Dodge Challenger 500 News and Notes

Driver to win the Dodge Challenger 500

Carl Edwards +600
Dale Earnhardt Jr +700
Jimmie Johnson +700
Jeff Gordon +750
Kyle Busch +800
Denny Hamlin +850
Tony Stewart +1100
Clint Bowyer +1100
Greg Biffle +1600
Mark Martin +1600
Jeff Burton +1600
Kevin Harvick +1600
Matt Kenseth +2000
Ryan Newman +2500
Kasey Kahne +2500
Martin Truex Jr +2500
Kurt Busch +3000
Jamie McMurray +4500
Casey Mears +5000
David Ragan +6000
Juan Montoya +7500
Field +3000

TheGreek

Driver Highlights - Darlington
VegasInsider.com

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Darlington Raceway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last three races at Darlington. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) 16/1
Two wins, three top 10s
Average finish of 10.7
Average Running Position of 5.2, third-best
Series-best Driver Rating of 126.1
Series-high 141 Fastest Laps Run
Average Green Flag Speed of 151.899 mph, fourth-fastest
1,074 (97.3%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
86 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) 7/1
Two top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 15.0
Average Running Position of 10.5, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 99.6, sixth-best
39 Fastest Laps Run, tied for eighth-most
Series-high 176 Green Flag Passes
941 (85.2%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
Series-high 109 Quality Passes

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) 7/1
One top five, three top 10s
Average finish of 15.0
Average Running Position of 11.5, eighth-best
Driver Rating of 98.8, seventh-best
61 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 151.719 mph, sixth-fastest
896 (81.2%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
99 Quality Passes, third-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 7/1
Seven wins, 15 top fives, 18 top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 11.8
Average Running Position of 6.4, fifth-best
Driver Rating of 114.7, fifth-best
50 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
Series-high 1,091 (98.8%) Laps in the Top 15
96 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) 8/1
Two top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 19.2
Average Running Position of 5.5, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 119.2, third-best
79 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 151.925 mph, third-fastest
Second-best percentage of Laps in the Top 15 – 97.3% for a total of 714 laps
64 Quality Passes (average of 32 per race), tied for fourth-best average

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) 7/1
Two top fives, eight top 10s
Average finish of 11.9
Average Running Position of 5.0, second-best
Driver Rating of 122.0, second-best
129 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
Series-fastest Average Green Flag Speed of 152.281 mph
1,039 (94.1%) Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most
94 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge) 25/1
Two top fives; three poles
Average finish of 12.4
Average Running Position of 10.6, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 97.8, eighth-best
55 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

Odds and Ends - Darlington
VegasInsider.com

Notebook

There have been 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Darlington Raceway since the track opened in 1950.
There was one race per year in 1950, 1951, between 1953 and 1959 and again every year since 2005. Darlington held two races a season in all other years.
Curtis Turner won the first pole at Darlington Raceway in 1950.
Johnny Mantz won the first race at Darlington, in 1950.
44 drivers have posted poles at Darlington; 23 drivers have won more than one.
David Pearson leads all drivers with 12 poles at Darlington.
Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Kasey Kahne and Ken Schrader lead all active drivers with three poles each.
42 drivers have won races at Darlington; 22 drivers have won more than once there.
David Pearson leads all drivers with 10 victories followed by Dale Earnhardt with nine.
Jeff Gordon is third overall and leads all active drivers with seven victories.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 12 races at Darlington, more than any other organization. He broke a tie with Junior Johnson when Jeff Gordon won there last fall
18 races at Darlington have been won from the pole, the most productive starting position.
The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Darlington was 43rd in the track’s inaugural race in 1950 by Johnny Mantz. That race had a 75-car field.
Not only is Darlington the site of the oldest NASCAR race on asphalt, it is also the site of one of the closest race finishes in NASCAR history. Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds on March 16, 2003 – the smallest margin of victory since NASCAR instituted electronic timing in mid-1993.

Darlington Raceway Data

Race #: 11 of 36 (5-10-08)
Track Size: 1.366 miles
Banking/Corners: 23-25 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,229 feet
Backstretch: 1,229 feet

Driver Rating at Darlington

Greg Biffle 126.1
Jimmie Johnson 122.0
Denny Hamlin 119.2
Ryan Newman 116.4
Jeff Gordon 114.7
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 99.6
Carl Edwards 98.8
Kasey Kahne 97.8
Matt Kenseth 91.6
Mark Martin 90.8
Tony Stewart 90.8

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (3 total) at Darlington.

Qualifying/Race Data

2007 pole winner: Clint Bowyer (164.897 mph, 29.806 seconds)
2007 race winner: Jeff Gordon, 124.372 mph, 5-13-07)
Track qualifying record: Ward Burton (173.797 mph, 28.295 seconds, 3-22-96)
Track race record: Dale Earnhardt (139.958 mph, 3-28-93)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, based on fuel mileage

Dodge Challenger 500 PreQ

After a stellar run at Richmond in which he ran in the top 5 for the majority of the night Mark Martin has now posted three straight top 10 finishes. Running just a part-time schedule for the second straight year Martin has been productive recording 15 top 10s in 31 starts. He should be in store for another big night at Darlington Raceway – an old school track in which Martin is very familiar with as he has averaged a 7th place finish in the last four races at the track. Martin is the hottest driver in the series and is one of the best speedway drivers in the series. Many experts feel he can get a win in the #8 Army Chevrolet and we do as well.

It was one of the most difficult things to watch last weekend when Denny Hamlin dominated the race at Richmond only to sustain a flat tire with less than 10 laps remaining relegating him to a 24th place finish (he was penalized 3 laps for causing a caution to come out). Hamlin was very disappointed as that is the second time this season a late race problem has stolen a victory away from him. He should rebound this weekend at Darlington where he posted a runner-up finishes last season. In just two starts he has finished each in the top 10 with an average finish of 4th place. Hamlin will contend for the win again. The question is can he close the deal?

It has been a poor start to the season for Jeff Gordon. He its 13th in the point standings as he has just four top 10s in the first 10 events. Gordon turned a horrible day into a top 10 after some of the front runners had problems at the end of the race at Richmond but did not have a decent car for much of the race. The #24 DuPont Chevrolet team is looking for a solid day at Darlington – a track which he has dominated in recent years. Gordon has posted four straight top 3s at the track and is the defending race champion. Gordon should be contending for the win as he works his way back into the top 12 in the point standings.

Kevin Harvick finally posted an 8th place finish at Richmond after going four straight races without a top 10 run. It is doubtful that he will get back-to-back top 10s with Darlington coming up on the schedule. He has just four top 10s in 11 career starts at the track with zero top 10 finishes in the last four races. Harvick does not run especially well on the speedways either, which is a concern. Harvick should not be a driver that fantasy players have in their lineup for the Dodge Challenger 500 this Saturday night.

Early in the race at Richmond there was talk of retribution form antics by certain drivers the previous week at Talladega. With plenty of so-called antics at Richmond could there be retribution at Darlington. You bet! And on of those drivers that will have to be on the lookout is Kyle Busch. Busch essentially took out the leaders with less than 10 laps remaining and when that driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr. there is always plenty of controversy. It seems that the most controversial issues in the last two races have involved the #18 M&Ms Toyota and it will likely continue this weekend. Busch has struggled at Darlington in his career and if he gets in anybody’s way you can bet that they will have little patience with him. Busch has been forewarned.

profantasysports.com

Does a new surface really mean a faster Darlington?
May 6, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -Jimmie Johnson certainly knows how to go fast at Darlington Raceway. But 200 mph fast is hard for the two-time Darlington champ to comprehend.

