NASCAR - Nationwide - Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Preview

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Date: Friday, May 9th

Start Time: 7:45 p.m. (et)

Site: Darlington Speedway, Darlington, South Carolina

Track: 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval ("Lady in Black")

Laps: 147

Miles: 200.802

Capacity:

Total purse: $1,088,013 (2007 figure)

Payouts: 1st Place - $52,575; 2nd - $29,325; 3rd - $30,250 (2007 figures)

Year: 26th

On TV: ESPN 2

Announcers: Dr. Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree

On Radio: MRN/SIRIUS Satellite

Race record: 137.850 m.p.h. (Dale Earnhardt, 1987)

Qualifying record: 170.301 m.p.h. (Ryan Newman, 2001)

2007 Finish

Defending champion: Denny Hamlin

Runner up: Mark Martin

Pole winner: Denny Hamlin (166.993 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Denny Hamlin (Start: 1)

2. Mark Martin (26)

3. Carl Edwards (15)

4. Jeff Burton (11)

5. Clint Bowyer (20)

6. Jason Leffler (10)

7. Tony Stewart (17)

8. Greg Biffle (3)

9. Casey Mears (5)

10. Kevin Harvick (21)

Average speed: 92.370 m.p.h.

Time of race: 2 hours, 10 minutes, 26 seconds

Margin of victory: 1.335 seconds

Caution flags: 10 for 48 laps

Lead changes: 9 among 6 drivers

Past winners

2007 Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet, 92.370 m.p.h.

2006 Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet, 106.999 m.p.h.

2005 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 116.238 m.p.h.

2004 Greg Biffle, Ford, 120.141 m.p.h.

2003 Todd Bodine, Chevrolet, 124.550 m.p.h.

2002 Jeff Burton, Ford, 124.153 m.p.h.

2001 Jeff Green, Ford, 128.742 m.p.h.

2000 Mark Martin, Ford, 113.519 m.p.h.

1999 Matt Kenseth, Chevrolet, 121.945 m.p.h.

1998 Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 100.443 m.p.h.

1997 Randy Lajoie, Chevrolet, 115.569 m.p.h.

1996 Mark Martin, Ford, 120.763 m.p.h.

1995 Larry Pearson, Chevrolet, 108.087 m.p.h.

1994 Mark Martin, Ford, 117.965 m.p.h.

1993 Robert Pressley, Chevrolet, 109.197 m.p.h.

1992 Robert Pressley, Chevrolet, 130.982 m.p.h.

1991 Dale Jarrett, Pontiac, 115.551 m.p.h.

1990 Harry Gant, Buick, 129.689 m.p.h.

1989 Geoffrey Bodine, Chevrolet, 118.681 m.p.h.

1988 Geoffrey Bodine, Chevrolet, 115.514 m.p.h.

1987 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 137.850 m.p.h. (RACE RECORD)

1986 Darrell Waltrip, Pontiac, 123.423 m.p.h.

1985 Jack Ingram, Pontiac, 108.460 m.p.h.

1984 Ron Bouchard, Pontiac, 97.992 m.p.h.

1983 , , No spring race

1982 Geoffrey Bodine, Pontiac, 129.018 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Lipton Tea 250 (May 2nd)

Site: Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia

Miles: 189.75

Laps: 253

Finish line order: Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, David Ragan, Steve Wallace

Time of Race: 1 hour, 58 minutes, 18 seconds

Average speed: 96.238 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: 0.789 second

Caution flags: 8 for 41 laps

Lead changes: 3 among 4 drivers

Lap leaders: K. Kahne 1-17; C. Edwards 18-143; K. Harvick 144-241;K. Kahne 1-17; C. Edwards 18-143; K. Harvick 144-241;D. Hamlin 242-253.

Entry list

#0 Dwayne Leik (Skyland, NC) Chevrolet/Lori Morgan LLC

#1 Mike Bliss (Milwaukie, OR) Chevrolet/Miccosukee Resort

#01 Kertus Davis (Gaffney, SC) Chevrolet/RaceGirl

#2 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Chevrolet/BB&T

#02 Andy Ponstein (Jenison, MI) Chevrolet/Stott Classic Racing

#03 Todd Bodine (Chemung, NY) Toyota/TBA

#4 Derrike Cope (Spanaway, WA) Chevrolet/TBA

#05 Brett Rowe (Barborsville, WV) Chevrolet/CertainTeed/31W Insulation

#5 Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) Chevrolet/Go Daddy

#6 David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) Ford/Discount Tire

#7 Mike Wallace (St. Louis, MO) Toyota/GEICO

#9 Chase Miller (Canton, GA) Dodge/Verizon-Motorola

#11 Jason Keller (Greenville, SC) Chevrolet/America's Incredible Pizza

#12 Sam Hornish Jr (Defiance, OH) Dodge/Penske Truck Rental

#17 Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) Ford/CitiFinancial

#18 * Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) Toyota/Farm Bureau Insurance

