Does a new surface really mean a faster Darlington?

5/6/2008 4:08 PM

By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -Jimmie Johnson certainly knows how to go fast at Darlington Raceway. But 200 mph fast is hard for the two-time Darlington champ to comprehend.

``I can't imagine going as fast as they say we are going to go on that small, little race track,'' Johnson said this week.

The track ``Too Tough To Tame'' has been repaved for the first time since 1995. Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate - and seven-time Darlington winner - Jeff Gordon took part in a Goodyear tire test in March that found Sprint Cup cars hitting 200 mph at the end of the backstretch on the 1.366-mile superspeedway.

Of course, Chevy driver Gordon, Ford driver Greg Biffle and Dodge driver Ryan Newman didn't have to navigate a full, 43-car field over Darlington's misshapen corners and narrow grooves.

Johnson swept both Darlington races in 2004. He'll look to add another title here Saturday night at the Dodge Challenger 500.

``Jeff went there and tested so I feel like we're going there smarter as a company than maybe some of the other guys,'' Johnson said. ``So I'm looking forward to it.''

Elliott Sadler said Gordon told him his No. 24 Chevrolet got up to 203 mph entering turn three at the March tests. ``If we're going anywhere near that fast on that track it's going to be interesting,'' Sadler said.

The repaving was among $10 million in capital improvements between last Mother's Day and now. Along with the smoother surface, a third infield access tunnel was added beneath the third and fourth turns.

Darlington was always known for having a rough surface that chewed up tires. New rubber typically shot drivers ahead while worn-down tires left them lagging. Still, the ruts, cracks and holes needed repair.

Darlington president Chris Browning said raceway officials took careful steps to make sure the surface was as true as possible to the old track, even purchasing the compound used to make the asphalt from the same quarry as the 1995 resurfacing.

That made things considerably quicker. Browning has said a tire test from 2007 over the old surface clocked a top speed of 182 mph.

After the last repaving in 1995, Ward Burton set a qualifying record of 173.797 mph at the 1996 TranSouth 400 that still stands. For comparison, Clint Bowyer won last year's pole nearly 10 mph slower, with a speed of 164.987 mph.

Tony Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup champ who's winless at Darlington, said drivers like himself running the Nationwide event Friday night might have an edge when it comes to the Sprint Cup race.

``If everything is going all right with both cars and it's not a cluster, yeah, it's a great opportunity,'' Stewart said.

Even though race cars from each series are different, Stewart said there's the potential to learn the track characteristics. ``It could certainly be an advantage this week,'' he said.

Darlington's always been one of the most coveted wins by drivers because of the track's exacting nature. Driver after driver will repeat endlessly they must ``race the racetrack'' when they show up here. If a driver gets involved in racing an opponent, they usually end up with a Darlington stripe after tagging the wall.

Stewart had his struggles figuring out Darlington. He's not alone.

There have only been 10 drivers who have won the 23 races held at Darlington since 1995 - Gordon (7), Dale Jarrett (3), Jeff Burton (2), Ward Burton (2), Johnson (2), Sterling Marlin (2), Biffle (2), Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte and Ricky Craven.

New pavement or old pavement, Stewart doesn't think it makes a big difference.

``You only see a handful of guys who religiously run well there,'' he said. ``That just shows you how difficult Darlington is.''