Down The Road

Sporting News, The, Sept 3, 2001

Race: Southern 500, No. 25 of 36.

When: 1 p.m. (Eastern) Sunday, TNT.

Where: Darlington Raceway, 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval, Darlington, S.C.

Last year's winner: Bobby Labonte.

Three to watch: Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Ricky Rudd.

Key to winning: Winning at Darlington (last year) was pure luck. It was solely because of our race team and our final pit stop. You have to put yourself in position to win, and at Darlington, tire management is the key." --Bobby Labonte

See a different game: Patience is a must because the track is narrow and basically one groove. The surface is one of the most abrasive on the circuit; that's why tire strategy is key.

DARLINGTON RACEWAY

Front stretch: 1,228 feet.

Back stretch: 1,228 feet.

Banking: Front straight, 3 degrees; back straight, 2 degrees; Turns 1 and 2, 25 degrees; Turns 3 and 4, 23 degrees.