Ellis(i) Barcodemedia.net Ford 1 PE Suspension
# = Rookie, Fin = Finish, Str = Start, Pts = Total Points, BPs = Lap Leader Bns Pts, TLd = Times Led, LLd = Laps Led. (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Average Speed: 141.355 MPH Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 25 Mins, 14 Secs. Margin of Victory: 2.058 Seconds
Lead Changes: 7 among 3 drivers Cautions: 2 for 8 laps
QUALIFYING BELONGS TO BAD BRAD - It's been a while since Roger Penske has been to victory lane as an owner at Darlington. In fact, it's been 40 years now since Bobby Allison swept the races at The Lady in Black while driving for Penske.
Brad Keselowski took a big step towards ending this drought for his legendary car owner.
Channelling his inner Allison, Keselowski put down a lap of 27.492 seconds with an average speed of 178.874 mph to put his Bobby Allison themed No. 2 Ford on the pole for Sunday's Southern 500. It's Keselowski's first pole of the 2015 season and ninth pole of his Sprint Cup career.
Kurt Busch qualified in second place; the fifth time Busch has started from the front row this season.
Defending Southern 500 champion Kevin Harvick will roll of in third place with Joey Logano starting in fourth place. Seven-time Darlington winner Jeff Gordon grabbed the fifth starting spot in what is expected to be his final start at the South Carolina track.
Denny Hamlin, who won the pole for Saturday's Xfinity race, will start in the sixth spot with Martin Truex, Jr, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Busch rounding out the top ten for Sunday's showdown.
Danica Patrick appeared to hit the wall in the first round of qualifying and is expected to go to a backup car. Josh Wise, Timmy Hill and Travis Kvapil all missed the cut and did not qualify for Sunday's race.
Starting Line Up by Row
Darlington Raceway
66th Annual Bojangles' Southern 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, September 05, 2015 @ 02:45 PM Eastern
Driver Date Time Speed
Track Race Record: Matt Kenseth 05/11/13 03:32:45 141.383
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
Row 1: 1 2 Brad Keselowski Miller High Life Ford 27.492 178.874
2 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 27.691 177.588
Row 2: 3 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet 27.718 177.415
4 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 27.733 177.319
Row 3: 5 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet 27.753 177.192
6 11 Denny Hamlin Sport Clips Toyota 27.798 176.905
Row 4: 7 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 27.807 176.848
8 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cargill Ford 27.835 176.670
Row 5: 9 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Snap-on Tools Ford 27.910 176.195
10 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Crispy Toyota 27.929 176.075
Row 6: 11 43 Aric Almirola STP Ford 27.947 175.962
12 27 Paul Menard Moen/Menards Chevrolet 28.053 175.297
Row 7: 13 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 27.703 177.511
14 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 27.749 177.217
Row 8: 15 5 Kasey Kahne HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet 27.751 177.204
16 42 Kyle Larson Mello Yello Chevrolet 27.762 177.134
Row 9: 17 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 27.776 177.045
18 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 27.781 177.013
Row 10: 19 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 27.805 176.860
20 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's/Cessna Chevrolet 27.851 176.568
Row 11: 21 55 David Ragan Ol' Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 27.899 176.264
22 25 Chase Elliott(i) NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 27.922 176.119
Row 12: 23 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 27.950 175.943
24 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 32.037 153.498
Row 13: 25 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Cosmo Motors Toyota 27.730 177.339
26 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Valvoline Chevrolet 27.783 177.000
Row 14: 27 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 27.783 177.000
28 15 Clint Bowyer Buddy Baker Tribute Toyota 27.828 176.714
Row 15: 29 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 27.833 176.682
30 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 27.844 176.613
Row 16: 31 40 Landon Cassill(i) #Snap Honor Chevrolet 27.847 176.594
32 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 27.860 176.511
Row 17: 33 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Winn Dixie Ford 27.882 176.372
34 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/House-Autry Chevrolet 27.918 176.144
Row 18: 35 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 27.937 176.025
36 26 JJ Yeley(i) Beds For Kids Toyota 27.944 175.981
Row 19: 37 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford Owner Points
38 38 David Gilliland Love's Travel Stops Ford Owner Points
Row 20: 39 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet Owner Points
40 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Ford Owner Points
Row 21: 41 23 Jeb Burton # Estes Toyota Owner Points
42 33 Mike Bliss(i) Little Joe's Auto Chevrolet Owner Points
Row 22: 43 98 TJ Bell Premium Motorsports Ford Owner Points
Did Not Qualify: # 32 Josh Wise; # 62 Timmy Hill(i); # 30 Travis Kvapil(i).
Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs
Chevrolet 22 2 Toyota 9 0
Ford 12 1
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
VOTING SET TO OPEN FOR NMPA'S MOST POPULAR DRIVER AWARD - The National Motorsports Press Association and Sprint are partnering together once again to present the 2015 NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award.
Voting, which is determined solely by the fans, will open on Sunday, September 5th and closes on Sunday, November 22nd.
Fans can let their voices be heard on www.mostpopulardriver.com with limitations being set for one person per email address per day; votes can also be made via the NASCAR Mobile app on Android and itunes.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr, has won the award 12 years in a row.
"The Most Popular Driver Award is one of the NMPAís most significant awards," NMPA President Brian Nelson said "Iím very pleased to partner with Sprint again this year. We expect the 2015 vote to be one of the biggest yet."
HAMLIN SNAGS ANOTHER TOP SPOT IN XFINITY QUALIFYING - If there was a betting house in America where you could gamble on Xfinity series qualifying, the smart and obvious money would have to be laid down on any Joe Gibbs Racing driver.
Denny Hamlin actually won the pole for Saturday's Xfinity race by knocking his JGR teammate Daniel Suarez out of the top spot in knockout qualifying's final session.
Hamlin's run of 171.704 mph powered him to his fourth pole of the 2015 Xfinity season. It's also his fourth career pole in eight career Xfinity series starts at Darlington. Hamlin, who has already won twice in the Xfinity series this season, has won three times in the series at the 1.366 mile egg shaped oval.
Suarez's speed of 171.178 mph stood up well enough to lock him into the second starting spot in his first ever competition at Darlington. Kyle Larson grabbed the third starting spot with Joey Logano starting in fourth and Paul Menard rolling off in the fifth position.
