Cup Series-Southern 500 Racethread

[slorydn1]

THE RACE: Showtime Southern 500

TRACK: Darlington Raceway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Race #11 of 36 for the 2010 season

Track Specifications:
Track/Race Length: 1.366 egg-shaped oval, 367 laps, 501.322 miles
Banking: Turns 1/2 - 25 degrees, width 79 ft; Turns 3/4 - 23 degrees, width 62 ft; Front - 3 degrees, Back - 2 degrees.
Frontstretch 1,229 ft long, 90 ft wide;
Backstretch - 1,229 ft long, 90 ft wide
Pit Road: Length: 2,025 feet, Width: 46 feet
Speed Limits: Pace Car - 50 mph, Pit Road - 45 mph
Track Last Repaved in early 2008
Grandstand Seating: 68,000
Opened: 1950
Race: Saturday May 8, 2010 in Darlington, SC
Title Sponsor: Showtime
Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 7:44pm/et

Track Qualifying Record: Matt Kenseth, May 2009, 27.394sec @ 179.514mph
Track Race Record: Kyle Busch, May 2008, 140.350mph
Most Wins - Active Driver: Jeff Gordon, 7
Most Poles - Active Driver: Bill Elliott, 5
Most Leaders: 20, 9/4/1994
Fewest Leaders: 2, 9/4/1950
Most Lead Changes: 41, 9/6/1982
Fewest Lead Changes: 4, 9/4/1950
Most Laps Led [500 miles]: Johnny Mantz, Sept 1950, 351 laps [of 367]
Most Cautions: 17, May 2009
Most Caution Laps: 101, Sept 1974
Fewest Cautions: 0, Sept 1963
Fewest Caution Laps: 0, Sept 1963

(more info at http://jayski.com/next/2010/11dar2010.htm )

[slorydn1]

Last year's race:

NASCAR Sprint Cup race number 11 of 36
May 9, 2009 at Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC
367 laps on a 1.366 mile paved track (501.3 miles)

Time of race: 4:11:19
Average Speed: 119.687 mph
Pole Speed: 27.394sec @ 179.514 mph
Cautions: 17 for 73 laps
Margin of Victory: 1.531 sec
Attendance: 72,000

Top 10:

01 Mark Martin
02 Jimmie Johnson
03 Tony Stewart
04 Ryan Newman
05 Jeff Gordon
06 Martin Truex
07 Brad Keselowski
08 Greg Biffle
09 Joey Logano
10 Matt Kenseth


To the back: Reed Sorenson (#43) engine change, Jimmie Johnson (#48) backup car, Scott Speed (#87) driver change

Cautions: Laps: 5-7 (#13,87 accident turn 2), 22-24 (#55 spun turn 4), 32-37 (#07,11,44,83 accident turns 1/2), 76-85 (#55 accident turn 3), 120-123 (#77 accident turn 2), 162-165 (#6,11 accident turns 1/2), 186-189 (#6,42 accident turn 1), 198-201 (#6 accident turn 3), 216-219 (#2 spun turn 4), 223-226 (#33,44 accident backstretch), 250-253 (debris), 277-281 (debris backstretch), 285-287 (#99 accident turn 3), 297-300 (#16 accident turn 4), 321-325 (debris turn 4), 336-338 (#26,83 accident turn 2), 344-346 (#88 spun frontstretch)

Lap leaders: M. Kenseth 1-16, J. Gordon 17-22, J. Johnson 23-24, R. Newman 25-71, K. Kahne 72-82, E. Sadler 83-84, K. Kahne 85-115, M. Truex Jr. 116-119, K. Kahne 120, B. Labonte 121-122, G. Biffle 123-161, K. Kahne 162, G. Biffle 163-185, K. Kahne 186, G. Biffle 187-215, Ky. Busch 216, M. Truex Jr. 217-249, Ky. Busch 250, G. Biffle 251-276, R. Newman 277, J. Logano 278-296, M. Truex Jr. 297-320, T. Stewart 321, M. Martin 322-367

