- National Anthem at Darlington: Multi-platinum MCA recording artist and South Carolina native Josh Turner will perform the national anthem for the 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington Raceway. Turner is best known for his big, deep baritone singing voice. Turner's recent accomplishments and accolades include back-to back multi-week number one hits on country radio with the singles "Would You Go With Me" and "Your Man." His current single "Me & God", a duet with music legend Dr. Ralph Stanley and members of Diamond Rio, was recently a #1 song in the Christian format and received an Academy of Country Music nomination for Vocal Event of the Tear.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-9-2007)
- NASCAR Mom's to give the command at Darlington: In 2005, Mother's Day weekend gave birth to a new tradition at NASCAR's most historic track. Collectively serving as grand marshal for the Dodge Charger 500 was a group of women well accustomed to giving commands to Nextel Cup Series drivers - their moms. The participating mothers walked across the pre-race stage and were
introduced to the fans along with their sons. Then, as a group, they uttered the most famous words in motorsports, with a bit of a twist -
"Sons and gentleman, start your engines!" The inclusion of the drivers' mothers in pre-race activities proved to be so popular with fans that the track decided to make their participation an annual event, in honor of Mother's Day. The list of mothers who will serve as grand marshals for the 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 includes (so far):
* Carol Bickford (Jeff Gordon)
* Mary Lou Hamlin (Denny Hamlin)
* Ramona Vickers (Brian Vickers)
* Marline Gordon (Robby Gordon)
* Carol Mears (Casey Mears)
* Linda Reutimann (David Reutimann)
* Meredith Bowman (Jeff Burton, Ward Burton)
* Becky Sorenson (Reed Sorenson)
* Sue McMurray (Jamie McMurray)
* Pam Boas (Tony Stewart)
* Judy Gordon (Jeremy Mayfield)
* Jana Bowyer (Clint Bowyer)
* Martha Nemechek (Joe Nemechek)
* Gaye Busch (Kurt and Kyle Busch)
* Bell Sadler (Elliott Sadler)
* Diane Newman (Ryan Newman)
(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-8-2007)
- Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington sold out: Reserved grandstand seats for the 2007 Dodge Avenger 500, the 106th Nextel Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, are sold out, track officials announced today. It is the third consecutive sellout since the race moved to Mother's Day weekend in May 2005. A very geographically diverse group of fans will watch the action at the track "Too Tough To Tame" on Saturday evening, May 12. Race tickets have been sold in 48 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. International guests are traveling from Australia, Bermuda, England, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. "We are thrilled at the continuing excitement surrounding Darlington's Mother's Day weekend race date," said Raceway president Chris Browning.
"The fans' enthusiasm and support has been truly overwhelming. The Car of Tomorrow will face its toughest test so far, the USAC Series is
returning after more than 50 years, and our guests will see the final race run at Darlington before we begin our repaving project this summer. It's shaping up to be quite an eventful and historic weekend." Scheduled start time for the Dodge Avenger 500 is 7:30pm/et on Saturday evening, May 12. Infield admission tickets are still available for purchase. Tickets for the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday evening, May 11, are also available. Tickets for all events on Thursday and Friday, as well as infield admission tickets for Saturday, are still available. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-7-2007)
- Race weekend at Darlington has expanded its borders to become nearly a full week of activity, offering fans plenty of entertainment options when there is no action on the track. The week's highlights include the following:
What: The Budweiser Clydesdales
When: Tuesday through Saturday, May 8-12
Where: Darlington Raceway, at the intersection of Hwy 151 and Racetrack Road (behind Turn 2)
Info: Two legendary brands of horsepower will join forces on Mother's
Day weekend as the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales, the symbol of
quality and tradition for Anheuser-Busch since 1933, temporarily make
their home in Darlington as part of Dodge Avenger 500 race week
activities. The "Gentle Giants," as they are often called, will
participate in the race festivities on Saturday, May 13 by making a
pre-race parade lap around the track "Too Tough To Tame." The
Clydesdales will be stabled at the track beginning Tuesday, May 8, and
the public is welcome to stop by for a visit.
Admission: Free
What: A Taste of Darlington
When: Tuesday, May 8, 7-9 p.m.
Where: The Wachovia Hospitality Village, located at Darlington Raceway
Info: This open-house style event, sponsored by the Darlington Downtown
Revitalization Association, showcases the best of local cuisine.
Highlights include grilling stations, dessert tables and over 100
varieties of hors d'oeurves.
Admission: $30 per person, which includes all you can eat and an open
bar. Tickets are available at the gate. Guests must be 21 or older.
What: Darlington Car Hauler Parade
When: Wednesday, May 9. Gates open at 4 p.m.
Where: Florence Civic Center, located at the intersection of I-20 and I-95.
