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Dodge Charger 500- Same Day Coverage
SATURDAY RECAP -Biffle gains hard-earned win in Darlington
(5-13-2006) - For a tough old dame, The Lady in Black was a blessing for drivers Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon. The two finished first and second respectively in the Dodge Charger 500, giving both of their seasons a huge boost.
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - A Biffle-sized Battle in the end, Gordon and the Old School and Jarrett is on the Waltrip payroll in 2007
(5-13-2006) - He Heard Footsteps - Gregg Biffle felt someone breathing down his back in the closing moments of the Dodge Charger 500. Don't think for a moment that he didn't consult with a higher power.
"I was praying for help," Biffle said. "I was begging. Please let him give me a lane, give me the top or give me the bottom or something. You know what, Kurt Busch could have raced me and he let me go on to the top. He was the last car on the lead lap and I really appreciate it. A lot of guys showed respect out there tonight. A few more laps and Gordon would have gotten there." Biffle successfully defended his 2005 Dodge Charger 500 title and likewise scored his tenth career victory.
"That's what you call the old approach," Gordon said. "Everywhere we go, everybody talks about the attitude of the car and the air dam being sealed down to the ground and when you have a high-speed race track where you have all that downforce, and the tires don't give up, then you can get away with that. But at a track like this, we choose to do the exact opposite and run everything really soft -- shocks, springs and have something that didn't abuse the tires. That's why we didn't take off great. But over a long run -- and we were fortunate there were long runs tonight -- our car was probably on of the best ones."
“I was sick when I got here (on Friday)," Earnhardt said. " I’ve kind of been fighting the flu. Went to the infield care center on Friday, and they helped me out a little bit. During the race I was shouting into the mic, and it kind of tore my voice up a little bit. I had a good car. I felt alright, good enough to drive the car.” Carrying the Earnhardt name demands a special toughness which dictated that Junior was racing until the end. Old Men, Green Flags - One has to give Ken Schrader, No. 21 Air Force Ford Fusion, credit for being honest. The lengthy green flags suit him just fine. "I'm old," Schrader said. "Long green flags help me. When you're on new tires you've got to go really fast, so long green flags fit right there in my deal."
Both the No. 26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion of Jamie McMurray and teammate Carl Edwards, No. 99 office depot Ford Fusion both had their evenings end prematurely because of that single part. "They said a rock or something got in between there and broke," McMurray said. "It was a little bit loose and we adjusted on it, but I don't if we overadjusted but something happened to the car and it got really tight. We had a bad pit stop and got back, and then we could never really get our track position back. If there was any night you wanted something like this to happen, today was the day to have it because our car wasn't very good." Edwards was disappointed with the outcome of the evening. "They do a great job of building the engines and my crew did a great job. I love this race track and hate being behind pit wall." Finish means everything - Kasey Kahne was reminded on Saturday evening of a lesson he already knew. It's not how you start the race, it's how you finish that counts. “This wasn’t the finish we had expected tonight," Kahne said. "We’ve had success here in the past and thought we could duplicate that kind of performance. The car was pretty good the first 100 laps, and then I couldn't get it to turn in and off the corner. We stayed in the top 15 and thought we would get things sorted out the last 100 laps. I brushed the wall (lap 272) and that didn’t help the handling." Even strong pit stops couldn't pull Kahne out of mediocrity once the race wore on. “The pit stops were awesome tonight. We had plenty of horsepower. I didn't get to take advantage of it over the last half of the race. There’s a fine line on adjustments, and we didn’t get the car where it needed to be late in the race. It’s a disappointing finish, certainly not what we expected.” In a nick of time - When Elliot Sadler spun out on lap 249, it proved to be a blessing for Casey Mears and Tony Stewart. Why? They were within four seconds of being lapped by leader Jimmie Johnson.
"We got pretty loose about five or so laps before that (wreck) I don't know; we maybe had a tire going down, but I don't think a tire would have caused that on the straightaway. There may have been some contact, but I'll have to look at the replay maybe. I mean it's pretty funny for a car to turn around like that down the straightaway." Day Late, 13 Laps Short - Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Goodwrench Monte Carlo got behind early. Harvick suffered a damaged radiator courtesy of debris following the Vickers crash.
Stewart visited pit road and took on new rubber. Despite dropping ten spots, he remained on the lead lap. Earning Stripes - By the time lap 60 rolled around, at least 11 different drivers had earned their Darlington stripe. Only one driver joined the club by the time the lap counter hit 124. On a Roll - Kasey Kahne jumped out to an early lead from his front-row starting position. By the time the first caution came out on lap #28, he was only 4.6 seconds from starting to lap the field.
