Randy Pemberton Posts

A few random thoughts and observations with four races remaining to qualify for the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup:

The "new and improved" Kyle Busch:

Well, he has to start somewhere with his attitude, so give Kyle Busch credit for climbing out of the race car and doing what he so far had been unable to do so often in the past – conduct a civil and polite interview. We in the NASCAR media are fortunate in our ability to approach our athletes immediately following an event, whereas in most sports, players retreat to the locker room for 30 minutes before facing the press.

Fifty-nine years of tradition returns to Darlington Raceway this weekend, as "The Track Too Tough to Tame" regains its long-running moniker, the Southern 500. And for those who remember watching races there years ago, Darlington officials have also brought back the red-and-white-striped walls this year in a nod to the facility's heritage.

Few tracks are as steeped in tradition as Darlington. Even NASCAR's youngest drivers, by virtue of what they've seen, heard or read, grasp the significance of running well and winning at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval. Most of today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers weren't even competing at this level 20 years ago but those who were can attest to the fact that Daytona, Darlington, Charlotte and Talladega were the tracks at which they wanted to win.