``I can't imagine going as fast as they say we are going to go on that small, little race track,'' Johnson said this week.

The track ``Too Tough To Tame'' has been repaved for the first time since 1995. Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate - and seven-time Darlington winner - Jeff Gordon took part in a Goodyear tire test in March that found Sprint Cup cars hitting 200 mph at the end of the backstretch on the 1.366-mile superspeedway.

Of course, Chevy driver Gordon, Ford driver Greg Biffle and Dodge driver Ryan Newman didn't have to navigate a full, 43-car field over Darlington's misshapen corners and narrow grooves.

Johnson swept both Darlington races in 2004. He'll look to add another title here Saturday night at the Dodge Challenger 500.

``Jeff went there and tested so I feel like we're going there smarter as a company than maybe some of the other guys,'' Johnson said. ``So I'm looking forward to it.''

Elliott Sadler said Gordon told him his No. 24 Chevrolet got up to 203 mph entering turn three at the March tests. ``If we're going anywhere near that fast on that track it's going to be interesting,'' Sadler said.

The repaving was among $10 million in capital improvements between last Mother's Day and now. Along with the smoother surface, a third infield access tunnel was added beneath the third and fourth turns.

Darlington was always known for having a rough surface that chewed up tires. New rubber typically shot drivers ahead while worn-down tires left them lagging. Still, the ruts, cracks and holes needed repair.

Darlington president Chris Browning said raceway officials took careful steps to make sure the surface was as true as possible to the old track, even purchasing the compound used to make the asphalt from the same quarry as the 1995 resurfacing.

That made things considerably quicker. Browning has said a tire test from 2007 over the old surface clocked a top speed of 182 mph.

After the last repaving in 1995, Ward Burton set a qualifying record of 173.797 mph at the 1996 TranSouth 400 that still stands. For comparison, Clint Bowyer won last year's pole nearly 10 mph slower, with a speed of 164.987 mph.

Tony Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup champ who's winless at Darlington, said drivers like himself running the Nationwide event Friday night might have an edge when it comes to the Sprint Cup race.

``If everything is going all right with both cars and it's not a cluster, yeah, it's a great opportunity,'' Stewart said.

Even though race cars from each series are different, Stewart said there's the potential to learn the track characteristics. ``It could certainly be an advantage this week,'' he said.

Darlington's always been one of the most coveted wins by drivers because of the track's exacting nature. Driver after driver will repeat endlessly they must ``race the racetrack'' when they show up here. If a driver gets involved in racing an opponent, they usually end up with a Darlington stripe after tagging the wall.

Stewart had his struggles figuring out Darlington. He's not alone.

There have only been 10 drivers who have won the 23 races held at Darlington since 1995 - Gordon (7), Dale Jarrett (3), Jeff Burton (2), Ward Burton (2), Johnson (2), Sterling Marlin (2), Biffle (2), Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte and Ricky Craven.

New pavement or old pavement, Stewart doesn't think it makes a big difference.

``You only see a handful of guys who religiously run well there,'' he said. ``That just shows you how difficult Darlington is.''

Darlington Fans: “Too Tough To Surrender”
Tommy Thompson

Well, Richmond’s Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 last Saturday night provided just about all the excitement and intrigue any stock car fan could possibly have hoped for: exciting speed, door-rubbing passes, controversy, and a surprise ending to boot. As I wrote last week, fans aren’t going to find better stock car entertainment than NASCAR provides in its Spring schedule of races. And in its own way, this coming Sunday’s Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway should be every bit as good of a show.

However, fans best not forget just how close they came to seeing the oldest superspeedway on the Sprint Cup circuit become extinct. And had it not been for the tremendous fan support that the track has experienced the last three years, the “Lady in Black” would without a doubt be about as popular a tourist stop as North Wilkesboro Speedway is today. Like it or not, there has to be consistently 63,000 ticket purchasing patrons in the 63,000 seats available on race day; otherwise, the track will meet its untimely demise, no matter how popular it is among racing traditionalists. Sure, it’s only race date is on Mother’s Day weekend…but what nicer way is there to let Mom know you love her than with a tailgate party and a ticket to Darlington under the lights?

I’m not completely buying the recent encouraging NASCAR line that has the track’s continued race date secured for the foreseeable future. Not that I believe NASCAR is bound and determined to strip fans of their legendary tracks, but I am certain that they are always striving to maximize their attendance and gain exposure, working to develop interest in their product in more densely populated and affluent parts of the country.

Of course, those goals are not in Darlington’s best interest.

Darlington is in an out of the way part of the world, far removed from a thriving metropolis with potential new converts to win over to the sport of stock car racing. Additionally, the surrounding area has been hard hit economically during the last decade, making it difficult for the local, sparsely populated citizens — though known as some of the most enthusiastic stock car fans in the country — to lend a lot of support to the track.

In fact, it was those same factors aided in the demise of the “Rock” at Rockingham, N.C. four years ago. The two tracks, both mainstays of NASCAR during its early years and each unique in their track configurations, are only a little over an hour’s drive apart geographically. Both are rural, and have seen their share of dwindling job markets as textile plant after textile plant closed. That created a domino effect, as associated businesses dependent on the textile industry likewise perished.

Another hurdle that Rockingham and Darlington have had to deal with since the advent of the 100,000 and more seat racing facilities is how to entice fans to visit their semi-isolated rural areas without the attractions that nearby large cities can provide, before and after the race for fans. Rockingham never solved the puzzle; so far, Darlington has managed to survive on the tracks own merits.

Of course, there were many other reasons why the North Carolina track went the way of the dinosaur. As exciting as Rockingham was during its heyday, the fans simply failed to turn out for races at the track that had hosted NASCAR racing since 1965. There were plenty of reasons for lackluster attendance numbers, particularly after the track’s one remaining Spring date was moved to the usually frigid month of February. But all excuses aside, the track rarely was able to sellout the 60,000-seat venue. Even when it became clear that the tracks remaining race date was in jeopardy…seats went unsold!

It was clear NASCAR wasn’t overly concerned at exploring ways of boosting attendance, either. The Rock, North Wilkesboro, and yes…Darlington needed to make way for the bigger, sleeker and more profitable tracks of the “new” NASCAR. There wasn’t a lot of money being invested in their futures. Heck…it looked like paint had become an unnecessary expense to them, not to mention things like adequate concession stands, parking and restroom facilities.

For now, though, NASCAR is stuck with Darlington whether they like it or not. After poor attendance at its Fall race — the coveted Labor Day Southern 500 — the first track to hold a 500-mile NASCAR sanctioned race was left with the only Mother’s Day weekend race date. No one should kid themselves; NASCAR knew that the date was pure poison and that the track had little chance of posting acceptable attendance numbers. The intent was transparent; failing to pack the stands once again, the sanctioning body would have enough justification, at least in their minds, to add the historic track to the growing list of tracks obsolete in today’s NASCAR market.

