Darlington Raceway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darlington Raceway

The "Lady in Black" The "Track Too Tough to Tame"
"A NASCAR Tradition"
Oval (1950–present)
Location	Darlington, South Carolina
Time zone	UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST)
Coordinates	34°17′44″N 79°54′21″W / 34.29562°N 79.90596°W / 34.29562; -79.90596
Capacity	47,000
Owner	NASCAR (2019–present) International Speedway Corporation (1982–2019)
Operator	NASCAR (1982–present)
Address	1301 Harry Byrd Highway Darlington, SC 29532
Broke ground	1949; 76 years ago (1949)
Opened	September 1950; 74 years ago (1950-09)
Architect	Harold Brasington
Major events	Current: NASCAR Cup Series Southern 500 (1950–present) Goodyear 400 (1952, 1957–2004, 2020–present) NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (1983–present) Shriners Children’s 200 (1982, 1984–2004, 2020–present) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Buckle Up South Carolina 200 (2001–2004, 2010–2011, 2020–present) Former: International Race of Champions (1993–1995) NASCAR Busch Beer Grand National North Series (1987–1988)
Oval (1953–present)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	1.366 mi (2.198 km)
Turns	4
Banking	Turns 1 and 2: 25° Turns 3 and 4: 23° Front Straight: 3° Back Straight: 2°
Race lap record	0:28.332 ( Denny Hamlin, Toyota Camry, 2018, NASCAR Cup)
Website	https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/

Darlington Raceway is a famous race track in Darlington, South Carolina. It is built for NASCAR racing. Many fans and drivers call it "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame". It is also known as "A NASCAR Tradition."

The track has a special egg shape. Its two ends are very different. This happened because the owner did not want to move a small fish pond. This unique shape makes it hard for race teams to set up their cars. They must find a way for the car to handle well on both different turns.

History of Darlington Raceway

How the Track Was Built

In 1948, Harold Brasington was a retired race car driver. He knew Bill France Sr., who started NASCAR. Brasington stopped racing to focus on farming and building. He went to the 1948 Indianapolis 500 race. He saw how many people were there. This made him think, "I can build a race track like this back home."

Brasington bought 70 acres of land from a farmer named Sherman Ramsey. He started building a race track on what was once a cotton and peanut field. He had promised Ramsey that the new track would not bother Ramsey's minnow pond. This pond was on the west side of the property.

Because of the pond, Brasington had to make one corner of the oval track tighter and steeper. The other turn, on the east side, could be wide and flat, just as he wanted. It took almost a year to build the track.

First Races and Early Days

In the summer of 1950, Brasington made a deal with Bill France. They would hold a 500-mile race at Darlington. This race would be on Labor Day. The first race was called the Southern 500. It offered a large prize of $25,000.

More than 80 cars signed up for the race. Brasington used a two-week qualifying system. This was like the one used at the Indianapolis 500. He also lined up the 75 cars in 25 rows of three cars. Over the years, NASCAR changed these rules. They now have a more standard way to qualify cars. Johnny Mantz won this first race. His car was owned by Bill France.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on pit road, as his team completes a pit stop during the 2008 Dodge Challenger 500

Changes to the Track Over Time

The track has been updated many times. Since 1997, what was the front straightaway is now the back straightaway. From 2003 to 2004, lights were added. This allowed for night racing, which is cooler for drivers. The turns were also renumbered to match these changes.

The seating at Darlington has grown to about 65,000. However, there are limits to how much it can grow. A highway is behind the back straightaway. Also, the minnow pond is still there.

Darlington is very special to drivers and older fans. It was one of the first long NASCAR tracks. Drivers learned how fast stock cars could go here. The track is called The Lady in Black because crews used to cover it with fresh asphalt sealant before races. This made the track look very dark black.

It is also known as "The Track Too Tough to Tame." Drivers can race many laps perfectly. Then, on the next lap, they might hit the wall. Racers often say they are racing the track itself, not just other cars. When a car hits the wall, it often gets a "Darlington Stripe." This is a missing patch of paint on the car's right side.