#20 Tony Steawrt (Columbus, IN) Toyota/Old Spice

#21 Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) Chevrolet/TBA

#22 To be announced Dodge/TBA

#24 Eric McClure (Chilhowie, VA) Chevrolet/Hefty

#25 Bobby Hamilton Jr (Nashville, TN) Ford/Curly's

#27 Brad Coleman (Houston, TX) Ford/Huggies Pull-Ups/Rite Aid

#28 Kenny Wallace (St. Louis, MO) Chevrolet/U.S. Border Patrol

#29 Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/Holiday Inn

#30 Stanton Barrett (Bishop, CA) Chevrolet/NOS Energy Drink/Interush

#31 Kenny Hendrick (Chino, CA) Chevrolet/Grandstaty.net

#32 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Toyota/Beringer Vineyards

#33 Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Camping World

#37 Burney Lamar (W. Sacramento, CA) Ford/TBA

#38 Jason Leffler (Long Beach, CA) Toyota/Great Clips

#40 Bryan Clauson (Noblesville, IN) Dodge/Fastenal

#46 Carl Long (Roxboro, NC) Dodge/TBA

#47 Kelly Bires (Mauston, WI) Ford/Clorox

#52 Derrike Cope (Spanaway, WA) Chevrolet/TBA

#59 Marcos Ambrose (Australia) Ford/Kingsford Hickory Charcoal

#60 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/Scotts

#61 Kevin Lepage (Shelburne, VT) Ford/TBA

#64 David Stremme (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/Arteus Homes & Communities

#66 Steve Wallace (Charlotte, NC) Chevrolet/Arteus Homes & Communities

#81 D.J. Kennington (St. Thomas, CA) Dodge/MC2

#84 Mike Harmon (Birmingport, AL) Chevrolet/Elite 2 Racing

#88 Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hls, MI) Chevrolet/U.S. Navy

#89 Morgan Shepherd (Conover, NC) Dodge/Victory In Jesus

#90 Johnny Chapman (Statesville, NC) Chevrolet/TBA

#91 Terry Cook (Sylvania, OH) Ford/TBA

#99 David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) Toyota/Aaron's Dream Machine

Leading contenders

Name 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Denny Hamlin 7th Won Won
Mark Martin 4th 2nd
Carl Edwards 11th 8th 3rd
Clint Bowyer 10th 17th 5th
Tony Stewart 29th 7th
Kevin Harvick 8th 21st 7th 10th
David Ragan 13th
Jason Keller 3rd 4th 10th 13th 13th 14th
David Stremme 5th 6th 30th
Matt Kenseth 2nd Won 2nd 37th
Morgan Shepherd 27th 43rd
Kyle Busch 17th 6th
Todd Bodine 8th Won

Notes

Denny Hamlin will be seeking the three-peat, as he goes for his thirdstraight win at Darlington on the newly-paved, egg-shaped oval. With his winlast year, Hamlin became the first driver since Robert Pressley in 1992-93 tosuccessfully defend his title. For the second consecutive year, Hamlin startedon the pole and led five times for 79 laps, as he defeated Mark Martin by justover one second for his third Nationwide title. Hamlin reclaimed the lead onthe 96th lap and held on for the win in front of an estimated crowd of 25,000.In 2006, pole sitter Hamlin posted his second career Nationwide Series title,as he edge Matt Kenseth by less than a second. Hamlin reclaimed the lead forthe third time on lap 116 and held on the rest of the way. Hamlin led for atotal of 38 laps, while Kenseth led for a race-high 50 laps.Starting in the 24th position in 2005, Kenseth charged to victory at theDiamond Hill Plywood 200, defeating Kenny Wallace by less than a second.Kenseth, who led for 50 laps, recorded his 18th career Nationwide title andthe first of that season.Mark Martin returns to the Nationwide Series this week, as he gets his secondstart of the season. Martin is the all-time leader in wins (48) and poles(30). Martin owns a career-record, eight wins at Darlington, the last comingin 2000.The pole sitter has captured this race eight times, including the last twoseasons. Hamlin will be making his 100th career Nationwide Series start thisweek. The same track where he made his series debut in November 2004,finishing eighth.Richard Childress Racing has earned a NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at 23of the 26 tracks on the 2008 schedule. The only tracks on the current schedulewhere RCR hasn't earned wins are Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City,Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.In two weeks, the NASCAR Nationwide championship returns at the Lowe's MotorSpeedway on May 24th for the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, as Kasey Kahne defendshis title.05/06 15:59:05 ET

 

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