Scott Wimmer Looks To Capitalize On Golden Opportunity

Though not in the title hunt, Scott Wimmer may present the most intriguing storyline to this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Darlington.

Wimmer (No. 5 Fastenal Motorsports Chevrolet) swaps teams for this race, going from his usual No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet to the No. 5 JR Motorsports entry, a car that has two top fives and four top 10s in the five races it has run.

The success of the No. 5 Chevrolet gives Wimmer a golden opportunity to showcase his talents – but it also adds a heaping helping of pressure.

But Wimmer does have some Darlington success on which to rely. He has one top-10 finish in seven races, and performed well in his last visit to the track in 2006 despite a 26th-place finish.

In that race, Wimmer posted a Driver Rating of 83.0, an Average Running Position of 13.3 and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 82.3.

Continue reading “Wimmer wants win driving for Dale Jr.”

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The Final Lap CHAT Show #63 – Tue, 5 May 2009
We discuss the Kyle Busch Richmond sweep, is he the best driver out there right now?, What happened to Jimmie Johnson, Will Dale Jr. ever get consistent? What does the Fiat/Dodge merger mean for NASCAR?, Plus a full Darlington preview. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop

No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Team Returns To Darlington To Continue Winning Streak

The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has dominated recently at Darlington, winning the last three races (Denny Hamlin 2006, 07 from the pole; Tony Stewart last year).

This weekend, it is Joey Logano’s (No. 20 GameStop Toyota) turn at continuing the team’s winning streak. The defending car owner champion is currently fourth in the owner rankings, 96 points behind its Joe Gibbs Racing running mate, the No. 18 Toyota driven by Kyle Busch. His crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, is a native of Sumter, S.C.

Continue reading “JGR owns Darlington in Nationwide Series”

Steve Wallace Breaks Into Top 10 In Points For The First Time

Steve Wallace’s (No. 66 US Fidelis Chevrolet) maturation continues.

With his 11th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway he has climbed to 10th in the driver standings, coming full circle from his 42nd-place finish to start the season at Daytona. This is the first time in Wallace’s NASCAR Nationwide Series career he’s been ranked in the top 10.

Last season Wallace posted two top fives in succession at Richmond and Darlington, his career-best finishes. This year, his consistency since Daytona has proven to be his key to success. He has three top 10s thus far in 2009, the earliest in his career he’s accumulated that many.

Continue reading “Steve Wallace is a top 10 driver”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 4, 2009) – Jason Keller (No. 27 Rite-Aid Ford) is not only the “Iron Man” of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but also is earning that nickname at his home track, Darlington Raceway.

The Greenville, S.C., native is the series’ all-time leader in starts (465) and Friday night, he’ll attempt to add to his resume and become the first NASCAR Nationwide driver to reach the 5,000-mile plateau at Darlington. That accomplishment would supplement another mark he holds there – the most NASCAR Nationwide Series laps completed (3,598).

Keller returns to Darlington to make his 27th series start at the famed 1.366-mile track. He’s currently ranked seventh in the series standings and is aiming to finish the season in the top 10 in points for the first time since 2005, the last time he drove full-time in the series for the same owner.

Continue reading “Jason Keller Reaches For 5,000-Mile Mark At Darlington”