Sprint Cup Chase Bubble outlook entering the Southern 500

Thanks to Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson the next two weeks will be a lot more interesting.

With Larson’s win at Michigan and Buescher’s upset in the fog-shortened race at Pocono last month, there are only three spots left to be filled on the grid for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

At the most, two spots could potentially be filled by first-time winners in the Southern 500 or next week at Richmond.

Then comes the wrench named Buescher.

The rookie driver is only on the grid because he’s narrowly in the top 30 in points. Buescher is ahead of David Ragan by just seven points, down from 13 entering Michigan.

If the Front Row Motorsports driver falters further in the next two races, he could allow for at least four more drivers to point their way into the Chase.

Here’s a look at how the Chase bubble looks with and without Buescher in the top 30 in points.

While Buescher has said Darlington is his favorite track on the NASCAR circuit, he has not made a start there in the Sprint Cup Series. But in four starts there in the Xfinity Series, Buescher has one top five (2015).

The Southern 500 airs Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on NBC.

NASCAR America: Bobby Labonte on what it takes to win at Darlington

Bobby Labonte joins the NASCAR America crew to talk about how difficult the Darlington Raceway track is ahead of the Southern 500. Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, won at Darlington once in both the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series.

Kasey Kahne takes after Terry Labonte for Southern 500 paint scheme

Kasey Kahne‘s Southern 500 paint scheme will be based on a car driven by former Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte early in his Hall of Fame career.

Kahne’s No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet will be patterned after the No. 44 car Labonte drove in 1982 when he drove for Billy Hagan and was one of five cars sponsored by J.D. Stacy. Labonte helped Kahne unveil the paint scheme at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kahne’s sponsor, LiftMaster, was founded in 1982.

Labonte won twice at Darlington in his Sprint Cup career, claiming both is first (1980) and last career wins (2003) at the “Track Too Tough To Tame.” Kahne has started from the pole four times and earned three top fives in his 13 Darlington starts.

“Darlington’s throwback weekend is one of the coolest programs any track does all year,” said Kahne in a press release. “I’m glad that LiftMaster is participating in the program to celebrate their start of the garage door opener business. I appreciate the opportunity to honor Terry Labonte with our throwback paint scheme at one of my favorite tracks.”

Kahne is the last Hendrick Motorsports driver to have their Southern 500 paint scheme announced following Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s, Chase Elliott’s and Jimmie Johnson’s.

The rest of the Southern 500 paint schemes will be on track on Sept. 4 on NBC.

Front Row Motorsports takes Chris Buescher back to 1981 for Southern 500

When Chris Buescher hits the track at Darlington Raceway – his favorite track – for the Sept. 4 Southern 500, his No. 34 Ford will pay tribute to his sponsor’s origins.

Buescher’s Love’s Travel Stops car will have a paint scheme inspired by the very first Love’s location, which opened in Amarillo, Texas, in 1981.

The No. 34 color scheme will be patterned after the fuel canopies and building facade of the location.

“The Darlington throwback weekend has become a pretty big deal, and it’s cool to have Love’s Travel Stops bring some of their history into the race weekend with their old colors,” said Buescher in a press release. “Darlington is my favorite track, and I can’t wait to get there and turn some laps in this special Love’s Ford Fusion.”

Buescher’s car announcement comes the day after the one for his teammate, Landon Cassill.

The rest of the throwback paint schemes for the Southern 500 can be seen on Sept. 4 on NBC.

Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough to drive Southern 500 pace car

NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough, a five-time winner at Darlington Raceway, will once again be at the front of a Sprint Cup field on Sept. 4.

That’s when Yarborough will be the honorary pace car driver for the Southern 500, leading the field of 40 cars prior to the green flag for the race at the South Carolina track.

A native of Timmonsville, South Carolina, about 20 minutes south of Darlington, the three-time Cup champion earned 83 Sprint Cup wins in his career. All five of his Darlington wins came in the Southern 500.

“This is quite an honor and I’m really looking forward to being the honorary pace car driver for the Bojangles’ Southern 500,” Yarborough said in a press. “The Southern 500 is the reason I got into racing. When I saw my first one, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Darlington is a tough, ol’ race track that can give you fits. When I was racing, I wanted to win the Southern 500 more than any other race. I still get goose bumps when I drive by the race track. I just may have to run a few laps and show those young folks how it’s done.”

Yarborough last competed in 1988 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.

Members of the 2017 class, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin and Richard Childress, are the grand marshals for the Sept. 4 race, which can been seen on NBC.

Tony Stewart teams with Coca-Cola for Bobby Allison tribute in final Southern 500

Tony Stewart‘s last shot at conquering the Southern 500 will be a tribute to a driver and paint scheme combination that did it twice.