It appears race fans never got the memo, though. Darlington is going strong; the venerable old lady has not cooperated with its well-planned demise. For the last three years, fans have shown their support of the track and the stock car racing tradition that it represents by buying every seat in the house!

And as long as the sellouts continue … not even NASCAR, known for making radical and controversial business decisions would risk the wrath of its fan base by closing a sold out track.

Certainly, the future for Darlington looks brighter than it did in 2005, when they were setup to fail. Yet, not even with the recent expenditures in much needed and long overdue improvements to the track’s infrastructure — a movement that included this year’s repaving project and expensive new infield access tunnel — will stop the France family’s International Speedway Corporation from moving its remaining date to a track that better fits their business model should attendance falter.

However, the track’s fundamental handicaps have not disappeared. Unlike Bristol, installation of a significant number of seats are almost impossible due to its location to nearby railroad tracks, and the economic forecast for the rural region of South Carolina is not expected to change any time soon.

But this Saturday night and for the near future, at least, all NASCAR fans — most of whom have come to appreciate the colorful history and uniqueness that is Darlington’s alone — will be treated to another year of racing at the “Track Too Tough to Tame.” That continuation is thanks entirely to the fans of Darlington that refused to surrender to NASCAR’s “new is better mandate,” and have shown that they truly want Darlington on the Sprint Cup schedule.

Score one for the race fans!

And…that’s my view from Turn 5.

frontstretch.com

Dodge Challenger 500 Preview

Kyle Busch has moved into first place in the driver standings as the Sprint Cup Series travels down to Darlington Raceway for the Dodge Challenger 500 on Saturday night.

Busch picked up a second-place result on the weekend in the Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway, which allowed him to jump over Jeff Burton and into top spot in the driver standings. Busch has two wins in 10 starts so far this season, with six Top-5 results and seven Top-10 results on his resume for 2008.

It was Clint Bowyer, though, that raced to the win at Richmond last Saturday night, thanks in large part to Denny Hamlin's late troubles. Hamlin led for 381 laps before a flat tire ended his chances of taking the checkered flag. Bowyer then streaked into first place when Hamlin faded and Busch and Earnhardt Jr. bumped cars down the stretch.

Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the Top 5 at Richmond, while Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and Kasey Kahne made up the rest of the Top 10. Burton finished in 11th place at the event, which dropped him into second place in the standings. Greg Biffle had to settle for 14th place.

Earnhardt Jr. spun out when touched by Busch late in the race, and he wound up well back in 15th place. Hamlin's nightmare finish had him in 24th place, while Brian Vickers ended up 28th. Jimmie Johnson was part of a huge accident midway through the race, and although he did return to the track he wound up in 30th place. Matt Kenseth, another casualty, was 38th, while Kurt Busch ended up at the back of the field in 42nd.

Burton is now 18 points behind Kyle Busch in the driver standings, with Earnhardt Jr. 104 points behind the leader in third place. Bowyer and Harvick round out the Top 5 of the points race, with Hamlin, Johnson, Stewart, Biffle, Edwards, Newman, and Kahne making up the rest of the Top 12. Gordon has moved up one spot into 13th place, while Truex Jr. is now in 15th place, Kenseth has fallen to 22nd spot, and Kurt Busch is 24th.

Gordon will be looking to crack the Top 12 with yet another victory at Darlington Raceway on Saturday night. Gordon won this event last season (after starting from the No. 10 spot on the grid), and he has seven career Cup wins at Darlington (2007, 2002, 1998, 1997, twice in 1996, and 1995). Biffle won at Richmond in 2006 and 2005, while Johnson had a pair of wins there in 2004, and Burton had two wins on the track in 1999.

Gordon, Johnson, Edwards, and Earnhardt Jr. are tied as the 7/1 Vegas favorites to get the win at Darlington on Saturday night, with Hamlin and Kyle Busch both at 8/1 odds. Stewart is next on the list at 11/1 odds, with Bowyer at 13/1, Burton at 14/1, and Harvick at 15/1. Other top contenders and their odds for the weekend: Biffle (16/1), Kenseth (17/1), Martin (18/1), Newman (20/1), Kahne (22/1), Truex Jr. (25/1), and Kurt Busch (28/1).

Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch are now tied as the 3/1 favorites to win the Sprint Cup this year, with Edwards at 5/1 odds, and Johnson at 6/1 odds. Gordon (8/1), Hamlin (9/1), Stewart (10/1), and Bowyer (10/1) are next on that list, with each of Harvick, Burton, and Biffle at 15/1 odds. Kenseth is just behind that group of drivers with his 18/1 title odds.

After racing at Darlington the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will head to Lowe's Motor Speedway for a two-week stay; the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be held on Saturday, May 17, with the Coca-Cola 600 then set to be contested on Sunday, May 25.

RacingOne Power Rankings
RacingOne.com

Kyle Busch may have stirred up some controversy last weekend at Richmond Int'l Raceway but he took over the Cup Series points lead and remains on top of the RacingOne Power Rankings for another week as a result.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch may have stirred up some controversy last weekend at Richmond Int'l Raceway when he got into Dale Jr., but he managed to cross the finish line in second and take over the points lead. He tops the RacingOne Power Rankings for another week as a result of all of his success again. It almost seems like he thrives on controversy. Busch will need some of that fuel this weekend at Darlington. In three starts there, he's only finished in the top-10 once, a seventh in 2006. His average finish is just 22.3.

Last Week's Rank: First

2. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer was definitely in the right place at the right time Saturday night at Richmond to capture his second career win when three drivers ahead of him got into trouble. The victory propelled him three spots in the point standings and in the power rankings. Bowyer's success isn't new found. His program has been spot on the last seven weeks of racing. Since the Atlanta race in March, Bowyer has finished in the top 10. And for the last four of those races, he's battled back from a starting position of 24th or worse to take a top-10 finish.

Last Week's Rank: Fifth

3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin took a hit in the point standings this week, dropping two spots to sixth. But if not for a blown tire at Richmond, Hamlin might've captured the win in his dominating performance. He may have the chance to redeem himself at Darlington. In two starts there, Hamlin as posted top-10 finishes. He finished in the runner-up position last year at Darlington after starting seventh.

Last Week's Rank: Second

4. Carl Edwards: Edwards was back with his crew chief this weekend and it showed in his Richmond result. With his seventh-place finish, he wasn't able to gain any spots in the points, but does still hold onto the 10th standing. And he's got to feel confident heading to Darlington. In four starts there, Edwards has finished in the top 10 three times, with his only other finish, 39th, a result of a blown engine.

Last Week's Rank: Seventh

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Richmond was a heartbreaker for Junior, who was only laps away from breaking his two-year winless streak on the track he last won at. But in an incident with Kyle Busch, that saw Junior hit the wall, he was pushed back to a 15th-place finish. He's clinging to third-place in the standings, 104 behind Busch. At Darlington, Junior has finished 11th or better in his last five starts and has an average finish of 15.0 in 13 starts.

Last Week's Rank: Third

6. Jeff Burton: Burton's 11th-place finish at Richmond knocked him out of the points lead for the first time since Bristol. But he remains the only driver within easy striking distance of Busch, 18 points behind. Burton is a two-time winner at Darlington with Jack Roush. In four starts there with RCR, Burton has posted two top-10 finishes in his last two starts. His average finish is 11.5 in 25 starts.

