NASCAR on Fox in Primetime Tonight

Once again, Fox has a primetime race and it’s at the Darlington Raceway for the Southern 500. Here’s what Fox Sports is saying about the race.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

MLB & NASCAR Doubleheader This Saturday at Special 3:00 PM ET Start Time

NASCAR ON FOX IS READY FOR PRIMETIME IN RICHMOND – On Saturday, May 8 FOX Sports concludes its MLB-NASCAR doubleheader with NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing from Darlington. “The Lady In Black” – aka, Darlington Raceway – may have added a few flourishes to her gown in recent years (new infield tunnel, pavement, grandstands, etc.) – but rest assured she’s the same ornery matron that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers alternately love and loathe. One driver who is looking to love the lady is Jeff Gordon. The active leading winner at Darlington with seven, Gordon looks to capture his first checkered flag of the 2010 season. Coverage starts with FOX NASCAR SATURDAY host Chris Myers, along with analysts Waltrip and Jeff Hammond from the Hollywood Hotel, FOX Sports’ traveling prerace set providing live interviews with drivers, crewmen and officials shaping the day’s action. Once the green flag drops, race announcer Mike Joy will be alongside analysts Waltrip and Larry McReynolds to call all the twists and turns on the track while Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum patrol the pits for up-to-the-second news and notes.

For instant updates throughout the week and during the race from the entire NASCAR on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NASCARONFOX.

SATURDAY, MAY 8 – NASCAR SPRINT CUP RACING FROM DARLINGTON, 7:00 PM ET

HAMMOND & MCREYNOLDS: ETHANOL IS POSITIVE CHANGE FOR NASCAR – It was announced this week that when the green flag drops on NASCAR’s season in 2011, cars will be fueled by E15; a mixture of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. Former NASCAR crew chiefs, Jeff Hammond & Larry McReynolds agree that striving to become a more environmentally friendly sport, is the right approach for NASCAR.  “I like it. We’ve got to keep up with the times and move towards being a greener sport,” said NASCAR on FOX prerace analyst Jeff Hammond. However with change, come challenges. “NASCAR has some of the brightest people in the world and they’ll overcome these challenges just like they did when NASCAR went from leaded to unleaded fuel,” said Hammond. The proposed unveiling of this change might be too sudden according to McReynolds: “NASCAR may have a timeline of 2011 but I promise you they’re not going to implement this change until they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s durable and that they can monitor and regulate it like it needs to be.”

That’s it.

UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: I’m not a NASCAR fan nor do I pretend to be, but apparently Fox did the old cut-and-paste and forgot to take out the Richmond reference which was last week and this week, the Southern 500 is in South Carolina. Doh!