In 2019, the track reduced its seating from 58,000 to 47,000.

Races at Darlington

Past and Present Races

For many years, Darlington hosted two big NASCAR Cup Series races each year. The Rebel 400 was in the spring. The Southern 500 was always held on Labor Day weekend. In 2003, the Labor Day race moved to California Speedway. The Southern 500 then moved to November in 2004. It became part of the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Dodge Charger 500

In 2005, the Southern 500 race was removed from the schedule. This upset many long-time fans. The race was combined with the spring 400-mile race. It was moved to Mother's Day weekend. For four years, a 500-mile race named after a Dodge car was held. Then, in 2009, the race was again called the Southern 500.

Darlington had some problems with selling tickets. This was partly because of its location. Many newer NASCAR tracks are built near big cities. This helps attract more fans. NASCAR also wanted to have races in more parts of the country. However, some of these newer races now have fewer fans than Darlington used to.

Recent Changes and New Races

Darlington Raceway received big upgrades in 2008. This was a $10 million investment. The year before, it had a $6 million upgrade. This included repaving the entire oval for the first time since 1995.

In 2014, Darlington changed its race date with Kansas Speedway. The race was held in April. In 2015, the Southern 500 returned to its traditional Labor Day weekend date.

In 2020, Darlington Raceway got two more Cup Series races. These were The Real Heroes 400 and the Toyota 500. It also got an extra Xfinity Series race, the Toyota 200. This happened when NASCAR restarted its season after the COVID-19 pandemic pause. Later that year, the Craftsman Truck Series also returned to Darlington. This was after a nine-year break. These new races became regular events for all three series in 2021.

In 2022, the raceway signed Grayson McCall, a football player. He agreed to help promote races at the track. He became the face of the raceway.

Records at Darlington

Fastest Laps

• NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying: Aric Almirola, 26.705 seconds – 184.145 mph, April 11, 2014
• NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying: Carl Edwards, 27.784 seconds – 176.994 mph, May 9, 2008
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying: Cole Whitt, 28.273 seconds – 173.933 mph, 2011

Race Records

• NASCAR Cup Series Race (500 miles): Matt Kenseth, 3 hours 32 minutes 45 seconds – 141.383 mph, May 2013
• NASCAR Cup Series Smallest Margin of Victory: .002 seconds, Ricky Craven over Kurt Busch, March 16, 2003
• NASCAR Cup Series Largest Margin of Victory: 14 laps, Ned Jarrett in the 1965 Southern 500
• NASCAR Xfinity Series Race (200 miles): Michael Waltrip, 1 hour 27 minutes 13 seconds – 138.14 mph, September 5, 1992
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race (200 miles): Bobby Hamilton, 1 hour 30 minutes 9 seconds – 133.645 mph, March 14, 2003

Official Lap Records (as of May 2021)

NASCAR Cup Series Driver Records

(As of September 3, 2023)

* from minimum 5 starts.

Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum

The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum is a museum about cars. It shows the history of Darlington Raceway and stock car racing. You can see old race cars, racing items, and classic cars. Some cars were driven by famous racers like Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip. You can also see the 1950 Plymouth that Johnny Mantz drove to win the first Southern 500.

The museum also has the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame. This part celebrates important people in NASCAR racing. Famous members include Alan Kulwicki, David Pearson, and Richard Petty.

The idea for the museum came from NASCAR champion Joe Weatherly. He died in a race in 1964. The museum was named after him in 1965. It was first called the Joe Weatherly Stock Car Museum. It was made bigger in 2003.

Darlington in Movies

Darlington Raceway has been in several movies:

• The 1959 Southern 500 race is shown in the 1960 film Thunder in Carolina.
• Darlington Raceway is featured in the 1990 film “Days of Thunder”.
• It is also in the 1967 film “Thunder Alley”.

See also

In Spanish: Darlington Raceway para niños

• 1950 Southern 500
• Darlington Record Club
• List of NASCAR tracks