Info: You've seen the cars travel around the track; now you can see how
they travel around the country. In addition to the opportunity to see
the haulers and meet the hauler drivers, Paradefest events include a
kids' zone; food vendors; live entertainment; a silent charity auction;
and the Budweiser Clydesdales. At 8:30 p.m., the haulers will leave the
Civic Center and travel through downtown Florence on their way to
Darlington. NASCAR VP of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter is the
grand marshal for this year's parade.
Admission: Free
What: Racefest on the Square
When: Wednesday, May 9. Activities begin at 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Public Square in downtown Darlington.
Info: After leaving the Florence Civic Center, the Car Hauler Parade
will conclude in downtown Darlington with a street party-style race
festival. Activities include live entertainment from the award-winning
Coastline band, featuring Jim Quick; a car show; food, beverage and
merchandise vendors; and a fireworks display sponsored by the Nucor
Steel Corporation.
Admission: Free
Of special note: The post-race fireworks display at Darlington Raceway
immediately following the Dodge Avenger 500 is also sponsored by Nucor.
Nucor's bar mill opened in Darlington in 1969. The first of several
regional bar mills, it became the prototype for today's vast mini-mill
industry and launched Nuclear Corp. into a wide range of steel
businesses.(5-4-2007)
- Track Repaving, New Tunnel Top List of Projects at Darlington: Track officials announced that the Board of Directors of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) has approved more than $10 million in funding for capital projects at Darlington Raceway. Total estimated spending for the projects represents the largest one-time capital investment in the 58-year history of the storied facility.
Scheduled projects include repaving of the racing surface and aprons, and the addition of concrete pit stalls. A new infield access tunnel, large enough to accommodate race car haulers as well as motorcoaches, will be constructed at the west end of the track. Projects also include suite renovations and the creation of additional fan parking areas. The track solicited input on the upcoming repaving project from
several current drivers, along with team owners and engineers and representatives from NASCAR and the Goodyear Tire Company. Work will begin in the summer of 2007, following the Dodge Avenger 500 weekend May 10-12. On Saturday, May 12, Darlington will host Cup Series racing for the 58th consecutive season. The Dodge Avenger 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety. Tickets for all events are on sale now. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR)(4-5-2007)
- Latest on Darlington repaving: Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning hopes to begin resurfacing NASCAR's oldest superspeedway shortly after the Mother's Day event in May. Although many drivers say resurfacing the track is a mistake, Browning said he has no choice. "It is beyond repair," he said.(ESPN.com)(3-31-2007)
- Darlington could be repaved for 2008: Subject to approval of its board of directors, Darlington Raceway could join the growing list of speedways with new surfaces this year. Darlington President Chris Browning said officials at the raceway consulted with drivers and representatives of Goodyear during tire tests with the Car of Tomorrow at Darlington earlier this week. They wanted to get a feel for differences between the handling of the COT and the current car and how that might affect resurfacing of the track. Board approval could come as early as a month from now, Browning said. The year between the May 12 Nextel Cup race at Darlington and the 2008 event would provide ample time to complete the resurfacing.(source: Akron Beacon Journal)(3-17-2007)
- Oh Say, Can You Sing? at Darlington: If you have always dreamed of having the opportunity to sing the national anthem at Darlington Raceway, your chance may have arrived. The track "Too Tough To Tame" is hosting a national anthem singing contest during the month of March. The winner will perform the anthem prior to the start of the "Silver Crown Showdown at Darlington" USAC race on
Thursday evening, May 10. Aspiring singers can submit their performances by emailing an mp3 file to Darlington Raceway, or by mailing a CD or cassette recording. Email submissions may be sent to celliott@darlingtonraceway.com; CDs and cassettes should be mailed to Darlington Raceway, Attn: Cathy Elliott, PO Box 500, Darlington, SC 29540. Deadline for entry is Friday, March 30. All entries must include complete contact information. Finalists must be able to travel to Darlington on Wednesday, April 11. There is no age limit for entry, but in the event that a minor child wins the competition, he or she must be accompanied at all times by a parent or legal guardian.
After reviewing the submitted anthems, track officials will narrow the field to three finalists, who will be invited to Darlington for the
Dodge Avenger 500 Media Day in April. All three will perform the anthem at Media Day, and visiting driver Kasey Kahne will select the winner. All three finalists will receive tickets to the "Silver Crown Showdown at Darlington" on Thursday, May 10 and the Diamond Hill Plywood NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday, May 11. The grand prize winner, in addition to performing the anthem on May 10, will also receive tickets and pre-race pit passes for the Dodge Avenger 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Saturday evening, May 12.
