Tag: Darlington Raceway

Kevin Harvick narrowly escaped fiery race car before it burst into flames, slams NASCAR’s ‘crappy-[expletive] parts’

Kevin Harvick slammed NASCAR’s Next-Gen car and its “crappy-[expletive] parts” at the Southern 500.

Kevin Harvick had a very close call with a fiery car Sunday night in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, but thankfully, the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driver was able to quickly climbing out of his car before it was fully engulfed in flames.

And after he got out of his car, he was absolutely furious with NASCAR and its new Next-Gen car.

With 93 laps left in the NASCAR Cup Series’ playoff opener, Harvick was running in the top-5 and in the outside lane of the 1.366-mile track when his car was suddenly on fire, noticeable underneath the right front tire. As he continued driving, more and more smoke was flowing out from underneath the car and filling up the cockpit.

Harvick — one of 16 playoff drivers competing for a championship in November — quickly dropped to the inside of the track and pulled over as the flames continued growing, and he luckily exited the car just seconds before the whole thing burst into flames. Almost as soon he climbed out the window, flames engulfed the driver’s side, as well as the right side, of the No. 4 car.

It’s unclear exactly what ignited the flames, though Harvick said he thought his rocker panel was on fire.

But this is far from the first time one of the Next-Gen cars have been on fire this season. It’s one of multiple concerns drivers have about the car and its safety, particularly with them reporting notably harder impacts.

Afterward, Harvick explained his perspective on what happened. He told NBC Sports:

“I’m sure it’s just the crappy parts on the race car, like we’ve seen so many times. We haven’t fixed anything. It’s kind of like the safety stuff: We just let it keep going and keep going. And the car started burning, and as it burned, the flames started coming through the dash.

“And I ran a couple laps, and then, as the flame got bigger, then it started burning stuff up, and I think right there [referencing the replay], you see all the brake fluid that was probably coming out of the brakes. It burned the brake line, but the fire was coming through the dash.”

Harvick continued and blasted NASCAR and the new car, adding:

“What a disaster, man. No reason. We didn’t touch the wall, we didn’t touch a car, and here we are in the pits with a burned up car and can’t finish the race during the playoffs because of crappy-ass parts. …

“I just stopped. The rocker was on fire for a couple laps. I just stopped because I couldn’t see anymore because the flames were coming through the dash, and I couldn’t make myself sit in there and burn up.””

Unable to finish the Southern 500, one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel races, Harvick will surely be playing catch-up in the playoff standings going into the final two races of the Round of 16 before the postseason field shrinks to 12.

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William Byron slammed ‘idiot’ Joey Logano after NASCAR’s latest bump-and-run incident

William Byron was not happy after NASCAR’s spring Darlington race.

Welcome to FTW’s NASCAR Feud of the Week, where we provide a detailed breakdown of the latest absurd, funny and sometimes legitimate controversies and issues within the racing world.

If you’re leading a NASCAR race by the end, Joey Logano is not the kind of driver you want right behind you. And after Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, William Byron became the latest driver to learn that — the hard way.

Logano is known for his aggressive racing style, including moving another driver out of the way when the checkered flag is on the line. But for Byron, his fans and Logano haters, the No. 22 Team Penske Ford driver’s late move for the win was too far.

Let’s break down what happened.

See NASCAR’s throwback paint schemes for the 2022 Goodyear 400 at Darlington

NASCAR is going old school for the 2022 spring Darlington race.

It’s throwback weekend in NASCAR as the Cup Series takes on Darlington Raceway for Sunday’s Goodyear 400. And while a race at this historic track is a big deal on its own, the throwback theme of it means teams and drivers are busting out old-school paint schemes for their rides.

Last year, the spring Darlington race featured some awesome paint schemes, and the year before was pretty solid too. But this year’s looks might be even better.

But as we and NASCAR Twitter have noted, there’s a clear frontrunner for the best 2022 throwback paint scheme, and it’s actually two cars: Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet and Daniel Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet. The two Trackhouse Racing drivers’ cars share a theme, honoring Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. from a 1998 race.

Although the Trackhouse cars have two of the best throwback paint schemes ever, there are plenty of other cool looks this year too. So here’s a look at what’s been revealed so far, and as teams and drivers continue unveiling them, we’ll have updates.

The 2022 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway is Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez will rock fantastic Earnhardt tribute throwback paint schemes at Darlington

NASCAR fans are already calling these the best throwback paint schemes this year.

Ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, teams and their drivers are revealing their old-school paint schemes, which are part of the throwback tradition of this race weekend.

It’s a chance for drivers to celebrate their own racing roots, honor previous drivers of their cars or pay tribute to legends of the sport. And while several teams have some great looks for their cars this weekend, it’s likely none will top the duo of Trackhouse Racing’s two cars, driven by Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez.

