LUG NUTSThe NASCAR Winston Cup Series returns to action this weekend following a week off and the site is the historic Darlington Raceway and the TranSouth Financial 400. Nineteen different drivers have won the 39 previous spring races at Darlington, six of whom (Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Ricky Rudd, Lake Speed and Darrell Waltrip) still are active. Earnhardt leads all active drivers with nine career wins at Darlington, six of which have come in the spring event. Earnhardt is second all-time at Darlington in both categories with David Pearson topping the list with 10 career wins -- seven in the spring event. One of Pearson's wins came in the 1979 Mountain Dew Southern 500 while subbing for an injured Earnhardt. Earnhardt has won three of the last six and five of the last 10 TranSouth Financial events. He won this event in 1993 and 1994 and finished second to Marlin a year ago. Four of his top-five finishes this decade have been wins. One driver who usually finds Darlington to his liking is Mark Martin. Last year was the first time since 1988 that Martin failed to finish in the top five in the spring event at Darlington. Martin leads all drivers with top-five finishes at this race in this decade. He has five in the six races, including three runner-up finishes -- all to Earnhardt. The only other driver with more than two top-five finishes in the spring race at Darlington this decade was Davey Allison. Allison finished third, second and fourth respectively 1990-92. Chevrolet has posted more wins than any other car manufacturer in the TranSouth Financial 400 this decade with five in six races. But, it hasn't been the most consistent. Of 30 top-five spots in the Transouth 400 Financial this decade, Ford Motor Company has posted 16 top-five finishes. Chevrolet has recorded 10 top-five finishes -- five of which were wins. Pontiac has three and Oldsmobile one.
