DARLINGTON
RACEWAY
It’s every
racecar driver’s dream to conquer the track, which is commonly known as “too
tough to tame”. Harold Brasington remained true to his dream while the
construction of the track was underway. Except for a few minor adjustments, the
track has turned out exactly the way it had been envisioned in Brasington’s
mind. The fact that this track used to be a peanut field is a little known one,
but the drivers who have won races here feel a deep satisfaction in surmounting
the challenge that the track offers. Darlington is a superspeedway whose
reputation precedes it as the mother of all tracks. HISTORY OF DARLINGTON RACEWAY
When Brasington
acquainted his family and friends with his dream of building a superspeedway,
he was ridiculed and thought almost crazy for entertaining such an idea. He was
a local businessman who got his inspiration from the 1933 Indianapolis 500 and
decided to build a paved superspeedway that would be able to host major stock
car race events. Despite the meager backing that he got from his friends, he
set out in the fall of 1949 to nature a 1-1/4 mile speedway on land that had
once yielded peanuts and cotton He purchased the land that he felt would be
ideal for such a project and drew up the plan on his own. However, there was a
minnow pond that came in the way of his vision, a pond that the owner refused
to sell and a pond that would later be the indirect cause of the thrill that
the speedway offers today to its thousands of fans. Though initially
Brasington’s plan had in it a true oval, the design had to be redone in order
to leave the pond undisturbed. The west end of the track (Turns 3 and 4) was
thus narrowed down to accommodate this fishing hole, giving birth to
Darlington’s characteristic egg-shaped design.
The inaugural race
on the track took place on labor day and even Brasington himself was surprised
at the sheer size of the crowd that turned up; the expected turnout was around
10,000, but more than 25,000 of them came, excited to be at the first car race
in their locality. Obviously, there was not enough space to accommodate all of
them but they really did not seem to mind and were even ready to stand
practically one on top of another to catch just a little taste of the exhilaration.
Johnny Mantz from California managed to get his name in the history of the
Darlington Raceway by being the winner of the first Southern 500. Although it
took him six hours to complete the run, averaging 76 mph when he got there, he
nevertheless guided the sport from thereon into what it is today- one of the
largest spectator sports in the country. 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 Mountain 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. Names like Baker,
Flock, Thomas, Pearson, Yarborough, Petty, and Earnhardt have became commonplace
in Victory Lane, over the last half-century because no one loves a tricky
racetrack more than the drivers themselves. This is exactly why the track is
still remembered as the original superspeedway and as one of the mainstays of
the entire NASCAR community. The sporting facility is matchless where a rich
history and tradition are concerned and there is hardly any track that is as
revered or as graceful as the Darlington raceway. Its feisty road has been host
to 99 NASCAR Winston Cup (Grand National) since it opened in 1950. 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 that 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 motor sports. TRACK
INFORMATION
Darlington
Raceway is a unique 1.366-mile "egg-shaped" oval with 25-degree
banking in turns 1 and 2, and 23-degree banking in turns 3 and 4. The front and
backstretch are 1,229 feet long with 2-degree banking. The extraordinary dimensions
can be explained by the story that has always been associated with the
interesting history of the track. It says that when Harold Brasington began the
construction in 1949 he had to constrict the west end of the track (turns 3 and
4) for accommodating the landowner's minnow pond.
As it
turned out finally, the narrow end is high-banked at 23 degrees, but lesser
than the wide end, which is banked at 25 degrees. The outcome was a
fast track that generates extremely exciting
racing action. Darlington has two pit roads, one on each straightaway, but
since 2000 all cars have been able to pit on the same side. The track seats 65,000 and also has infield
parking. The track might be unable to hold a large number of fans, but its
remote location ensures that a lot of traffic passes through the area Area Info: From North or South: Take I-95 (Exit
164). Take Highway 52 (toward Darlington) to the 52 Bypass to 151/34
(approximately 8 miles total distance). From East or West, take I-20 (Exit 131)
to Highway 401 North to 151/34 (approximately 11 miles total distance). TRACK TIDBITS v There have been 99 NASCAR Winston Cup
(Grand National) races at Darlington since the track opened in 1950. v Forty-two drivers have posted Bud Poles
at Darlington. v Bill Elliott leads all active drivers
with five Bud Poles at Darlington. v Retired driver David Pearson leads all
drivers with 12 poles at Darlington. v Charlie Glotzbach and Cale Yarborough
posted identical qualifying times for the 1968 Southern 500. Glotzbach was
credited with the pole because he qualified first. v The race has been won from the pole on
19 occasions at Darlington, the most of any starting position. v 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. v Only 12 of the 99 NASCAR Winston Cup
(Grand National) races at Darlington have been won from a starting position
outside the top 10. v A total of 38 drivers have won NASCAR
Winston Cup races at Darlington. v Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers
each with six victories at Darlington. v Retired driver David Pearson leads all
drivers with 10 victories at Darlington. v In the 46 years of twice-yearly NASCAR
Winston Cup racing at Darlington (1957 to 2002), a sweep has occurred nine
times. v Jeff Burton was the last driver to win
both Darlington races in the same year (1999). v The race at Darlington has been
shortened by rain on eight occasions, six of those in the Labor Day classic. v There has been only one race run
caution-free at Darlington, the 1963 Rebel 300. SEATING ARRANGEMENT AND PRICE INFORMATION
PRICING REGULATIONS Darlington
Raceway Ticket orders are usually processed within 24 hours, through the
weekdays, of their placement. If the race is within the next 72 hours, a call
to this number (800-451-8499) can be made for special delivery
arrangements. In case of the desired
tickets being unavailable, the Darlington Raceway offers its fans the choice to
purchase other seats or even cancel the order altogether. However, there are no
cancellations once the order has been processed. |
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 © 2003 K & J Productions |