Darlington | The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

Burton Ready To Take On the Track Too Tough To Tame

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, fresh off a win last Saturday night at Daytona, are headed into this weekend’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with a burst of momentum.

“It’s hard for me to put into words how special getting this Wood Brothers Racing team their 100th win is to both myself and to Harrison,” said crew chief Jeremy Bullins. “Obviously we haven’t met our own expectations this season, but we knew Daytona would a great opportunity to try to get a win and turn things around. (more…)

Panini America to Serve as Primary Partner for Joey Logano at Darlington Raceway Xfinity Race with AM Racing

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

Irving, TX – August 29, 2024 – Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and the official trading card partner of NASCAR, has announced that it will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 15 AM Racing Ford Mustang, driven by two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, for the Xfinity Series’ Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200.

The race is this Saturday, August 31st, at the iconic Darlington Raceway.

Logano has been a member of Panini’s athlete roster since 2019, serving as the brand’s racing trading card ambassador and as a key element of multiple Panini NASCAR products and marketing activations, including its annual Panini VIP Experience for a sweepstakes-winning fan at the Daytona 500. (more…)

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Darlington

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

DARLINGS OF S.C. ONCE AGAIN: After going winless at Darlington Raceway in 14 straight events, Hendrick Motorsports swept both races in 2023 with William Byron winning in the spring and Kyle Larson claiming the Southern 500. That brought the organization’s win total at the “Lady in Black” up to 16 with 12 of those coming in the Southern 500. Both of those marks lead all Cup Series teams.

SPREADING THE WEALTH: Six Hendrick Motorsports drivers have gone to victory lane in the Southern 500, tied for the most all time. Leading that charge is NASCAR Hall of Famer and current vice chairman Jeff Gordon with six victories. Jimmie Johnson claimed two wins in the event for Hendrick Motorsports with Larson, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte and Tim Richmond each winning once.
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Joe Graf Jr. / No. 19 G-Coin Toyota GR Supra Preview – Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

GRAF JR. 2024 NXS 3^rd Race of Season: The August 31^st race at Darlington Raceway will mark Joe Graf Jr.’s 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) 3^rd race thus far in the season. With 2 of the 4 scheduled starts for Graf Jr. behind him, Joe has returned to the Xfinity series better than ever. With an average finish through the first two races of 14.5, he is on pace to shatter his previous season’s number of 25.3. Joe will look to continue his success thus far at Darlington.

RETURN TO JGR: Graf Jr. competed in the full, 33 race NXS season in 2023 where he had three impressive top-10 performances at Daytona, Homestead, and Kansas, highlighted by a best finish of seventh at Daytona.

DAYTONA RECAP: Joe Graf Jr. started off his weekend strong in Daytona qualifying in 4^th position. The No. 19 Reagan Toyota GR Supra even got to start front row due to the 21 car making an adjustment to their race car. Joe kept it clean and managed to secure a strong finish of 12^th for his team. (more…)

Overstock.com Racing: Josh Berry Darlington Advance

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway marks the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale. It’s also the site of Josh Berry’s best finish this season, a third-place drive in the Goodyear 400 when the Cup Series first visited the quirky, 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval in May. Berry scored another third-place finish five races later in June at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Both were one spot shy of Berry’s career-best Cup Series finish of second, earned in only his sixth career start on April 2, 2023 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. (more…)

Sheldon Creed / No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra Preview – Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

CREED AT DARLINGTON: Sheldon Creed heads to Darlington Raceway this weekend for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200. Creed has claimed Darlington as one of his favorite tracks throughout his Xfinity Series career, making this weekend a highlight on his 2024 schedule. As he heads into his seventh NXS start at the lady in black, Creed holds one top-five, three top-10s. and 47 laps led. He narrowly missed his first career win at the track in 2022 as he lost the lead on a pass in the final corner by Noah Gragson. In his last run at Darlington in the spring, Creed came home in ninth.

DAYTONA RECAP: In typical Daytona fashion, Creed had an up-and-down day under the lights of Daytona, but he showed up when it mattered. After starting seventh, Creed raced his way to a fourth-place finish in stage one and a seventh-place finish in stage two, thus securing a crucial 11 stage points on the day. After falling back in the lead pack during the third stage, Creed worked his way back up to an eighth-place finish, which secured his 14^th top-10 on the year. (more…)

Stewart-Haas Racing: Darlington NXS Advance (Cole Custer | Riley Herbst)

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

Cole Custer and the No. 00 Haas Automation team are hoping to rebound after bad luck struck in last Friday’s race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In the rearview mirror for Custer is a superspeedway where anything can happen as he looks to Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, a track he’s tamed in the past. Custer started 14th at Daytona after a qualifying session shortened by lightning. He ran in the top-10 in the first stage of the race before finishing it just outside the points-paying position. (more…)

Todd Gilliland, Long John Silver’s Ready for Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 28, 2024) – Todd Gilliland returns to the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for the famed Southern 500. Long John Silver’s will partner with Gilliland for the crown-jewel event.

Gilliland heads to the 1.3-mile track facing a must-win situation in order to make the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Gilliland has a career best finish of 11th at the “Track too Tough to Tame” in the Cup Series, and a 4th place finish in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He finished 15th in the May Cup race at Darlington.

The weekend will kick off on Saturday, August 31 with practice and qualifying at 12:30 pm ET. The Southern 500 is scheduled for Sunday, September 1 at 6:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on the USA Network. Fans can also listen in from the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90. (more…)

Chandler Smith – No. 81 QuickTie Toyota GR Supra Preview – Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

SMITH AT DARLINGTON: Chandler Smith has three previous NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts at Darlington Raceway with a best finish of 12^th earlier this year. He also has four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at the Lady in Black with one top-10 finish.

DAYTONA RECAP: Smith finished runner-up to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate Ryan Truex on Friday night at Daytona. The No. 81 team earned their first pole of 2024 Friday afternoon and ran in the top-10 for most of the night, finishing Stage 1 in second and Stage 2 in eighth. (more…)

JR Motorsports — NXS Darlington Preview

by MikeAugust 30, 2024

JR Motorsports at Darlington Raceway: JR Motorsports has competed at Darlington Raceway a combined 72 times in the NXS since its first trip there in 2006. In those starts at the 1.366-mile oval, the organization has recorded seven wins, 23 top-fives and 45 top-10s, with an average finish of 11.7.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones and Carson Kvapil will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, Aug 31 from 12:45 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. ET. (more…)