Brendan Gaughan will start sixth with Chase Elliott, Regan Smith, Kevin Harvick and points leader Chris Buescher rounding out the top ten starters.
Elliott Sadler, who had a punctured tire following the first round of qualifying, did not attempt a run in the second round and will start in the 24th position.
Kyle Busch will roll off the starting grid in 36th place.
The former Darlington winner had his time disallowed by NASCAR the first time because of a blend-line violation. Busch appeared to come up on the track from pit road immediately instead of waiting for the designated blending area. Time then expired in the opening session before Busch could attempt another fast lap.
Time Trial Results
Darlington Raceway
33rd Annual VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, September 05, 2015 @ 12:37 PM Eastern
Driver Date Time Speed
Track Qualifying Record: Carl Edwards 05/09/08 27.784 176.994
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
Qualifying Round: 3
1 20 Denny Hamlin(i) Sport Clips Toyota 28.640 171.704 2 2 0.000 0.000
2 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 28.728 171.178 2 2 0.088 0.088
3 42 Kyle Larson(i) AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 28.763 170.970 2 2 0.123 0.035
4 22 Joey Logano(i) Hertz Ford 28.789 170.815 2 2 0.149 0.026
5 33 Paul Menard(i) Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 28.808 170.703 2 2 0.168 0.019
6 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 28.837 170.531 2 2 0.197 0.029
7 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.860 170.395 2 2 0.220 0.023
8 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer Bowl Chevrolet 28.873 170.318 2 2 0.233 0.013
9 88 Kevin Harvick(i) Armour Sandwich Creations Chevrolet 28.962 169.795 2 2 0.322 0.089
10 60 Chris Buescher AdvoCare Ford 28.970 169.748 2 3 0.330 0.008
11 28 JJ Yeley JGL Racing Toyota 29.147 168.717 2 2 0.507 0.177
12 2 Brian Scott Safeway/Sanderson Farms Chevrolet 29.153 168.682 2 3 0.513 0.006
Qualifying Round: 2
1 33 Paul Menard(i) Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 28.765 170.958 2 2 0.000 0.000
2 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 28.847 170.472 2 2 0.082 0.082
3 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 28.867 170.354 2 2 0.102 0.020
4 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.874 170.312 2 2 0.109 0.007
5 42 Kyle Larson(i) AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 28.886 170.242 2 2 0.121 0.012
6 20 Denny Hamlin(i) Sport Clips Toyota 28.915 170.071 3 4 0.150 0.029
7 88 Kevin Harvick(i) Armour Sandwich Creations Chevrolet 28.939 169.930 2 2 0.174 0.024
8 22 Joey Logano(i) Hertz Ford 28.994 169.608 2 2 0.229 0.055
9 60 Chris Buescher AdvoCare Ford 29.009 169.520 2 2 0.244 0.015
10 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer Bowl Chevrolet 29.020 169.456 2 2 0.255 0.011
11 28 JJ Yeley JGL Racing Toyota 29.141 168.752 2 2 0.376 0.121
12 2 Brian Scott Safeway/Sanderson Farms Chevrolet 29.144 168.735 2 2 0.379 0.003
13 3 Ty Dillon Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet 29.145 168.729 2 2 0.380 0.001
14 4 Ross Chastain # South Carolina Education Lottery Chevrolet 29.299 167.842 2 2 0.534 0.154
15 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Scotchman Ford 29.302 167.825 2 2 0.537 0.003
16 51 Jeremy Clements AllSouthElectric.com/RprblVhcls.com Chev 29.366 167.459 2 2 0.601 0.064
17 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 29.374 167.413 2 3 0.609 0.008
18 39 Ryan Sieg Uncle Bob's Self Storage Chevrolet 29.483 166.794 2 2 0.718 0.109
19 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 29.570 166.304 2 2 0.805 0.087
20 97 Parker Kligerman VroomBrands Chevrolet 29.575 166.276 2 2 0.810 0.005
21 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 29.634 165.945 2 2 0.869 0.059
22 8 Blake Koch LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota 29.682 165.676 2 2 0.917 0.048
23 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 29.849 164.749 2 2 1.084 0.167
24 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
Qualifying Round: 1
1 33 Paul Menard(i) Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 28.685 171.435 2 2 0.000 0.000
2 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 28.834 170.549 2 2 0.149 0.149
3 3 Ty Dillon Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet 28.837 170.531 2 2 0.152 0.003
4 42 Kyle Larson(i) AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 28.886 170.242 2 2 0.201 0.049
5 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.908 170.112 2 2 0.223 0.022
6 28 JJ Yeley JGL Racing Toyota 28.928 169.994 2 2 0.243 0.020
7 88 Kevin Harvick(i) Armour Sandwich Creations Chevrolet 28.977 169.707 2 2 0.292 0.049
8 60 Chris Buescher AdvoCare Ford 28.995 169.602 2 2 0.310 0.018
9 22 Joey Logano(i) Hertz Ford 29.032 169.386 2 2 0.347 0.037
10 20 Denny Hamlin(i) Sport Clips Toyota 29.032 169.386 2 2 0.347 0.000
11 2 Brian Scott Safeway/Sanderson Farms Chevrolet 29.034 169.374 2 2 0.349 0.002
12 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 29.063 169.205 2 2 0.378 0.029
13 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer Bowl Chevrolet 29.064 169.199 2 2 0.379 0.001
14 4 Ross Chastain # South Carolina Education Lottery Chevrolet 29.099 168.995 2 2 0.414 0.035
15 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Scotchman Ford 29.159 168.648 2 2 0.474 0.060
16 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 29.203 168.394 2 2 0.518 0.044
17 51 Jeremy Clements AllSouthElectric.com/RprblVhcls.com Chev 29.281 167.945 2 2 0.596 0.078
18 97 Parker Kligerman VroomBrands Chevrolet 29.414 167.186 2 3 0.729 0.133
19 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 29.623 166.006 2 2 0.938 0.209
20 39 Ryan Sieg Uncle Bob's Self Storage Chevrolet 29.634 165.945 2 2 0.949 0.011
21 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 29.649 165.861 2 2 0.964 0.015
22 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 29.652 165.844 5 5 0.967 0.003
23 8 Blake Koch LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota 29.702 165.565 2 2 1.017 0.050
24 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 29.705 165.548 2 5 1.020 0.003
25 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 29.762 165.231 2 5 1.077 0.057
26 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 29.799 165.026 5 5 1.114 0.037
27 26 TJ Bell(i) JGL Racing Toyota 29.828 164.865 5 5 1.143 0.029
28 90 Todd Bodine Chevrolet 29.830 164.854 6 7 1.145 0.002
29 19 Jeff Green TriStar Motorsports Toyota 30.291 162.345 2 2 1.606 0.461
30 70 Derrike Cope Sammi's Best/Wheel Chill Chevrolet 30.462 161.434 2 3 1.777 0.171
31 13 BJ McLeod(i) Braille Battery/Grafoid Chevrolet 30.515 161.154 2 2 1.830 0.053
32 52 Joey Gase Agri Supply/DB Sales Company Chevrolet 30.529 161.080 3 3 1.844 0.014
33 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 30.742 159.964 5 5 2.057 0.213
34 OP 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 30.785 159.740 3 3 2.100 0.043
35 OP 0 Harrison Rhodes # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 30.865 159.326 2 3 2.180 0.080
36 OP 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota 31.346 156.881 3 3 2.661 0.481
37 OP 15 Carlos Contreras BYBExtreme.com Chevrolet 31.375 156.736 5 13 2.690 0.029
38 OP 74 Mike Harmon WCI Parts Dodge 31.625 155.497 2 3 2.940 0.250
39 OP 40 Carl Long Braille Battery/Grafoid Dodge 31.638 155.433 3 3 2.953 0.013
40 17 Ryan Ellis(i) Barcodemedia.net Ford 34.032 144.499 5 6 5.347 2.394
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK: TIME TO EARN YOUR STRIPES
FORDS LEAD SOUTHERN 500 FINAL PRACTICE - The Ford Fusions have been real fast this weekend.
