NASCAR America: Drivers race for the Chase

Brad Keselowski hasn’t won since California in March, but in his last six races, he has two runner-up finishes and four top-10s… Biffle was credited with a 24th-place qualifying effort, and his team opted to try to fix the auto, rather than resorting to a backup.

This piece doesn’t have the right tone to talk about the Indy auto tragedy last week, but I will say if you are a racing fan and haven’t read what Tony Kanaan had to say about Justin Wilson’s death at Pocono, you need to. If it is not Harvick, look at Stewart to win. In honor of the race, many NASCAR teams are putting throwback themes on their cars this weekend to commemorate and celebrate the “old” NASCAR.

Earlier in the summer, Earnhardt had run Elliott off the track to win The Winston in Charlotte and the two drivers were entrenched in a hateful feud.

Jordan Spieth doesn’t like what he sees after his second shot on No. 15 at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Paul Menard: Won Xfinity race on Road America’s road course, near his hometown of Eau Claire, Wis. He also had a good run at Kentucky where he finished third racing under the low downforce aero package that will be used this weekend. Jimmie Johnson is a three-time victor at Darlington… Busch has one win at Darlington in his career. An 8.4 average finish at such a tough track is a testament to his skills, and only Hamlin has been more consistent here among active drivers.

The liveries are a combination of historical celebrations of drivers, teams and sponsors. Keselowksi won five poles in 2014.

Like many veteran athletes, Gordon understands the scenario and can approach it with some sense of calm. Gordon recalled how his radiator blew up when he took the vehicle to victory lane, one of his most memorable Darlington moments.

Jeff Burton, is his first year as an NBC analyst after winning 21 Cup races, also attended Darlington races as a child.

Throwback paint schemes on racecars and retro logos and signs welcomed NASCAR fans when they arrived at Darlington Raceway this weekend for the Southern 500 Sprint Cup race.

“I think our great race fans in South Carolina support this racetrack”, said the track president, Chip Wile. “Five-hundred miles around this track is an eternity”. As the cars became more purpose-built for racing – versus the grocery getter that Los Angelino Johnny Mantz drove to victory in the first Southern 500 – changing the cross-weight in the chassis and tire pressures on pit stops was a major factor. Sunday will mark his 35th and final Darlington start.

The first Southern 500 at Darlington was on Labor Day weekend in 1950. His driver rating, 93.2, is ninth best and he could be near the front at the end of the night.

Like scientists eager to see the results of an experiment that could prove their hypothesis correct, NASCAR drivers are hoping Sunday night’s Southern 500 turns out to be as competitive a race as they envisioned. It’s been a long time, and the tradition was sorely missed.

Everyone seems happy NASCAR is back in town.