Last Week's Rank: Fourth

7. Tony Stewart: Stewart quietly worked his way up from 15th to post a fourth-place finish Saturday at Richmond. It was his sixth top-10 of the season so far and helped him gain a spot in the standings. Stewart has only finished outside the top 17 once at Darlington, a 36th-place result due to a crash in 2002. In 15 starts his average finish is 11.9 with eight top 10s.

Last Week's Rank: Eighth

8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick is quietly working his way up the point standings and the Power Rankings. With his solid eighth-place finish in Richmond, he gained one spot in the standings, claiming fifth. It was his first top 10 in five of the last races this season. He may face a stumbling block this weekend at Darlington. Harvick hasn't posted a top-10 finish there since the first race of 2004, five races ago.

Last Week's Rank: Ninth

9. Jeff Gordon: Gordon might break back into the top 12 in the standings for the first time since Martinsville after Saturday night's Darlington race. The No. 24 driver is six points behind Kasey Kahne for 12th. Gordon is a seven-time winner at Darlington, who's returning as the defending winner. He heads into this weekend with the fifth best driver rating there and an average finish of 2.0 in the last four races on the track. Gordon may also have a slight edge as he participated in a tire test on the new pavement at Darlington in March.

Last Week's Rank: 14th

10. Ryan Newman: Phoenix set the Daytona 500 champion back slightly three races ago, but Newman has bounced back since then. After an eighth-place finish at Talladega, he stayed clean at Richmond to finish sixth. Newman's holding on to the 11th spot in the standings but if his last three starts at Darlington are any indication, he may come out of this weekend solidly in the top 10. He finished fifth, sixth and fourth there, respectively, and even pulled the fourth-place finish off last year from a 29th starting spot. Newman is also one of three drivers who got a sneak peek at the new Darlington Raceway in a tire test there in March.

Last Week's Rank: 13th

11. Martin Truex Jr: Truex Jr. bounced back from his disappointing Talladega finish with a fifth-place finish Saturday at Richmond. He's now also within striking distance of Kasey Kahne for 12th in the standings, 58 points back. In two starts at Darlington, Truex hasn't finished in the top 10 but does still have a 12.5 average finish with 14th and 11th-place finishes.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

12. Mark Martin: Gosh, can retirement get any better? Other drivers have tried to make it work in the last few years, but Martin is the most successful one to run a part-time "retirement" schedule. In his last three starts this season he's finished in the top 10, including a third-place result at Richmond. Last year, racing at Darlington for DEI, Martin brought home a 14th-place result. He's got a total of 25 top 10s in 41 starts there and has visited victory lane once.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

13. Kasey Kahne: Kahne has got to be happy with his Richmond result. It was his first top 10 since Bristol and moved him into the 12th spot in the points. He'll have to fight pretty hard to stay there though at Darlington. Despite winning three pole awards at the track in five starts, Kahne has only managed to finish in the top 10 twice. In the last two years, he's posted mediocre finishes of 21st and 20th, respectively, which won't help him much this weekend as he's got five hungry drivers within 100 points of him.

Last Week's Rank: N/R

14. Greg Biffle: Richmond wasn't anything special for Biffle, who finished 14th and dropped a spot in the point standings. But he might be able to revive his season at Darlington, where he's a two-time winner. In seven starts, Biffle has a 10.7 average finish and he leads all drivers in the pre-race driver rating with a rating of 126.1.

Last Week's Rank: 10th

15. Jimmie Johnson: It's hard to count Johnson out, but a 30th-place finish at Richmond knocked him two spots in the standings and leaves him struggling to recapture the magic he had last season with the COT. Each week there seems to be hope for the two-time champion in pre-race talk and this week isn't any different. Johnson has excelled at Darlington in his nine starts there. He's a two-time winner, having swept the 2004 season there, and has only one finish outside the top 10. With an average finish of 6.8 at Darlington, maybe we'll be counting Johnson back in the rankings after Saturday.

Last Week's Rank: Sixth

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 10 ;D
By Jeffrey Boswell

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch — Busch banged heads with two of NASCAR's most famous racing families, interestingly enough on a weekend when his primary Sprint Cup sponsor was 'Pedigree,' in a controversial weekend in Richmond. On Friday, Busch tangled with Steve Wallace, son of Rusty, in the Nationwide race, then a late-race skirmish with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on Saturday sent Earnhardt into the wall. Busch finished second as Earnhardt fell to 15th, and the Joe Gibbs prodigy took over the points lead, albeit at the expense of his approval rating, which plummeted to a level so low that President George Bush even found it alarming.

"If anyone's looking for an apology," says Busch, "they can find it — in my dust, which they can also eat. If people want to label me NASCAR's 'face of evil,' then that's just fine and dandy. I've been the bad guy ever since it became clear that my ears would be smaller than my brother Kurt's. I race to win. I don't race for money, or to sell M&M's, Snickers, or Pedigree dog food, or to promote the new Indiana Jones movie, a paint scheme of which my car at Darlington will feature. Nothing against Dale, Jr., but his talent as a driver is exceeded only by his uncanny ability to play the victim. But that's not by his doing. Look, I know Junior's upset with his winless streak now at 72 races. How does he think I feel? I've gone an entire week without a win. I'm used to measuring the time between wins in hours, not days, weeks, or races."

2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — As Earnhardt tried to protect his race lead from the charging Kyle Busch, the two made contact, spinning the No. 88 Amp Chevy into the wall and sending the supporters of "Junior Nation" into a frenzy, while their undergarments bunched up into the collective wad the size of the Richmond International Speedway infield. Earnhardt, denied a chance to halt his lengthy winless streak, dropped to 15th, and remained third in the point standings, now 104 behind Busch.

"Busch did nothing wrong," says Earnhardt. "It was purely a racing incident. I know my people are livid and ready to 'Amp-Busch,' but I say to them, 'Check your anger and channel it into something productive, like charity work, good deeds, anger management classes, or the purchase of a roll of Kyle Busch Toilet Paper from the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. merchandise catalog.' Like Kyle Busch in a car, Kyle Busch toilet paper leaves a mark when it hits you."

3. Denny Hamlin — In one of the most dominant performances that did not result in a win, Hamlin lead 381 of the first 382 laps before a deflating right tire spoiled his day. The Joe Gibbs driver then steadily fell back before finally stopping on the track to bring out the caution. Hamlin was penalized two laps for intentionally causing a caution, and he eventually finished 24th, three laps down. Some had accused Hamlin of causing the caution to allow Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch to close the gap on Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who was leading at the time.

"Hey, it's Joe Gibbs Racing,” says Hamlin, "not 'G.I.' Joe Gibbs Racing. It's not, 'All for one and one for all.' It's 'every man for himself' here. I think the fact that Busch, Stewart, and myself are so competitive is the reason Joe Gibbs is having such a good season. And we're not afraid to speak our minds. You can't just pull a string and expect to hear some non-controversial, cookie-cutter comments from us, like you can over at Hendrick Motorsports. "

"As for my intent for bringing out a caution? The same as Michael Waltrip's ramming of Casey Mears — purely for selfish reasons. We should all commend Waltrip for his actions; I think that's the first time he hit his mark on the track this year. Those crash test dummies over at Michael Waltrip Racing are a weekly testament to the safety of these cars.”