Friday evening's final Sprint Cup practice session was no different.
Brad Keselowski, sporting a scheme reminiscent of Bobby Allison, laid down the time to beat in the session. Keselowski put down a fast lap of 27.960 seconds and carried an average speed of 175.880 mph.
Behind Keselowski was the opening session's leader and two time Darlington Raceway winner Greg Biffle. His 27.984 second lap was laid down with an average speed of 175.729.
Kurt Busch, driving the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet, was the fastest Chevrolet in practice at third with fellow Chevrolet drivers Paul Menard being fourth fastest and Austin Dillon fifth quickest.
David Ragan led all Toyotas with the sessions sixth fastest run with Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr, Danica Patrick, and Martin Truex, Jr, rounding out the top ten.
Kasey Kahne once again led all the Hendrick Motorsports drivers with the session's 11th fastest run.
NSCS Final Practice
Darlington Raceway
66th Annual Bojangles' Southern 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, September 04, 2015 @ 06:26 PM Eastern
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
1 2 Brad Keselowski Miller High Life Ford 27.960 175.880 60 60 ---.--- ---.---
2 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 27.984 175.729 31 31 -0.024 -0.024
3 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 27.985 175.723 45 47 -0.025 -0.001
4 27 Paul Menard Moen/Menards Chevrolet 28.023 175.484 35 35 -0.063 -0.038
5 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 28.028 175.453 38 38 -0.068 -0.005
6 55 David Ragan Ol' Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 28.116 174.904 46 46 -0.156 -0.088
7 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 28.117 174.898 54 56 -0.157 -0.001
8 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cargill Ford 28.132 174.804 22 22 -0.172 -0.015
9 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 28.175 174.538 29 29 -0.215 -0.043
10 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 28.210 174.321 38 40 -0.250 -0.035
11 5 Kasey Kahne HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet 28.222 174.247 24 26 -0.262 -0.012
12 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 28.252 174.062 43 43 -0.292 -0.030
13 43 Aric Almirola STP Ford 28.261 174.007 30 32 -0.301 -0.009
14 11 Denny Hamlin Sport Clips Toyota 28.264 173.988 3 52 -0.304 -0.003
15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Valvoline Chevrolet 28.265 173.982 34 36 -0.305 -0.001
16 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 28.271 173.945 44 46 -0.311 -0.006
17 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 28.283 173.871 48 48 -0.323 -0.012
18 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 28.302 173.755 30 30 -0.342 -0.019
19 25 Chase Elliott(i) NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.380 173.277 29 29 -0.420 -0.078
20 40 Landon Cassill(i) #Snap Honor Chevrolet 28.417 173.051 37 37 -0.457 -0.037
21 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet 28.444 172.887 37 53 -0.484 -0.027
22 42 Kyle Larson Mello Yello Chevrolet 28.455 172.820 3 47 -0.495 -0.011
23 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 28.470 172.729 29 31 -0.510 -0.015
24 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Winn Dixie Ford 28.471 172.723 38 40 -0.511 -0.001
25 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/House-Autry Chevrolet 28.483 172.650 40 40 -0.523 -0.012
26 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Cosmo Motors Toyota 28.519 172.432 22 22 -0.559 -0.036
27 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's/Cessna Chevrolet 28.522 172.414 3 56 -0.562 -0.003
28 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 28.523 172.408 34 34 -0.563 -0.001
29 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 28.528 172.378 25 25 -0.568 -0.005
30 32 Josh Wise CorvetteParts.net/BeerFrost.com Ford 28.564 172.161 19 19 -0.604 -0.036
31 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 28.567 172.143 31 31 -0.607 -0.003
32 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 28.593 171.986 4 29 -0.633 -0.026
33 15 Clint Bowyer Buddy Baker Tribute Toyota 28.596 171.968 32 32 -0.636 -0.003
34 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 28.639 171.710 62 73 -0.679 -0.043
35 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Crispy Toyota 28.643 171.686 3 53 -0.683 -0.004
36 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet 28.710 171.285 37 48 -0.750 -0.067
37 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford 28.747 171.065 21 27 -0.787 -0.037
38 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Snap-on Tools Ford 28.767 170.946 34 55 -0.807 -0.020
39 38 David Gilliland Love's Travel Stops Ford 28.859 170.401 38 38 -0.899 -0.092
40 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Ford 28.877 170.295 40 40 -0.917 -0.018
41 30 Travis Kvapil(i) Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet 29.001 169.567 1 5 -1.041 -0.124
42 23 Jeb Burton # Estes Toyota 29.029 169.403 24 25 -1.069 -0.028
43 98 TJ Bell Premium Motorsports Ford 29.163 168.625 18 21 -1.203 -0.134
44 62 Timmy Hill(i) ChampionMachinery.com Chevrolet 29.173 168.567 2 7 -1.213 -0.010
45 26 JJ Yeley(i) Beds For Kids Toyota 29.218 168.307 21 40 -1.258 -0.045
46 33 Mike Bliss(i) Little Joe's Auto Chevrolet 30.083 163.468 15 20 -2.123 -0.865
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 4 Kevin Harvick 36 45 170.767
2 14 Tony Stewart 62 71 169.660
3 11 Denny Hamlin 40 49 169.569
4 1 Jamie McMurray 40 49 169.431
5 78 Martin Truex Jr. 22 31 169.270
6 42 Kyle Larson 34 43 169.183
7 24 Jeff Gordon 37 46 169.173
8 2 Brad Keselowski 39 48 169.093
9 41 Kurt Busch 28 37 168.787
10 18 Kyle Busch 34 43 168.561
11 21 Ryan Blaney(i) 34 43 168.282
12 22 Joey Logano 25 34 168.146
13 19 Carl Edwards 1 10 167.884
14 20 Matt Kenseth 22 31 167.709
15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 21 30 167.667
16 27 Paul Menard 21 30 167.658
17 31 Ryan Newman 6 15 167.359
18 55 David Ragan 24 33 167.345
19 3 Austin Dillon 18 27 166.694
20 9 Sam Hornish Jr. 19 28 166.593
21 15 Clint Bowyer 1 10 166.367
22 47 AJ Allmendinger 20 29 166.356
23 13 Casey Mears 15 24 165.551
24 7 Alex Bowman 1 10 164.388
* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
FAMILIAR NAMES ATOP XFINITY PRACTICE CHARTS - If Joey Logano and Kyle Busch are entered in the weekend's Xfinity series race, there's a good chance you will find them at or near the front of the field.
