DARLINGTON — It was like old times for Russell Branham.
The former Darlington Raceway public relations director visited with NASCAR legends David Pearson and Cale Yarborough, both of whom he grew up idolizing and later got a chance to work with while he was at the track from 1989-95.
“It’s a thrill for me. These two guys are my heroes,” said Branham, a Darlington native.
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Branham, who manages Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton, said being at the track brought back several memories, including when he got Darrell Waltrip to jump out of a cake in honor of his 25th year in racing.
“It’s so good to come back to have something to do in the media center again and see some old friends,” Branham said. “I love this place.”
Ragan’s trifecta
David Ragan’s struggles continued Saturday night.
The Roush Fenway Racing driver, who was 23rd in points, was involved in three straight cautions from laps 160-197.
The first incident came when he spun out Denny Hamlin trying to pass him on lap 160. Then he spun out and hit the wall in Turn 2 on lap 187.
The final blow came when his right rear tire went down, causing him to hit the wall in Turn 3.
“We thought we were going to be fine and then the right rear tire went down,” Ragan said. “I was going to try and come in, but I just couldn’t find a hole and spun out and someone came on the bottom side and finished us up.”
Fire drill
Michael Waltrip had a scary moment when his car caught fire as he was coming down the backstretch on lap 74.
The flames subsided and Waltrip was able to maneuver the car down pit road.
Waltrip got out of the car without injury and was taken to the infield care center and released.
Sellout streak ends
Saturday’s Southern 500 wasn’t a sellout for the first time in five Mother’s Day weekend races.
Darlington Raceway general manager Mac Josey said there were less than 2,000 tickets left about four hours before the race.
Most of the empty seats were visible in the first five rows along the frontstretch.
More Indy testing
A second tire test at Indianapolis this week wasn’t enough.
Goodyear is planning at least one more leading up to the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on July 26.
The extra testing is being done as precaution because of last year’s debacle.
The race featured six competition caution flags and no more than 14 laps were run in succession.
Speed racer
Red Bull Racing’s Scott Speed drove Joe Nemechek’s No. 87 on Saturday.
Speed failed to qualify for the race with a backup car after he crashed his primary car in practice.
Speed gets the driver points, and Nemechek gets the owner points.
Speed used his Red Bull logos on the car and his regular pit crew. The only thing that was different was Speed’s seat had to be move into the car.
The move isn’t a surprise as Nemechek and Red Bull general manager Jay Frye are friends who worked together at MB2 Motorsports. Frye has given Nemechek, who also owns his team, some of Red Bull’s cars from last season to race this year.
Booing Busch
Kyle Busch was the only driver booed during driver introductions, and when all the past winners at Darlington were introduced.
The only cheers Busch got during the weekend were when he had to pit late in Friday’s Diamond Hill Plywood 200 after his right rear tire went down.
Busch led 143 of 153 laps in that race, but finished 16th.
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