GMAC Racing Ready to Tackle Darlington Raceway

DARLINGTON, S.C. (March 13, 2003) – After an off-weekend, the NASCAR Busch Series and the GMAC Racing team return to action this weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Known as the track “Too Tough to Tame” because of its unique configuration and abrasive track surface, the 1.366-mile oval has been an annual stop for the Busch Series since 1982. The egg-shaped oval provides plenty of action -- sometimes too much -- and it’s not uncommon to hear many mentions of the "Darlington Stripe." The stripe is nothing more than a brush with the outside wall, which leaves a paint mark on the right-side of the car. Most drivers competing at Darlington have touched the wall at one time or another, some more than others, and while everyone would like to forget their most recent brush, many drivers remember their first encounter, including the driver of the No. 5 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet, Brian Vickers. “I definitely remember my first run-in,” Vickers said. “We were testing and I didn’t hit the wall too hard, but I did brush it and knocked the paint off. It was almost special. “You never want to hit the wall, but on the other hand, it was kind of cool because it was my first Darlington stripe. You like to get it out of the way early if you can, but chances are you’ll make contact with the wall again at some point.” Each end of Darlington Raceway is different and teams are faced with trying to achieve the best balance for their car at both ends, which is more difficult than it seems. Coupled with Darlington’s abrasive track surface which eats new tires after just a handful of laps and you realize why the track is “Too Tough To Tame.” After two sub-par performances for Vickers at Darlington in 2002, the 19-year-old believes he and the GMAC team will prevail. “Darlington is a tough place to get a hold of,” Vickers said. “I’ve always enjoyed racing there because of the challenges it presents, but never have had the best setup underneath me. “I told Lance (McGrew, crew chief) this and he said not to worry about it, we’ve got a good setup and I believe him because it was a very similar situation at Rockingham earlier this year and look where we finished -- eighth.”