Friday's final Xfinity practice session was no exception to the rule. Logano led all drivers by putting down a blazing fast lap of 29.504 seconds at 166.676 mph.
Logano narrowly edged out the time set by Kyle Busch's No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota. Busch's lap of 29.510 seconds at 166.642 mph was quick enough for second place in the session.
Ty Dillon led all the Xfinity series regulars with a lap of 29.688 seconds at 165.643 mph, good enough for third place in the session. Kyle Larson was fourth fastest with Daniel Suarez in his first ever trip to Darlington being the session's fifth fastest driver.
Paul Menard, who won last weekend at Road America, was the sixth fastest in final practice with Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top ten.
NXS Final Practice
Darlington Raceway
33rd Annual VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, September 04, 2015 @ 04:27 PM Eastern
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
1 22 Joey Logano(i) Hertz Ford 29.504 166.676 2 28 ---.--- ---.---
2 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota 29.510 166.642 11 42 -0.006 -0.006
3 3 Ty Dillon Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet 29.688 165.643 29 50 -0.184 -0.178
4 42 Kyle Larson(i) AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 29.884 164.556 2 38 -0.380 -0.196
5 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 29.902 164.457 3 14 -0.398 -0.018
6 33 Paul Menard(i) Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 29.947 164.210 9 39 -0.443 -0.045
7 20 Denny Hamlin(i) Sport Clips Toyota 29.949 164.199 17 33 -0.445 -0.002
8 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 29.962 164.128 3 60 -0.458 -0.013
9 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 29.963 164.122 23 47 -0.459 -0.001
10 88 Kevin Harvick(i) Armour Sandwich Creations Chevrolet 29.999 163.925 5 48 -0.495 -0.036
11 2 Brian Scott Safeway/Sanderson Farms Chevrolet 30.056 163.615 21 48 -0.552 -0.057
12 28 JJ Yeley JGL Racing Toyota 30.073 163.522 2 42 -0.569 -0.017
13 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer Bowl Chevrolet 30.173 162.980 2 41 -0.669 -0.100
14 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 30.203 162.818 3 20 -0.699 -0.030
15 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Scotchman Ford 30.227 162.689 45 65 -0.723 -0.024
16 60 Chris Buescher AdvoCare Ford 30.289 162.356 9 32 -0.785 -0.062
17 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 30.374 161.902 25 52 -0.870 -0.085
18 51 Jeremy Clements AllSouthElectric.com/RprblVhcls.com Chev 30.448 161.508 29 32 -0.944 -0.074
19 39 Ryan Sieg Uncle Bob's Self Storage Chevrolet 30.472 161.381 3 43 -0.968 -0.024
20 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 30.512 161.169 4 45 -1.008 -0.040
21 97 Parker Kligerman VroomBrands Chevrolet 30.571 160.858 35 35 -1.067 -0.059
22 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 30.595 160.732 2 27 -1.091 -0.024
23 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 30.627 160.564 7 32 -1.123 -0.032
24 4 Ross Chastain # South Carolina Education Lottery Chevrolet 30.727 160.042 4 35 -1.223 -0.100
25 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 30.944 158.919 3 30 -1.440 -0.217
26 8 Blake Koch LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota 30.945 158.914 2 17 -1.441 -0.001
27 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 31.002 158.622 5 27 -1.498 -0.057
28 26 TJ Bell(i) JGL Racing Toyota 31.231 157.459 2 13 -1.727 -0.229
29 90 Todd Bodine Chevrolet 31.400 156.611 7 26 -1.896 -0.169
30 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 31.406 156.582 30 48 -1.902 -0.006
31 52 Joey Gase Agri Supply/DB Sales Company Chevrolet 31.615 155.546 3 4 -2.111 -0.209
32 13 BJ McLeod(i) Braille Battery/Grafoid Chevrolet 32.034 153.512 8 17 -2.530 -0.419
33 70 Derrike Cope Sammi's Best/Wheel Chill Chevrolet 32.120 153.101 5 11 -2.616 -0.086
34 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 32.309 152.205 3 9 -2.805 -0.189
35 74 M. Harmon / R. Ellis(i) WCI Parts Dodge 32.489 151.362 19 24 -2.985 -0.180
36 15 Carlos Contreras BYBExtreme.com Chevrolet 34.833 141.176 4 4 -5.329 -2.344
37 19 Jeff Green TriStar Motorsports Toyota 67.538 72.812 1 1 -38.034 -32.705
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 33 Paul Menard(i) 9 18 162.967
2 20 Denny Hamlin(i) 16 25 162.788
3 88 Kevin Harvick(i) 29 38 162.605
4 1 Elliott Sadler 35 44 161.902
5 2 Brian Scott 20 29 161.707
6 9 Chase Elliott 30 39 161.458
7 7 Regan Smith 27 36 161.032
8 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # 43 52 160.477
9 60 Chris Buescher 19 28 159.528
10 3 Ty Dillon 39 48 159.121
11 62 Brendan Gaughan 11 20 158.897
12 97 Parker Kligerman 7 16 157.101
13 16 Ryan Reed 42 51 156.939
14 24 Eric McClure 8 17 153.383
* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
THE BIFF FASTEST IN FRIDAY'S EARLY NSCS PRACTICE SESSION - 2015 hasn't been the best of years for Roush-Fenway Racing's Sprint Cup program and veteran driver Greg Biffle but Friday's opening Southern 500 practice session belonged to The Biff.