For their throwback paint schemes, Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet and Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet, with the help of sponsor Coca-Cola, will celebrate Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. with an homage to the cars the father-son duo raced at an exhibition event at Japan’s Twin Ring Motegi on November 22, 1998. Though it was an exhibition race, it was the first time Earnhardt Sr. and Earnhardt Jr. competed in Cup cars against each other.

In that race, Dale Sr. was behind the wheel of his iconic No. 3 Chevrolet, while Dale Jr. was in the No. 1 Chevrolet. Both were sponsored by Coca-Cola too. And Chastain’s and Suárez’s throwback paint schemes are nearly identical to the Earnhardts’ rides from 24 years ago.

NASCAR fans, and specifically Earnhardt fans, are sure to love these looks when they hit the track Sunday. And Dale Jr. loved it too when Trackhouse co-owner and founder Justin Marks unveiled the schemes to him recently during this week’s episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast.

“The No. 1 almost takes my breath [away],” Earnhardt told Marks. “It’s the car. When you do throwbacks… it’s really unique. It’s almost like an eclipse when you can do the sponsor, the colors and the numbers in right font and everything. That’s the car.

“And you’re in a unique position to include both cars, so it’s such a special thing. I don’t know if you’ll ever have that all come together like that again.”

Referenced in both the podcast episode and clip above, the Earnhardts’ race in Japan is infamous for what happened after: Dale Sr. threw a shoe at Dale Jr. As we’ve previously written, the pair got into it a little bit on the track, and things escalated afterward in their trailer.

As Earnhardt Jr. explained to then-podcast co-host Tyler Overstreet in 2017:

“It went right by my head though – very close. I was looking down untying or tying my shoes, and it came by at a high rate of speed. It would have hurt if it had hit me.”

“Do you think that situation would have escalated if he had connected?” Overstreet asked.

“I know his aim ain’t that great, so I think his intention was to hit me because it came pretty close. But God, man – if it’d had hit me, then we would have both been pissed. That wouldn’t have been good.”

But regardless of flying shoes, Trackhouse’s throwback paint schemes for Darlington this weekend are fantastic, and NASCAR fans raved about them, with some declaring them the best paint schemes of the weekend already.

See NASCAR’s throwback paint schemes for the 2021 Goodyear 400 at Darlington

NASCAR’s throwback weekend isn’t here yet, but some awesome paint schemes are.

NASCAR fans usually have to wait until the back half of the 36-race schedule to enjoy all the throwback paint schemes that hit the track at Darlington Raceway. But this year, the annual throwback weekend is early for the first of two Darlington races this season — rather than for the “crown jewel” Southern 500 fall event.

The Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 9 is the Cup Series’ throwback race at the South Carolina track.

And even though it’s still more than a week away, drivers and their teams are beginning to unveil their old-school paint schemes honoring iconic, famous or personally special looks from racing’s history.

In addition to the throwback schemes competing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will return to the track for the second-tier Xfinity Series race pace laps, driving his vintage and newly restored No. 8 Chevrolet Nova, which his late father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., raced in the mid-1980s in what was then known as the Busch Grand National Series.

(Dale Sr.’s grandson, Jeffrey Earnhardt, is also honoring his grandfather with his Xfinity paint scheme this year.)

There are so many throwback paint schemes to keep track of, and as we get closer to race day, more and more will be unveiled. So we’re keeping track of the Cup Series’ 2021 throwback looks for the spring Darlington race, and we’ll continue to update this list.

New episodes of The Sneak: The Disappearance of Mario Rossi are out now

NASCAR Toyota 500 at Darlington odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET for the Toyota 500. Below, we analyze the Toyota 500 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Toyota 500: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, May 19 at 7:25 a.m. ET.

The NASCAR Cup Series guys returned to action last Sunday, with Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick (+400) coming away with the checkered flag, his 50th win at the Cup level. He enters this one as the chalk, but is he the driver to beat?

  • There’s no qualifying for Wednesday’s 500 as the starting lineup is set using the finishing order from Sunday’s run. However, positions 1-20 are inverted, so Harvick starts 20th and Ryan Preece (+20000) will be on the pole after he finished 20th Sunday.
  • Harvick started sixth Sunday, making it six Darlington races in a row where the winner started sixth or better. The last pole winner was Harvick in the 2014 Bojangles Southern 500.
  • Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones (+1800) finished eighth Sunday. He has finished eighth or better in all four of his starts at the South Carolina track.
  • Penske Racing driver Brad Keselowski (+900) was second to Harvick’s 159 laps led Sunday with 80. Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman (+800), who finished second, was third in laps lead with 41.