4. Jeff Burton — Despite starting 33rd and sustaining fender damage in a multi-car, lap 231 accident, Burton and the No. 31 AT&T team regrouped for a 11th-place finish, his series-leading tenth top-15 finish of the year. He did, however, lose his Sprint Cup points lead to Kyle Busch, who finished second.

"Despite his being the most hated man in the world this side of North Korea,” says Burton, "Kyle Busch is just what this sport needs —someone totally the opposite of me. He's brash, bold, and cocky. He reminds me of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., just without the respect of all his peers, the seven Cup championships, and the ability to grow facial hair. He's a real talent. I wouldn't have a problem losing anything to Kyle, except for my virginity."

5. Kevin Harvick — Harvick opted for four ties late in Saturday's race, hoping fresh rubber would allow him to catch the leaders, but ultimately, there were not enough laps for Harvick to make progress. He finished eighth for his fifth top-10 finish of the year and moved up one spot in the point standings to fifth.

"I'd like to congratulate my teammate Clint Bowyer for his win in Saturday's race," says Harvick. "The 'Nature' Bowyer really deserved this one. Normally, when Clint wins, we celebrate with a shot of Jack Daniels. This time, however, he was in the BB&T sponsored car, so we reveled in the win by foreclosing on a few homes."

"I'd also like to express my support for the Craftsman truck teams in the works by NFL star Randy Moss and former NBA player Brad Daugherty. We need minority involvement in the sport, and it's great to have the black hillbilly demographic represented by two of the most countrified brothers in the United States. What's next? A truck team owned by Uncle Remus? Hey, I'm all for anything that will keep Daugherty out of the Nationwide Series broadcast booth. As for Moss, the sport of racing was built on 'moonshining,' so he should fit right in. I can't wait for him to moon a rival car owner. Of course, in the world of racing, that wouldn't even raise eyebrows. Anyway, I fully support Moss' new venture, 'Cluster Truck Racing.'"

6. Clint Bowyer — Running third late in the race, Bowyer was in position to mop up after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch scrapped, leaving Earnhardt spinning and Busch scrambling to avoid him. Bowyer picked up his first Sprint Cup win of the year and second of his career.

"It feels great to win,” says Bowyer. "We here at Richard Childress Racing pride ourselves on being in position to win every week. Apparently for us, being 'in position to win' is running third late in the race just before the two leaders wreck and knock themselves out of contention, opening the door for an RCR car to slip through the smoke for the win. Jeff Burton did it at Bristol when Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick tangled. I did the same in Richmond. Some may call it being 'cotton-picking lucky.' I call it being 'cherry-picking good.'"

7. Carl Edwards — Edwards finished seventh in Richmond, rebounding from his 40th at Talladega, to maintain the ninth spot in the Sprint Cup point standings. More notably, he dropped the 'F'-bomb, losing his 'free agent' status when he resigned with Roush Fenway Racing for three more years, a development that had Jack Roush celebrating and Matt Kenseth searching for loopholes in his own contract.

"I know Matt and I have had our differences," says Edwards, "but I'm trying to mend fences. It's going to be tough. Just the other day, I told Matt I wanted to 'bounce some ideas off of him,' and he ran out of the room screaming."

"Anyway, it's good to have crew chief Bob Osborne back, refreshed from six weeks of cheaters vacation, where he underwent rigorous, intensive training on securing a loose oil reservoir cover. While he was gone, he had plenty of time to think, so I'm expecting him to have some new tricks up his sleeve. I'm not sure how making a shank from a toothbrush can give us more horsepower, but I'm willing to listen. And I was quite flattered when Bob showed me his new tattoo, 'C-A-R-L' across his right knuckles."

8. Tony Stewart — Stewart finished a quiet fourth in the Dan Lowry 400, taking a back seat to the drama provided by Joe Gibbs teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. Stewart is now eighth in the points, 198 from the top, as rumors continue about his future with Joe Gibbs Racing. The latest gossip — Stewart will start his own team with Bass Pro Shops as the primary sponsor.

"If that's the case,” says Stewart, "then so be it. Can you imagine the number of suckers that would fall for the Bass Pro Shops Tony Stewart 'Smoke on the Water' fishing boat? It retails for $45,000. Have it signed by the five members of Deep Purple, and it's yours for $12,000."

9. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson, twice a winner at Richmond last year, was involved in a lap 231 accident that brought out the red flag and caused serious damage to the No. 48 Hendrick Impala. When racing resumed, Johnson headed to the pits for extensive repairs, and returned to the track in a car with no hood, in 35th position. He battled his way to an eventual finish of 30th, which cost him two places in the points. Johnson is now seventh, 177 points behind Kyle Busch.

"We debated long and hard about whether to leave the hood on or take it off,” says Johnson. "It's a dilemma that new parents of male children face every day. In the end, Rabbi Chad Knaus made the decision to take it off, which is odd, because Chad's used to putting things on to make the car go faster, not taking them off."

10. Jeff Gordon — After changing an engine, Gordon started dead last in Richmond and was a lap down by lap 45. But driving skill one would expect from a four-time champ, coupled with wise decisions in the pits, gave the team a ninth-place finish, a spectacular result under the circumstances. Gordon moved up one place in the points to 13th, where he is a mere six points out of 12th, which, 10 races into the year, means absolutely nothing.

"As chases go,” says Gordon, "the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup has to be the slowest one around. We drivers are a persistent bunch. If normal folks had to chase something for 36 weeks to catch it, they would give up easily."

"As a team, we could have packed our bags when we were slumping and given up. But this team stayed strong, and crew chief Steve Letarte finally made the calls that gave me a drivable car. Earlier in the year, Steve couldn't do anything right. Heck, I thought he might be 'Letarte'd,' but I think his performance at Richmond proved otherwise."

"Now, Kyle Busch is stirring up just as much drama at Hendrick as he did when he was a member. Apparently, he's got a problem with the offspring of legendary drivers. That doesn't bode well for my daughter. I wouldn't put it past Busch to run her stroller off the road if it was the difference in winning or losing."

sports-central.org

Driver Handicaps: Darlington

Who's HOT at Darlington
# Greg Biffle has won two of the last three races.
# Defending race winner Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with seven wins.
# Denny Hamlin has the best average finish among all drivers at 6.0.
# Ryan Newman has the best average running position (5.0) in the last three races.
# Mark Martin has a 7.0 average finish in the last five races.
# Jimmie Johnson has five top fives, including two wins, in the last six races.

Keep an Eye on at Darlington
# With the exception of a 39th-place finish due to engine problems, Carl Edwards has posted three top 10s in four starts.
# Kasey Kahne has three poles and two top fives in four starts.
# Dale Earnhardt Jr. is shooting for his fourth straight top 10 at Darlington.
# Jeff Burton has the best average finish among full-time drivers with 10 or more starts.
# Series point leader Kyle Busch is looking for his fifth consecutive top 10 of 2008.
# Tony Stewart will be back behind the wheel of the same car this weekend that led a race-high 267 laps at Bristol.

