ALL THAT COMING UP NEXT. >> ALL RIGHT. THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE DAY GOES TO WRAL'S CASEY. HENCE SHE IS SPENDING TIME AND CHARLOTTE AT WITH NASCAR TEAMS AND CHECKING OUT THE ROVAL AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY. THAT'S WHERE SHE JOINS US LIVE WITH A SPECIAL GUESTS. CASEY, TAKEN AWAY. >> YEAH, CHRIS, WE'VE HAD QUITE THE AFTERNOON HERE AND I'M EXCITED TO BE JOINED BY LONGTIME HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CREW CHIEF AND NOW NASCAR ON NBC ANALYST. STEVE, WHAT I SEE. THANKS MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME SINCE I JUST GOT OFF THIS ROBO COURSE. I WANT TO START WITH THIS RACE HERE. THAT'S COMING UP. BUT I HAVE TO OCTOBER. IT'S, OF COURSE, A CUTOFF RACE GIVEN. I'VE HEARD YOU GUYS SAY JUST WHAT THIS TRACK IS LIKE. HOW DIFFICULT IS THIS TRACK FOR DRIVERS, ESPECIALLY GOING INTO A CUTOFF RACE? WELL, THE TRACK ITSELF AS DIFFICULT AS IT IS THE DESIGN INFIELD, VERY SLOW, VERY TECHNICAL. THE BANKING IS VERY HIGH SPEED WITH A COUPLE GREAT PASSING ZONES AND SOME HEAVY BRAKING ZONES. >> THEN YOU TAKE ALL THAT YOU JAM IT INTO THE PRESSURE OF THE PLAYOFFS. THAT PUTS EVERYBODY ON EDGE JUST MAKES FOR A MORE EXCITING RACE. BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO THIS ROLE RACE, THOUGH WE'VE GOT TO TACKLE DARLINGTON. THAT IS THIS SUNDAY. THE FIRST RACE OF THE NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS. >> THE LADY IN BLACK. WELL, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE FOR DRIVERS. WHAT MAKES DARLINGTON SO DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH? WELL, SO AS A QUICK AND GETS BETTER, YOU KNOW, 4 OR 500 MILE RACE IS REALLY ARE JUST A SPRINT ANYMORE. THEY GO AS HARD AS THEY COULD POSSIBLY GO. I THINK DARLINGTON STILL THE EXCEPTION. >> IF YOU RAISE YOUR COMPETITORS AND NOT THE RACETRACK, YOU COULD HAVE A SHORT NIGHT 500 MILES. THERE IS UNBELIEVABLE. THE SOUTHERN 500 IS THE TRUE TEST. SO WHY NOT? I MEAN, WHAT'S A BETTER WAY TO KICK OFF THE PLAYOFFS AND PERHAPS THE TOUGHEST TEST ON THE WHOLE CIRCUIT. >> AND WE CAN'T WAIT. YOU GUYS COULD SEE HIM. OF COURSE, THIS RACE WILL BE ON AND WE'LL HAVE