Biffle behind the wheel of his familiar No. 16 Ortho Ford navigated around the trick 1.366 egg shaped oval in just 27.909 seconds at an average speed of 176.201-- over one and a half miles per hour faster than his next closest competitor.
The next closest competitor for Biffle was Kurt Busch who took part in one of Darlington Raceway and NASCAR's most storied finishes back in 2003 while driving for Roush-Fenway Racing. Busch laid down a lap of 27.966 seconds at an average speed of 175.842 mph.
Busch's Stewart-Haas Racing bossman Tony Stewart laid down the third fastest lap in the practice session followed by his SHR teammate Kevin Harvick in fourth place.
Biffle's former Roush-Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards was the session's fifth fastest driver.
Fresh of his Xfinity win at Road America last Sunday, Paul Menard put down the sixth fastest lap in the session followed by Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski.
Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt, Jr, were the fastest of the Hendrick Motorsports stable at 11th and 12th, respectively.
NSCS Practice 1
Darlington Raceway
66th Annual Bojangles' Southern 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, September 04, 2015 @ 01:32 PM Eastern
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
1 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 27.909 176.201 2 38 ---.--- ---.---
2 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 27.966 175.842 3 45 -0.057 -0.057
3 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 27.987 175.710 2 29 -0.078 -0.021
4 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet 27.996 175.654 2 47 -0.087 -0.009
5 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 27.997 175.647 2 32 -0.088 -0.001
6 27 Paul Menard Moen/Menards Chevrolet 28.014 175.541 2 39 -0.105 -0.017
7 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 28.025 175.472 4 40 -0.116 -0.011
8 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Snap-On Tools Ford 28.102 174.991 2 22 -0.193 -0.077
9 11 Denny Hamlin Sport Clips Toyota 28.124 174.854 2 35 -0.215 -0.022
10 2 Brad Keselowski Miller High Life Ford 28.146 174.718 3 43 -0.237 -0.022
11 5 Kasey Kahne HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet 28.164 174.606 2 39 -0.255 -0.018
12 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Valvoline Chevrolet 28.190 174.445 2 43 -0.281 -0.026
13 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 28.247 174.093 2 40 -0.338 -0.057
14 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/House-Autry Chevrolet 28.259 174.019 3 32 -0.350 -0.012
15 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 28.283 173.871 2 29 -0.374 -0.024
16 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet 28.287 173.847 4 26 -0.378 -0.004
17 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 28.290 173.828 2 34 -0.381 -0.003
18 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Crispy Toyota 28.301 173.761 24 54 -0.392 -0.011
19 55 David Ragan Ol' Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 28.307 173.724 2 30 -0.398 -0.006
20 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 28.342 173.509 1 36 -0.433 -0.035
21 15 Clint Bowyer Buddy Baker Tribute Toyota 28.388 173.228 2 20 -0.479 -0.046
22 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Winn Dixie Ford 28.426 172.997 4 27 -0.517 -0.038
23 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 28.429 172.978 2 19 -0.520 -0.003
24 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 28.473 172.711 1 20 -0.564 -0.044
25 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 28.475 172.699 1 24 -0.566 -0.002
26 25 Chase Elliott(i) NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.475 172.699 2 55 -0.566 -0.000
27 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's/Cessna Chevrolet 28.515 172.457 3 36 -0.606 -0.040
28 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cargill Ford 28.518 172.438 2 38 -0.609 -0.003
29 43 Aric Almirola STP Ford 28.520 172.426 4 30 -0.611 -0.002
30 42 Kyle Larson Mello Yello Chevrolet 28.525 172.396 36 37 -0.616 -0.005
31 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 28.535 172.336 2 20 -0.626 -0.010
32 26 JJ Yeley(i) Beds For Kids Toyota 28.666 171.548 20 20 -0.757 -0.131
33 40 Landon Cassill(i) #Snap Honor Chevrolet 28.737 171.124 2 31 -0.828 -0.071
34 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 28.767 170.946 20 37 -0.858 -0.030
35 38 David Gilliland Love's Travel Stops Ford 28.877 170.295 2 19 -0.968 -0.110
36 30 Travis Kvapil(i) Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet 29.062 169.211 2 14 -1.153 -0.185
37 32 Josh Wise CorvetteParts.net/BeerFrost.com Ford 29.101 168.984 11 11 -1.192 -0.039
38 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Cosmo Motors Toyota 29.107 168.949 5 21 -1.198 -0.006
39 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 29.107 168.949 2 20 -1.198 -0.000
40 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 29.143 168.740 18 22 -1.234 -0.036
41 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford 29.179 168.532 3 25 -1.270 -0.036
42 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Ford 29.190 168.469 2 24 -1.281 -0.011
43 62 Timmy Hill(i) ChampionMachinery.com Chevrolet 29.600 166.135 1 7 -1.691 -0.410
44 23 Jeb Burton # Estes Toyota 29.692 165.620 6 26 -1.783 -0.092
45 33 Mike Bliss(i) Little Joe's Auto Chevrolet 29.751 165.292 1 19 -1.842 -0.059
46 98 TJ Bell Premium Motorsports Ford 29.808 164.976 6 18 -1.899 -0.057
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
* No driver ran 10 consecutive laps during this practice.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
GORDON: "WE DEFINITELY FEEL THE PRESSURE" - So the storybook ending for Jeff Gordon's storied Sprint Cup career hasn't exactly followed the Hollywood script to this point but the season isn't over yet.
