Cup RACE thread --- Darlington

In 2001, we had 10 different winners in the first 12 races, including just one multiple-race winner: Dale Jarrett, who won at Darlington, Martinsville, and Texas.

Now 20 years later, the 2021 season has also started with 10 different winners in the first 12 races, including just one multiple-race winner: Martin Truex Jr., who won at Darlington, Martinsville, and Phoenix.

In 2001, the #24 of Jeff Gordon won the third race of the season, then went on to become the second repeat winner by winning the 13th and 14th races. In 2021, the #24 of William Byron won the third race of the season.
 
Mile501 said:
In 2001, we had 10 different winners in the first 12 races, including just one multiple-race winner: Dale Jarrett, who won at Darlington, Martinsville, and Texas.

Now 20 years later, the 2021 season has also started with 10 different winners in the first 12 races, including just one multiple-race winner: Martin Truex Jr., who won at Darlington, Martinsville, and Phoenix.

In 2001, the #24 of Jeff Gordon won the third race of the season, then went on to become the second repeat winner by winning the 13th and 14th races. In 2021, the #24 of William Byron won the third race of the season.
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You don’t have to look it up. We already did it for you.

The Countdown is at zero. The Green flag coming up next.
 
Mile501 said:
In 2001, we had 10 different winners in the first 12 races, including just one multiple-race winner: Dale Jarrett, who won at Darlington, Martinsville, and Texas.

Now 20 years later, the 2021 season has also started with 10 different winners in the first 12 races, including just one multiple-race winner: Martin Truex Jr., who won at Darlington, Martinsville, and Phoenix.

In 2001, the #24 of Jeff Gordon won the third race of the season, then went on to become the second repeat winner by winning the 13th and 14th races. In 2021, the #24 of William Byron won the third race of the season.
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RvG.gif
 
Anyone figure out the #42's tire strategy in stage 1? That 'staying out' trick rarely works at less abrasive tracks, much less here.
 
Kiante said:
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I wouldn't embrace that, because there is so much noise and situational variance in raw passing stats. They are no measure of a race's quality or intensity either way.

You don't need a stat sheet or scoring monitor to tell you whether it was a good race. If these are the things you are using, it indicates you weren't really watching what was on the track anyway.
 
Post race thoughts after attending...

As always, gotta love how frickin old school this place is. No frills, not much going on, reminds you of going to a county fair a bit.

Have to say it’s a good call going with the 750/ low downforce here because it races A LOT like a short track to be honest. Difficult corners, narrow and highly abrasive make the cars roll around like marbles.

If we didn’t have the 550 HP package I’m highly confident Gibbs/Hendrick would have a Mercedes/Red Bull F1 type of dominance in this series. Those cars are simply way better than the rest of the field engineering wise and it’s extremely evident. The combo of 550/750 has brought some solid parity to the sport
 
DaBiff1618 said:
So in the “driver friendly” low downforce package, Truex has won all 3 races this year. On 3 different kinds of tracks. Interested what the people that don’t think he’s an elite driver have to say about that 😇
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I agree in general except I'd call it a "driver required" instead of "driver friendly."
 
Switchback said:
I agree with Gordon, truex doesn't get enough credit. This was a driver's race today. I guess pearn wasn't magically driving the car from the pit box.
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But Pearn showed him how to win and win often. I guess his new CC isn't messing
with the formula for success.
 
Team Penske said:
But Pearn showed him how to win and win often. I guess his new CC isn't messing
with the formula for success.
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So his wins with second tier teams in DEI and MWR didn’t happen. Neither did the two Busch series titles. It’s been obvious for anyone with eyes this dude always had a lot of talent. How many times should have have won in the 56 and lost because of BS yellows or bad pit stops. It just evened out over the course of his career
 
DaBiff1618 said:
So his wins with second tier teams in DEI and MWR didn’t happen. Neither did the two Busch series titles. It’s been obvious for anyone with eyes this dude always had a lot of talent. How many times should have have won in the 56 and lost because of BS yellows or bad pit stops. It just evened out over the course of his career
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You sure like to add words that were never said which of course changes the meaning of what I said. Read it again with an open mind.
 
DaBiff1618 said:
Interested what the people that don’t think he’s an elite driver have to say about that 😇
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I’m not going to shy away from saying that I thought his early success streak was a fluke and that he would fade away in a season or two. He and that team has absolutely proven me wrong. MTJ is the epitome of never giving up and should receive more praise for his work ethic in becoming a much better driver.

Though there are still times where things happen and I say “well theres the old MTJ shining though” with instances like him wrecking out himself and Kyle Busch at Indy or wrecking out himself and Chase Elliott at Darlington. That being said, those individual moments of error don’t drown out a body of stellar performances.
 
DaBiff1618 said:
So in the “driver friendly” low downforce package, Truex has won all 3 races this year. On 3 different kinds of tracks. Interested what the people that don’t think he’s an elite driver have to say about that 😇
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Dude's a hall of famer
 
Both Roush cars finished in the top 10 for the first time (aside from Daytona and Talladega) since Martinsville in the fall of 2017. The last time two Roush cars finished in the top 10 on an intermediate track was in 2014 at Atlanta (Edwards and Biffle).

Rookie Chase Briscoe is still searching for his first top 10, but he has finished 11th twice in the last 3 races.

Denny Hamlin, still winless, maintains his massive point lead and now has 9 finishes between 2nd and 5th this season. He has also led in all but 1 race this year.
Similarly, Kevin Harvick earned his 7th finish between 2nd and 6th this season.
 
Mile501 said:
Similarly, Kevin Harvick earned his 7th finish between 2nd and 6th this season.
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I don't know if they did something wrong to Kev's car or if everyone else just adjusted past him, but that car stank coming out of the Stage 1 caution. To wind up 6th, he must have kicked out the floorboard and hot-footed it Fred Flintstone-style.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I don't know if they did something wrong to Kev's car or if everyone else just adjusted past him, but that car stank coming out of the Stage 1 caution. To wind up 6th, he must have kicked out the floorboard and hot-footed it Fred Flintstone-style.
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Harvick was almost 24 seconds down, 3 seconds from going a lap down
 
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