Results tagged “Darlington Raceway” from Haddock in the Paddock

Kyle Busch is the new leader in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, but he is heading to track that has not been kind to him in the past.
Darlington has produced only one top-10 finish in three races for Busch. He came in seventh in the race there in 2006. His other two races have produced finishes of 37th and 23rd. All three of his previous starts at Darlington were with Hendrick Motorsports.
After finishing second in a wild race at Richmond International Raceway, Busch took over the lead in the Cup Series standings.
"It's great to be back on top of the point standings," said Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. "We were there earlier this year and kind of fell back a little bit. We've had some great runs. We've had some strong runs. We've had some good cars. And so, fortunately we were able to capitalize on those most of this year and hopefully we can keep doing that throughout the year. With the new facility, the new race track and the new paving job (at Darlington), hopefully we can have a great run out there to keep our momentum going. It's been good and hopefully it keeps going that way."

Jeff Burton's 11th-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway, coupled with Kyle Busch's second-place finish means there's a new No. 1 in the Cup standings.
Burton falls to No. 2, 18 points behind Busch, as the Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway in South Carolina this weekend.
Burton has won two Cup races at Darlington, both coming in 1999, and both coming when he was driving for Jack Roush.
His past two races at Darlington, both with Richard Childress Racing, have produced top-10 finishes. He was 10th last year and ninth in 2006.
"The one thing about Darlington is that if you have a fast car, it's easy to pass another car," said Burton, driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "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."
The car his team is bringing to Darlington is the same car Burton raced at Martinsville Speedway, where it finished third, and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, where it finished 12th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. hopefully won't still be licking his wounds when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series arrives at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
Even though Earnhardt Jr. went from fighting for the lead at Richmond International Raceway to finishing 15th, he can find some comfort in knowing he didn't lose much ground in the Cup standings.
He is still third in points, still has been the most consistent driver for Hendrick Motorsports, and still looking for his first win in more than two years.
The car his team is bringing to Darlington is the same one it raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway where it finished third.
The car will also feature a retro Mountain Dew paint scheme.
"I think the Mountain Dew retro paint scheme is very fitting for the history at Darlington," said Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports. "The car itself is an old paint scheme on a new car, and we've got an old racetrack with a new surface. It's going to be very interesting. It's going to be fun to see how to get around that track and where the fast grooves are -- where to find the grip and speed. It's a real good-looking race car so I can't wait to get some good photos -- old school type photos -- when I get out there."

Clint Bowyer was the unlikely winner in the wild NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were fighting for the lead when they wrecked each other. Earnhardt Jr. had to pit for repairs and finished 15th. Busch ended up second.
Bowyer was the beneficiary of the collision and won the second race of his Cup career.
"They were putting on a show for a while; I thought so, anyway," said Bowyer, driver of the No. 07 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, after the race at Richmond. "They were racing hard. That's what racing at Richmond is all about in my opinion. It just didn't work out. I told the cops, I don't know why they were escorting me in here. I told them, they better get on and escort Kyle Busch out of here. It was meant to be, I guess."
The win vaulted Bowyer into the top five in the Cup standings. The car his team is taking to Darlington Raceway is the same one he raced at Bristol in March. He finished third in that race.
The car raced eight times in 2007, its best results coming at Bristol. In its only race at Darlington, the car won the pole and finished ninth.
"It was cool to get our first pole in the Cup Series at Darlington," Bowyer said. "We were fast all day in practice and we knew we were capable of it. When you know you're capable and have that confidence and can go out there and back that all up, it's pretty satisfying. Darlington is a special place and to be able to win a pole there is something to be proud of."

Kevin Harvick had four straight top-10 finishes in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Then followed that with four straight outside the top 10.
His worst finish came at Talladega a couple weeks ago when he finished 24th. He bounced back last week, finisihing eighth at Richmond International Raceway, his first top 10 in more than a month.
Next is Darlington, a track that has yet to produce a win for Harvick, and a track that has produced only four top 10s in 11 career Cup races.
"When we avoid trouble, we always run in the top 10," said Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "However, if we get into the wall or struggle mechanically, then we never seem to be able to fight our way back. The one thing I have seen this year is that my team is willing to fight back and get the best finish we can. Hopefully, we can stay out of trouble and run up front all night long. That's what championship teams do week-in and week-out."
For the Cup race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, Harvick's team is bringing the car that finished second at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. It also finished seventh at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.