Darlington #2 Pre-Race Thread

StandOnIt

Farm Truck
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
81,379
Points
1,033
Location
yoooklahoma
1693189785887.jpeg
 
Obviously I want to see the 48 team win some races before the end of the season and the Cookout Southern 500 would be a nice one to win. I guess now I will root for the 24-5- or the 4 team to win the championship.
 
Would love to see MTJ make a statement here!
 
It’s the Grand Daddy of ‘em All, The Great Southern Tradition….The Southern 500! If you cant tell, I’m a little bit partial to the crown jewel events on the calendar, I’am a huge fan of this race and track. Takes huge amounts of talent, skill and some help from the pits to win here. A true test of mental, physical and team capabilities.
 

That's a bit of a surprise.

I think it is a great move. The kid has got the speed all he needs is a little guidance to build up the finesse or refinement and he will be on his way.

I am going to make an ambitious prediction. His accomplishments will go beyond just some cup wins and championships.
I am calling it now, Hocevar will be a 50 page RacingForums thread legend and force before it is over.
 
It's kinda pointless to keep Berry in the car when he's going to Ford anyway so I think giving one of Chevy's top prospects some seat time is a good idea.
However I do hope this doesn't mean Carson is going full-time in Cup next year.
It ageee but this is probably one of the best ways to audition his current abilitys. It is a legacy car and a long shot finishing p30 isnt desired but it isnt something new for them. They are also leaving the Chevy camp soon. Maybe the cheapest seat time they can get him.
 
Newman gets a ride
The entry list for the Crown Royal presents Darlington Labor Day Race Weekend NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway is posted, 36 teams/drivers [for 40 spots] are listed. Some of the drivers entered include: #15-JJ Yeley, #42-Carson Hocevar, #51-Ryan Newman.

1693262809653.png
 

Goodyear Fast Facts: Darlington​

NASCAR Cup Series — Race No. 27 – 367 laps / 501 miles Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile oval) – Darlington, S.C.
Fast Facts for September 2-3, 2023

Tire: Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Speedway Radials

Set limits: Cup: 1 set for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 13 sets for the race (12 race sets plus 1 set transferred from qualifying)

Tire Codes: Left-side — D-5184; Right-side — D-5190

Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,263 mm (89.09 in.); Right-side — 2,279 mm (89.72 in.)

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 20 psi; Left Rear – 22 psi; Right Front — 48 psi; Right Rear — 44 psi

Storyline – NASCAR Cup playoffs open at high-wear Darlington: Pit road will be a busy place at Darlington Raceway this Sunday. With the abrasive track surface, teams will have 13 sets of tires for the Southern 500 – tied with the Coca-Cola 600 for the most sets allotted for a NASCAR Cup race. Lap times slowed down three seconds over the course of a fuel run in the spring race at Darlington, with significant fall-off after just a few laps. That will keep pit crews on their toes throughout the 367-lap race, with teams taking four tires at every opportunity. That means if teams use each of their 13 sets, they will pit an average of once every 28 laps. For drivers, tire management will be important, with those that are easier on their tires early in a run will fall off less and gain track position later in the run.
“Darlington has perhaps the most abrasive racing surface of all the tracks we run on in NASCAR, and that means tires will wear heavily,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Four-tire pit stops will be the call all day, so pit crews will be an important factor in the race. The great thing at Darlington is that fans will get to see a lot of passing throughout the field with some drivers being able to manage their tires better than others, meaning that those who are able to work the throttle so as not to abuse their tires early in a run, will be able to pass a lot of cars later in a run.”

Notes – Cup teams return to Darlington on spring tire set-up: Being on 18-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Cup teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Xfinity Series at Darlington this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires Cup teams ran at this track and on the Charlotte oval in May . . . Cup teams will run this same tire set-up at Homestead later in the playoffs . . . this right-side tire code has also been run with a different left-side code at Auto Club, Kansas, Las Vegas, Nashville and Pocono earlier this season . . . with this 18-inch tire, and its lower profile sidewall, NASCAR Cup cars will not run inner liners in any of their tires in 2023.
 
Wonder if weepers could be a problem this weekend? 6"+ of rain Thursday.

Good luck to everyone involved in track setup/operations. I'd assume they'll just build everything on Friday. That's a HUGE undertaking.
 
Remember those commercials that asked “How bad have you got it?”

I’m flying out of New York to Charlotte Sunday morning, and flying back Monday night to check Darlington off the bucket list. So pumped!

You won’t regret it. Don’t expect much in track amenities, but the atmosphere and the track itself is amazing. Where are you sitting?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You won’t regret it. Don’t expect much in track amenities, but the atmosphere and the track itself is amazing. Where are you sitting?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My go to spot at any track, as high as possible in turn 1
 
I’ll be perched high atop turn 4 for this one…. Can’t wait. First race I’ve been able to make this year.
My go to spot at any track, as high as possible in turn 1
Turn 1 (Brasington) is the best view in the spring. They come right at you, and you can tell who's in trouble going into turn 1. But for the fall race, the sun shines directly along the front stretch from 4 to 1, and it's impossible to tell which car is which until about 150 miles in (if you can see them at all through the glare).

Turn 4 (Pearson), with the sun behind you, is definitely the best seats for Labor Day.

People in Tyler are those who still think being on the straight front stretch is a good place to watch a race. People in Wallace are there because they waited too late or couldn't afford better seats.
 
Wonder if weepers could be a problem this weekend? 6"+ of rain Thursday.

Good luck to everyone involved in track setup/operations. I'd assume they'll just build everything on Friday. That's a HUGE undertaking.
Hey, the way this year has been I’m shocked it’s not rolling through on Sunday.
 
No power steering for 500 miles, a different breed:

I have always loved the different ways they have to run the different ends of the the track. They are described in inverse order by Cale due to flipping the front stretch a few years later but it is demonstrated in that clip.

My favorite seat is the covered stands located at the 2nd turn. You can really watch them enter turn one and hauling going toward two, it is an incredible veiw.
 
Driving a car that doesn't have power steering is much easier than driving a car that has broken power steering.
Very true, but it still had to be tough to do for 367 laps in the hot labor day sun.
 
Back
Top Bottom