NASCAR Darlington 2015: Jeff Gordon says goodbye to the ‘Lady in Black’

Before he had ever turned a lap around the 1.3-mile egg-shaped speedway, Jeff Gordon had heard the stories how Darlington Raceway was the track “Too Tough to Tame” and how frustrating it was to navigate.

But Darlington’s reputation didn’t deter Gordon, who realized it shared characteristics with many high-banked ovals he raced sprint cars on throughout the Midwest. Not surprisingly, he instantly grew found of the South Carolina track.

“You go out there and you either like it or you don’t. I loved it right away,” Gordon said Friday. “I loved running up near the fence. I think had I not raced at places like Salem and Winchester in the midgets and the sprint cars, this track would have probably been a little bit more intimidating.

“I really enjoyed, right from the beginning, racing at this track. I think it was really more of what people were saying about it that stuck out in my mind prior to me coming here than when I actually got a chance to race here.”

Gordon has scored seven Darlington victories, most among active drivers and third all-time trailing only David Pearson (10) and Dale Earnhardt Sr. (nine). Retiring at the end of the season, Gordon’s last opportunity for an eighth win comes Sunday in the Southern 500, one of NASCAR’s most prestigious events.

Lately, though, Gordon hasn’t had much success at Darlington. A repave the track underwent before the 2008 event dramatically changed how the speedway races. The old abrasive surface, which chewed tires and made the trick slick, required patience and a deft touch; whereas the new surface provides greater grip and allows drivers to be aggressive.

All of Gordon’s seven Darlington wins came before the new asphalt was laid down.

“You didn’t attack this track,” Gordon said. “It wasn’t about being aggressive. It was about being patient. It was about finesse. It was about not overdriving it and having a car in one piece at the end of the day. And usually the ones that had the fenders on it were the ones that were most competitive at the end of the day. I feel like that is one of the things that I have done really well throughout my career. And it’s also one of the reasons why I haven’t been as competitive in the last 10 years because that is not the way you do it today.”

Gordon is hopeful a surface that’s aged, combined with a special low downforce rules package, featuring a greatly reduced spoiler that makes cars less aerodynamic dependent, will put greater control back in the drivers’ hands.

That same package was last utilized in July at Kentucky Speedway and produced one of the best races of the season with a track-record number of lead changes. Afterward, drivers offered overwhelming praise and said they hoped the low downforce package becomes universal in 2016.

“There is some (tire) fall-off,” Gordon said. “There’s no doubt the grip is down. So, trying to find the balance of the cars seems to be pretty tricky. The cars are freer in, tighter in the middle, and free let off, which is kind of like of what we fought at Kentucky. But, I liked it there and so far I’m enjoying it here.”

“This weekend I think it’s going to go back a little bit to the old school way of Darlington and I hope that suits my style and what we have as a race team.”