Darlington Rookie Report
None of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates have made a Sprint Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway. Rookie leader Regan Smith is the only one with NASCAR experience at the 1.366-mile speedway. In four Nationwide Series starts Smith has posted an average finish of 20.0. Rookie Standings

Qualifying Tidbits
Last year Clint Bowyer snapped Dodge's four race pole streak after he took the top spot in his No. 07 Chevrolet. Prior to 2007, Kasey Kahne won three consecutive poles at Darlington Raceway. Dodge won four of the last five with Ryan Newman winning in 2003. Rain has canceled qualifying three times in the last 12 races and there have been seven different winners in that span. Ward Burton's 1996 speed of 173.797 mph still stands as the qualifying record. Seven of the last 12 races, including the last four, have been won from a top-10 starting position. Past Pole Winners | Starting Positions of Darlington Winners

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Pete Pistone: Carl Edwards
Rachael West: Mark Martin
Kym Opalenik: Denny Hamlin

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

1. Kyle Busch: Busch enters the weekend as the new points leader as he will make his first start at Darlington Raceway with Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch's previous three starts at Darlington came with Hendrick Motorsports where he posted an average finish of 22.3. His lone top 10 came in 2006 when he finished seventh. This weekend he will have a special Indiana Jones paint scheme on his M&M's Toyota.

2. Jeff Burton: At Darlington Raceway, Burton has two wins, which came back-to-back in 1999. As rain began to fall at both the events in 1999, Burton, who was leading, was named the winner when the races were called. In his 25 starts at the track, he has eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes and has led 786 laps. Burton's ninth and 10th-place finishes in the last two races were his first top 10s in four track starts with Richard Childress Racing. This weekend Burton will be back behind the wheel of the same car (chassis No. 224) that last finished third at Martinsville.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. has competed in 13 races at Darlington Raceway scoring six top-10 finishes. His best Darlington finish, fourth, came in the 2002 spring race. Junior has led in four races at Darlington, for a total of 135 laps. This weekend he will look to extend his three consecutive top 10s at Darlington when he makes his first track start with Hendrick Motorsports. This weekend Junior will carry a retro Mountain Dew paint scheme on the same chassis (No. 443) that finished third at Atlanta.

4. Clint Bowyer: In 2006, Bowyer started third in his Sprint Cup debut at Darlington Raceway. He performed well in the opening laps but fell out of contention after a right-rear tire got away from the team on a pit stop. Last season he rebounded by winning the pole and then went on to finish ninth. Bowyer will return in that same chassis (No. 192) in this weekend's Dodge Challenger 500. This car last finished third at Bristol in its ninth start.

5. Kevin Harvick: In 11 Darlington starts, Harvick has four top-10 finishes, with his best finish of second on August 31, 2003 - the only race where he has led a lap at the track. Harvick will look to turn around his 25.0 average finish in the last four Darlington races by driving the same car (chassis No. 235) that finished second at Bristol.

6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has yet to finish outside the top 10 in six combined starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series at Darlington Raceway. Last year he won his second consecutive Nationwide race from the pole and then went on to lead 179 laps en route to a second-place finish in the Cup race. Both finishes in 2006 came with 19 stitches in his left hand after he cut it on his team's hauler. This weekend Hamlin will be racing the same car (chassis No. 196) that sustained heavy damage after hitting the wall at California in February.

7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has competed in nine races at Darlington Raceway. He has finished in the top-10 in every race except the 2003 spring race where he finished 27th after making contact with Sterling Marlin on lap 22. In 2004, he swept both races at Darlington after leading 69 laps in the spring event and 124 in the final Southern 500. Johnson's 6.8 average finish leads all active drivers that have entered three or more events at the 1.366-mile speedway. This weekend's chassis (No. 433) is the same one that has posted two top-15 finishes in four starts.

8. Tony Stewart: Stewart has captured two top fives and eight top 10s in 15 starts at Darlington Raceway. Last year he started 26th and finished sixth. Stewart's only Darlington DNF came in the 2002 spring race after being collected by a spinning Buckshot Jones. The accident didn't stop there when Stewart’s heavily damaged car then drifted down the track and into the racing groove where he was then T-boned by the car of Jimmy Spencer. Stewart, who ended up with a trip to the hospital after that race, led a career track-high seven laps in that event before the impact. Stewart, who has a 11.9 average finish at Darlington, will make his 331st start in the same car (chassis No. 192) that led a race-high 267 laps at Bristol before finishing 14th.

9. Greg Biffle: Biffle dominated the 2005 and 2006 races at Darlington Raceway after leading a combined 346 laps en route to two victories. His only other top-10 finish came in the 2003 August race when he led 70 laps before finishing 10th. Biffle also has one win, one pole and six top-10 finishes in the Nationwide Series at Darlington. This weekend Biffle will be racing the same chassis (RK-546) that finished third at Las Vegas.

10. Carl Edwards: Edwards' finishing average at Darlington Raceway took a major hit in 2006 after he finished 39th when the No. 99 suffered an engine problem. In his two starts prior, Edwards finished seventh and ninth, respectively. He led his first laps (4) at the track in this event in 2005. Last year he led 33 laps en route to his first top five at the track. This weekend Edwards will shoot for his first Darlington win driving the same car (chassis No. RK-540) that won at Auto Club Speedway.

11. Ryan Newman: In nine starts at Darlington Raceway, Newman has six top-10 finishes, with his best finish of second coming in his second track start on September 1, 2002. In the 2003 fall race, where he sat on the pole for the only time at Darlington, he led 120 of a track total 249 laps before a mishap on pit road caused the team to lose several laps and finish 23rd. After qualifying in the top five in five of his starts, Newman's average start took a big hit last year when he started 29th. This weekend Newman will pilot the same car (chassis No. PRS-552) that finished 14th at Las Vegas.

12. Kasey Kahne: Kahne has competed in five races at Darlington Raceway. In his first race at Darlington in 2004 he started on the pole and finished 13th. In the next two races he finished fifth and third, respectively, and claimed he claimed his second pole in this event in 2005. Kahne would go out to win one more pole, but has posted an average finish of 20.5 in his last two starts.

13. Jeff Gordon: Gordon leads all active drivers with seven victories at Darlington Raceway. His most recent win came in this event last year after starting 10th. The only two drivers that stand ahead of Gordon in wins at "The Track too Tough to Tame" are Dale Earnhardt (9) and David Pearson (10). In the 2004 spring race Gordon placed 41st, his worst performance and sixth DNF at Darlington, after he was involved in an accident with Andy Hillenburg on lap 28. That same season he led 155 laps in the fall and finished third after a pit mis-cue under caution cost him a shot at victory in the closing laps. In 2006, Gordon started 12th and led five laps en route to his second consecutive runner-up finish. In 27 Darlington races, Gordon has led in 22 for 1,580 laps, won three poles and holds a 11.8 average finish.

14. David Ragan: Ragan finished 27th in his first Sprint Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway in 2007. This weekend he will pilot the same car (chassis No. RK-478) that finished 23rd at Atlanta.

15. Martin Truex Jr: Truex Jr. has a pretty solid career at Darlington Raceway in five career NASCAR starts. His first three starts came in the Nationwide Series where he captured three top fives from 2004-2005. In 2006, he started 39th and finished 14th in his first Darlington race in the Sprint Cup Series. He lowered his average Cup finish to 12.5 with an 11th-place finish last year. In 2004, Truex became the first-ever driver to clinch the Nationwide Series title at Darlington.

16. Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya finished 23rd in his first Sprint Cup start at Darlington Raceway in 2007. This weekend Montoya will return in the same car (chassis No. 731) that finished 20th at Auto Club Speedway.

17. Brian Vickers: Last season, Vickers finished 43rd in his first start at Darlington Raceway after a crash took him out of contention. In his previous four starts with Hendrick Motorsports he posted one top-20 finish.

18. Bobby Labonte: Labonte has one win (September, 2000) and 11 top 10s in 27 races at Darlington Raceway. He has finished in the top 10 in three of the last six races contested there, including a runner-up finish in 2004. Labonte has one pole (1997) and has led 127 laps at Darlington. His last two starts have come with his current team, Petty Enterprises, where he has posted an average finish of 20.5.

19. Travis Kvapil: Kvapil will make his return to Darlington Raceway after posting respective finishes of 35th and 30th in 2005 and 2006. This weekend he will make his first track start with Yates Racing. The chassis (No. 464) that Kvapil will be racing is the same one that finished 27th at Bristol.

20. David Gilliland: Gilliland finished 30th in his first Sprint Cup start at Darlington Raceway in 2007. This weekend he will race a car (chassis No. 458) that has served as a back-up in numerous races this season.

RACINGONE.COM

Dodge Challenger 500 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard

Michael Waltrip starts his 700th Sprint Cup race and Jeff Gordon will try to jump start his season as he tries for his eighth win at the Lady in Black, Darlington Raceway, NASCAR's second oldest track, on Saturday night at 7:20 p.m. EST.

They've recently resurfaced the 1.366 "egg" shaped oval that is unique in that one end of the track is wider than the other. Denny Hamlin is most likely on alert that Darlington shreds tires with its abrasive surface and speeds in excess of 170 mph. If you are looking for action look no further than the long, long curve of Turn 2 where drivers trade paint and end up in the wall without warning. At Darlington drivers race the track as much as they race each other.

Who will win the Dodge Challenger 500?

They have changed the race's name this year from the Dodge Avenger to the Dodge Challenger this year. If you'll remember last year's Mother's Day event was rescheduled due to rain and was run on the 13th with Jeff Gordon winning the race. Rounding out the top five in last year's race were Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards.

This year the same five drivers could be there again with the inclusion of Kyle Busch. Toyota has been so dominant this year, so it could likely be another visit to victory lane for Joe Gibbs Racing's triple threat of Busch, Stewart, and Hamlin.

If Jeff Gordon hopes to make a serious run at his fifth Sprint Cup (and his first since 2001) he'll have to do something and do it soon. The four-time champ needs to repeat the same successes he had last year at this time when he sprinted away with the lead. Last April and May Gordon won three races and finished fourth twice. He'll need more of the same this year and what better place than Darlington a place he loves to race.

Third-year crew chief Steve Letarte needs to figure out how to put the No. 24 back in victory lane. What won it here last year for Gordon was his pit strategy and experience. If Gordon can do that and have a faster car than he has had recently then he is the driver to beat on Saturday night.

Last Saturday night our pick, Denny Hamlin (7/1), set the record for the driver who led the most laps at Richmond (381) but did not actually win the race-thanks to a deflated right front tire with 14-laps remaining in the race. Hamlin stayed out until he drew an intentional caution that put Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a position to break his two-year drought in Sprint Cup. After restart it looked like Junior had the race won until a controversial wreck with Kyle Busch happened and Clint Bowyer held on for a surprising victory. As a result Hamlin dropped two spots to sixth place and Bowyer moved up three spots to fourth place on the Sprint Cup leader board.

Pick! Jeff Gordon (7/1)

Dodge Challenger 500 Solid Gold Picks

Sportsbook.com has listed many matchups on the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington. Over the wall my NASCAR matchups record stands at 6-8 as I lost one unit on my Square Tire Pick, backing Kevin Harvick against the fastest driver on the tour, Tony Stewart. Stewart managed to run a solid race and finished in fourth place while Harvick finished in eighth place. This brings my record over the wall to -3.80 units on the season as I find myself running under caution after 10 of 36 races on the season.

Long Odds Value Pick

At Richmond we picked Jeff Burton as our 18/1 long shot. He ran an unremarkable race and never seriously challenged the leader until Hamlin's right front tire slowed down the No. 11 car considerably. Burton finished the race in 11th place and lost first place to Kyle Busch, who now has a slim 18-point lead over Burton with 1,495 total points. This week we are going to go with a legitimate live long shot. The No. 43 Speed Racer/Cheerios Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte. With an average finish of 15 at Darlington, Labonte has notched one win, five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. And if you are looking for experience on intermediate tracks Labonte is a good choice as he has won 17 times and finished in the top five 78 times. Labonte has quite steadily moved up in the standings and last weekend's 13th-place was good enough to move him up four points in the standings. I'm under no illusions and a 12-place is most likely. But with the new asphalt surface and Darlington's predilection for uncertainty Labonte is as good a pick as other drivers with half or better the long odds than the Petty Enterprises driver. And after-all he'll be driving a Dodge.

Pick! Bobby Labonte (100/1)

Square Tire Pick

Gregg Biffle (-1.30)/Jeff Burton (even)

Can Burton keep up with Kyle Busch on the Sprint Cup leader board or will another driver supplant Richard Childress Racings' No. 31 driver for second place? At Richmond last weekend Burton's Chevrolet finished in 11th while Biffle's Ford finished in 14th place. Biffle does boast a better average finish (10.7) at Darlington than Burton (11.7), but consider that Burton has six more top-five finishes and 11 more top-10 finishes than Biffle at Darlington. I think as long as he gets all four tires when he pits Burton should be able to avoid any mishaps involving blown tires. This year Burton remains as one of the few drivers that has been able to compete every lap of the season and I don't see that changing on Saturday night.

Pick! Jeff Burton (even)

*Dodge Challenger 500 Odds

A.J. Allmendinger 150/1
Bill Elliott 200/1
Bobby Labonte 100/1
Brian Vickers 100/1
Carl Edwards 6/1
Casey Mears 50/1
Clint Bowyer 16/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 15/2
Dave Blaney 150/1
David Gilliland 200/1
David Ragan 50/1
David Reutimann 100/1
Denny Hamlin 13/2
Elliott Sadler 100/1
Greg Biffle 14/1
J.J. Yeley 150/1
Jamie McMurray 75/1
Jeff Burton 20/1
Jeff Gordon 7/1
Jimmie Johnson 11/2
Joe Nemechek 200/1
John Andretti 200/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 80/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Ken Schrader 150/1
Kevin Harvick 20/1
Kurt Busch 30/1
Kyle Busch 7/1
Kyle Petty 200/1
Mark Martin 20/1
Martin Truex Jr. 25/1
Matt Kenseth 16/1
Michael McDowell 200/1
Michael Waltrip 100/1
Patrick Carpentier 150/1
Paul Menard 125/1
Reed Sorenson 100/1
Regan Smith 150/1
Robby Gordon 125/1
Ryan Newman 30/1
Sam Hornish Jr. 150/1
Scott Riggs 100/1
Sterling Marlin 150/1
Tony Stewart 10/1
Travis Kvapil 125/1

*Odds courtesy of Bodog

DOCSPORTS.COM

Burton: Surface key to Saturday's race
SceneDaily.com

Two-time Darlington Raceway winner Jeff Burton believes the new asphalt surface of the 1.366-mile track will make for a more competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup race this weekend.