Tickets for all events are on sale now. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR/site)(3-14-2007)
- Darlington Raceway receives SC Governor's Cup Award: Darlington Raceway has been awarded the state of South Carolina's prestigious 2007 Governor's Cup Award. The announcement was made on February 6th during the 42nd annual Governor's Conference on Tourism and Travel, the state's largest annual gathering of tourism industry leaders. The 2007 conference was held in
Spartanburg, SC. The Governor's Cup Award is presented annually by SCPRT to an outstanding organization that has demonstrated a significant tourism-related impact on the state and local community, and which has markedly improved the quality of life for South After being nominated by the Darlington County Tourism office, the track was required to complete and submit a comprehensive project summary which included the following categories: Overview; Impact/Results; Community Service; Innovation; Creativity; and Unique Character. For more information on the Governor's Conference on Tourism and Travel, visit www.scgovcon.com. For more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, including the Dodge Avenger 500 weekend, May 11-12, call toll-free at 866.459.RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR)(2-17-2007)
- Rock n' Roll and Racing at Darlington: Since 1950, race fans have annually flocked to South Carolina to experience the legendary 500-mile thrill ride known as Darlington Raceway. Soon, visitors will be able to get a similar adrenaline rush year-round thanks to the construction of the world's first rock and roll theme park in nearby Myrtle Beach. The Hard Rock Park is scheduled to open in the spring of 2008. Darlington Raceway and Hard Rock Park will work together to promote the Park during the 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 weekend, May 11-12, and to promote the Raceway at the HRP visitor's preview center, which will welcome guests at its grand opening on April 18th. For more information on the Hard Rock Park, visit www.hrpsua.com. The 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 weekend will include practice and qualifying for the Nextel Cup and Busch Series on Friday, May 11, followed by the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race under the lights that evening. Denny Hamlin is the defending champion. On Saturday, May 12, Darlington will host Cup Series racing for the 58th consecutive season as Greg Biffle attempts to join the short list of drivers to win three events in a row at NASCAR's most historic venue. The 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety. Tickets for all events are on sale now. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR)(2-11-2007)
- Open Wheelers at Darlington? Officials with the U.S. Auto Club [USAC] and Darlington Speedway's parent company, International Speedway Corp., are in discussions that could bring a USAC Silver Crown event to the 1.366-mile oval next year. "We've just had discussions, and that's as far as it's gone. We haven't talked about scheduling or anything yet," USAC president Rollie Helmling said from his Indian-apolis office. "But if the opportunity were to present itself and the fans at Darlington Raceway would like to see some open-wheel racing, we'd be honored to be there." The first step is a test, likely sometime this fall, to ensure the circuit's upright cars and Hoosier tires are compatible with Darlington's notoriously abrasive track surface. Then it's a matter of finding a place on Darlington's schedule, likely on the same Mother's Day weekend the Nextel Cup cars are scheduled to compete. "I think that's what they're talking about trying to do, tie it in to the Cup weekend," said Darlington president Chris Browning. "I wasn't really involved in the initial meetings, but I think that's what their wishes would be, and I think that would be the best way to tie it in given the fact that we've already got a large number of people here." One hitch: Darlington's Friday schedule is already packed, with qualifying and practice sessions for both Busch and Nextel Cup, and a Busch race that night. That could force the track to look at holding an event on Thursday night, Browning said. The Nextel Cup cars race on Saturday night.(Charleston Post and Courier)(10-3-2006)
- No major changes at Darlington: After wrangling around $10 million out of parent company International Speedway Corp. for a lighting system and a new grandstand, Darlington Raceway was allotted money only for moderate improvements at an ISC board meeting last week. According to track president Chris Browning, Daytona Beach-based ISC approved a little less than $1 million for the Pee Dee facility to add a second television broadcast booth, expand the television compound, and buy some safety equipment.
"It's still a substantial investment. But it's not the things we were hoping to get this time around," Browning said Monday. "But we did pretty well last year, so we'll just keep moving forward." Last year, Darlington was awarded $6 million by ISC to build the Brasington Tower, the track's new 6,225-seat grandstand in Turn 1. That came two years after ISC spent $4 million to install a lighting system at NASCAR's oldest major speedway. This year, Browning's wish list included new restrooms for two grandstands and the camping area, a place for motorcycle parking, and other cosmetic improvements. "It was disappointing, I'm not going to lie to you. But at the same time, and everybody here knows this, there are 11 racetracks competing for a certain piece of the pie. And last year, $6 million was a pretty big piece," Browning said. Browning said ticket sales for the track's 2007 event are 1,000 ahead of this time last year, and that renewal rates are also up. Darlington's last Nextel Cup event, held on the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, sold out two weeks early and helped ISC turn a $30.7 million second-quarter profit.