While the season hasn't lived up to Gordon's always lofty expectations, there are still scenarios in which Gordon could clinch a Chase spot this weekend at Darlington; a place where he has seven victories.
There's no doubt how much it would mean for Gordon to clinch a spot this weekend.
"That would be huge," Gordon admitted. "We definitely feel the pressure and it's a little bit stressful right now being on the bubble. I felt like we were in a pretty comfortable position about a month ago and we've just had some misfortunes."
Gordon doesn't think they should have to scrap for a final spot on the Chase grid but thinks an inconsistant performance could be the team's downfall.
"I feel like we've performed well enough to securely be in by points," Gordon added. "I can't say we've performed well enough to really be confident coming into here that we're going to be one of the cars to beat. But I will follow that up also with the amount of hard work (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) and the team and everyone at Hendrick has been putting into the effort for this weekend especially but going forward as well.
"I'm pretty happy with the car so I think we have a shot at doing that and no matter what, we realize it's important for us to execute really well this weekend to put a great result out there on the track to get those points we need to go to Richmond and be a little more comfortable anyway."
Gordon only has one scenario for relieving all pressure before next weekend's regular season finale at Richmond International Raceway.
"Other than a win this weekend, Richmond is going to be stressful," Gordon said. "But the good news is we've dealt with it before."
ROWDY PACES OPENING XFINITY PRACTICE - In a shocking turn of events, Kyle Busch is fast.
All joking aside, Darlington is a track seemingly built for the skillsets of the driver of the No. 54 Monster Energy Camry. The 30 -year old former Xfinity series champion flexed his muscles Friday morning when he laid down a lap of 29.380 seconds carrying an average speed of 167.379 mph.
Busch's JGR teammate Denny Hamlin followed him with the second fastest lap of the session. Hamlin's lap of 29.444 seconds carried an average speed of 167.015 mph.
Paul Menard was the session's third fastest driver with Joey Logano and Ty Dillon rounding out the top five.
Defending event winner Chase Elliott finished the session in 11th place.
NXS Practice 1
Darlington Raceway
33rd Annual VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, September 04, 2015 @ 01:58 PM Eastern
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
1 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota 29.380 167.379 2 19 ---.--- ---.---
2 20 Denny Hamlin(i) Sport Clips Toyota 29.444 167.015 2 26 -0.064 -0.064
3 33 Paul Menard(i) Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 29.570 166.304 3 12 -0.190 -0.126
4 22 Joey Logano(i) Hertz Ford 29.618 166.034 2 16 -0.238 -0.048
5 3 Ty Dillon Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet 29.662 165.788 2 11 -0.282 -0.044
6 88 Kevin Harvick(i) Armour Sandwich Creations Chevrolet 29.679 165.693 3 3 -0.299 -0.017
7 28 JJ Yeley JGL Racing Toyota 29.705 165.548 2 17 -0.325 -0.026
8 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer Bowl Chevrolet 29.720 165.464 3 20 -0.340 -0.015
9 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 29.740 165.353 3 11 -0.360 -0.020
10 2 Brian Scott Safeway/Sanderson Farms Chevrolet 29.772 165.175 2 17 -0.392 -0.032
11 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 29.802 165.009 5 13 -0.422 -0.030
12 42 Kyle Larson(i) AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 29.905 164.441 4 11 -0.525 -0.103
13 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Scotchman Ford 29.919 164.364 4 34 -0.539 -0.014
14 60 Chris Buescher AdvoCare Ford 29.969 164.090 5 21 -0.589 -0.050
15 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 30.034 163.734 7 36 -0.654 -0.065
16 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 30.047 163.664 3 21 -0.667 -0.013
17 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 30.268 162.469 10 17 -0.888 -0.221
18 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 30.386 161.838 6 33 -1.006 -0.118
19 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 30.431 161.598 6 22 -1.051 -0.045
20 4 Ross Chastain # South Carolina Education Lottery Chevrolet 30.449 161.503 8 8 -1.069 -0.018
21 51 Jeremy Clements AllSouthElectric.com/RprblVhcls.com Chev 30.574 160.843 3 11 -1.194 -0.125
22 39 Ryan Sieg Uncle Bob's Self Storage Chevrolet 30.648 160.454 3 26 -1.268 -0.074
23 97 Parker Kligerman VroomBrands Chevrolet 30.684 160.266 4 5 -1.304 -0.036
24 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 30.698 160.193 3 25 -1.318 -0.014
25 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 30.748 159.932 5 34 -1.368 -0.050
26 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 30.817 159.574 8 18 -1.437 -0.069
27 8 Blake Koch LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota 31.105 158.097 7 26 -1.725 -0.288
28 26 TJ Bell(i) JGL Racing Toyota 31.130 157.970 3 4 -1.750 -0.025
29 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 31.364 156.791 7 19 -1.984 -0.234
30 90 Todd Bodine Chevrolet 31.652 155.365 8 8 -2.272 -0.288
31 52 Joey Gase Agri Supply/DB Sales Company Chevrolet 31.688 155.188 4 10 -2.308 -0.036
32 13 BJ McLeod(i) Braille Battery/Grafoid Chevrolet 31.754 154.866 2 3 -2.374 -0.066
33 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 32.151 152.953 6 6 -2.771 -0.397
34 40 Carl Long Braille Battery/Grafoid Dodge 32.734 150.229 2 2 -3.354 -0.583
35 0 Harrison Rhodes # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 32.895 149.494 1 3 -3.515 -0.161
36 74 Mike Harmon WCI Parts Dodge 0.000 0.000 0 0 -0.000 -0.000
37 70 Derrike Cope Sammi's Best/Wheel Chill Chevrolet 0.000 0.000 0 0 -0.000 -0.000
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 62 Brendan Gaughan 11 20 160.347
2 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # 23 32 158.966
3 14 Cale Conley # 16 25 157.369
4 18 Daniel Suarez # 27 36 156.690
5 8 Blake Koch 15 24 154.547
* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
LOGANO ALREADY TALKING ABOUT THE CHASE - Before Joey Logano became a Daytona 500 champion, he was one race away from being a Sprint Cup champion. In the first year of NASCAR's revamped playoff style Chase grid, Joey Logano played the game nearly as well as anyone.