That's because the unique shape of the track causes drivers to run the outside lane, and with fresh asphalt, the lower lane should be open for passing in Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 500, Burton said.

"The groove has always been right up against the wall," the Richard Childress Racing driver said. "With the new surface and more grip, I think it will enable somebody to drive underneath another car and make that move easier. It's been difficult to do that here because there is no grip.

"The reason we run the high line isn't because there is more grip, but because it's a bigger radius. You don't have to turn the steering wheel as much by running the high line. Under slick conditions, that's normally a good thing.

"With high grip and new asphalt, a driver trying to pass somebody will be able to turn underneath them and create more passing opportunities."

Still, Burton said, passing won't be easy at Darlington. It never is.

"The one thing about Darlington is that if you have a fast car, it's easy to pass another car," Burton said. "If you have a car that's the same as somebody else's car, it's incredibly hard to pass. A fast car rewards you a great deal.

"It will be interesting to see if passing will be the same with the new asphalt. We struggled there the last couple of years and haven't run as well as we needed to. I'm looking forward to Darlington. We've learned a lot about the Impala SS, and I think we can be very competitive."

Biffle sets record in winning pole at Darlington

Darlington, SC (Sports Network) - Greg Biffle won the pole for Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 500 at the Darlington Raceway. The No.16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driver circled the newly-paved "Lady in Black" in a record-setting 27.405 seconds (179.442 m.p.h.). The old mark was 173.797 m.p.h. set by Ward Burton in March 1996.

The pole victory was Biffle's first of 2008 and the fifth of his Sprint Cup career.

Starting alongside Biffle will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., who posted a time of 27.418 seconds.

Two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson (27.441) and Tony Stewart (27.461) will start in row two.

Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Kurt Busch (fifth), Kyle Busch (sixth), Jeff Gordon (8th), Kevin Harvick (11th), Jeff Burton (12th), Denny Hamlin (21st) and Carl Edwards (36th).

Kyle Busch will have a pretty big target on his rear deck lid when the NASCAR caravan stops this week in Darlington, SC. Not only did Busch knock Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the lead late in last Saturday night's race at Richmond, but his second-place finish gave him the Sprint Cup points lead.

And he is not the most likable driver to begin with.

Busch's aggressive style on the track has led to run-ins with a number of drivers over the years. He has been immature at times, throwing items at drivers and insults at team members. Even when he wins a race he has been known to complain. When he won the first COT race, it was Busch that blurted out his hatred for the new car.

To Earnhardt Jr.'s credit, he called the incident a racing move, even recalling a race in 2007 at Kansas when the shoe was on the other foot.

"It was just hard racing," Earnhardt Jr. said.

The race is scheduled to drop the green flag on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (et).

Trading Paint: Dodge Challenger 500 picks

Welcome to Trading Paint, a weekly entry where a statewide panel of four auto racing "experts" will make picks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. This week: Saturday's Dodge Challenger 500 in Darlington, S.C.

The rules are simple:
1. A panelist can't pick the same driver in back-to-back weeks.
2. Standings will be calculated each week based on the actual points earned by the drivers each panelist picks to win.

After 10 races, the standings are as follows, with their pick of last week's winner in parentheses:

1. Steve Kaminski (Denny Hamlin) -- 1,443
2. Jeff Bleiler (Denny Hamlin) -- 1,379
3. Antoine Pitts (Denny Hamlin) -- 1,313
4. Mike Pryson (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) -- 1,254

Jeff Bleiler -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
"Too Tough to Tame." That's Darlington's alias or battle cry or whatever. It's also my inspiration to make a big move upward after falling into a trap last week and going with the hometown boy, Denny Hamlin. It was a good selection, considering his domination for much of the race, but in the end, I gained nothing since two others on the panel also picked him. Heck with that. I'm on my own this week.

• Winner -- Kasey Kahne: I've been hard on the kid, selecting him as my No Chance more than a few times. But he's quietly snuck into the top 10 in the standings and though he's without a top-five finish this season, that will change this weekend.

• Sleeper -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. He's smarting for sure after seeing his chance of ending a two-year losing streak come to a halt thanks to Kyle Busch. Plus, the last time he finished outside the top 10 at Darlington was the last Labor Day race there ... in 2003.

• No chance -- Clint Bowyer. He was the pole-sitter last year at Darlington and wound up ninth and is coming off a surprise victory at Richmond last week. But he needed Hamlin's tire problems and the subsequent caution (not to mention the Busch-Earnhardt jostling in front of him) to win. No way lady luck is that kind two weeks in a row.

Steve Kaminski -- The Grand Rapids Press
I was going to choose Matt Kenseth as my 'no chance' selection this week, but that would have been way too obvious.

Other than Kurt Busch, has anyone been more disappointing than Kenseth this season? Kenseth, who is 22nd in points, and his best finish in the past three races is 38th. His best finish this season was a fifth at California in February.

• Winner -- Carl Edwards. He's won twice on intermediate tracks this season and could have won Atlanta if his transmission didn't break.

• Sleeper -- Ryan Newman. He has six top-six finishes in nine Darlington starts.

• No chance -- Denny Hamilin. Don't look for Hamlin to bounce back from last week's heartbreaker, especially after hurting his hip in a pickup basketball game.

Antoine Pitts -- The Ann Arbor News
Folks, let's just say I'm real bitter about what at Richmond with Denny Hamlin's tires and Junior's nudge from Kyle Busch. It's been beating me up all week, but I'm ready to get even this week at Darlington.

• Winner -- Carl Edwards. Remember when he was winning races this year? I do.

• Sleeper -- Greg Biffle. We'll see whether past success at Darlington will be negated by new surface.

• No chance -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hard to believe he'll recover from that tear jerker.

Mike Pryson -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
After tooling around in fourth place in the Trading Paint series, it's time to start picking up points. You'd think that a NASCAR writer (buy the Citizen Patriot's book, "40 Years of Champions." It's a great Father's Day gift), would have a little more insight into this crazy sport.

Also, Jeff Bleiler, from the Trading Paint challenge, wrote some great stories for the book, "40 Years of Champions." It's worth picking up. Did I mention it makes a great Father's Day gift (or a late Mother's Day gift)?

Enough plugs. Time for real business and a look at Darlington.

• Winner -- Carl Edwards. Edwards has three wins yet is in 10th place, just 70 points from missing the Chase. He needs to start putting together consistent finishes or people will forget all about his great start. Flip on the TV on Saturday to watch Carl flip off the roof of his car.

• Sleeper -- Ryan Newman. Not as much a sleeper as a hunch. Newman has four straight top-six finishes at Darlington and is having quite possibly his strongest season. And with Kurt Busch's troubles continuing (he's buried in 24th spot), expect the Penske Empire to start putting more efforts into solidifying Newman's spot in the Chase.

• No chance -- Michael Waltrip. The good news is that Waltrip is making races this year. The bad news is that he's about as far away from the winner's circle these days as his older brother up in the TV booth. Plus, Waltrip has failed to finish in the top 30 in his last four starts at Darlington. Look for Mikey toward the back again this week.

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