This week's NASCAR race

Bojangles Southern 500

Darlington Raceway

Darlington, S.C.

When: Saturday, 6:45 p.m.

TV/Radio: FOX29/WNPV (1440-AM)

Race course: 1.366-mile oval

Race distance:

367 laps, 501.3 miles

Race forecast:

scattered thunderstorms, low 80s

Last year's winner:

Jimmie Johnson

Last year's pole:

Greg Biffle, 180.257 mph

Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, 181.254 mph (May 2011)

Track facts: The penalties to Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth, Gibbs and crew chief Jason Ratcliff were reduced by the National Stock Car Racing appeals panel. Instead of losing 50 championship and owner points, Kenseth and Gibbs will be docked only 12 points each. Ratcliff's suspension has been trimmed to one race instead of six. The team had been penalized for having an engine rod that did not meet the weight minimum . . . Jimmie Johnson led the last 44 laps (134 overall) to win last year's Darlington race. Denny Hamlin was runner-up; Tony Stewart was third. Polesitter Greg Biffle finished 12th after leading the second-most laps (74) . . . Jeff Gordon has the most wins (seven) among active drivers; Johnson is next with three. Gordon is making his 700th consecutive Cup start Saturday: he's the 15th racer to reach the 700 milestone . . . With finishes of 38th, 24th and 37th in the last three races, Kyle Busch has dropped to 10th in points from third... Four top-10s in a row have vaulted Aric Almirola to eighth in points . . . NASCAR fan Nick Bower, 27, of Georgia, has been missing since Saturday night when he was camping in the South Park

area at Talladega Superspeedway.

Wins: Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, 2 each; Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, David Ragan, 1 each.

Standings

1. Jimmie Johnson. . . 383

2. Carl Edwards. . . 342

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.. . . 324

4. Matt Kenseth. . . 317

5. Clint Bowyer. . . 316

6. Brad Keselowski. . . 314

7. Kasey Kahne. . . 299

8. Aric Almirola. . . 293

9. Paul Menard. . . 290

10. Kyle Busch. . . 285

11. Greg Biffle. . . 280

12. Kevin Harvick. . . 276

13. Martin Truex Jr.. . . 269

14. Jeff Gordon. . . 269

15. Jamie McMurray. . . 267

Up next: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, N.C., May 18, 7:30 p.m.; TV: Speed; last year's winner:

Jimmie Johnson.

- Bill Fleischman