Darlington Raceway's retro red-and-white paint job saluting the track's 60 years of racing couldn't hide the black stripes left by dozens of Sprint Cup Series cars scraping the wall during Friday's practice sessions.
Several drivers caused significant damage to their cars in the first practice session and the final session was just as rough; by the end of the final practice three drivers -- Scott Speed, David Reutimann and David Stremme -- were in backups.
Ten drivers hit the wall in the first practice including Scott Speed and David Reutimann. David Stremme was one of 10 to earn a stripe in the final session at Darlington. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was 21st on the speed chart in final practice, struggled with his setup and said the reason for so many scrapes and spins was because "the tire is real hard" and "is slick." Several drivers also noted the amount of dirt and sand accumulated on the track, reducing the grip.
