Tradition. For The Masters, held in April it’s, “A tradition unlike any other.” In the musical Fiddler on the Roof there’s a whole song centered on the word. For nostalgic NASCAR fans Darlington Raceway might be the most tradition filled place on the schedule.
Jeff Burton even said, “With no disrespect to any other racetrack, Daytona is the centerpiece of our sport. … Darlington, to me, has the most historic meaning of anywhere we go.”
And now, race fans can relive the nostalgia that Darlington provided for years during its traditional Labor Day weekend slot, the race known as The Southern 500. Tomorrow the stars of NASCAR will take on “The Lady in Black” in the re-christened Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com.
Although this blog post, as well as all my other NASCAR related posts, will no longer be carried on NASCARView, I will keep up the weekly previews. If you have any other ideas or better suggestions—as always—let me know. Here’s a look at the main storylines that will dominate the weekend, according to me.
1. Can Kyle Busch make it back-to-back weeks in Victory Lane?
He won the Darlington event last year even after bouncing the #18 off the wall numerous times. He won last week at Richmond, twice. He’s won 50 events in NASCAR’s three highest series already. And, although he didn’t come through as my early prediction to win the 2008 Brickyard 400, I have an odd feeling that sooner or later he’ll be kissing the bricks (I just prefer it be in 2011 or later, after Mark Martin has won one, or two, or a few).
If I were a betting man—and my prediction last weekend didn’t exactly pan out, but it wasn’t bad for my first prediction—I’d be willing to put some money down on Rowdy this weekend. In fact, I’d do it every weekend.
2. “Old School” feel at Darlington will at least make older NASCAR fans look back at the past
They’ve renamed the race, repainted the walls at the egg shaped track and invited Cale Yarborough to drive the pace car tomorrow evening. Although very few NASCAR fans can remember the first race at Darlington, many older fans will at least feel the nostalgia of old time Darlington. Even though I rarely got a chance to watch the Southern 500 due to family obligations on Labor Day weekend, I know what it meant to NASCAR fans.
How many drivers will earn a "Darlington stripe" this weekend?
Many threatened to jump ship after NASCAR moved the date to California, and I know some fans probably stopped watching all together. Now maybe, just maybe, NASCAR’s attempts to bring back some fans with a nostalgic feel will work. Because many disgruntled NASCAR fans know that without fans NASCAR is in trouble.
3. Brad Keselowski is back this weekend…Will he be able to qualify for the race?
Everyone who watched Talladega knows who won. Everyone now has heard of Brad Keselowski. He was supposed to be the heir apparent to the #5 car, splitting time with Mark Martin next season. This week Mark Martin announced that he’ll be back full-time in 2010, leaving Keselowski shaking his head, looking for something to do next season.
Keselowski feels he’s fit for a Cup ride. Some fans think he’s fit for a straightjacket. I know many fans share the sentiment that Keselowski’s win at Talladega was nothing more than a fluke, full of luck and wreck dodging (well dodging and creating in his case). If he thinks he can make it full-time in Cup next season he can start to show us his talents by qualifying for the Southern 500.
4. Greg Biffle had a dominant car at Darlington last year before he lost an engine. Will he be able to put together an entire run this year?
Although an article on NASCAR.com says the stats are against Biffle, I have faith in him. Last season he was dominating the Darlington race when his engine expired. His garage area interview showed his displeasure with his Roush Fenway Racing team, and even led many to believe he would look elsewhere for a ride this year.
Will "The Biff" run up front this weekend? I think he will
“The Biff” is back and sitting eleventh in points. He’s had an up and down season so far, and I believe he can get the ball rolling this weekend at the track called “Too Tough to Tame.” So even though my pick of Mark Martin didn’t pan out for a win last week, Mark came home fifth. My pick this weekend is Biffle. Hey, if my luck continues for picks Biffle will at least come home with a fifth place finish. Not a bad night’s work.
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It’s going to be a hectic Saturday evening in South Carolina. I look forward to catching most of the race and hopefully I’ll be able to provide you with some thoughts come Monday. Any suggestions for what to do from here on out would be appreciated. Enjoy the weekend and Happy Mothers Day to everyone out there.
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