Darlington, SC – When the checkered flag flies to finish today’s Cup race at Darlington Raceway, 30% of the regular season will end.
Could be a day that could help to turn a season for a driver or continue his misfortunes? During a return weekend, will it be a scheme back in Victory Lane or a car without such a diagram?
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Here is an overview of what to monitor in today’s race.
Drivers to watch
Favorite: William Byron and Denny Hamlin. Byron begins on the post and has the best average race position in the next generation car in Darlington (6.32). Hamlin, who comes out of his victory in Martinsville, begins third and was one of the only two pilots to finish in the top 10 of the two Darlington races last year.
To watch: Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney. Larson has a new team of stands this weekend, with changes with the two tire changers, the tire carrier and Jackman. Blaney does not have a good record in Darlington but has shown a long -term speed in practice.
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Do not neglect: Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe. The former teammates of the Stewart-Haas race both start at the front. Second qualified preece; Briscoe fourth. Preece, which finished in the top 10 in the last three races, ranked second in average speed greater than 20, 25 and 30 consecutive laps in the training on Saturday. Briscoe won the Southern 500 from last year and was the only pilot to finish in the top five of the two Darlington races last year. Briscoe between this weekend after marking the top 10 consecutive in his new race of race Joe Gibbs.
Needs a good race / victory
Brad Keselowski, who won this race a year ago, enters the event of today 30th in the points. His average finish of 25.1 is the lowest in his cup career in the first seven races of a season.
“I have the impression that we are going to do all the good things and get to where we have to be,” said Keselowski, who starts 20th. “We just didn’t get the results.
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“We did not qualify as well as we would like, but neither particularly has the 60 cars (from his teammate Ryan Preece). In the race, we could not put it together – some under our control, many things are not in our control, so it was frustrating, but I have in a way the feeling that we have a lot of luck. Back to us.
Nascar Xfinity: Nascar Xfinity Series Spring Race in Darlington
The series returns to “The Track Too Dood to Tame”.
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He is not the only one to need a good race today.
Austin Cindric is 24th of the points. He finished 19th or worse in five of the first seven races. It begins sixth.
Ryan Blaney did not have the top 10 in the last five races, a section which included three DNF. He begins ninth.
Darlington’s challenge
Tire wear is extreme, the temperature will be in the mid -1980s and the accent will be intense for drivers today.
So who will make mistakes and how much will it cost them?
“I think Darlington is by far one of the most exhausting racing tracks that you are going to be simply because it will be a warmth this weekend,” said Denny Hamlin, quadruple Darlington winner, who is starting third. “It will be mentally trying by knowing that you have to hit your marks simply perfectly on this track, then, knowing just the mental side of it, you have 35 other guys who do not want to win.
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“It is really difficult to sail to this, and it’s a track that you cannot get away from others. Usually, other mile and a half tracks, tracks of this size, it is wide enough for you to want to go to clean air, you can probably go get it. Here, there is simply no exhaust.
Look at the entrance to the pit
Darlington has among the most difficult pit entries on any track. It is not uncommon to see a driver turning while trying to go to the road or missing the entrance.
Let Austin Cindric explain: “When you go to Pit Road, you don’t know where the stands are the stands, what is the race track, where you can run. All this just a massive paved area. Your visuals, you cannot see it, so you take different reference points. You can cut a lot of distance. As bad as they are ever and it is really easy to make a mistake because of this. “”
Nascar Xfinity Series Hard Rock Bet 300
Kyle Larson to have a new stand team in Darlington
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Hendrick Motorsports makes changes to four of the five positions of the stall crew in the Kyle Larson team.
Return weekend
Nineteen of the 38 cars in today’s race have return projects and it led to a debate this weekend if the return weekend lost its splendor.
“I thought I had lost it about four or five years ago, so I was far too early in this conversation, I think,” said Chase Elliott. “In order not to be a Downer – I joked years ago, but if we continued to take the road, we will send it back to me in 2018. At one point, I think we have to relax a little.
Frm Gilliland Car.jpg
Throwback Nascar’s weekend will be special for a family that will celebrate Todd Gilliland’s car
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First row Motorsports will honor Ray Fox, whose great-grandson is a member of the crew at the team stand n ° 34.
Ryan Blaney sees him in another way.
“I love it,” he said. “I love it. I love to see what people offer every year. There are so many patterns neat with drivers or teams that have inspired many people to be in the garage today who can reject it.
“I just love to walk in the garage. I really want us to announce (diagrams) on Twitter, X, no matter how you want to call it. I want you to develop it, then the garage people see it for the first time because it would be a huge revelation.