Stewart, who retires from Sprint Cup competition after this season, will make his final start at Darlington Raceway in a Coca-Cola sponsored homage to Bobby Allison’s Southern 500 winning cars from 1971 and 1972.

The car was unveiled Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, which Allison was inducted into in 2011. Stewart has been sponsored by Coca-Cola his entire

Sprint Cup career, which began in 1999.

“Tony Stewart is a real racer who would’ve fit right in during the time I raced in NASCAR,” Allison said in a press release. “He’s a perfect fit for this Coca-Cola Chevy. I know what car I’ll be watching in the Southern 500.”

The paint scheme on the No. 14 will include Coke’s slogan from the 70s – “The Real Thing” – and gold wheels and cubic-inch displacement boast on the hood, just like Allison’s car did.

Darlington is one of two tracks Stewart has not won at in Sprint Cup competition. The other is Kentucky Speedway.

In 23 Sprint Cup starts, Stewart has never led more than 10 laps at Darlington. Allson led 558 of the 734 laps available (76 percent) in the 1971 and 72′ Southern 500s. The 1983 Sprint Cup champion won at Darlington five times. Stewart has finished third in the Southern 500 twice.

“Races at Darlington have been pretty tough for me,” Stewart said in a press release. “We’ve had some decent runs there, but it just seems like you really have to put everything together the whole day. If you can say you won a race at Darlington – that’s a feather in your cap because you conquered something that’s very hard to obtain. That’s something to be proud of, knowing that you’re in a group of drivers with names like Allison and Pearson and Petty –the pioneers of our sport.”

Stewart’s final Southern 500 can be seen on Sept. 4 on NBC.

Retro Rundown 2016: Throwback paint schemes for the Southern 500

It’s almost here. By almost, we mean less than two months.
That’s how long we have to wait for this year’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, which can be seen Sept. 4 on NBC. It’s also how long we have to wait to see the second batch of retro paint schemes dedicated to honoring the sport’s history after last season’s successful venture into nostalgia.
What makes it even better this time around is that the entire field will likely be in on the fun. Last season, Joe Gibbs Racing stood out as one of the few teams not to participate. The team has already announced paint schemes for Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.
Here’s a rundown of the retro paint schemes announced to date. Which is your favorite?
Brad Keselowski – The No. 2 Ford will feature the design of the original Miller Lite can that was produced before 1974.

Austin Dillon – Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet will bare the paint scheme driven by Ricky Rudd in 1983 when he earned Richard Childress Racing’s first Sprint Cup win at Riverside International Raceway.

Kevin Harvick – The No. 4 Chevrolet will look just like the Busch-sponsored car driven by Cale Yarborough during the 1979-1980 Sprint Cup seasons. Yarborough earned 10 of his 83 careers win during that span.


Trevor Bayne – No matter what anyone tells you, the 1990s were awesome and so were Mark Martin‘s paint schemes. For the second year in a row, Bayne’s No. 6 Ford will have a ’90s flavor to it. After bringing back memories of Martin’s career-best season in 1998 last year, Bayne’s car will have the paint scheme Martin used in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Regan Smith – The “Underbird” will fly again. Sort of. Smith’s No.7 Chevrolet, instead of a Ford Thunderbird, will have the paint scheme, sans Hooters sponsorship, that was driven by the late Alan Kulwicki. The paint scheme was on track for 59 Sprint Cup races, including his 1992 championship campaign.


Danica Patrick – Patrick’s sponsor, Nature’s Bakery, hasn’t been around very long. So there’s not a 20-year-old paint scheme for Stewart-Haas Racing to blow the dust off of. But Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet still has a late 70s/early 80s vibe to it.

Casey Mears – The No. 13 Geico Chevrolet will pay tribute to the career and legacy of Smokey Yunick. The paint scheme and number were used by drivers Mario Andretti and Curtis Turner in 1966 and 1967 when they raced for Yunick. Turner sat on the pole for the 1967 Daytona 500 with this paint scheme.


Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Darrell Waltrip won a lot of races in his Sprint Cup career, including five at Darlington. But the first of his 84 wins came in the No. 17 in 1975 at Nashville Speedway. The paint scheme Waltrip carried in that race will be resurrected by Stenhouse, 41 years later.

Kyle Busch – Just days after Matt Kenseth won at Dover International Speedway to give Joe Gibbs Racing its 135th Sprint Cup win (tying it for third all time with Roush Fenway Racing) the team showed off Busch’s paint scheme. The No. 18 will look like it did when it was driven by Dale Jarrett in 1993, the year he won JGR’s first Cup race in the Daytona 500.