Logano went to Homestead as one of four drivers with an opportunity to win the Sprint Cup championship. While Logano would fall short to Kevin Harvick in South Florida, the Chase strategy became a little more clear and it's pretty cut and dry.
"I don't think (strategy) is going to change that much," Logano said. "I think everyone's goal, I would assume, is to go out there and get the best finish they possibly can until you get backed into a corner that you have to win and it's a do or die moment. We've seen last year that you can go all the way to Homestead without winning a race but it sure makes life a lot easier when you get that win and you're able to relax a little bit."
Logano believes the advantage defintely lies with the teams who win and do so early in each round.
"I think the teams that have a chance to relax and be able to focus in on the race that counts at the end and not have that pressure throughout the whole Chase have a pretty big advantage," Logano added. "To be able to have that and focus in on Homestead as early as you can. But I do think as you go through the Chase you have to take it one race at a time and adjust your strategy depending on how you finished in the previous race."
DARLINGTON A SPECIAL PLACE FOR THE ELLIOTTS - Bill Elliott needs no introduction in Darlington, South Carolina and after last season's debut victory at track neither does Chase Elliott.
Bill Elliott will be the first tell you, the story of his Hall of Fame career couldn't be told without mentioning Darlington Raceway.
"It was so much a part of my early career and the things that happened here," Bill Elliott said. "Darlington always meant a lot to me. It had such a presence of where it ranked among the race tracks especially before I ever came here. All of the stories you heard and all the things you did."
For the elder Elliott, he'll never forget his first time at Darlington.
"I can remember it like it was yesterday," Bill Elliott admitted. "As nervous as I was the night before you come in to have to do that (UNOCAL rookie testing) the next day and the things that you went through. I always enjoyed the race track. I really love this place, I loved racing here. The fans here were great."
The sentimental value of "The Lady in Black" has been handed down a generation.
Chase Elliott, who is driving a paint scheme influenced by his dad's 1985 paint scheme, has done his research on his father's impressive Darlington feat.
"Obviously I wasn't here but I've watched videos and seen the broadcast and stuff and videos of that win," Chase Elliott said of the 1985 Southern 500. "I've heard him tell stories about the weekend and kind of how they've went about it. How they didn't have a ton of cars so they kind of set that car aside leading into that weekend and I think they had run here in the spring and I don't know if he had won that race or finished second but instead of running that car more, they set it to the side and kind of left it for this race just in case it came down to it.
"I think they had a good car at Charlotte the week before and had a chance to win it and had something happen. Just the way they went about their whole strategy of going about this race and having a chance to win a million dollars was spectacular in itself but to have the mindset and the plan to go about it that way and then to show up and execute the way they did is very impressive."
THURSDAY NOTEBOOK - GETTING READY FOR A BIT OF SOUTHERN TRADITION
HARVICK BRINGS CONSISTENCY TO DARLINGTON - Kevin Harvick may still be searching for his first win since March but don't for a second think he's struggling.
Harvick has already posted a ridiculous 21 top-ten finishes in just 24 races this season; including ten second place finishes. Harvick has also led 1,406 laps this season in 19 of 24 races this season.
Harvick, who will be behind the wheel of a vintage Budweiser scheme, is excited about the "throwback" feel of Darlington because he believes it will showcase some of the sports best people.
ìI think a lot of that (the respect of Darlington) just goes back to the people," Harvick said. "I think the people who came up with this program and put the effort into this weekend really represent what the weekend is all about. That is the history of our sport. We have had so much history take place at Darlington, being our first superspeedway and really kind of breaking ground as to where we could race and the size of racetrack we could race on.
"You look back at some of the guys who have won the Southern 500 and you look at the names on that trophy and they are the whoís who of our sport. Itís a big race and I think, when you come to this race, itís one you want to win.î
In 18 career starts at the South Carolina track, Harvick claims one win, four top fives, seven top 10s and one Coors Light Pole; last season's victory came from the pole.
Harvick has fond memories of the Southern 500 but there's one race which stands out in particular.
"When you look back, you don't have to look too far back. I think when Kurt (Busch) and Ricky Craven had the closest finish in NASCAR history, that was probably one of the moments that was pretty neat just for our sport and that came at Darlington," Harvick said. "When you just look back at some of the old film, I wouldn't say itís just one particular race. I think when you just look back, and you look at the cars and the things that the guys went through. You can feel how hot it is. The cars weren't like they are nowadays.
"They were grueling to drive and I guess we could call the drivers and teams ëmenís mení because they were making those cars go around the racetrack. The safety wasnít what it is today. Itís definitely just a grueling racetrack and I think you are going to put some more grueling conditions back into the weekend.î
GORDON LOOKS TO TAME THE LADY IN BLACK AGAIN - "The Lady In Black" has a reputation for being "Too Tough to Tame" but nobody told Jeff Gordon this.
Gordon has won at Darlington seven times, the most among active drivers, but he's never needed a win in South Carolina more than he does now. The driver of the iconic 24 is currently 15th on the Chase grid standings just 52 points from the cutoff line.
ROWDY EXCITED FOR DARLINGTON CHALLENGE - Racing isn't easy. It's not supposed to be. NASCAR is made up of many different tracks which present many unique challenges.
Darlington may be the toughest track on the Sprint Cup schedule, it tests even the most talented of race car drivers even Kyle Busch.
ìI like going to Darlington ñ itís a fun place although itís bit me a lot of times," Busch said. "I should have won probably twice as many races as Iíve won there, which is frustrating. I was glad to win there in 2008 and get my Southern 500 win ñ that was pretty cool."
Drivers often describe Darlington as a track where you're racing against the surface more than you are racing against the other 42 competitors.
ìItís tough to pass there, for sure. Itís so difficult," Busch explained. "So you run your laps until you get to a pit stop and try to get your guys to have a good stop for you so you can jump a couple of guys. Pit stops become really important there, as is track position and trying to stay up front.î
Busch believes the track definitely is "Too Tough to Tame".
ìItís a very narrow and challenging racetrack, especially for the speeds that we carry around there, now," Busch said. "Weíre looking forward to the challenge with our M&MíS Crispy Camry this weekend. Youíve really got to be able to get as close as you can to the wall in order to carry your momentum through the corners because youíve got to make the straightaways as long as you can. The track is very narrow on entries and exits, so youíre always trying to round the place as much as you can. Itís very one-groovish. You canít really run side-by-side there.