"This is something we've talked about for a while and I find it all intrquing," Jarret said. "I have been watching what Toyota has been doing in motorsports for a while." Jarrett acknowledged that if not for the support of Robert Yates Racing and the Ford Motor Company, he could never have reached the point he is today. "The reason I am doing this is not about money, it is the challenge," Jarrett added. Waltrip denied that UPS is a signed sponsor on the team Jarrett will drive for at this time. He added that a second sponsor has been signed, but declined as to whether that is for Jarrett's car or a new driver. Waltrip first pursued the Toyota program following his decision to leave DEI, Inc., in July of last season. Knowing that Jarrett's program was scheduled to end of 2006, Waltrip admitted that he merely inquired if he could get on the former champion's radar screen. Those talks heated up in the past few weeks, Waltrip added. Dan Davis, Director of Ford Racing Technology, is disappointed with the departure of Jarrett. "We're obviously not happy Dale is leaving Robert Yates Racing because he's been a champion and a great ambassador for Ford fans," Davis said. "We understand his decision, but we are disappointed. "Toyota is going to have its work cut out for them competing in NEXTEL Cup, no matter how much they plan on spending. Our plan is to keep winning races and championships." (See related story - Jarrett Questions) Yates responds - Doug Yates admitted that Robert Yates Racing matched the initial offer to Dale Jarrett from Toyota, but an offer he couldn't refuse became the deciding factor. "We matched it to show him that we were committed to keeping him here until his retirement," Yates said. "He said he would think about it and told us that he really wanted to stay here and really loved our team and what we had built together. A little time later, though, he came back and said they made him an offer that he couldn't refuse. Such an offer comes as no surprise to Yates when Toyota is the topic of discussion. "That part doesn't surpise me because Toyota's history and background is throwing a lot of money around and here is one of those examples. It is what it is. We have to make good business decisions for our businesses and the employees od our company, and the future, and he does as well for his family." The question remains, will UPS go with the driver? Or stay with the team? "As of today, UPS has to make a decision. Wish wish more than anything that UPS will stay with us. We've had a great six-year history together and feel that we can carry that on in the future and bring along the next star to drive the truck, but that's their decision. That's a business decision for them and we'll know in the near future where they're going to be. "Whether they're here or not, we're committed to the future of Robert Yates racing and making it strong. We'e going to race two cars next year and I think there will be a lot of people out there that would like to be on that No. 88 Ford Fusion." Million Dollar Bill the King? - Michael Waltrip pointed out that Bill Elliott will campaign a Burger King-sponsored Chevrolet entry for at least five races in 2006.
Perry is an admitted NASCAR fan and attending this weekend's event provides him an opportunity to enjoy a hobby and likewise promote his new television show Windfall, a series about a group of friends who share in a winning lottery. Perry was thankful for the opportunity to speak his peace when it comes to NASCAR competition. "I'd like to see multitple races in one weekend," Perry said. "I'd like to be able to say to someone that's not the same 500 mile race, it's a new one. Have several heat races." Perry spent time in the media center discussing his personal driving habits. "I'm a boring driver," Perry admitted. "I drive the speed limit and stop at every stop sign. I drive my kids around in a Volvo station wagon." At the NASCAR races, he's in full relaxation mode. "I'm going to drink beer and watch some racing. I'd encourage you to do the same." Goody Gooody - Goody's Headache Powders will sponsor the Goody's 250 NASCAR Busch Series event at Martinsville Speedway, July 22, 2006. This event is a one-year deal, but track officials are hoping for a long-term deal in the future. NBC will televise the event and the start time has been rescheduled for 3 PM, EST. FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - Kahne's efforts pay off, Newman pleased to be up front and The glory of Darlington...
(5-12-2006) - It is their race, after all - Kasey Kahne gets an A+ on his report card of sponsor delivery. The winner of the Samsung Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, scored the pole position with a speed of 169.013.