Who is going to win the Toyota 500?

JGR’s Kyle Busch (+700) stumbled to a 26th-place finish in Sunday’s race, a shocking result considering he had posted finishes of seventh or better in seven of his previous eight starts at the “Track Too Tough to Tame.” Despite Sunday’s poor showing, BUSCH IS A SOLID PLAY.

Busch is second among active drivers with 716 laps led across 16 career starts at Darlington, with Harvick leading the way with 740 laps led across 24 starts. However, Busch’s average laps led per start is much better at 44.75 to Harvick’s 30.83.

Busch’s teammate DENNY HAMLIN (+800) posted a fifth-place finish Sunday. He now has two wins, eight top-5 finishes and 12 top-10 showings with 562 laps led across 15 career Darlington starts with a 7.6 Average-Finish Position (AFP). He’ll start 16th Wednesday, and is ALWAYS A WISE PICK at this track.

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Joey Logano (+1100) is an intriguing pick for Wednesday. He starts third behind long shots Preece and Ty Dillon (+25000), but is clearly the most proven driver in the front two rows – Clint Bowyer (+3000) starts in the 4 spot. While Logano has never won at Darlington, he has a 16.6 AFP with three top-5 showings and five top-10 finishes and 103 laps led.

Darlington Raceway long-shot bets

Looking to long shots, Preece and Dillon are obvious picks because of their advantageous starting spots, but will it matter? In four career starts at Darlington, the younger Dillon brother has an AFP of just 18.3, while Preece finished 20th Sunday and 22nd in his only previous start at Darlington last season. Go very, very lightly on these two, if at all.

The better bet might be TYLER REDDICK (+5000). He surprised with a seventh-place run Sunday in his Cup debut at Darlington. As such, his odds are much shorter than they might normally be, but he is still a pretty strong value. JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK (+15000) also might be worth a roll of the dice after a stupendous ninth-place run Sunday.

Want action on this race? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Kevin Harvick on hitting 50th NASCAR win milestone: ‘It doesn’t seem real’

Kevin Harvick won NASCAR’s first race back since the coronavirus pandemic shut racing down 10 weeks ago.

Kevin Harvick won NASCAR’s first race back Sunday at Darlington Raceway after the season was suspended for 10 weeks this spring because of the global COVID-19 crisis.

The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driver dominated The Real Heroes 400, leading 159 of 293 total laps and earning his 50th career Cup Series win and first of the 2020 season. He’s the 14th driver to hit that milestone and is now in a three-way tie for 12th on the all-time wins list, joining Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson and breaking his tie with team owner Tony Stewart, who retired with 49 career wins.

Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champ, entered the first of nine currently scheduled NASCAR races as the leader in the standings and is the only driver to finish all five races so far this season in the top 10. Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-5 finishers Sunday.

In Harvick’s post-race, on-track interview with FOX Sports, he seemed to be in disbelief over his career achievement. He said:

“It doesn’t seem real. And I think as you look at Darlington, I think as you look at the things that happened this weekend, I really thought that it would definitely play into our hand just because our guys are so good at hitting the car off the truck for the most part.

“We put a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of studying, a lot of meetings and just have to thank everybody at the shop who has built all these cars. And just, man, I’m excited. It is weird just because there’s nobody up there. … I’m speechless.”

For NASCAR to return after missing eight races because of the global coronavirus pandemic, it needed to establish several safety protocols to keep the limited personnel allowed at the tracks safe.

In addition to health screenings, social distancing rules and mandatory masks, NASCAR is not having practice or qualifying for the first four races back — with the exception of qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 next Sunday. So prior to Sunday’s race, the last time drivers were in their cars was 71 days ago on March 8 at Phoenix Raceway.

Also among the many noticeable differences about this race compared with traditional NASCAR events was the empty grandstands. He said on a Zoom call with reporters after the race that the weirdest part of the day for him was climbing out of his car to a silent atmosphere and described an empty Victory Lane as “awkward.”

While speaking on the track still, Harvick noted how peculiar it felt to celebrate without fans:

“I didn’t think this was going to be much different, and then we won the race, and it’s dead silent out here so we miss the fans. … It’s a pretty big honor to win 50 races in this deal, and just gotta thank all my team guys and everybody for what they’re doing.”

The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is Wednesday, again at Darlington, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrecked on the opening lap of NASCAR’s first race back

Well, that was fast.