Darlington didn't submit a request to revamp its aging garage stalls, partly because Browning was advised to get a firmer estimate of such a high-dollar project. And looming within the next two to three years is a repaving of Darlington's 1.366-mile racing surface, an estimated $5 million undertaking that Browning believes might have led ISC to put other things on hold. Darlington's next chance at securing improvement funds could come at an ISC meeting in April, if the parent company hears capital improvement requests at that time. If not, Browning will have to wait until next September.(Charleston Post and Courier)(9-27-2006)
- Tix for Darlington Cup race go on sale Sept 16th: Racing under the lights will return to Darlington Raceway on Mother's Day weekend 2007. The Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 on Saturday evening, May 12, will once again feature flag-to-flag NEXTEL Cup Series night racing at NASCAR's most historic speedway. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, September 16. The 2007 Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 weekend will include practice for the Nextel Cup and Busch Series, qualifying for both series, and the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race, all on Friday, May 11. On Saturday, May 12, the track "Too Tough To Tame" will host Cup Series racing for the 58th consecutive year. The 2007 Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety. Greg Biffle is the defending champion. Tickets go on sale Saturday morning, September 16. For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR)(9-13-2006)
- Renew your seats now for 2007 Cup Series racing at Darlington: Ticket renewal forms for the 2007 Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 at Darlington Raceway were mailed out on July 7. Race weekend is May 11-12, 2007. Fans who attended the 2006 Nextel Cup Series event at Darlington have the opportunity to renew their seats and request upgrades before tickets go on sale to the general public. Seats can be renewed by phone, by mail or online. The renewal deadline is August 21. Two payment options are available. Fans can choose either to pay in full at the time of renewal, or may select the 50/50 payment plan, with half the balance due on renewal and the remaining amount due on October 23. Those who have not received their renewal forms in the mail should call the Raceway ticket office toll-free at 866.459.RACE (7223). On Saturday, May 12, Darlington Raceway will host Cup Series racing for the 58th consecutive year. The 2007 Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety. Greg Biffle has won the event two years running. The deadline for ticket renewals is August 21. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on September 16. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE,(Darlington Raceway PR)(7-20-2006)
- Darlington race safe for 2007: Darlington Raceway's place on next year's Nextel Cup schedule was all but secured last week, when track officials received a preliminary sanctioning agreement from NASCAR. Track president Chris Browning said he has received a "redline summary," which is a preliminary sanctioning agreement for next year with any changes outlined in red for quick reference. It's a precursor to a final sanctioning agreement, which Darlington should receive sometime this summer, and once signed will lock the Pee Dee track into a place on the 2007 schedule. "It's just part of the normal process," Browning said Thursday. "It's the same thing we go through every year."(Charleston Post and Courier)(5-13-2006)
- Luke Perry named honorary starter for the Dodge Charger 500: Actor Luke Perry will wave the green flag to officially begin the Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday evening, May 13 at Darlington Raceway. In June 2006, Perry's latest project will make its debut. The one-hour drama "Windfall" follows 20 lottery winners after their unexpected good fortune, focusing on a close-knit foursome who have known each other since college. Perry stars as devoted husband and father of two Peter Schaefer. The series also stars Lana Parrilla and Jason Gedrick ("Boomtown"), and Sarah Wynter ("24").
Although grandstand tickets for the Dodge Charger 500 are sold out, infield admission tickets are available. To be placed on the Dodge Charger 500 waiting list, or to purchase tickets for events on Friday or infield admission tickets for Saturday,
call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE, or purchase online at darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-10-2006)
- Billy Dean to perform national anthem at Darlington: Curb Records recording artist Billy Dean will sing the national anthem prior to the start of the Dodge Charger 500 on May 13 at Darlington Raceway. He will also perform an acoustic pre-race concert on the main stage at approximately 5:30pm/et.(Darlington Raceway)(5-9-2006)
- Darlington....Sons and gentlemen, start your engines! In 2005, Mother's Day weekend gave birth to a new tradition at NASCAR's most historic track. Collectively serving as grand marshal for the Dodge Charger 500 was a group of women well accustomed to giving commands to NEXTEL Cup Series drivers - their moms. The participating mothers walked across the stage and were introduced to the fans along with their sons. Then, as a group, they uttered the most famous words in motorsports, with a bit of a twist - "Sons and gentleman, start your engines!" The inclusion of the drivers' mothers in pre-race activities proved to be so popular with fans that the track decided to make their participation an annual event, in honor of Mother's Day. "Mother's Day weekend is a time to celebrate families," said Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning. "NASCAR is frequently described as a family sport, so it just seems natural to include everyone and to create one very special weekend at Darlington Raceway. We are excited about continuing to make the Mother's Day event at Darlington a marquee weekend, and one of the most popular stops on the circuit."
