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Friday, Sept. 1
The Southern 500 has been a tale of two Jeffs.
For the first time in his young Winston Cup career, Jeff
Burton comes to Darlington Raceway as the defending
champion of the Southern 500. Now, Burton is more
than just a participant in this sport, he's a historian of
the sport. You want to learn about the pride and
prestige of the Southern 500? Just ask Jeff Burton.
Now he's the defending champion of this great race. Burton knows what it means to win at Darlington. And
he also knows what the history books might write about
him should he defend his title Sunday afternoon.
For the first time in four years, Jeff Gordon is not the defending champ of the Southern
500. In fact, he comes here in the shadow of others at a track he's expected to shine.
Gordon has struggled lately, but he's already entrenched in the history books. Four
straight wins in the Southern 500 will do that for a driver.
What Gordon wants to do this Sunday is leave the past behind and set the tone for the
future.
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DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Jeremy Mayfield's season of mixed
fortune took another upward turn Friday when he mastered NASCAR's
most difficult track to win the pole for the Southern 500.
Mayfield, looking to win Sunday for the third time this year, managed to overcome a Darlington Raceway surface made more slippery by bright sunshine and heat to claim the fourth pole of his career. The 31-year-old driver from Owensboro, Ky., whose team was punished twice this year by NASCAR, also missed two races with a concussion.
"We were pretty fast off the truck," Mayfield said after a qualifying lap of 169.444 mph. "The car adapted pretty well to the track."
He took his Ford around the 1.366-mile track in 29.022 seconds.
Second-fastest was the Pontiac of Johnny Benson, which circled the egg-shaped oval in 29.028 seconds at 169.409 mph.
Ward Burton's 1996 track record of 173.797 never was threatened, in part because Goodyear supplied new tires expected to wear better but be slower on the especially abrasive Darlington asphalt.
"You know I'm going to brag on the tires," said Mayfield, who won earlier this season in Fontana, Calif., and Long Pond, Pa., and will try for his fourth career victory. "They should definitely be a little slower, but the tire wear is going to be better."
Benson agreed, but doesn't think tires will have as much impact as the weather.
"Today, the track was just so hot and pretty slick, and I think that's why the speeds were not quite a quick as they were in the spring," Benson said. "At most places we've gone they've been faster, though."
Third in qualifying for the $2.6 million race -- at 50 the oldest on the schedule -- was Burton, whose Pontiac went 169.269. He was followed by Mike Skinner's Chevrolet at 169.211 and the Ford of Mark Martin at 169.118.
Mayfield has run well several times at Darlington, but has had little luck. Once, he lost an opportunity to win because he pitted on the backstretch, where cars once were at a disadvantage to those on the front side.
"Last year, we never got a real chance because of the rain," he said alluding to losses to Jeff Burton in weather-shortened races. "I guess this year I'll have to do a rain dance or something."
Jeff Burton, never an ace in qualifying, will try to pull off his specialty -- coming from far back -- after qualifying 35th.
Some of the greatest drivers at Darlington were not much of a factor, although some wound up in the top 10.
Dale Earnhardt, whose nine career victories are one short of David Pearson's track record, qualified sixth. Jeff Gordon, who won the race four years in a row before Jeff Burton beat him in 1999, was 10th.
Two-time Darlington winner Dale Jarrett wound up ninth. But that worked well for the defending series champion, because points leader Bobby Labonte posted only the 38th-fastest speed after wrecking his primary car in practice when his throttle stuck.
"We tore up a good race car," said Labonte, who didn't have enough time to get his backup Pontiac up to speed. "I'm glad I'm standing here right now. It could have been worse."
The 43-car field was completed Saturday. Among notables who will
start from the lower half of the grid are Labonte, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton and Darrell Waltrip.
Labonte, who leads Jarrett by 91 points, will
start 37th with a provisional spot. Waltrip used the last of
seven provisional to start his 800th career race from the end of
the lineup in 43rd.
Busch Series driver Adam Petty and Winston Cupper Kenny Irwin were killed earlier this year -- with stuck throttles suspected in their crashes at New Hampshire International Speedway.
Labonte, who holds a 91-point lead over Jarrett, will have to get into the field Saturday, when positions 26-43 are filled in the second round of time trials.
Rookie Scott Pruett was a surprising seventh, followed by Ken Schrader.
Rusty Wallace, who leads the series with eight poles and four wins -- including the last two races -- will go from the 16th spot on the grid.
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ALSO SEE
Southern 500 lineup
Notebook: Stuck throttle sends Labonte into wall during practice
Furr: Darlington no longer super, but still a special speedway
Weber: A letter to the Lady in Black
Southern 500 still holds its own after 50 years
Southern 500 Breakdown
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jeremy Mayfield captures his second pole of the season.
avi: 1330 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mayfield is glad to be sitting on the pole.
avi: 1166 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Jeremy Mayfield feels comfortable at Darlington.
wav: 116 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mayfield is optimistic about Sunday.
wav: 65 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Ward Burton likes his starting position.
wav: 162 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mark Martin is on a mission.
wav: 115 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Johnny Benson was shooting for the top ten.
wav: 157 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mike Skinner got a good lap after struggling earlier.
wav: 201 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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