Very similar to the 1984 hit track “Sun shades at Evening” by Canadian singer Corey Hart, Denny Hamlin could have his sun shades on to begin Sunday’s Cook dinner-Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Imaginative and prescient goes to be simply as essential as tire put on and gasoline mileage might be for drivers as they journey round Darlington’s distinctive 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
As late afternoon daylight shortly transitions into nightfall after which into darkness, drivers are going to should be extra alert than ever, because the observe beneath fleeting sunshine can flip considerably completely different beneath the lights and because the clock and laps tick down.
Two different components might be on the minds of drivers, crew chiefs and pit crews: climate and tire put on. The observe ought to begin beneath clear skies with a excessive mid-afternoon temperature forecast to be 85 levels.
By the point the race begins at 6 pm ET, these temps will probably have dropped into the 70s and ultimately will proceed dipping downward to 58 levels by the point the checkered flag falls, in keeping with the Nationwide Climate Service.
The important thing to success at Darlington is adapting to the local weather and atmospheric adjustments. Hamlin has that one nailed in a giant method. He has been one of many Woman in Black’s favorites.
In 26 profession Cup begins there she’s allowed him to win 5 occasions, together with having 14 top-fives and 19 top-10 finishes. That features a win earlier this yr within the spring race for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver on the “observe too powerful to tame.”
Can Hamlin make it two in a row at Darlington?
Hamlin might be in search of his sixth profession win at Darlington on Sunday, the place he’ll begin from the pole. Whereas adjusting to the change from daylight to darkish is important, tire put on can also be going to be entrance of thoughts for Hamlin resulting from Darlington’s abrasive racing floor.
“This observe positively goes by means of adjustments when rubber is on it versus not,” Hamlin mentioned after Saturday’s qualifying session.
“Even the benefit that you’ve got going out later in qualifying versus early is a giant, huge distinction, after which initially of this race, there might be some type of daylight after which we’re going to go into full evening to construct some adaptability in your automobile.
“We all the time plan for the tip of the race and we work out learn how to make it work on the very starting, so definitely, while you begin up entrance like we’re, that’s going to assist us band-aid the automobile for a short time till (the observe) is available in.”
Hamlin pointed to William Byron qualifying on the pole within the spring race and main 243 of the overall 297 laps earlier than ending second. This was a motivational issue for Hamlin to seize the pole throughout Saturday’s qualifying.
“We noticed within the Spring the #24 (Byron) was laborious to cross till he acquired in visitors and that’s when it modified,” Hamlin mentioned. “Fortunately, we now have that sort of a bonus on the race.
“It may finish on Lap 1, and we may very well be second, however you simply by no means know. I really feel prefer it provides you the benefit to set the tempo after which when you get the lapped automobiles, hopefully, you’ve one thing left.”
