DARLINGTON, S.C. — For the fourth-straight year, Darlington Raceway had a sellout crowd for Saturday’s Dodge Challenger 500.
“The staff at Darlington Raceway has worked harder than ever to reach a sellout crowd for the 2008 Dodge Challenger 500,” Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning said Friday. “Four- consecutive sellout crowds for the Dodge Challenger 500 shows the overwhelming support we receive from  NASCAR fans in South Carolina, the United States and around the world.”

• Greg Biffle’s qualifying lap of 27.405 seconds (179.442 mph) broke Ward Burton’s previous track record of 28.295 seconds (173.797 mph), set March 22, 1996. Burton’s lap, laid down during the first qualifying session during Darlington’s last re-paving, was the longest standing  qualifying record at an active, non-restrictor-plate track. The top 41 times for Sunday’s Dodge Challenger 500 topped Burton’s speed.

• Professional baseball, basketball and the NFL have their “throwback” uniforms.
Darlington Raceway is becoming home of the “throwback” paint scheme with three cars sporting retro schemes for Saturday night’s Dodge Challenger 500.
The No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, driven by former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott, sported the red and white with gold numerals Motorcraft scheme made famous by David Pearson with nine Darlington victories. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet ran circa-1980s Mountain Dew paint scheme in lieu of its usual Amp Energy Drink colors.
The most interesting of the trio may have been the No. 28 Lafayette Ford-sponsored Yates Racing Fusion driven by Travis Kvapil. The sometimes unsponsored car paid homage to Fred Lorenzen’s circa-1960s race car, which carried the Fayetteville, N.C., dealership as a Darlington sponsor during Lorenzen’s meteoric career. The off-white scheme with blue numerals and stark, old-school lettering included engine specs (358 c.i.) and horsepower rating (845 hp) on the hood.
Kvapil (eighth) and Earnhardt (fourth) both earned top-10 finishes, while Elliott finished 30th.

• Michael McDowell was the highest-finishing rookie at 28th. McDowell’s No. 00 Toyota carried a paint scheme honoring Max Helton, the former Motor Racing Outreach head who died last month.
It was the first time McDowell, who took over the No. 00 when David Reutimann moved to the No. 44 to take over for the retiring Dale Jarrett, has finished highest among Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates.
“It’s just going to takes us a little bit of time to get going, but I think we’re heading in the right direction,” McDowell said. “It wasn’t bad, but I feel bad for the (team). They deserve to run better...We’re just going to keep plugging away. It’s not easy by any means, and I knew it wasn't going to be.”
In addition to Helton, McDowell’s car paid tribute to the driver’s late mother, Tracy, with a “Love You Mom” logo on the rear of the car.

• Kyle Busch became the 43rd different race winner at Darlington — and the youngest. At 23 years, eight days, he is nine months and eight days younger than Terry Labonte was when he won here in on Sept. 1, 1980.

• Among the subplots to the Darlington race weekend was the “yaw” of Carl Edwards’s No. 99 Ford Fusion. Some drivers, including Jeff Gordon, have complained that the Roush team has done too much to turn the rear tires, creating a slant or “yaw” to the race car that makes it easier to turn in the corners.
So, when the third-place Gordon joined the second-place Edwards in the media center for the post-race interview, Edwards took a good-natured jab at Gordon.
“So, did you get a good look at my rearend out there?” Edwards asked.
Gordon laughed.
“I couldn’t help it. They (the media) kept asking me about it,” he responded.

• A contingent of drivers’ mothers was on hand during prerace ceremonies to give the command, “Sons, start your engines.”