Carl Edwards – The No. 19 Arris Toyota will have the paint scheme that was used by Tony Stewart when he drove the No. 20 Home Depot car for Joe Gibbs Racing from 1999-2008.

Joey Logano – The No. 22 Ford will pay tribute to the first paint scheme used on a car sponsored by Shell. The look was used by Bobby Labonte on his No. 44 Pontiac in the Xfinity Series in 1998. Labonte drove the car to a win at Darlington that season.

David Ragan – The No. 23 Toyota for BK Racing will be sponsored by Dr. Pepper and feature the soft drinks classic “I’m a Pepper” slogan.

Chase Elliott – The No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet will have a paint scheme inspired by the look of NAPA’s old delivery trucks from the 1960s. NAPA’s original colors were yellow and black before transitioning to yellow and blue.

Ryan Newman – Just like teammate Austin Dillon, Newman’s paint scheme will evoke RCR’s first win in 1983 with Ricky Rudd.

Jeffrey Earnhardt – The grandson of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. will drive a paint scheme based on the seven-time champion’s time being sponsored by Wrangler in the 1980s.


Kurt Busch – Last year, Busch’s No. 41 car used the paint scheme that was first used in the Sprint Cup Series by Gene Haas in 2002. This season, Busch’s car will honor the VF-1, the first CNC machine built by Haas Automation in 1988.

Aric Almirola – The No. 43 Ford will carry the colors used by Richard Petty when he won his sixth Daytona 500 in 1979.

AJ Allmendinger –  It’s a bit of a deep cut, but Allmendinger’s car is still a love letter to NASCAR history. The No. 47 will look just like it did in during the 1977 Sprint Cup Season when it was driven by 1975 Rookie of the Year Bruce Hill. The Kansas native never won a Sprint Cup race, but he earned one of his three career top-five finishes at Darlington Raceway in 1975.

Matt DiBenedetto – The No. 83 Toyota for BK Racing will be sponsored by Orange Crush and will have the soft drink’s 1970s design.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Earnhardt will drive his favorite paint scheme in the history of the sport. His No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet will look like the “Gray Ghost,” the car driven by Buddy Baker in 1979 and 1980.


Michael McDowell – The No. 95 team of Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing, which is part of a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, will honor Childress with a paint scheme based off a car he raced in the 1970s.

Michael McDowell’s Darlington paint scheme honors Richard Childress’ racing career

Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing, which is part of a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, will honor the owner of its partner team with a paint scheme in the Sept. 4 Southern 500 on NBC.
The No. 95
 
Thrivent Financial Chevrolet of Michael McDowell will bear a paint scheme similar to one used By Richard Childress during his time racing in the Sprint Cup Series. The car borrows from Childress’ No. 3 Captain Jack Chevrolet he drove throughout the 1970s.
“Darlington was one of the races that I attended years ago that spurred my passion for NASCAR,” said Bob Leavine, co-owner of Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing in a press release. “For our team to participate in the Throwback weekend for the first time is going to be really special. We’re proud to pay tribute to Richard Childress, a true NASCAR Hall of Famer, and honor his driving career with this special scheme.”
In his career Childress never recorded a win, but in 17 starts at Darlington Raceway he earned one top five in his 1973 rookie season.
MORE: 2016 Southern 500 throwback paint schemes 
 
“I loved Darlington, it was one of my favorite tracks,” Childress said in a press release. “It was really narrow back then had guard rails around it. I’ll never forget being there as a rookie and taking it all in.”
McDowell will be making his fifth Darlington start. In his first four attempts, McDowell only finished once, in 2008 when he finished 28th for Michael Waltrip Racing.
“The Darlington Throwback weekend is really cool,” said McDowell in a press release. “I love how we can all look back at our sport and remember the great stories and people who made it what it is today.”

Kansas will perform prior to Southern 500

Just like last year, Darlington Raceway is making sure the throwback weekend surrounding the Southern 500 has the proper soundtrack.

As a follow-up to Grand Funk Railroad’s pre-race concert last year, Darlington has announced that Kansas, the band responsible for the songs “Carry on Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind,” will perform before the Sept. 4 race.

Among Kansas’ achievements are eight gold albums and three sextuple-Platinum albums. Their first album, the self-titled “Kansas,” was released in 1974. That year, the Southern 500 was won by Cale Yarborough as he lapped the entire field.

“Kansas was an iconic band in that era whose hit songs you can still hear on classic rock stations to this day,” said track president Chip Wile in a press release. “We’re excited for them to perform for our fans and give the Bojangles’ Southern 500 pre-race ceremonies a nostalgic feel as we celebrate the history and heritage of NASCAR on Labor Day weekend.”

