Drivers on DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET – 2ND IN STANDINGS: “Dover is a fun race track. I think it’s a track that really suits my style, and the stats show that. There’s a certain rhythm there. You have to be comfortable with typically the race car at least into the corner; then you have to figure out somehow to make it turn the center, fight forward grip up off the corner to run a good lap there. The rubber, I understand we’re going back to the same tire as we had there in the fall. That tire laid a lot of rubber down and caused a lot of handling issues for teams. We did a good job of working around that. So I’m excited going back. I think it will be a strong race for the Lowe’s team.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 AMP ENERGY SUGAR-FREE/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET – 4TH IN STANDINGS: “Concrete has joints in it like a wooden deck, and much like a wooden deck when you don’t treat it well the boards sort of flare up on the ends, and that’s what the joints on the concrete track do. The track gets bumps in those joints, and they’re consistent bumps like when you’re going down the interstate, and it makes the car sort of chatter around on top of those bumps and joints. And, concrete as you run on it gets chalky; it’s difficult to keep smooth or clean. Every time we go out there (Dover) for the first time, the first few minutes in practice everyone is throwing up a bunch of dirt and dust. There is a crossover on the back straightaway of Dover where they bring a lot of dirt in, driving across it into the racetrack. That sort of circulates around the racetrack until it sort of dissipates and goes wherever it goes. It’s harder than asphalt to drive on, for me.”
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Busch Inches Closer to Nationwide Series History
Busch Inches Closer to Nationwide Series History
Darlington Victory Puts Z-Line Designs Driver Within One Win of Martin’s Career Record
Date: May 6, 2011
Event: Royal Purple 200 (Round 10 of 34)
Series: NASCAR Nationwide Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 1st/1st (Running, completed 147 of 147 laps)
Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Kyle Busch’s pursuit of NASCAR Nationwide Series history took a major step forward as the driver of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) took charge of Saturday night’s Royal Purple 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in the late going and then cruised to his 48th career Nationwide Series victory.
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NSCS Race Recap: Regan Smith pulls of major upset at Darlington
NSCS Race Recap: Regan Smith pulls of major upset at Darlington
DARLINGTON, S.C.—Nearly three years after a NASCAR ruling denied him his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory, Regan Smith finally got the elusive win.
After staying out on old tires, Smith held off Carl Edwards to win Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in a dramatic green-white-checkered-flag finish.
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TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY:
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET – 2ND IN STANDINGS: “With Darlington being a one-time race, it’s tough to know how to unload. I was just in some team meetings at Hendrick Motor Sports, and drivers, crew chiefs were all present, and we’re trying to figure out what we go back with. When we raced there last year, our cars were completely different; technology has changed so the setups are different. The tire that we’re running on is different. We don’t really know what to show up with, and with the practice sessions like they are now and the four sets of tires that we get, there’s not a clear strategy going into the weekend what to do. This is obviously a very special Mother’s Day for my family with it being Chani’s first Mother’s Day. Obviously my mom has done so much for myself over the years and has really raised her boys right. It’s always good to do something nice for her and be able to celebrate that with her. It’s just going to be an awesome day.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 AMP ENERGY SUGAR-FREE/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET – 4TH IN STANDINGS: “Darlington is a slick track. It is a difficult track to drive around. It is real smooth, and you have to find that edge. There is a lot of load change like driving into Turn 1 and then the load comes out of the car through the center and then the load increases on the exit of Turn 2. The car just really changes a lot as you are going around the corner, and it can just snap on you.” (more…)
KURT BUSCH HAS ‘MEMORIES APLENTY’ WHEN IT COMES TO DARLINGTON
KURT BUSCH HAS ‘MEMORIES APLENTY’ WHEN IT COMES TO DARLINGTON
-No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Driver Recalls His First Southern 500 & Close 2003 Finish With Craven-
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver Kurt Busch is still looking for his first career victory at the historical Darlington Raceway after 14 races, but he certainly is not lacking for memorable experiences. The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion hopes to add to those memories in Saturday night’s SHOWTIME Southern 500 on the demanding 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
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