Racing News Daily » Entries tagged with "Southern 500"
NASCAR Issues Fines And Probation For Violations At Darlington Raceway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR has fined Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 51 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, $50,000 and placed him on NASCAR probation until July 25 for his actions during the May 12 race at Darlington Raceway. Kurt Busch violated Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; reckless driving on pit road during the race; involved in an altercation with another competitor after the completion of the race) of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Cool-Down Lap: Rick Hendrick has much to celebrate, but Jeff Gordon can’t be happy
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C. – Doubtless Jeff Gordon was happy for his boss. In a euphoric Victory Lane, Rick Hendrick celebrated his long-awaited 200th victory, a win delivered by five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing’s most prolific winner since he entered the series full-time in 2002. Gordon, however, is a larger part of Hendrick’s milestone than Johnson is. Over a career now in its 20th full season, Gordon has contributed 85 victories … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
At long last! Johnson wins 200th for owner Rick Hendrick
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C. – Finally! After months of frustration, Jimmie Johnson gave Rick Hendrick his 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, running away from the rest of the field on a green-white-checkered-flag restart that took the Bojangles’ Southern 500 one lap past its scheduled distance. On Saturday night at Darlington Raceway, Johnson ended his own winless streak of 16 races, a drought of relative epic proportions for the five-time champion. The victory was … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Greg Biffle captures pole position for Southern 500
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C. — After a stellar qualifying run, Jimmie Johnson said there was some speed left in Darlington Raceway — and Greg Biffle found it. Biffle toured the 1.366-mile Lady in Black in 27.281 seconds (180.2557 mph) to win the pole for Saturday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500, beating second-place starter Johnson and third-place Kasey Kahne by .105 seconds. Biffle, who posted back-to-back wins at Darlington in 2005 and 2006, snagged his second … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Euphoria of Smith’s win aside, NASCAR has much to ponder
By Reid Spencer Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C.—In the afterglow of Regan Smith’s feel-good victory at Darlington, NASCAR has a lot of nastiness to discuss. For the record, Smith, who drives for Colorado-based Furniture Row Racing, pulled off a feat most had considered impossible with two laps left in Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500. On old tires, he held off Carl Edwards, one of the hardest chargers in NASCAR racing, to record his first Sprint Cup victory. Smith is the fifth driver for a single-car team to win a Cup race since 2000, but he’s the second this year. Trevor Bayne was the surprise winner of the Daytona 500 in his second start in the series, but Smith’s victory may be every bit as popular. It also represents the meting out of cosmic … Read entire article »
Filed under: NASCAR
Regan Smith pulls off upset at Darlington
By Reid Spencer Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C.—Nearly three years after a NASCAR ruling denied him his first Sprint Cup victory, Regan Smith finally got the elusive win. After staying out on old tires, Smith held off Carl Edwards to win Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in a dramatic green-white-checkered-flag finish. Smith crossed the finish line 0.196 seconds ahead of runner-up Edwards. Moments later, tempers flared between drivers Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick and their crews in the aftermath of a wild wreck that brought out the final caution of the race. “This is the Southern 500—we’re not supposed to win this thing,” an incredulous Smith radioed to his crew after the race. Brad Keselowski, also on old tires, finished third, with polesitter Kasey Kahne running fourth and Ryan Newman fifth. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Kahne wins Darlington pole with record lap
By Reid Spencer Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service DARLINGTON, S.C.—With a lightning-fast lap at track-record speed, Kasey Kahne won the pole for Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Touring the 1.366-mile circuit at 181.254 mph (27.131 seconds), Kahne shattered the qualifying record of 180.370 mph set last year by Jamie McMurray. The Coors Light Pole Award was Kahne’s first of the season and the 21st of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career. Ryan Newman qualified second at 180.429 mph, followed by Denny Hamlin (180.132 mph), Carl Edwards (179.980 mph) and seven-time Darlington winner Jeff Gordon (179.829 mph). Marcos Ambrose, AJ Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski will start from positions 6-10, respectively. Starting from the pole is nothing new to Kahne, who qualified first at Darlington in three of his first four … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Gilliland Learning to Love ‘Lady in Black’
Statesville, N.C. – As the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford team continues to push and progress, David Gilliland and his crew now face one of the biggest challenges on the Sprint Cup Series schedule: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The team is up to the task after a top-25 run last week at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway – a race in which Gilliland said they made great strides in their short-track program. Gilliland will have one of his biggest fans on the pit box for Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500. His mother will come to Darlington, from his home state of California, for NASCAR’s annual Mother’s Day festivities at the 1.366-mile oval. She will accompany her son to driver introductions and will join other NASCAR moms in giving the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
Newman Boldly Tackling the ‘Track Too Tough to Tame’
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Perhaps there is no better time for Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet Impala to carry the tagline “Bold is How We Roll” than at this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. For if Newman and his No. 39 Tornados team want to tackle, tame and claim victory at the infamous 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval, both driver and crew members know that each will have to be at the top of his game. In fact, it will take bold moves from the driver on the racetrack, gutsy calls by the crew chief and intrepid work on pit road by the crew to be successful at the “Track Too Tough to Tame.” Not only is Darlington one of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sprint Cup
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