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Darlington Raceway
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Darlington Raceway
Track Diagram |
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Darlington Raceway
P.O Box 500 Darlington, SC 29540-0500 |
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In the fall of 1949, when a crisp breeze toyed with the loose soil of an old cotton field on the westside of rural Darlington, SC, Harold Brasington saw more than just dirt dancing around that patch of land. He saw the future. He saw stock cars.
Brasington, a local businessman, had a lofty vision that most of his peers dismissed as utterly ridiculous. His friends laughed at him when returned home from the 1933 Indianapolis 500 and mentioned the idea of little ol' Darlington having a paved superspeedway, a place to hold big-time stock car events. They nearly committed him when he told them that he was going to build it. Nevertheless, believing that Bill France's fledgling NASCAR just might catch on, Brasington set out in the fall of 1949 to shape a 1-1/4 mile speedway on land that had once produced peanuts and cotton. To the chagrin of family and friends, Brasington and his crew toiled for a year, Brasington himself often at the controls of bulldozers and grading equipment. Brasington's plan called for a true oval, but the racetrack's design had to be changed in order to satisfy Mr. Ramsey, the landowner, who did not want his nearby minnow pond disturbed. The west end of the track (Turns 3 and 4) was narrowed to accommodate the fishing hole, creating Darlington's distinctive egg-shaped design. The first race was scheduled for Labor Day 1950, and when the day finally came the stands overflowed. Brasington expected no more than 10,000 fans, but the crowd of over 25,000 shocked him. Fans practically stood on top of each other and they scaled the fence just for a glimpse of the action. Californian Johnny Mantz drove to victory that day in the first Southern 500, which took over 6 hours to complete but set a precedent for a sport that would grow to be one of the largest spectator sports in the country. Mantz started dead last in the field of 75 racers, many of whom had never raced on asphalt, but roared to the checkered flag averaging a blistering 76 mph. Over the next fifty years, names like Baker, Flock, Thomas, Pearson, Yarborough, Petty, and Earnhardt became commonplace in Victory Lane. Fifty years later the Darlington Raceway is known as the track "Too Tough to Tame." It is still remembered as the original superspeedway and as one of the pillars of the NASCAR establishment. There is no other sporting facility in the world more steeped in history and tradition than Darlington Raceway, which has aged gracefully over the years but retained its feisty charm. Still, nobody loves the feisty track more than the drivers. "You never forget your first love," said seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt, "whether it's a high school sweetheart, a faithful old hunting dog, or a fickle race track in South Carolina with a contrary disposition. "And, if you happen to be a race car driver there's no victory so sweet, so memorable, as whipping Darlington Raceway." Thanks to that charm, which has drawn fans back to the egg-shaped oval year after year, the Darlington Raceway celebrated its golden anniversary with the 50th running of the Moutain Dew Southern 500. The annual event, which welcomes people from across the country, is to NASCAR what The Masters is to golf, what the Super Bowl is to football and what the World Series is to baseball. It's a battle in which drivers can spin out and become a part of the wall as quickly as they can thunder to Victory Lane and become a legend. The Darlington Raceway of the 21st century is an ultra-modern facility that remains true to Harold Brasington's ideas of what NASCAR racing should be about - fast, intense action for the fans and dedicated drivers loyal to the sport that America has come to crave. The man at the controls making sure Darlington keeps up with the riotous pace of NASCAR growth is Jim Hunter, a South Carolina native who returned to his roots in January 1993 to become President of Darlington Raceway. Hunter started his NASCAR career at Darlington when served as the track's PR Director in the 1960s. Since his return, the Raceway has been running at top speed. Major improvements have taken place, most notably the construction of two state-of-the-art grandstands. The Tyler Tower and the Pearson Tower, complete with modernized restrooms, food courts and souvenir stands, doubled the track's seating capacity. Tyler Tower lines the front stretch while Pearson Tower, named after legendary driver David Pearson of Spartanburg, SC, reaches through the clouds above turn four. Most recently, the frontstretch pit road was expanded to accommodate a full field of cars, and now no team has to pit on the backstretch. The track "Too Tough to Tame" has come a long way since Harold Brasington graded the first turn. It continues to keep pace with the booming NASCAR world of the new century while standing as a monument to the drivers and loyal fans who sowed the seeds of stock car racing fifty years ago. And with its dedication to fans and its continuing physical enhancements, Darlington Raceway drives wide open toward the fulfillment of its ultimate goal-to be the best facility in motorsports. |
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Track Facts Information: There have been 99 NASCAR Winston Cup (Grand National) races at Darlington since the track opened in 1950. Forty-two drivers have posted Bud Poles at Darlington. Bill Elliott leads all active drivers with five Bud Poles at Darlington. Retired driver David Pearson leads all drivers with 12 poles at Darlington. Charlie Glotzbach and Cale Yarborough posted identical qualifying times for the 1968 Southern 500. Glotzbach was credited with the pole because he qualified first. The race has been won from the pole on 19 occasions at Darlington, the most of any starting position. The furthermost back that a race winner has started at Darlington was 43rd in the inaugural Southern 500 in 1950 by Johnny Mantz. Since 1955, only Bobby Labonte (37th in the fall of 2000) and Ward Burton (37th in the fall 2001) have won at Darlington from a starting position further back than 15th. Only 12 of the 99 NASCAR Winston Cup (Grand National) races at Darlington have been won from a starting position outside the top 10. A total of 38 drivers have won NASCAR Winston Cup races at Darlington. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers each with six victories at Darlington. Retired driver David Pearson leads all drivers with 10 victories at Darlington. In the 46 years of twice-yearly NASCAR Winston Cup racing at Darlington (1957 to 2002), a sweep has occurred nine times. Jeff Burton was the last driver to win both Darlington races in the same year (1999). The race at Darlington has been shortened by rain on eight occasions, six of those in the Labor Day classic. There has been only one race run caution-free at Darlington, the 1963 Rebel 300. Policy Information: Safety Guidelines: Thank you for choosing to attend our events at Darlington Raceway. We appreciate your patronage and will do our best to ensure that you have a wonderful race experience at the track “Too Tough to Tame.” The following items are permitted in the Darlington Raceway Hospitality Village and grandstand areas:
For your safety, the following items are not permitted in the Wachovia Hospitality Village and grandstand areas.
Please be aware that any restricted items listed above left in or around the gate area will be disposed. |
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