The list of mothers who will serve as grand marshals for the Dodge Charger 500 includes:
Carol Bickford (Jeff Gordon); Ramona Vickers (Brian Vickers); Becky Sorenson (Reed Sorenson); Martha Labonte (Terry and Bobby Labonte); Nancy Sterling (Carl Edwards); Gaye Busch (Kurt and Kyle Busch); Diane Newman (Ryan Newman); Mary Lou Hamlin (Denny Hamlin); Linda Truex (Martin Truex, Jr.); Bell Sadler (Hermie and Elliott Sadler); Margaret Waltrip (Michael Waltrip); Meredith Bowman (Jeff Burton); Jana Bowyer (Clint Bowyer); Joan Wimmer (Scott Wimmer); Susie Nolff (Scott Riggs); and Pam Boas (Tony Stewart). For tickets or more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-8-2006)
- Darlington Cup Race Sells Out: Darlington Raceway has sold its last grandstand ticket for the Dodge Charger 500, a full two weeks before the Nextel Cup series visits the legendary Pee Dee track. Raceway officials announced Saturday night that the recently expanded 63,000-seat facility is sold out for the May 13 race. It's the earliest sellout in the 56-year history of the track, which once so struggled to sell tickets that its future as a NASCAR venue was constantly in question. "We had a lot of folks who weren't able to get tickets last year, and I think they called earlier this year," track president Chris Browning said.Even with 3,000 more seats to sell, Darlington sold out a full week earlier than it did last year, which had been the track's first sellout since the final Southern 500 in 2003. Prior to that, it hadn't sold out since expanding to 60,000 seats in 1997, and parent company International Speedway Corp. shipped one of its two dates out to Phoenix. Yet the move from a pair of afternoon races to one night event on the Saturday before Mother's Day proved the boost the track needed. Sales the last two years have Darlington and ISC thinking about more expansion on top of the new Turn 1 grandstand added this year.(Charleston Post and Courier)(4-30-2006)
- Less than 8,000 seats left for Darlington race...expansion in the works?: Fewer than 8,000 seats remain for the Dodge Charger 500 and the strong sales have Darlington Raceway leaders thinking of expanding faster than they had imagined. Track president Chris Browning expects remaining tickets for the Nextel Cup event to be gone in two weeks. The steady run on tickets - Darlington remains around 8,000 tickets sold ahead of last year - got Browning and officials considering adding even more seats in time for a 2007 race. Browning says construction on a new, 6,300-seat grandstand in turn one should be complete by next week, more than a month ahead of the Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday night, May 13. Browning had figured the track would working on selling its increased tickets for a week or two. But demand for this year’s race has him itching to spring forward. “We’ve been running so far ahead for so long,” Browning said. “It’s got us considering and looking at our options.” Any additional construction would take place in the available area between the new grandstand and an access road behind turns one and two, Browning said. The additional seats bring the capacity at NASCAR’s oldest superspeeday to about 63,000. Browning hopes to revive discussions to return the Craftsman Truck series to Darlington and, with the Nextel and Busch races, create a triple-header weekend for fans.(Florence Morning News/AP)(3-30-2006)
- Two classic cars added to museum collection: The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum recently welcomed two additions to its classic car collection. The cars, both sporting the number 11, are on loan from legendary driver and car owner Junior Johnson. Cale Yarborough drove the #11 Busch Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Bristol in 1978, while Terry Labonte won two races in the 1985 #11 Budweiser Chevy. Johnson and Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning took time out from their unloading duties for a photo before the cars were moved into the museum, where they are currently displayed. The museum, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is also home to the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame.(Darlington Raceway PR)(3-28-2006)
- Bruton willing to buy Darlington - to move race back to Labor Day weekend: [Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton] Smith said he would be willing to buy a track with an existing Nextel Cup date, for "$200 million to $250 million, something like that," to bring that date to Las Vegas [Motor Speedway]. And he said he was "trying every week" to make just such a purchase. "What we need to do is buy a speedway ... and I'm hoping one day somebody will give me a phone call or knock on the door, and within 15 minutes the deal will be done," Smith said. "They know I'm here and willing and can write a check." Smith also said he would be interested in buying Darlington Raceway, and picked a $100 million price tag - but not to move the date here, rather he said to return the Southern 500 to its historic Labor Day weekend, to "get it back where it belongs." Smith said his Speedway Motorsports operation is "six to seven years behind this sport. And we are going to work like hell to catch up.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-11-2006)
- Darlington to get repaved: Darlington Raceway is slated to receive a new coat of asphalt sometime within the next two to four years. A centerpiece of Darlington's renaissance will be a repaving job, sorely needed for a grainy, worn surface marked by unsightly patches. But for track president Chris Browning, the challenge is to reinvigorate the old racetrack without changing its character; after all, the slick, slippery, tire-eating surface is a large part of Darlington's wicked reputation, and a large reason why so many drivers see it as the ultimate challenge on the NASCAR tour. "One of the things I've talked about with our asphalt and paving gurus down in Daytona, and one of the things I've challenged them with is, 'Look, guys, we've got a real racy place here. How can we repave this place and still keep it racy like it is now?' " said Browning, whose facility is owned by International Speedway Co., a company based in Daytona Beach, Fla., that operates 12 Nextel Cup venues. The repaving job, Browning said, will happen sometime in the next two to four years. There are no plans to alter the track's banking, which varies from 23 degrees in the narrow end to 25 degrees in the wider end. Repaving is but one part of an ongoing $6 million renovation project, which includes a new grandstand in Turn 1 that will increase Darlington's seating capacity by about 3,000 for the May 13 Dodge Charger 500. The infield tunnels have been refurbished, and plans are on the table to widen them when the track gets ripped up for repaving. Money has been set aside to improve the track's rest rooms, a project that may be completed before the 2007 race.(Charleston Post and Courier)(3-5-2006)