Well, that was quick. Not even one lap into the first NASCAR race following a 10-week hiatus because of the coronavirus outbreak, a car hit the wall at Darlington Raceway and the caution flag came out.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed on the very first lap of The Real Heroes 400, the Cup Series’ first race since March 8. Darlington’s 1.366-mile track is challenging, abrasive and nicknamed “Too Tough To Tame,” and it seemed likely that rusty drivers might need a minute to get acclimated to their cars — especially with no practice or qualifying.

But Stenhouse and his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet team — which started 22nd — traveled all the way down to the South Carolina track from the Charlotte area to run not even a full lap before having to call it a day.

On the inside of the track, it looked like Stenhouse was running nearly four-wide coming out of Turn 2 when he and another car made contact, which sent the No. 47 car head-first into the inside wall and SAFER barrier. It was a lot of damage to that car, including flames flying out the back, and it brought out the caution flag on Lap 1.

And not long after, the Associated Press‘ Jenna Fryer, one of four reporters at the track, tweeted a photo of Stenhouse’s car headed to the garage. And that was it. His and the team’s day was done before they even completed a single lap.

Following the crash, Stenhouse was evaluated and released from the infield care center, FOX reported during the broadcast.

NASCAR’s next race is Wednesday also at Darlington, followed by the Coca-Cola 600 next Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, with NASCAR betting odds, picks and best bets.

Say goodbye to those virtual races, as the NASCAR Cup Series returns for real at Darlington Raceway Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

NASCAR changes: What you need to know

Sunday’s return to action after the pause due to COVID-19 will not have any practice sessions or qualifying. In fact, there will be no practice sessions for any May race, and qualifying will only be held for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte May 24. Here is what we know:

  • Positions 1 through 12 to be determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
  • Positions 13-24 to be determined by a random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36 to be determined by a random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40 to be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points

NASCAR standings & Darlington odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, May 13 at 1:25 a.m. ET.

A quick perusal of the current standings after four starts shows Stewart-Haas Racing’s (SHR’s) Kevin Harvick (+600 for Sunday’s Darlington race) sitting in first, one point ahead of Penske Racing’s Joey Logano (+750). Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott (+850), Alex Bowman (+1300) and Jimmie Johnson (+2000) are in third through fifth, respectively, while Penske’s Ryan Blaney (+2200) sits sixth. SHR’s Aric Almirola (+5000) is tied for seventh with Kyle Larson (more on him below). Matt DiBenedetto (+5000) of Wood Brothers is ninth, while Penske’s Brad Keselowski (+850) rounds out the top 10.

As for Larson, he was released by Chip Ganassi Racing and indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for uttering a racial slur during a live virtual racing broadcast during the COVID-19 pause. While he has completed a mandated sensitivity training course, Matt Kenseth (+2000) is coming out of retirement to join CGR in the No. 42 car.

Who is going to win Sunday at Darlington Raceway?

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch (+500) is noticeably absent from the top 10 in the standings, but he is actually listed as the race favorite due to his recent run of success at the track. While he hasn’t won in the past 10 stops, he has been 11th or better in each of those starts.

Busch has finished seventh or better in eight of his past 10 starts at Darlington, posting a stellar 11.1 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in his 15 overall runs at the South Carolina track.

Johnson actually leads all active drivers with three wins at “The Lady In Black,” and he has a 12.1 AFP in 21 starts with nine finishes inside the top 5. He has also led 554 laps, fourth-most of any driver. Busch actually leads with 716 laps led, followed by Harvick (581) and Denny Hamlin (+700), another driver currently outside of the top 10 in standings. That could change in a hurry, however.

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Martin Truex Jr. (+800) is also flying a bit under the radar – he won this race in 2016, followed by his JGR teammate Hamlin in 2017. So, definitely do not base your wagering decisions on starting position alone. The past two winners have come from a starting position of 15th and 13th, and the last five winners have been from eighth or lower in the starting grid, so the pole hasn’t amounted to much lately.

Darlington Raceway long-shot bets

If you’re looking to back a long shot, why not Kenseth? He is a rather moderate underdog in his return to the track. Kenseth won at Darlington as recently as the 2013 season, and raced a Cup car in 2018, albeit a 25th-place fun. He has five top-10 starts in his past seven Darlington runs, including the 2013 win, so how amazing of a story would it be if he won Sunday?

SHR’s Clint Bowyer (+5000) has been a disaster at Darlington in recent years, posting a 40th-place run in 2017, a 36th-place finish in 2018 before running sixth last season. He is a great driver, but a long shot for a reason, as he has found the title “Track Too Tough To Tame” apropos. In 14 career Darlington starts, he has a dismal 21.6 AFP with just two top-10 showings and only 17 laps led. Still, a driver of his caliber at this price is worth a small-unit bet, especially with all of the chaos and uncertainty heading into the season restart.

Want action on this race? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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