Regan will start Saturday's race in 16th.

REGAN SMITH, No. 01 THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP CHEVROLET:  “I wanted to really turn like a .65 and just didn’t quite have the grip I was expecting in the racetrack right there.  I think if we’d have gone a little bit later, probably reasonable but we’ll take that.  Hopefully it’ll end up somewhere around 20th.  I dealt these guys some pretty hard hands this week between the Charlotte test, wrecking the car there on ‘em and got the wall in practice here with this car, which isn’t abnormal.  Everybody did but you hate doing that, making your guys have to work extra hard.  They did a good job of getting The Principal Financial Group Chevy back together so I could go out there and make laps.”  IT APPEARED THAT YOU RAN BETTER IN THE FINAL PRACTICE TODAY.  “I haven’t been unhappy with my car since we’ve been here.  We just haven’t put up a huge number like some of these guys are.  I think some of that was up until the point that I was being ultra-conservative.  I mean, I feel like I can go out there and run a consistent pace tomorrow night that’s going to be decent.  In practice we could do it.  It just doesn’t lay up that amazing number.  It’s going to be a different race tomorrow night.  You’re just going to have to be smart and race the track more so than ever before. I think this place is tougher than it’s ever been because of the speed.  It’s going to be an interesting race.”  IS THIS THE SAME OL’ DARLINGTON?  “I think it’s worse.  We’re running the same line; we’re going 10 miles an hour quicker.  Yeah, there’s a little bit more grip and yeah we’re on a little bit better tire because of the grip in the track but mistakes are magnified by 10 also.”  

Smith Ready for Faster Speeds at Darlington

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 7, 2008) – As Regan Smith prepares for Saturday’s Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington (S.C) Raceway, the Cato, N.Y. native is looking forward to trying out the historic speedway’s recently repaved surface.

“Everyone’s been talking about how fast the track is now, and I can’t wait,” said Smith, driver of the No. 01 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet. “It’ll be interesting to see how the guys adjust to the increase in speeds. I’m not sure who will have more fun – the drivers or the fans. Of course, it doesn’t matter how fast they make the place, it’s still going to be hard to pass in those tight corners.”

The history of the famous 1.366-mile track is not lost on the rookie-of-the-year candidate.

“Darlington is an old school type of track,” Smith explained. “I love watching the old films of guys like Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough driving there. They would sling those big old cars into the corners and almost hit the wall every time. Those guys were fearless. To me, that was NASCAR racing in its purest form.

“This is my first time racing at Darlington in a Cup car, so that will make it even more challenging for me personally but I love the direction my team is heading. I can see we’re getting a little better every week. (Crew chief) Doug (Richert) and I are learning how to communicate with each other better, our race strategies have gotten better, everything. I really think we’ll be competing for top-15 and top-10 finishes soon.”