“That was a great lap. Kenny Francis and the team did a great job to help the car. I felt like I could have been a little faster coming to the green and a little faster coming to the checkered off turn four. I just love qualifying here. I’ve had some great Dodge Chargers to qualify here, so it’s great we got another pole. Both of our wins have been from the pole this season, so maybe we can make it three for three. “We had a great lap. It’s always fun to qualify here and see how fast you can go right up by the wall and just get all you can out of your Dodge Charger. I felt like we were able to do that today. It’s our third one (this season and at Darlington), so I’m pretty excited." Don't think for a moment Kahne expects Saturday evening's race to be easy. “Those two races we won we had to work real hard throughout the race, fall back and get back to the front. I know Darlington is going to be as tough as any track. Whether you start in the front or back it doesn’t matter. It’s a tough track and it can get you at any time. We’re just going to try to do everything right. We had the right starting spot and the right pit stall. We’ve done everything right on Friday. We just have to get our car better in the final hour of practice today and hopefully we’ll have a shot tomorrow night and be able to win a big race for Dodge." Kahne enters Darlington every year with a rich tradition of success. However, things can change very quickly in the lengthy battle to reach the winner's circle. “Our cars have qualified well here every year since I’ve been in Cup. It’s nice to be able to drive ‘em when they handle like that. I know if you’re a rookie and you’re younger, this is a track you like to come to. You like to be as aggressive as you can. As long as you don’t hit the wall you can usually go pretty fast. “I think it’s a really long race. A lot of things go on during the race. Your car can be off and there’s so many pit stops because of the tires here falling off so quickly. You can help your car or hurt your car. You have to make the right decisions and keep yourself in the right place and not get frustrated. At some point in the race, every race so far, I think we’ve finished third, fifth and 13th, and I’ve been frustrated at some point. You have to keep your head. Things change quick, especially at this track."
“That was a pretty good lap, but Kasey put down an awesome lap," said Newman, driver of the No. 24, Alltell Dodge Ccharger. "I’m happy to be up there on the front row in the Dodge Charger 500. Darlington is my favorite racetrack, and I’m looking forward to racing here. It was a good qualifying lap for us. We were a little too loose balance wise. It was a good effort, but it would take a perfect effort to beat Kasey He looked real good. I knew we were capable of picking up from practice. We were fortunate we made the right changes, and we should pick up more in race practice. We look forward to another opportunity to win here. I think it’s going to be a good weekend for us. We almost had it last year and that mysterious caution came out.
“I guess it rewards you as far as grip and being able to go fast. It feels nice, but usually nine times out of 10 you’ve got experienced guys winning races and less experienced guys going fast and winning poles. I just like the place. I can’t tell you one thing that stands out other than the grip and the way it feels. It’s a blast to drive this racetrack. When they started building cookie cutter racetracks they didn’t take this mold, that’s for sure. I wish they would have.
"This place has always been the same, and the tires always wear out a lot," Mears said. "At any other track you go into the corner and you kinda get a feel for what the car is like. The next time you go in the corner you may go a little bit harder, kinda teasing that limit. At Darlington, you work it the other way. You go through the corner one good time and the next time you back up your entry, slowing down, knowing you're not going to be able to go through there as fast as you did the lap before just because the tires are falling off. It's a little bit of a guessing game." To the rear you go - Sterling Marlin, who qualified 27th for Saturday night's Dodge Charger 500 at Darlington Raceway, will have to start the Nextel Cup race from the back of the 43-car field due to a blown engine on the first lap of Friday's final practice session.
"I wish we came here four or five times," Johnson said. "It's a great track. I think it's a track that the veterans really enjoy coming to not necessarily the rookies.I think I was one of the few rookies who came here and really enjoyed it and liked the track right out of the box. "This is a track where you have to race the race track and drive your car to its potential. You can't be caught up following someone and running their line." You can say anything about Darlington Raceway, just don't let Johnson hear talk of repaving the track. "Don't say that word," Johnson said. "Leave this place alone. Keep patching it and make it rougher. I think the track is awesome and the reaason we have such good racing here. If they repaved the current asphalt and we were running 190 around here, it's be single file racing. It's not wide enough to run side-by-side. We need the drop off. We need the tires to wear out so that we can race like we do around here."
Even more impressive is the fact that 3,000 new seats were added to the track during the off-season. The new Brasington Tower grandstand in Turn 1 has increased the total capacity to 63,000. The new addition will make Saturday night’s crowd the largest in track history. Fans attending the race will be part of the newest holiday tradition on the NASCAR schedule. The Mother’s Day weekend race is one of a few races on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule that have developed into holiday traditions. The Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway has been associated with Memorial Day since the track was opened in 1960, the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway has been run on Fourth of July weekend since 1959 and the first race Michigan International Speedway has always been associated with Father’s Day.
