Fanhouse Warmup: Dodge Challenger 500

What: Dodge Challenger 500
Where: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C.
When: Saturday May 10 (Green Flag Approx. 7:20pm/ET)
Distance: 367 laps, 501.3 miles
Weather: Sunny, then isolated showers after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
2007 Winner: Jeff Gordon
Predictions: Keep Reading






Say Hello to the Lady - This will be Darlington Raceway's 58th consecutive year of hosting a NASCAR race after it all began when Harold Brasington decided that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wasn't the only place in the world race fans would go to.

As the story goes, Brasington bought some farmland and just started building a new superspeedway -- NASCAR's first.

58 years of incredible memories of easily the toughest track to master in all of Sprint Cup racing is truly incredible, and I'll invoke my right of passage again right now to state that this speedway 1) Needs to host a Labor Day event and 2) Is a key cornerstone to the future of NASCAR.

Explaining the Different Darlington corners -- Darlington is known as one of the sport's toughest tracks primarily because the fast line is on the high side and the corners at each end are completely different.

When Brasington was building the Speedway, as many of you fans know, he promised the farmer who he bought the land from that he wouldn't disturb the farmer's minnow pond. As a result, Turns 3 and 4 now have a much tighter corner radius than 1 & 2.

Jeff Gordon's Chance to Turn the Corner? -- Darlington could be just the remedy that four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon needs to move over the hump and back into complete and utter championship contention.

Gordon's strong run last week after starting the night at Richmond was impressive, and with seven wins at Darlington, he's got to feel good about this weekend.

Gordon currently sits 13th in Sprint Cup points.

FanHouse predicts Dodge Challenger 500

There's been cars bouncing off of walls, first time Darlington winners, and a new pave job at the "Lady in Black". In other words, it seems like this one could be a toss up.

However, Jeff Gordon spoke Friday about how Roush-Fenway Racing has found a way to actually rotate the rear end of their Ford Fusions, and he seems to think that those have mastered that set up could be dominant.

I've got to believe him. Biffle's on the pole, Edwards is the race (doesn't matter where he starts) and Kenseth is due for something -- anything -- good to happen really soon.

My money? Put it on the No. 16 Ford.

Greg Biffle will win the Dodge Challenger 400.

Race strategy and track position will weigh heavily in the outcome, and what other way is there to secure your new contract with a team by winning? I say its Biffle's time.