Regan Smith: Diamond Hill 200 preview

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Regan Smith and the No. 56 Mac Hill Motorsports team have had a rough start to the 2004 season. After a DNQ in Daytona the team packed up and headed to Rockingham hoping for better things. The team made the field on time with a 34th place starting position but towards the mid-portion of the race suffered heavy damage after contact with pole-sitter Johnny Benson. Smith and his Mac Hill crew ended up with an unfortunate 39th place showing.

The Cato, NY native however has his head held high entering this weekend's event at the Darlington Raceway, saying each race gives you a clean slate.

"You get to each track with it out of your mind. At Rockingham we didn't have a bad racecar. The tires just got old and it was a racing deal with (Johnny) Benson. It wasn't my fault, it wasn't Johnny's fault. What I felt the car was capable of, we could have had a top 20."

Unfortunately funding is running low for the 56 bunch and the team is only able to run events locally. "We haven't had any luck yet, we're still searching," Smith says of the available sponsorship opportunities. Possibly, things could turn around with a stellar run this weekend in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington.

Regan Smith on racing at Darlington: "I'm Looking forward to it. I like Darlington. It's a place where the driver shows a lot, similar to Rockingham. It should be good for us because I've been there before and ran well. We're taking our Homestead car from last year."

Smith on the new safer barriers in place at Darlington: "It will be different for the older drivers who are set in their ways. I ran well there last year without them. They will add a new kicker that's for sure."