WHO’S HOT: Kyle Larson followed up his win at MI last week with a third-place at Darlington. Next race: Federated Auto Parts 400, September 10, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia. “I had a lot of fun there on the XFINITY side, and I’ve gotten my fair share of stripes already, so maybe I’m done with that and we can keep it clean this weekend”.
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Frustrated by repeated issues on pit road that have slowed him throughout the season and failing to win on a night when he had a dominant auto in one of NASCAR’s four biggest events, Harvick was critical of his pit crew. According to Weather.com, it is supposed to be in the mid-80s and sunny in Darlington on Sunday. The mistake dropped Harvick from first to 12th and was one he couldn’t quite overcome as he finished second.
“I was born and raised just across a few swamps from here you know”, Yarborough said.
The New Zealander won for the second time this season and fourth time at The Glen to tie NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon for second place in track history behind Tony Stewart’s five. “The Southern 500 is a tough race”.
Martin Truex Jr.: Has performed well on the sport’s biggest stages this season, finishing second in the Daytona 500 and winning the Coca-Cola 600 in dominant fashion.
Why is that significant? Greg Biffle has two wins here, while Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Regan Smith, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch own one Darlington checkered flag apiece.
It didn’t make up for his crushing eighth-place finish at Toronto in June, a race he led for 56 laps after starting from pole and lost because of pit strategy.
Kyle Larson finished third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. He won his only other Xfinity start of the season at Charlotte in May. Ryan Newman, who now is 15 points behind Jamie McMurray for the final Chase spot on points, was fifth fastest at 174.519 miles per hour. In the 14-race stretch dating to Terry Labonte’s 2003 victory, the deepest in the field a victor has started is 23rd (Regan Smith in 2011).
WHO’S NOT: Jimmie Johnson had his troubles at Darlington where he’s won three times. Newman, however, slipped to 25th fastest in final practice, while McMurray was two spots ahead of him in 23rd.
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However, when the race began at Darlington in 2003, it was exciting to watch from my old giant boxed television set in the basement from beginning to end.