The band will perform on a stage on the frontstretch. In addition to a general race ticket, a pre-race access pass may be purchased for an additional $45. This pass will not only give fans stage front access for the concert, but will also include an up close view of the Sprint Cup Series stars as they are introduced to the crowd. Supplies are limited.

The Southern 500 can be seen on Sept. 4 on NBC.

Aric Almirola’s Darlington car honors Richard Petty’s 6th Daytona 500 win

The 1979 Daytona 500 is considered one of the most important events in the history of NASCAR.That race marked the first time the Daytona 500 was broadcast flag-to-flag on national TV. Sixteen million people tuned in to see Richard Petty win his sixth Daytona 500 after race leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed on the final lap.The win was also Petty’s first after going winless in 1978.Now the paint scheme that covered Petty’s 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass on that February afternoon will return on Aric Almirola‘s No. 43 Ford for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.“I’m excited to run the 1979 STP paint scheme this year at Darlington,” said Almirola in a press release. “We had a lot of fun with the throwback theme last year, and it should be fun to throwback again this year. It makes the race so special. There are so many great STP paint schemes over the years, which makes it special for our team to run throwbacks; 1979 was definitely a breakout season when it comes to catapulting the sport into the mainstream, so it’s cool to recognize that this year with our throwback scheme.”The paint scheme will have also be used to promote the Victory Junction camp.A dollar amount showing the amount of money raised by STP customers for Victory Junction will be featured on the rear quarter panel of the car. STP launched the “Giving Kids an Ultra Summer” program on June 1 and will donate $o.43 for every bottle of STP Ultra 5-in-1 Fuel System Cleaner sold through August 31.The Southern 500 is scheduled for Sept. 4 on NBC.

Chase Elliott’s Darlington paint scheme is a blast from NAPA’s past

Chase Elliott‘s paint scheme for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is now here for us all to enjoy.Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet will be sponsored by NAPA for the Sept. 4 race. Instead of the familiar blue and yellow, the car will be black and yellow, based on how NAPA’s delivery trucks looked in the 1960s.Last year, Elliott’s Southern 500 paint scheme was a subtle tribute to the one used by his father, Bill Elliott, in 1985.

AJ Allmendinger honors 1975 Rookie of the Year with Darlington paint scheme

AJ Allmendinger‘s No. 47 Chevrolet will fly the colors of former Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Bruce Hill in this year’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

While keeping its traditional red, white and blue colors, Allmendinger’s car will look like the one driven by Hill from 1974- 1977. The Topeka, Kansas, native was Rookie of the Year in 1975.

“Being remembered for something is always an honor especially as big as the sport has gotten,” Hill said.

In the 1975 season, Hill recorded three top-five finishes, including a fifth-place result at Darlington.

“I thought it was kind of neat when they decided to do the throwback schemes at Darlington Raceway,” Hill said. “I had good memories of Darlington. It was a track that you either loved or hated and that probably hasn’t changed over the years. I loved the track because it was slick and I ran better on a slick racetrack because it was all about getting your car to handle. I always loved Darlington and you always love a track you have good luck at.”

Hill finished 16th in the points in 1975 and beat out a driver named Carl Adams for the rookie award.

“My overall best NASCAR memory is winning Rookie of the Year mainly because I came out of Kansas and that was unheard of back then because it was a Southeastern sport,” Hill said. “I think a lot of people thought I was crazy when I thought I’d take a jump and go down there and try it.”

Hill would stay in the sport for 100 races, his last start coming in the Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan International Speedway in 1981.

Hill still resides in Kansas and will be in attendance this weekend at Kansas Speedway, where he will meet Allmendinger for the first time.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting Bruce on Friday,” Allmendinger said in the press release. “I think what Darlington Raceway does to recognize former NASCAR drivers and the heritage of the sport is unprecedented. It’s a great way to celebrate our sport and the people who made it what it is today. It’s pretty neat to see all the sponsors and teams really get into it.”

The Southern 500 is scheduled for Sept. 4 on NBC.

NASCAR America: Trevor Bayne reveals throwback car for Darlington Raceway

Trevor Bayne will be using a paint scheme that Mark Martin made famous with Roush Fenway Racing in 1996 and 1997, recording four wins during in that time. Furthermore, that’s also when Trevor Bayne started his racing career.

Mark Martin was honored with two different paint schemes in the Southern 500 last year. Bayne drove the paint scheme Martins used in 1998 and Sam Hornish Jr.‘s was inspired by Martin’s iconic Winn-Dixie paint scheme in the Xfinity Series.