Though it's a politically correct answer, especially if you have superstitions, Nemechek still has his personal favorites. And at the top of the list is Darlington Raceway, the daunting egg-shaped oval, which has produced some of NASCAR's most exciting races in the 55-year history of the South Carolina facility. Nemechek is expecting more of the same in Saturday night's Nextel Cup race at Darlington, the only stop of the season at the historic 1.366-mile track. "When it comes to personality, design and degree of difficulty, Darlington stands alone," explained Nemechek, driver of the 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet. "There is nothing like it -- it's a classic racetrack that demands 110 percent attention on every lap and every corner." "You take your licks at Darlington, but you come away still liking the facility whether you have a good finish or not," continued Nemechek. "It's a driver's track -- no question about that." And for the record, Nemechek has put a few of the infamous stripes on Darlington's concrete walls. "I don't know of any racer who hasn't brushed the wall a few times at Darlington,” noted Nemechek. “You're literally talking inches of space between the car and wall. That's why the track is so much fun to compete at. But if you don't have the right setup and proper tire management, Darlington can be a beast."
"Those two places to me had a lot of history. You know, Wilkesboro and Junior Johnson are synonymous, and not to go back to Junior's hometown to me was a big deal when we quit racing there, and there were always great races there. I don't think you ever run across any drivers that didn't enjoy going to Wilkesboro and racing. It was just a fun racetrack to race on. Good 'Ole Days - Darlington Raceway began holding spring events in 1957. One of the more unusual of those spring races took place in 1963. The race had featured convertibles for the previous six races. The event was the only time convertibles appeared on the circuit from 1960 through 1962. Raceway president Bob Colvin thought it was good idea to stage something a little different so, with the convertibles gone in 1963, Colvin came up with a plan to stage the 300 miler in two parts – 110 laps each – with a separate complicated point system he developed on his own. Defending series champion Joe Weatherly won the first race and finished second to Richard Petty in the second race to earn 197.8 “Colvin” points to win the race overall. Fireball Roberts finished third in both events and picked up 191.7 points for second overall. Petty finished sixth in the first race and won the second for 187.9 points and a third place overall finish.
Perfect Timing - Sterling Marlin can’t think of a better week to head to Darlington Raceway than the one following his team’s season-high finish. Marlin has a solid history at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval and in his 43 Darlington starts he has recorded two wins, (spring races -- 1995 & 2002), 10 top fives, 16 top 10s, and two pole positions. Add Marlin’s record at the track to the momentum the team is carrying from last week’s ninth-place result in Richmond and one can understand why the No. 14 Ginn Clubs & Resorts Chevrolet team is excited about Saturday night’s Nextel Cup race. “Not only do I like Darlington, but it’s one of the favorite tracks for my crew chief Doug Randolph too,” offered Marlin. “We both look forward to this race every year, so for it to fall the week after we score our best finish of the season is great. We’re taking a lot of momentum with us and hopefully it will make for another strong finish.” Marlin’s first start at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” came in 1980, where he drove from a 33rd place starting spot to an 11th place finish. "Darlington has been a special track for me from the beginning,” offered Marlin, who celebrated the 30th anniversary of his first Cup start May 8. “I’ve been racing there for more than twenty years and loved every trip. I’ve had good finishes and bad finishes, but they were all memorable. There aren’t many tracks left that have been around since the beginning, and these days a lot of the tracks are the same. Darlington’s different -- that’s what makes it special.”
Labonte’s first series start came Sept. 4, 1978. He started the Southern 500 19th and finished fourth – the first of a career 181 top-five finishes to date. Two years later, he earned his first career victory on Sept. 1, 1980. His most recent win (No. 22) came Aug. 31, 2003 in the final Southern 500 at Darlington. Mechanical woes and on-track incidents have stymied Biffle repeatedly, denying him chances for victory at California and Phoenix. Performance has been on par with last season’s career-best, season-high six victories and runner-up finish in the standings, but results have not. A fourth-place finish last Saturday at Richmond – where he started from the Budweiser Pole – give Biffle momentum heading into this weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway. The top-five finish boosted him three spots in the standings.
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Lapped traffic over the final ten laps brought Gordon within a couple car lengths of Biffle, but not nearly close enough for the four-time champion to make a run for the win. Still, a second place showing is the best for Gordon this year. 
When it was said and done Biffle got the boost he needed to fend off Jeff Gordon. He also encountered a courteous Kurt Busch. 
Old School Set-up - If Jeff Gordon's No. 24, Dupont Monte Carlo looked higher than normal, it was by design. It may have been a "new" look in today's aero- driven racing world, but it was an old school way of racing. 
