By Kayla Darrow – The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visited its eighth track on Saturday night at Darlington Raceway. “The Lady in Black” provided both veterans and rookies with some decorative stripes and lessons during the Bojangles’ Southern 500.

In case you missed it, here are the top five storylines to come from Saturday night:

1. Kasey Kahne’s rocky season continues. @KaseyKahne’s 2014 season has been off to a rough start with only two top 10 finishes. His race at Darlington started off strong as he easily moved through the field from his 22nd place starting spot. He even led 23 laps. However, Kahne’s luck ran out late in the race when he hit the wall hard, destroying the right side of his car and his chances at winning.

2. The rookies earn their stripes. The majority of the rookie class received their first Sprint Cup Darlington stripes this weekend. @Ryan_Truex, @MichaelAnnett, @ColeWhitt, and @KyleLarsonRacin were just some of those who learned how to race this track the hard way. The stripes didn’t necessarily ruin every driver’s night, as Larson and @AustinDillon3 came away with top 12 finishes.

3. Tire talk returns. For the past three races, tires have been a bit of a hot topic. Fontana and Texas both led to discussions on tire quality and care. The race at Darlington was no different. Teams began to run low on the number of tires they had left. This prompted NASCAR to offer teams extra sets they could buy for $2,000. Look for teams to emphasize tire strategy and conservation in the next couple of races.

4. More tempers fly amongst drivers. @AJDinger and Austin Dillon found themselves in a heated disagreement midway through the race. Both drivers exchanged tire rubs but didn’t see eye to eye on the situation. Allmendinger felt that Dillon was racing him dirty. He let his frustrations fly, calling Dillon something along the lines of a “little rich punk” on his radio. Watch out for retaliation at the next NSCS race – it

just so happens to be at another short track.

5. Josh Wise impresses all. Perhaps one of the more uplifting stories this weekend was @Josh_Wise and his impressive performance. Wise, whose car is currently lacking sponsorship, went a lap down for short amount of time. He battled back when it mattered most, finishing 21st and on the lead lap. Hopefully this result gains the attention of some sponsors and brings the team some much-deserved support.

Kayla Darrow is a Popular Speed Development Journalist.