NASCAR - Nextel Cup - Dodge Avenger 500 Preview

Last season, Greg Biffle became the first back-to-back winner of this race since Dale Jarrett in 1997-98, as he crossed the finish line 0.209 of a second ahead of Jeff Gordon. The win, the 10th of his Nextel Cup career, was the first of two 2006 victories. Winless this year, Biffle has recorded just a pair of top-10 finishes in 10 starts. Biffle, who led seven times during last year's race for a total of 170 laps, reclaimed the advantage for the last time on lap 319 of the 367 lap race before an estimated crowd of 75,000. The race was filled with lead changes, 25 in all, among 10 drivers. Pole sitter Kasey Kahne led three times for 41 laps and placed 21st.

Jeff Burton is set to reach another career milestone when he takes the green flag in Saturday's race at Darlington Raceway, as he starts for the 450th time in NASCAR's premier series.

In his 15th year of NASCAR Cup Series competition, Burton has captured 19 victories, including his first at Texas Motor Speedway's inaugural event in 1997, back-to-back wins at Darlington Raceway in 1999, two Coca-Cola 600 wins at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1999 and 2001, and under the lights at Daytona International Speedway in 2000.

With eight top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 24 starts, including the 1999 sweep, Darlington might just be the place where Burton secures his next milestone - his 20th series victory.

Facts and Stats from Darlington: Jeff Gordon has raced 26 times at the South Carolina track with six wins, 14 top-5's, 17 top-10's and three poles. Gordon, who won this race in 1996, has an average finish of 12.231. Last week's winner, Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with an average finish at Darlington of 7.250. Johnson has seven top-10's and two wins in his eight starts.

There have been 103 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Darlington Raceway since the first race there in 1950 - two in 1952 and two a year from 1960-2004. Eighteen of the 103 races at Darlington have been won by the pole winner; Dale Jarrett was the last to win from the pole there in the spring of 1997.

The next event in the Nextel Cup Series is scheduled for Saturday, May 19th at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, where NASCAR will hold the 22nd annual Nextel All- Star Challenge. Jimmie Johnson captured last year's race, defeating Kevin Harvick by 1.729 seconds.

Source: [url=http://dwb.newsobserver.com/24hour/sports/racing/story/3615601p-12913756c.html]News & Observer[/url]