Event: Goodyear 400 (Round 13 of 36)
Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 12
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
Layout: 1.366-mile oval
Laps/Miles: 293 laps/400.2 miles
Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 90 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 108 laps
TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
SHR FAST FACTS:
– Josh Berry and the No. 4 Harrison’s Throwback Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing head to Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for Sunday’s culmination of this year’s annual NASCAR Throwback Weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400. It will be Berry’s second career start on the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval affectionately known as the “Track Too Tough To Tame,” his first coming a year ago this weekend in his 10th career Cup Series start.
– In the past three NASCAR Cup Series races, Noah Gragson has scored his career-best starting spot and his career-best finish. Last weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Gragson qualified third to better his prior career-best starting spot of fifth, earned the previous week at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. And three races ago at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Gragson finished third, besting his prior career-best result of fifth, earned in the August 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. This recent run of top-10s – third at Talladega, sixth at Dover and ninth at Kansas – is part of a six-race stretch dating back to March 31 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, where Gragson has not finished outside the top-20, allowing him to climb from 34th in the championship standings to 19th heading into the Goodyear 400 Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
– Darlington (S.C.) Raceway is home to the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, and for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 NASCAR Cup Series race, drivers and teams use their racecars to turn back time by running throwback liveries. The racecars are the canvas where the paints of the past come alive. For Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 team of Stewart-Haas Racing, they’re throwing it back to the paint scheme Chase’s father, Kevin, used on his sprint car during a more than 20-year career that included over 200 feature wins. The elder Briscoe also won the 1993 track championship at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana, and scored five track titles at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway, including a run of three straight (2004-2006) after winning championships there in 1991 and 2001.
– Ryan Preece will be throwing it back to his 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship season when he takes to the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped Darlington (S.C.) Raceway oval for Sunday’s Goodyear 400. Preece’s No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing will pay tribute to the No. 16 Modified he drove for owner Eric Sanderson’s Flamingo Motorsports team to four victories and 10 top-five finishes en route to the 2013 series title. Preece first made a name for himself in the Modified Tour, where he has 26 career wins, during his rise to the Cup Series.
OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:
WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:
Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Your No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Darlington represents three generations of racing Briscoes. How special is that for you?
“It’s cool just to be able to kind of throw it back and give back to the only reason I’m racing at all. If it wasn’t for my grandpa in 1976 kind of getting bit by the racing bug, then my dad doesn’t get involved in it, and if my dad’s not involved in it, then probably I’m not involved in it. So, it’s pretty cool to be able to do that and have all three generations still alive to be able to see it. Not many families can say they have three generations of racecar drivers, and the way my son is, I’m probably in trouble because we’ll probably have four generations. It is really cool and really special. I’ve been fortunate that, pretty much every year of my career, Darlington throwback weekend I’ve been given me the opportunity to kind of do what I wanted, and I’ve wanted to do this for a long time and this year it just all came together. I’m really excited for it and can’t wait to see it on track.”
Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
You’re building a lot of momentum, especially of late. Can you explain how you’ve been able to consistently run up front?
“I feel like we keep on stacking chips every weekend. We’re enjoying learning with this group of guys and bonding and getting better each and every race. It’s a lot of fun. Drew Blickensderfer, my crew chief, really challenges me to get better each week, and we keep growing on those processes and steps. I’m trying to fine-tune that right now and just keep building each and every week. I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity.”
Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Talk about the paint scheme and what it means to you to run the scheme for the first time on your Cup Series car at Darlington?
“I saw Darlington as a good opportunity to run a paint scheme that is not only very special to me, but also to someone who did a lot for my career. Eric Sanderson and Flamingo Motorsports saved my racing career, so when things get underway this weekend, it’ll certainly mean a lot to climb back into a car with that paint scheme.”
Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Harrison’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse
What does it mean to you to have Harrison’s throwback to Rodney Childers’ Late Model days, as well as paying tribute to South Carolina’s racing history and Hall of Fame drivers?
“I am really proud to be able to run that car. I think the No. 4 team as a whole has been doing a really good job together and really learning a lot, so to be able to give back is a neat opportunity. I know (Rodney) will be really excited to see it back on track, and maybe a little bit emotional. I just hope we can go out there and have a strong run and do his car justice because he was bad-ass in it.”