No Sick Leave - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 8 Budweiser Monte Carlo, wouldn't have minded a sick day. Unfortunately, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing doesn't afford such a luxury. 
Pump it Up - Team owner Jack Roush found out quickly what his team's achilles heel was - oil pump belts.
Funny Business - Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 25 GMAC Monte Carlo, found himself pointed in the wrong direction on lap #28. 
Hang on Sloopy - Tony Stewart had the perfect accident, if there is such a thing. On lap #151, Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Monte Carlo spun around leaving a cloud of tire smoke and not one scratch on his car.
Jarrett on the payroll now - Michael Waltrip, owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, Inc., announced today that former NASCAR champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner, Dale Jarrett, is joining the organization to drive the team's second Toyota entry in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series beginning in 2007 and through 2008. 
The Celebrity Influence - If Luke Perry had his way, there would be more races in a weekend. He'd also teach his kids the finer points to welding in a rollcage and buckling in with a five-point safety harness.
“It means a lot to win the pole for a big Dodge race. The team did a great job making the car a little better than it was in practice. The engines run great, and I’m just happy to get a Bud Pole again. It’s fun to qualify at Darlington, especially when you end up up front. We have another hour of practice tonight, so hopefully we can keep working on our Dodge Charger and see what we can do. This is one of the toughest tracks we go to and one of the most fun tracks we go to. Five hundred miles is a long way here. It’s going to take a big effort by everybody to win, so hopefully we can do it. My cars have always been great here. The tires always wear out and you have to slide the car a little bit. You have to try to keep improving each lap, even though your tires are giving up.
Happy to be up front - Ryan Newman is thrilled to be alongside Kahne when Saturday's Dodge Charger 500 takes the green flag.
“I’ve always loved this racetrack. It’s fun running when the car sticks, and it’s fun running when the car is sliding around. I like the racetrack. I had a pretty good lap. I really can’t complain other than being just a little bit too loose. I think if we had our car perfect we would have been just as good as Kasey. If he was perfect or not I don’t know.
Tire Management - Casey Mears, driver of the No. 42, Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger, believes Darlington is a track where tire management makes the difference. The previous lap sets the tone for the next one. 
Gimmie More - Jimmie Johnson would love nothing more than to race his No. 48, Lowe's Monte Carlo more than the schedule solo trip per season.
Cha-Ching - April 29 will go down as a historic day at Darlington Raceway, and not for something that happened on the track. Rather, track president Chris Browning announced a sellout for Saturday’s Dodge Charger 500 – the earliest sellout in Darlington’s 57-year history.
I love that Beast - When asked about his favorite track, Joe Nemechek doesn't hesitate. He is quick to respond with a standard answer, "It's the track that I am currently competing at."
Gone But Not Forgtten - Kyle Petty enjoys racing at Darlington, but he misses two former stops on the NASCAR tour - Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. 
Who's on First - Johnson retained his spot atop the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings with his 12th-place finish at Richmond. Johnson and second-ranked Tony Stewart are the only drivers with seven top-10 finishes in 10 races this year. The series’ only three-race winner in 2006, he has ranked among the top 10 for 79 consecutive races, since March 2004. Johnson has logged two victories (both in 2004) in seven starts at Darlington; he has six top-10 finishes overall at the South Carolina track. His lone showing outside the top 10 there was 27th in 2003. Johnson has a 7.714 average finish at Darlington, second only to Kasey Kahne (7.0 in three starts). Johnson finished seventh at Darlington a year ago, and has been running at the finish there in all seven starts. Season-to-date Loop Data highlight: Johnson left Richmond improving on his Loop Data statistics ranking third in Driver Rating (100.8) and third in the Closers category improving his position 30 times over the final 10 percent of event’s this season. 
Labonte Ends Affair with "Lady in Black" - Twenty-Eight years ago, a young Texan started his career at a facility deemed "To Tought To Tame" by its own advertising. Terry Labonte tamed the facility twice, gaining not only his first career win, but also his last, unless he wins again before bidding goodbye to NEXTEL Cup competition at Texas in November.
Biffle Looking To Build on Richmond Finish - A year has made a big difference in the fortunes of Greg Biffle (No. 16 National Guard Ford), the defending winner of Saturday night’s Dodge Charger 500. He was third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series standings following 10 events in 2005, but this season, Biffle sits 20th following 10 events.©
CircleTrackPlus, EZine Media, Inc. 2006
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