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Southern 500
Experience is key to taming Darlington Raceway
Posted: Thursday August 30, 2001 3:11 PM
From CNNSI.com
Back in the day, drivers who had never run Darlington Raceway were required to sit through an orientation and watch a film that chronicled the history and the difficulty of navigating the 1.366-mile oval.
"Basically, you were scared to death by the time you went on the track," says Ricky Rudd, who first drove The Lady in Black in the late 1970s. "It seemed like [the film] showed every wreck that ever happened at Darlington to scare you into the reality that this is a pretty tough place to drive. But you knew that when you went in, it was a place that demanded respect."
Respect, yes, but affinity? Nope. Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently told Playboy that Darlington is NASCAR's worst track, old and too rough -- factors that combine to pretty much ensure that very few drivers "luck" into a win at The Track Too Tough To Tame. In fact, the top five finishers in each of the last five Southern 500s is peppered by names like Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Hut Stricklin. ... OK, so every once in a while a wild card manages to slip in there, but it is rare.
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Dale Jarrett
Jarrett has won at Darlington three times in 27 starts, including the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 in March. In all, Jarrett has 12 top-10 finishes at this track. He's currently third in the points, 379 behind Jeff Gordon. |
Bobby Labonte
Labonte is the defending champion of the Southern 500. The 2000 Winston Cup champ has seven top-10 finishes in 17 starts at Darlington. He was 11th at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400.
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Jeff Gordon
Gordon has five wins at Darlington, including four consecutive Southern 500s from 1995-98. He didn't fare well in March; after starting first, the current Winston Cup points leader finished 40th. |
Jeff Burton
Burton has two victories at Darlington, most recently the 1999 Southern 500. He has 10 top-10 finishes in 15 trips to The Lady in Black. He was 18th in the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 after starting 36th. |
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Flattery
Steve Park started the Sharpie 500 on Saturday night in 37th position. By the time the evening was over, Park had worked his way through the field -- and out of trouble -- to finish seventh.
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Flag
Jeff Green had reason to celebrate Friday when he captured his first career Winston Cup pole at Bristol. By the time the weekend was over, Green was wondering what went wrong. Radiator problems dropped him to 42nd place.
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Flattery
Tony Stewart took his third win of the season Saturday after starting 18th. In a race marred by 16 yellow flags, Stewart managed to keep his well-documented temper in check, while he moved through the field for the win. |
Flag
Mark Martin had a rough year at Bristol, a place where he normally enjoys success. Martin, with 20 top-10 finishes at Thunder Valley, finished 34th in the spring and 37th Saturday night. |
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| The points lead continues to grow for Jeff Gordon. He now leads second-place Ricky Rudd by 308 points after Gordon finished third and Rudd was fourth in the Sharpie 500. Gordon has 17 top-10 finishes in 24 starts.
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| Kevin Harvick's lead in the Busch series grows, as well. His win in the Food City 250 on Saturday gives him a 345-point advantage on second-place Jason Keller. Harvick has 20 top-10 finishes in 24 Busch starts.
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| Joe Ruttman has to wonder what it will take to get himself some breathing room in the Truck points battle. Despite 16 top-10 finishes in 18 starts, Ruttman leads Scott Riggs by just 13 points. |
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South Carolina 200 -- 1 p.m. Saturday (TNT): 200.8 miles, 147 laps. 2000 pole winner: Mark Martin. 2000 winner: Mark Martin.
| Southern 500 -- 1 p.m. Sunday (TNT): 501.322 miles, 367 laps. 2000 pole winner: Jeremy Mayfield. 2000 winner: Bobby Labonte. |
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| Why does everyone seem to hate Jeff Gordon? I mean he's is the cleanest of drivers. I guess it's because people hate to see a nice guy win! -- Michael, Lawsonville, N.C.
How boring would it be if everyone played the politically correct role and never spoke their mind? Why is Dale Earnhardt an icon, yet people like Tony Stewart are told to tone it down? Don't change a thing, Tony! -- Patrick, London, Ontario, Canada.
If NASCAR is so interested in parity, as [Winston Cup Series Director] Gary Nelson says they are, when are they going to give the Fords a break? -- Harold, Conway, Ark.
Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt won tons of races, continually building the success of NASCAR. Jeff Gordon only continues that tradition! -- Jock, Southaven, Miss.
Any person who says we need more drivers like Tony Stewart should quit watching the professionals and go back to your hometown track and watch people with his mentality. -- Chris, Indian Lake, Ohio.
All this talk about [Bill] Simpson being blamed for [Dale] Earnhardt's death is driving me crazy. Placing blame won't bring him back, but can certainly tear long-term friendships apart. Why don't we move on? I'm sure that's what The Man in Black would want. -- Valerie, Milo, Maine.
I am nervous that NASCAR is becoming too big and commercial. I went to the race in Chicago and you can't bring in your own coolers. The only way to buy tickets is to buy a track pack for all four races that year. -- Jarrod, Highland Park, Ill.
Maybe we should have a salary cap on how much each team can spend, then maybe we will have equal competition. -- John, Kirkville, N.Y.
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