Fantasy Racing Scouting Report – Darlington

[box]This post is a recap of what happened in the race at Darlington in 2013[/box]

Darlington 2013 Top Ten Starters

1. Kurt Busch
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Jeff Gordon
9. Greg Biffle
10. Kevin Harvick

Full Qualifying Results

Pre-race Notes 

Bobby Labonte had to start in the back due to an engine change.

Kyle Busch won the Nationwide race the day before.

Over the course of a run cars lost 2 seconds on the stop watch.

Penske crew chiefs were suspended for the race.

Jeff Gordon made his 700th career start.

Matt Kenseth was without his crew chief due to the engine situation at Kansas.

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Race Notes

Kurt Busch started on the pole and led the first 51 laps. Prior to this race he only led 1 lap at Darlington since 2005.

Running order on lap 12: 78,18,48,5,56,24,20,11,29,15 … 88,42,16,31,27,14,17,99,39… 1,51,2,43,13,55,22,93,83,9,7

Jeff Gordon said his car was really good on exit on both ends.

Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski’s side skirts were rubbing on the track early in the race.

Kurt Busch was very pleased with his car early in the race.

Kevin Harvick’s car could work the bottom of the track early in the race. He was running near the apron.

Danica Patrick got lapped on lap 28.

Kasey Kahne lost his handle a little bit on lap 30.

Casey Mears made an unscheduled pit stop on lap 40 and went down two laps.

Running order on lap 41: 78,18,20,48,29,5,24,56,15,88 … 11,42,16,31,14,99,27,39,1,2 … 22,17,51,43,93,55,83,30,7,47

Green flag pit stops started around lap 46 with Marcos Ambrose the first to come in.

Marcos Ambrose said his car was uncomfortable and really tight.

Aric Almirola had a tight race car and came into pit on lap 47. His car was unstable on low tire pressures.

Brad Keselowski’s car was free at the time of his first pit stop.

Martin Truex Jr. was tight and needed more front grip at the time of his first pit stop.

Greg Biffle’s car balance was off and he had some damage from a Darlington stripe at the time of his first pit stop.

Running order on lap 69:  78,18,48,20,29,5,56,88,24,15 .. 16,11,42,14,27,2,99,31,1,39 .. 22,43,51,13,17

Kenseth passed Johnson for 3rd on lap 73.

Kyle Busch passed Kurt Busch for the lead on lap 73.

After losing the lead Kurt Busch really lost the handling on his car.

Around lap 114 Brad Keselowski made an unscheduled pit stop due to a vibration. It dropped him two laps down.

On lap 116 Kyle Busch lapped Ryan Newman.