- A Darlington deal for the Daytona 500 The 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season has finally arrived. On Sunday, February 19, the eyes of race fans all over the world will be focused on the state of Florida and racing's premier event, the Daytona 500. Darlington Raceway is offering a special one-day-only deal to celebrate the opening of the season at Daytona. Fans who purchase any grandstand ticket to the 2006 Dodge Charger 500, coming up Saturday, May 13 at the track "Too Tough To Tame," will receive a free pre-race pit pass. The pre-race pit pass allows access to the pit road area until one hour before the start of the race. This
offer is valid only on Sunday, February 19 - race day at Daytona. Ticket prices for the Dodge Charger 500 start at $45. Fans can purchase
their tickets and receive their free pre-race pit passes by calling toll-free at 866.459.RACE (7223), or by visiting www.racetickets.com, on Sunday, February 19.(Darlington Raceway)(2-18-2006)
- Darlington Raceway grandstand progressing: The construction of a new 6,100-seat grandstand outside Turn 1 at Darlington Raceway is progressing according to schedule, according to the Elrod Corporation, the construction company which is overseeing the project. Estimated completion date for the tower, which has yet to be named, is early to mid-April. Seats in the new tower for the Dodge Charger 500 weekend, May 12-13, are now available by calling 866.459.RACE (7223).(Darlington Raceway)(2-9-2006)
- New hospitality area added to Darlington infield: In the early days of racing, women were prohibited from entering the pit road area. To allow women some proximity to their loved ones during events, Darlington Raceway constructed a special seating area during the 1960s in the track's infield. Located inside Turn 2, this structure came to be known as the "Wives' Grandstand." As Darlington Raceway continues expansion and renovation projects, there is no longer any need for the Wives' Grandstand. The structure was recently removed to make way for the addition of Carolina Place, a new infield corporate hospitality area, which will be completed in time for the Raceway's Mother's Day weekend activities. The 2006 Dodge Charger 500 weekend will include practice and qualifying for the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series on Friday, May 12, followed by the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Busch Series race under the lights that evening. On Saturday, May 13, Darlington will host Cup Series racing for the 57th consecutive year. The 2006 Dodge Charger 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety. Greg Biffle is the defending champion. Tickets for all event are on sale now. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE (7223).(Darlington Raceway PR)(2-3-2006)
- Darlington tickets part of Smithsonian collection: The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum was the recipient of a valuable addition to its memorabilia collection on Wednesday, January 11. Fayetteville Christian School presented Raceway president Chris Browning with a complete set of original tickets from all three races run in Darlington during the track's 1950 inaugural season, including an AMA motorcycle race, a "Big Car" (later Indy car) race, and the legendary Southern 500 stock car event. More than 100 FCS middle-schoolers attended the press conference, prompting Browning to remark that the day represented a textbook blending of racing's past and its future. "It is so gratifying to look around the museum today and see what a valuable role Darlington Raceway has played, and will continue to play, in the evolution of NASCAR," he said. A matching set of Darlington Raceway tickets was presented to the Smithsonian Institution in the fall of 2005, where they reside as part of the museum's American History collection. Curator Ellen Hughes said the Smithsonian was thrilled to receive what she described as "valuable memorabilia from a sport that has grown from southern heritage to widespread national prominence." The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and NMPA Hall of Fame are open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Tickets for all events, icluding the Dodge Charger 500 on May 13th, are on sale now. For tickets or more information,
contact the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE, or visit racetickets.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(1-15-2006)
- Darlinton hires another Taylor: Darlington Raceway officials announced that Jeff Taylor has joined the full-time staff in the
position of marketing director. Taylor, a Texas native, attended the University of Texas at Arlington, and served as a US Army intelligence analyst from 1992-98. In May of 1998, he joined the staff of Pikes Peak International Raceway/Pro Sports Management, where he worked as a senior sales executive until October 2005. "Jeff brings years of valuable experience in motorsports marketing to Darlington," said Raceway president Chris Browning. "We look forward to the opportunity of working with him and drawing on that experience as
the track continues to expand and make improvements for the future." Taylor has four children - Megan, 13; Gabreal, 7, Caleb, 4; and Noah, 3.He lives in Hartsville, SC.(Darlington Raceway PR)(1-6-2006)
- Darlington Raceway gets new Track Superintendent: H. Lee Taylor has joined the staff of Darlington Raceway in the position of Track Superintendent. Taylor replaces Sammie Yarborough, who retired in December after 15 years of service at the track. Taylor, who holds a degree from the Carolina College of Commerce, worked with Edens Enterprises, a trucking company in Columbia, SC, for 25 years
before accepting a position as general manager for the Darlington County Water Department. After nine years with Darlington County, Taylor was named general manager of the Richland County (S.C.) Public Service District. "Lee has been a valuable worker at all of our race events for a number of years," said Raceway president Chris Browning. "He brings a strong knowledge of the track to this position, and we are thrilled to have him join the staff in a full-time capacity." Taylor and his wife Jean live in Darlington. They have three daughters;
Reagan, Kristen and Keri.(Darlington Raceway PR)(1-5-2006)
- Meet the stars of "Driver X" January 11 at Darlington Raceway: Fans can meet their favorite "Driver X" stars before the series finale airs in February at a special fan meet-and-greet event hosted by Darlington Raceway. As the series (airing Mondays at 8:00pm/et on Discovery Channel) enters its final episodes, the action now takes place in Darlington.