"Any time you get alongside somebody, you basically have to let them go. Itís a very big give-and-take-type track. Itís a lot harder to pass now, with the fresh asphalt, than it used to be. Itís really aero-sensitive now, to where it used to be more about mechanical grip and getting your car to handle well and handle over the bumps well and keep the tires on it. Now youíre restricted off the car in front of you and are trying to find some air, basically."
KAHNE STILL LOOKING TO FIND ULTIMATE SUCCESS AT DARLINGTON - Kasey Kahne has showed signs of promise at Darlington, but he's never translated it to victory lane.
Kahne has four pole position starts at Darlington but has yet to notch a win at the 1.366 mile egg shaped oval near the coast of South Carolina. In fact, Kahne's best finish at the track is third back in 2005.
Despite the shortcomings, Kahne believes he has the key to success at the track.
"You need to be able to run right on the wall," Kahne said. "You also need to be able to bring your car lower; these days you can run a good ways off of it. So just having good turn in your car, but you have to be on the edge kind of at all times if you want to go fast there."
Kahne does admit running close to the wall is a high risk, high reward strategy.
"Off Turn 2 it is intense ñ you come away from the wall then right back to the wall and use every bit of the racetrack every single lap," Kahne said. "The smallest mistake and youíre in the wall and your car wont perform quite as well there the rest of the race."
A win at Darlington is definitely on Kahne's bucket list.
"It would mean a ton to win the Southern 500," Kahne said. "It has always been one of those races I wanted to win as much as any other one. We've been close since 2004 at that track and just haven't pulled it off. So eventually I will."
ELLIOTT APPRECIATIVE ENTERING DARLINGTON - Chase Elliott proved he was more than just a name last season at Darlington. It was one thing to beat Sprint Cup regulars last season at Texas but winning in your first ever trip to Darlington is pretty unheard of.
Elliott, who would go on to win the 2014 Xfinity series championship, now has experience behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup ride but the Labor Day weekend showdown at Darlington will be his 2015 Sprint Cup finale.
Elliott understands what the 2015 season is supposed to be.
"First and foremost that first taste of racing on a Sunday, itís just definitely a different feel,î Elliott said. ìItís kind of a touch of what to expect for next year and moving forward. The biggest thing I take from it is the willingness and the preparation that all of the guys have been able to have and the mindset that theyíve taken to races has been great."
Elliott has made six starts on the season including the Coca-Cola 600 and the Brickyard 400. This weekend's Southern 500 at Darlington, a race in which his father had much success, is no different.
"I finally got the chance to sit down with (Jeff Gordon's crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) a little bit and he was joking a bit and I think he had a pretty big say-so in what races he wanted me to run this year. He picked some good ones, I think,î Elliott said. ìI think itís a good choice to get to go and run some of the bigger shows, so far at least.
"The Southern 500 is one of the biggest and to me is just a very historic race in NASCARís history, and having the throwback weekend I think is going to be really cool. We have a really cool paint scheme for that and I am looking forward to first hopefully getting into the show. Thatís our first goal."
GOIN' OLD SCHOOL FOR LABOR DAY - Few tracks in NASCAR catch match the tradition of Darlington Raceway.
With its narrow straightaways, abrasive tire-eating surface, hot temperatures and jaw-dropping speeds, the fearsome egg-shaped oval in rural South Carolina has long presented one of the toughest tests in all forms of motorsports.
Basically, a win at Darlington gains a driver a page of hard-earned NASCAR history.
From 1950 to 2003, the Southern 500 was held on Labor Day weekend. On Sept. 6, the iconic race will return to its traditional time frames and that explains why 29 Sprint Cup teams are planning to employ throwback paint schemes honoring some of the famed drivers, sponsors and colors that are so associated with the event.
NASCAR's 12-time most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., will carry a early-1980s red and blue Valvoline design on his No. 88 Chevrolet that will remind fans of the days when ultimate tough guys such as the late Buddy Baker, Neil Bonnet and three-time series champion Cale Yarborough manhandled the Darlington track in the Valvoline car.
"I love the history of the sport and really enjoy paint schemes from the past," said Earnhardt on the HendrickMotorsports.com website. "To be able to run a car inspired by many of my racing idols is pretty special. Valvoline has been involved in NASCAR for a long time, and itís awesome they wanted to do a program like this at Darlington."
In 2013, officials of Valovline and Hendrick Motorsports signed a four-year sponsorship agreement. The Southern 500 represents Valvoline's first primary paint scheme since that pact. Hendrick drivers have 14 Sprint Cup victories at Darlington.
"I remember our first Southern 500 win back in 1986," said Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick. "It was an incredible era that featured some amazingly talented drivers, and itís exciting to see Valvoline recognize them with this paint scheme."
Beginning Aug. 31, a die-cast replica of Earnhardt's Valvoline retro ride will be available for sale nationally.
NASCAR historians and die-cast collectors should get a treat from the various throwback schemes in the Southern 500.
The Toyota Camry of Denny Hamlin will feature the familiar colors of Yarborough's No. 11, the No. 15 Toyota of Clint Bowyer will honor Baker and Kyle Larson will drive the No. 42 Mello Yellow sponsored car driven by the Tom Cruise character, Cole Trickle, in the motion picture of Days of Thunder.
Chase Elliott will close his 2015 Sprint Cup apprenticeship by driving a No. 25 Chevrolet that bears resemblance to the car his father, Bill, used to win the 1985 Southern 500 and Winston Million
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. may face the most pressure when he challenges the Darlington track in a Ford painted to look like the No. 17 Ford driven by rugged David Pearson, a Spartanburg, South Carolina native who holds the track record with 10 victories.
"You want to run well, especially with a paint scheme like this," Stenhouse, Jr. said. "There's some pressure there, unveiling something new."
Pearson won 46 race and 51 poles while driving the No. 21 car for the Stuart, Virginia, based Wood Brothers team from 1972-79.
Ryan Blaney will drive the No. 21 Ford in this yearís Southern 500 and his car will include nearly 2,000 photos tracing the 65-year history of the family-run operation.
The David Ragan car will pay homage to his father Ken, while drivers such as Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Paul Menard will sport designs based around sponsors.
Danica Patrick will also have a unique paint scheme, as her Stewart-Haas-Racing No. 10 Chevrolet will play off the "Lady in Black" moniker of Darlington Raceway. - Allen Gregory
