Catchfence

Dodge Motorsports 2010

• Dodge has 206 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins.
• Dodge’s most recent win came at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kurt Busch led 129 laps en route to victory in the Kobalt Tools 500.
• Dodge claimed four Sprint Cup Series victories in 2009.
• Dodge teams have posted 46 wins since the manufacturer’s return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.
• Dodge has posted wins each season since it’s return in 2001 including seven wins twice (2002 and 2006).

DODGE HISTORICAL DATA

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm, Fla., 100 miles, .5-mile track.
• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at Darlington: Buck Baker, 09/7/1964, Southern 500, 117.757 mph avg. speed.
• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at Darlington: Sterling Marlin, 03/17/2002, Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, 126.07 mph avg. speed.

DODGE AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY

• Dodge has five wins at Darlington Raceway – Buck Baker, Buddy Baker (2), Ward Burton and Sterling Marlin.
• Buck Baker posted Dodge’s first win at Darlington in the 1964 Southern 500.
• Marlin scored the last Dodge win at Darlington, taking the victory in the 2002 spring race.
• Dodge earned back-to-back wins at Darlington in 2001 (Burton) and 2002 (Marlin).
• Kurt Busch (2001) is the lone current Dodge driver to have started from the pole at Darlington.

HEADING INTO DARLINGTON

• Kurt Busch has started 12th or better in eight of 10 races this season. He has started 11th or better in six of the last seven races at Darlington.
• Brad Keselowski’s season-best finish of 12th came at Martinsville.
• Sam Hornish’s career-average starting position at Darlington is 13.5, second only to Texas Motor Speedway (12.6).

DID YOU KNOW?

• Sam Hornish qualified fourth at last year’s Southern 500 – a career-best at Darlington Raceway.
• Brad Keselowski finished seventh in his first Cup Series start at Darlington last year.
• Kurt Busch’s career-best Sprint Cup finish at Darlington was a second in 2003. Busch and Ricky Craven battled side-by-side off turn four all the way to the finish line with Craven recording the closest margin of victory since the advent of electronic scoring in NASCAR history (0.002 seconds) in 1993.
• Busch has led the second most laps this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (470).
• Dodge Motorsports can now be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/teamdodge

TURNING BACK THE CLOCK – 30 YEARS AGO

At the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Buddy Baker drove his 1969 Dodge to victory for his first win at the track referred to as the “Lady in Black”. Driving for legendary Cotton Owens, Baker led 88 of 367 laps. He had two wins at Darlington.

KURT BUSCH ON TURN 2 AT DARLINGTON

“It’s the coolest turn in NASCAR. I sat on the pole here my rookie year and did it because I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know any better not to lift. It’s definitely a challenging corner that will test everybody. It will separate the men from the boys.”

KURT BUSCH ON HIS 2003 RUNNER-UP FINISH AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY

“It seems to actually sting more over the years. It didn’t really sting that bad when it happened. I thought then that it was so close, but I still had so many opportunities to win at Darlington coming up. I haven’t even been anywhere near winning like that since then. The more I tell the story the more I feel that I might can chop down that two-thousandths of a second and maybe finally wind up winning the thing. It was one of the most dramatic finishes ever in NASCAR and it will always be a part of history. I was proud to be part of it there that day.”

FROM THE CREW CHIEFS

“Winning a race in your home state makes it really special. It’s like what winning at (Las) Vegas is to Kurt and Kyle. I used to watch all the great drivers win races there – guys like David Pearson, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough. You have to be smart and survive having to race the track every lap. We didn’t get to (participate in the) tire test there, so I’m sure we’ll be really thrashing on Friday. It’d be a great thrill to get us another Darlington win there on Saturday night with Kurt and the Miller Lite Dodge.”
Steve Addington, crew chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

“The Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington is one of the toughest races of the season. The track is still very fast from the recent repaving and the preferred line is still inches from the wall. One concern going into the weekend will be the new spoiler design. Typically, most cars rub the wall at some point and cause minor damage. The new spoiler extends to the outside edge of the right side so it will likely be bent severely if contact with the wall is made, and this will cause a major loss in downforce. “
Travis Geisler, crew chief, No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge

“It’s always a challenge to run at Darlington. There is a fine line of racing other people and racing the track. You find a good race pace and work on handling to keep the car turning from the center out. People get in trouble by racing each other too hard and the ‘Lady in Black’ will reach out and grab you. Race hard and race the track and you will put yourself in contention for the win at the end of the night.”
Jay Guy, crew chief, No. 12 Penske Dodge

DODGE QUOTES

“All the tracks in the Southeast definitely have their place in history. They have been on the circuit the longest. They all have their own unique identity because they were the first tracks built and that’s where our sport started. Darlington was one of the first speedways to be built and it was built way too early to handle the speeds that grew with the cars and all the years that NASCAR has been racing there. It’s been a testament of challenge through history to deal with the speed and the close confines there, keeping your car’s speed up, yet keeping it off the wall lap after lap.”
Kurt Busch – No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger

“Although the statistics don’t reflect it, I really like Darlington Raceway and look forward to racing there each year. It’s a challenging track and a tough race for sure. The outside line is preferred and you have to drive within inches of the wall. You have to prepare yourself mentally to brush the wall, or get a Darlington stripe, without losing your focus or much speed. You have to be alert and on the edge for the entire race. It’s definitely a driver’s racetrack and a fan favorite.”
Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

“Darlington is one of my favorite tracks. I wish we had more like it on the schedule. It’s just a tough, old racetrack that is nothing like anywhere else we go. I never had the opportunity to race there when the asphalt was worn out and I would have loved that. Hopefully I’ll have a long career and I’ll be able to see it get back to that ‘slipping and sliding’ racing that used to be so cool to watch on TV. Back in the day, the Southern 500 was one of our biggest races. It would mean a lot to me to have that trophy.”
Brad Keselowski – No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger

- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release