Craven back at site of victory Close finish memorable

DARLINGTON, S.C. – As Maine driver Ricky Craven appeared to be making the winning move at Darlington Raceway, his children were rushed to Victory Lane.

But when 11-year-old Riley Craven looked up, she saw Kurt Busch edge past her father on the final lap of the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 in March. “We better go back to the bus,” she told her 7-year-old brother, Richard.

Not so fast, Craven was about to make NASCAR history, roaring in front to beat Busch by .002 seconds in the closest margin since Winston Cup introduced electronic timing in 1993.

The win “could have been by half a mile or it could have been by a car-length,” Craven said. “But for me, it’s about winning at Darlington, a track that has just so much history.”

Craven will be back on that track for the Southern 500 on Sunday, the final time the event, first run in 1950, will be held on Labor Day weekend.

“For anybody in racing that truly has a passion for this sport, if you haven’t been to Darlington, then you’re cheating yourself,” Craven said.

The Southern 500 also marks Jimmy Spencer’s return to the track from a NASCAR suspension for punching Busch after a race in Michigan two weeks ago. Busch, who was placed on probation, suffered a bloody nose and a chipped tooth.

This past weekend, Busch spun out Sterling Marlin during a late pass on the way to a win at Bristol Motor Speedway. The crowd booed Busch in Victory Lane.

Earlier, a defiant Busch had pointed to his panel-to-panel race with Craven.

“I just don’t understand what the difference is with you guys when Spencer and I are racing or you have a situation like we did in Darlington last spring,” Busch said. “No one commented on how hard Ricky Craven and I raced in a negative way.”

But Busch was contrite Thursday, issuing an apology to fans, his team and sponsors, NASCAR, the media and fellow competitors.

“I am still learning how to deal with public situations that are suddenly placed in front of me while filled with adrenaline from the racetrack,” he said in statement released by Roush Racing. “It is obvious to me that I handled the situation poorly.

“I know very well that words are cheap and that my sincerity and commitment will be judged by what I do in the weeks and months ahead.”

The Craven-Busch clip from March has been a staple of highlight shows all season. It also has been Darlington’s main selling point this time around in TV and radio ads.

“I think we’ll be talking about that one for some time,” Darlington president Andrew Gurtis said.

With two laps left, the cars bumped and Busch hit the wall in turn one. Craven moved to the lead. Busch recovered and hit the back of Craven’s car – “a little bit harder than he should have,” Craven says, wryly – to regain first.

But Craven slid low and alongside Busch, the two bouncing off each other and grinding to the finish.

“It didn’t matter to me if it were on the roof or on the side,” Craven said. “I was determined to win that race.”

And he did.

Craven’s season hasn’t gone as well as the March win would have led him to believe. He had three top-five finishes in the season’s first eight races. But his eighth-place result in Bristol last week was just his second top-10 finish since late April. He stands 21st in points.

His year – and maybe career – probably will be defined by those few rattling, moments at Darlington six months ago.

“The finish was fantastic,” he said. “I think it was great for the sport, and personally it was gratifying. But it has a lot more to do with winning at Darlington. Every driver who strapped on a helmet and race gear understands that.”