Busch drivers prep for tire-chewing Darlington

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- As if Darlington Raceway's egg-shaped layout wasn't a daunting enough challenge, its gritty surface will present teams an even deeper dilemma for Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series South Carolina 200.

	Greg Biffle

"Darlington is tough, but it's a fun track to race on," Busch Series point leader Greg Biffle said. "The track surface is so rough that it chews up the tires and makes it impossible to go out there and run consistent laps.

"Every lap is different because of the unique layout, so you have to be on your toes the entire race. If you lose your focus for a second you'll get a Darlington stripe or find yourself sitting in the garage getting repairs."

Since his No. 60 Grainger Ford carries a 78-point lead over Jason Keller into the season's 25th of 36 races, Biffle knows he can't afford much down time. Even more than that, the Vancouver, Wash., driver knows Friday's Bud Pole Qualifying session is critical.

"Passing is extremely difficult at Darlington because there is one preferred lane and the track is very slick," Biffle said, "so it's important to qualify up front and keep yourself there."

Qualifying hasn't been a problem for Keller in the No. 57 Albertson's Ford. He is riding a string of five consecutive top-five starts -- including two poles -- and is averaging a sixth-place start through 24 events. He was fourth at Darlington in the spring.

SOUTH CAROLINA 200 • Entry List • Race Facts • Busch Series Standings

"I have looked forward to going back to Darlington since I left in the spring," Keller said. "You would think I've won there before (but) being a South Carolina native; Darlington will always hold a special place in my heart. A victory at Darlington would mean more to me than winning at Daytona."

To do that, he'll have to contend with both Biffle, who was second in the spring and his Roush Racing teammate Jeff Burton, who won the spring race in his No. 9 Gain Ford. Biffle and Keller lead the Busch Series with four victories apiece, while Biffle has the most top-five (14) and top-10 (17) finishes.

Burton is going for his third straight Busch Series victory at Darlington.

One of the biggest issues in staying on the lead lap at Darlington is tire management, and the two leading Raybestos Rookie of the Year contenders think they've got that figured out.

"Whoever can manage their tires the longest, obviously, and be consistent and be smooth on the throttle and baby those tires for the long haul, has an edge," second-place rookie Johnny Sauter said. "You're not going to see it in 20 laps but you'll see it in 30 and 40 laps (and) sometimes you get good, long runs there.

	Scott Riggs

"It's hard to stay out of trouble at Darlington. Everybody else is slipping and sliding around and it's easy to make contact."

"Your car can feel so good on new tires -- even 20-lap tires feel pretty good," rookie point leader Scott Riggs said. "But that 50-lap run, that's when it gets really hairy. That's when you really get to a sliding stage (and) the veterans, the people with more experience, have a better idea of what the car needs to feel like on those new tires to still feel good and comfortable on old tires."

Sauter's veteran crew chief, Ricky Viers, thinks he has that solved for the ACDelco Chevrolet.

"Getting the car to turn in the corners is key," Viers said. "You can't be tight at Darlington, so you need to make sure the car has plenty of grip (and) the best way to make sure of that is with a good shock and spring package underneath the car."

There will be two Friday practice sessions -- one from 9-11:15 a.m. and a scheduled one-hour final practice after Winston Cup Bud Pole Qualifying -- to get dialed-in.

And points aside, Keller knows how critical it is to get in the ballpark to have a shot to earn the respect a Darlington victory would garner.

"The Albertson's team has been so consistent at this track in the past few races that I know we can contend for the win," Keller said. "I know the track is tough, I know the track is slick and I know it's tough to find grip -- I just love the challenge of it all."