Jack Roush and his team of judges pored over 1,700 applications and narrowed it down to a list of 25 drivers from across the United States,
Canada and New Zealand in search of the best drivers to take part in this exclusive competition. After beginning the competition [known as the Gong Show] at Martinsville Speedway, 12 semi-finalists were then whittled down to four during summer 2005 filming at the track "Too Tough To Tame." The grueling three-week contest consisted of a battery of rapid-succession tests that challenged the competitors' physical and mental strengths as well as their media savvy and fan appeal.
Fans will have an opportunity to meet several of the 12 semi-finalists, including Erik Darnell; Jason Hogan; Travis Kittleson; Danny O'Quinn;
and David Ragan, at Darlington Raceway's "Driver X" fan event. The five drivers will visit the Raceway ticket office from 10 to 11:30 am on
Wednesday, January 11, where they will be available to talk with fans by phone, meet them in person, and sign autographs.
The identity of the winner will be revealed during the series' final episode on February 6. The winner will receive a contract for the 2006
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with Roush Racing. The public is invited to attend. There is no charge for this event.
NEXTEL Cup Series racing under the lights returns to Darlington on Mother's Day weekend 2006. Tickets for the Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday evening, May 13 are on sale now. The weekend also features qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series, plus the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race under the lights, on Friday, May 12. For tickets or more information, contact the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE, or visit racetickets.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(1-5-2006)
- New audio CD features great Darlington finishes: Holiday advertisements spotlighting the 2006 Dodge Charger 500, coming up May 13 at Darlington Raceway, describe race tickets as "the ultimate gift * 500 miles of excitement at NASCAR's most historic speedway." Now, fans who invest in future excitement at the track "Too Tough To Tame" can also experience eight unique pieces of its past. The new "Great Darlington Finishes" CD, a collection of eight audio segments featuring the Motor Racing Network's broadcasts of Darlington races dating back to 1985, will be given to fans free of charge with any Dodge Charger 500 ticket order placed November 24
through December 23. Produced by MRN, "Great Darlington Finishes" is narrated by award-winning broadcaster Eli Gold and showcases the contemporary era of Cup Series racing at NASCAR's original superspeedway. Running time is approximately 30 minutes. For tickets or more information, contact the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE, or visit racetickets.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(11-30-2005)
- Darlington Grandstand removed: Darlington Raceway's ongoing renovation projects continued recently with the removal of the Brasington Grandstand from Turn 2. Brasington, constructed in 1965, was one of the last remaining covered grandstands in racing until the roof was removed in 2004 to accommodate the addition of lights at the track. The 3,300-seat grandstand bore the name of Harold Brasington, the Darlington developer whose vision of a race track designed specifically for stock cars ultimately became NASCAR's most historic venue. Additional seating for 6,300 fans will be erected in Turn 1, and will be completed in time for the Dodge Charger 500 in May 2006.(Darlington Raceway PR)(11-29-2005)
- Darlington add seats and plans $6 million in improvements: On September 22, Darlington Raceway announced plans to commence work on an ambitious, $6 million capital improvement plan, which includes the addition of a 6,300-seat grandstand in Turn 1 and the removal of the Brasington Grandstand from Turn 2, for a net gain of approximately 3,000 seats at the historic facility. Construction will begin before the end of the year. The Turn 1 grandstand will be completed in time for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 weekend, May 11-13, 2006. In addition to the Turn 1 grandstand project, the corporate tower suites located outside Turn 3, as well as the infield suites in Turn 2, will be renovated and upgraded. Electrical service for 48 motorhomes will be installed in the competitors' parking area, giving every infield competitors' motorcoach parking spot at Darlington access to power. Other capital improvement projects at Darlington include
rehabilitation of the east and west infield tunnels and relocation of all remaining overhead power lines to underground locations. For information up upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE, or log onto
www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(9-23-2005)
- Darlington's "Laps for Relief raises over $15k: On September 17, Darlington Raceway offered fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity * the chance to drive on NASCAR's original superspeedway. The event, called "Laps for Relief," was held in conjunction with the American Red Cross in response to Talladega Superspeedway's call to action to all its sister tracks in International Speedway Corporation (ISC) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. According to figures released by the American Red Cross, the five-hour event raised over $15,000 in donations from race fans, who traveled from as far away as Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana for the chance to take five paced laps on the track "Too Tough To Tame."(Darlington Raceway PR)(9-23-2005)