Points standings (top 20) after this race:

Rank Driver Points Diff
+----+-----------------------+------+-----+
1 Jeff Gordon 1601
2 Tony Stewart 1572 -29
3 Kurt Busch 1546 -55
4 Jimmie Johnson 1465 -136
5 Denny Hamlin 1445 -156
6 Jeff Burton 1384 -217
7 Kyle Busch 1380 -221
8 Ryan Newman 1363 -238
9 Greg Biffle 1345 -256
10 Matt Kenseth 1326 -275
11 Mark Martin 1316 -285
12 Carl Edwards 1271 -330
13 Clint Bowyer 1264 -337
14 Juan Pablo Montoya 1255 -346
15 David Reutimann 1232 -369
16 Kasey Kahne 1205 -396
17 Brian Vickers 1188 -413
18 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 1182 -419
19 Martin Truex, Jr. 1144 -457
20 Marcos Ambrose 1131 -470
+----+-----------------------+------+-----+

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2009-11/W

[Alexamateo]

Jamie Mac's on the Pole with a new track record, Jeff Gordon's alongside.

What happened to Kyle Busch, he's 39th? bad lap or missed set-up?

[slorydn1]

Jamie Mac's on the Pole with a new track record, Jeff Gordon's alongside.

What happened to Kyle Busch, he's 39th? bad lap or missed set-up?

He skinned the wall coming off 4 lap 1, then smoked the wall in 2 lap 2.....not so good

[Alexamateo]

Thanks, I figured something like that happened. It'll be fun watching him come through the pack tomorrow night.

[slorydn1]

its almost Showtime (no pun intended with the title sponsor for tonights race) :D

[Mark in Oshawa]

Well that was an interesting race. The 48 gets smoked, the Lady in Black eats a few race cars, Jeff Gordon tosses one away, and Denny Hamlin is the BMOC...

[harvick#1]

it was a wild race thats for sure, but the track needs to weather alittle faster, for the two guys that had the fastest cars the whole to both blow it on the final spot was stunning.

its gonna be something when Hamlin is fully healthy, hes gonna be one tough guy to knock around after hes been rehabilitated.

[Mark in Oshawa]

it was a wild race thats for sure, but the track needs to weather alittle faster, for the two guys that had the fastest cars the whole to both blow it on the final spot was stunning.

its gonna be something when Hamlin is fully healthy, hes gonna be one tough guy to knock around after hes been rehabilitated.

I think the knee is a non issue. He had arthoscopic work, and guys who run or skate for a living come back from that in 6 to 8 weeks....he just has to drive the car.

The track can weather, but it provided a great race. Gordon and Burton were fast all night...but their screwups were their own...

[call_me_andrew]

Track Specifications:
Track/Race Length: 1.366 egg-shaped oval, 367 laps, 501.322 miles
Banking: Turns 1/2 - 25 degrees, width 79 ft; Turns 3/4 - 23 degrees, width 62 ft; Front - 3 degrees, Back - 2 degrees.
Frontstretch 1,229 ft long, 90 ft wide;
Backstretch - 1,229 ft long, 90 ft wide
Pit Road: Length: 2,025 feet, Width: 46 feet
Speed Limits: Pace Car - 50 mph, Pit Road - 45 mph
Track Last Repaved in early 2008
Grandstand Seating: 68,000
Opened: 1950
Race: Saturday May 8, 2010 in Darlington, SC
Title Sponsor: Showtime
Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 7:44pm/et

Anyone else doubt those numbers?

[Lee Roy]

Anyone else doubt those numbers?

Two thoughts. Do they include the apron? Do they include the space taken up by the SAFER barriers?

[Iceman778]

i agreed

[Mark in Oshawa]

Anyone else doubt those numbers?

What numbers am I supposed to doubt? Who cares what the stat's say, it is Darlington!!!

[call_me_andrew]

What numbers am I supposed to doubt?

That the turns are 79 and 62 feet wide, respectively.