Darlington Raceway Pre-Race Thread

StandOnIt

StandOnIt

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The one-of-a-kind egg shape. The long, sweeping first and second turns that I still want to call turns three and four. They allow so many crossover passes and the cars that can handle will just look like they are eating when they pass a struggling car.
The asphalt grit using up the tires, the Darlington stripe, it is all great stuff. The best.

A driver probably almost always will have to race the track first before worrying about the competition, but it is most apparent at Darlington. The only exceptions might be the road courses.
 

Goodyear Fast Facts — Darlington, Portland​

NASCAR Cup Series teams head to Darlington Raceway for the second time this season, and a largely similar Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setup awaits them.

The right side tire is unchanged compared to the one used in April’s Goodyear 400 and the left side tire is very similar, but has a new tire code due to a minor tread compound update. Goodyear does not anticipate any performance changes around the 1.366-mile oval compared to the previous recommendation. This left side tire has been raced at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while the right side tire has been raced six times this year.

“Returning to Darlington this weekend, we have a very similar Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setup to what was run at the Goodyear 400 in April,” said Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear operations manager for global race tires. “The left side tire features a minor tread compound update designed to deliver equal performance and has been successfully run at other races in 2025.”

NASCAR Cup Series
Race: Cook Out Southern 500 (367 laps / 501.32 miles)
Track: Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Date/Time: Sunday, August 31, 6 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Tire: Goodyear Racing Eagle

Tire Code: D-5284 left side, D-5222 right side
Previous Usage in 2025: Charlotte; Michigan (LS), Indianapolis (LS); Las Vegas (RS), Homestead-Miami (RS),
Darlington (RS), Texas (RS), Kansas (RS), Nashville (RS)

Tire Circumference: 2,263 mm (89.1 in.) left side, 2,277 (89.6 in.) right side

Recommended Minimum Inflation: LF – 20 psi, RF – 48 psi, LR – 22 psi, RR – 44 psi

Total Sets: 14 (12 new race / 1 qualifying transfer to race / 1 practice)
 
Greg said:
The one-of-a-kind egg shape. The long, sweeping first and second turns that I still want to call turns three and four. They allow so many crossover passes and the cars that can handle will just look like they are eating when they pass a struggling car.
The asphalt grit using up the tires, the Darlington stripe, it is all great stuff. The best.

A driver probably almost always will have to race the track first before worrying about the competition, but it is most apparent at Darlington. The only exceptions might be the road courses.
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What I love most about Darlington is how rough it is on tires. You can audibly hear the cars running at a lower tune late in a green flag run. It’s amazing how narrow it is as well, hardly any room out there at all. Also two of the best races I’ve ever seen in person with Hamlin/Larson and Erik Jones’s epic win in the 43

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The spring race sucked, hopefully it's hotter than the current forecast predicts for the TV audience's sake.
 
I'll be surprised if Darlington isn't a single file affair mostly. If tire wear comes in and forces changes to that it could get interesting.
 
StandOnIt said:
:p
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I was sitting in the old 4th turn covered stand around 1987? I think ( it was the spring race that Lake Speed won).
I dont know what the people a few rows behind us did but the police lined up at 7 or 8 of them and walked them out, maybe to that jail house
 
That reminds me when the highway patrols used to have sobriety checkpoints on the roads leading away from tracks. It's been a while since I've seen one. I remember being stopped at Darlington, Rockingham, and Bristol over the years; maybe more. There was always that guy who pulled out of line to make a paniced U-turn, only to find there was a cop car already in position on the other shoulder.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
That reminds me when the highway patrols used to have sobriety checkpoints on the roads leading away from tracks. It's been a while since I've seen one. I remember being stopped at Darlington, Rockingham, and Bristol over the years; maybe more. There was always that guy who pulled out of line to make a paniced U-turn, only to find there was a cop car already in position on the other shoulder.
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I passed a trooper on the way to Darlington once. He wasn't on normal duty, and I thought maybe he was headed to the race himself.
I followed him for at least 30 minutes while he was speeding, with the thought that he wouldn't ticket me for doing exactly what he was doing himself.
I was younger and just knew that I knew.

After following him for quite a distance, he slowed down and decided he was going to follow the speed limit.
I wasn't satisfied with running 15 mph slower. So I passed him while my cousin was mumbling that I was crazy.

As I was going by the trooper, he flashed his blue lights and sounded the siren for just a couple of seconds, as if he was giving me a warning. I understood and slowed enough to resume following him.

I have followed the speeding Georgia troopers on I-85 when they are on their way home several times after a Charlotte race, but I avoid passing them.
 
Great race, and the perfect place to start Denny's assault on this title. #11AGAINSTTHEWORLD
 
StandOnIt said:
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Kyle Petty was never great but I dont think the disrepect from a lot of people is justified.

Racing is supposed to be tough that a few will master, and he wasnt some type of disgraceful joke or clown. He was fortunate enough to have Gary Nelson as a CC, but he still was great at at technical tracks like Rockingham and Dover. I think his last win at Dover was without Nelson.

He also lost a son, and broke his leg badly enough to have it pinned together. For a lack of better term he paid a price.

I respect him (this post is just about KP, nothing to do with Larson taking a fun photo)
 
Is Darlington a sale out today?
Not a trick question, I honestly do not know.

But if not, I would think big home games for the USC Gamecocks and even last nights nights Clemson vs LSU game would be a factor.

It is true that one could have went to the Clemson game last night and then todays race.
But the Clemson game would have been approximately $500 deal to add to todays expense, and the price alone would ensure that is a very limited or small crowd.

If the race has great attendance in spite of the competition, it will be a very impressive statement and accomplishment.
 
It will be interesting to see what the TV ratings are for tonight's race as it goes head to head against the Notre Dame-Miami college football game on ABC.
 
Greg said:
Is Darlington a sale out today?
Not a trick question, I honestly do not know.

But if not, I would think big home games for the USC Gamecocks and even last nights nights Clemson vs LSU game would be a factor.

It is true that one could have went to the Clemson game last night and then todays race.
But the Clemson game would have been approximately $500 deal to add to todays expense, and the price alone would ensure that is a very limited or small crowd.

If the race has great attendance in spite of the competition, it will be a very impressive statement and accomplishment.
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Correction the South Carolina Gamecock Virgina Tech is being played in Virgina it is not a home game for the Gamecocks.
 
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