The NASCAR regular season has just two races left before the Chase Grid is set and the drivers NOT locked in the playoffs will need to get down to it at Darlington this weekend in the Bojangles’ Southern 500.
With the added pressure of the time on the clock to make The Chase winding down, the Sprint Cup drivers will face the challenge of competing on the track called “The Lady in Black.” The 1.366-mile oval track of Darlington Raceway has made a handful of drivers legends in NASCAR over the years and it has made many drivers head to the garage early.
The track has plenty of speed available, especially if drivers run high on the track just inches from the wall. That racing grove allows a driver to run pretty much wide open all the way around the track. A driver can even make a small mistake and get away with it. The result of the minor mistake has become known as getting the “Darlington Stripe.” The right side of the car has cosmetic damage scraped into the body which does not hurt the performance of the car much at all.
The problem comes when a driver makes a major mistake. That is when “The Lady In Black” is unforgiving and the car sustains major damage from impacting the wall and often other cars on the track as it slides and spins across the track. That is when a driver typically learns to respect the Darlington Raceway as a true challenge to compete at in the NASCAR season.
Which active NASCAR drivers have learned to respect Darlington and as a result typically perform well in races there? Let’s take a look.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Darlington Raceway
Jeff Gordon – 111.2
Denny Hamlin – 107.8
Kyle Busch – 105.2
Jimmie Johnson – 104.4
Greg Biffle – 102.9
Kasey Kahne – 96.1
Kevin Harvick – 95.9
Ryan Newman – 94.2
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 94.0
Martin Truex Jr. – 93.6
(NOTE: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races {11 total} among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.)
When it comes to winning at Darlington, “The Lady In Black” has helped make Jeff Gordon reach the NASCAR Legend status as he has won there seven times in his career. That is the most of any active driver by more than double.
Jimmie Johnson comes in next on the list of career Darlington Sprint Cup wins with three trips to Victory Lane at the track. Greg Biffle is the only other active driver with multiple wins at the track having captured the checkered flag twice at Darlington.
There are seven active drivers who have scored just a single win facing “The Lady In Black” in their careers. Those drivers with one win are Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Regan Smith, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and last year’s winner of the race Carl Edwards.
There are only a few spots the Chase Grid open for drivers without a win. For those drivers who have not won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in the 2016 regular season the challenge of racing at Darlington will be made tougher with the need to win to make the playoffs. That sense of urgency to win for a shot at racing for the championship will likely cause many drivers to push just a little too far and earn their “Darlington Stripe.” How many of those drivers will push way too far and instead of having a chance to win the race make an early trip to the garage? The answer to that question could make for an exciting race for fans to watch this weekend.
The action will begin in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at 5:00 PM central time (6:00 PM eastern time) when the NASCAR Sprint Cup series races 367 laps (501.3 miles) at Darlington Raceway Sunday, September 4th.
By: Buck Stevens