- Darlington Tix on sale Saturday: Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, September 10 for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 on Saturday evening, May 13 at Darlington Raceway. The inaugural Mother's Day weekend race at Darlington, in May 2005, was sold out. The 2005 Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 weekend will include practice for the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series on Thursday, May 11. Friday, May 12 will feature a full day of race action, beginning with qualifying for both the Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup Series. The Busch Series drivers will follow up their qualifying efforts on Friday evening in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200. Matt Kenseth is the defending champion. On Saturday, May 13, the track will host springtime Cup Series racing for the 50th consecutive year. The 2006 Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety, a new Darlington tradition. Tickets for this exciting weekend go on sale Saturday morning, September 10. For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223), or log onto www.racetickets.com.(DR PR)(9-9-2005)
- "Laps for Relief" at Darlington: For the first time in more than a quarter century, Darlington Raceway will open her gates and invite the public to take a drive on NASCAR's most historic track. "Laps for Relief" on Saturday, September 17, will raise money to lend
support to millions of residents in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama affected by Hurricane Katrina. From noon to 5 p.m. on September 17, the public is encouraged to visit Darlington Raceway and, with any on-site monetary donation, will be allowed to drive five paced laps around the track "Too Tough To Tame" in their personal vehicles or on their motorcycles, led by the official pace car. All proceeds from the event will be given to the American Red Cross. Donations for Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief can also be made at www.racefanshelp.com, a new website launched last week by Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, AL. As the track located closest to the areas affected by Katrina, Talladega is spearheading ISC's company-wide fundraising efforts. Beginning at Richmond International Raceway's Chevy Rock & Roll weekend September 8-10, ISC-owned tracks will begin facilitating the collection of monetary donations from race fans to the Red Cross in support of the Hurricane Katrina efforts.(Darlington PR)(9-7-2005)
- Darlington tix on sale Sept. 10 for 2006: Racing under the lights will return to Darlington Raceway on Mother's Day weekend 2006. The Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 on Saturday evening, May 13, 2006, will once again feature flag-to-flag NEXTEL Cup Series night racing at NASCAR's most historic speedway. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, September 10. Order your tickets online [darlingtonraceway.com] or call 866.459.RACE.(8-25-2005)
- Darlington going after the Gong Show: Darlington Raceway does not have a second date this season, but that doesn’t mean the track will not be used. Track president Chris Browning said he is working on details of a deal to play host to the speed test for Roush Racing’s “Gong Show,” a driver discovery program that is being turned into reality television show for the Discovery Channel this fall.
“It looks very positive,” he said. Geoff Smith, the president of Roush Racing, said Darlington’s unique egg shape would make it “fabulous place” to test a driver’s speed because few if any of the 25 finalists will have experience on the track. “We don’t want to give anybody an edge for experience,” he said, noting Greenville-Pickens Speedway is a candidate for the short track test. Browning said he also is exploring the possibility of building a karting track in the infield of NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway. By the end of the month, he hopes to sign the sanctioning agreement that will solidify next year’s Nextel Cup race on the Saturday night before Mother’s Day.(The State)(6-17-2005)
- Darlington set for 2006...and 5 more years? UPDATE: Darlington Raceway, the oldest superspeedway on the NASCAR schedule and a track rumored to be losing its Nextel Cup date, apparently still has a future as well as a past. The venerable South Carolina speedway has gotten its NASCAR sanctioning agreement for 2006, officials close to the situation confirmed Thursday. It is “99 percent certain” that Darlington will keep its current date, on the night before Mother’s Day, for 2006, the sources said. Better yet, perhaps, Darlington’s parent company, International Speedway Corp., has committed to a five-year, multi-million-dollar plan to refurbish the track, which opened in 1950, sources said.(Speed Channel)(5-27-2005)
UPDATE: Darlington Raceway officials have received a preliminary 2006 sanctioning agreement from NASCAR, a step that virtually ensures the South Carolina track will have a place on the Nextel Cup schedule next year. Sources told The Post and Courier on Friday that Darlington has received what is referred to as a "redline summary," a sanctioning agreement with the changes for next season outlined in red for quick reference. The next step is signing a final sanctioning agreement that would lock Darlington into a place on the 2006 schedule. NASCAR is in the process of negotiating prize winnings and other issues with its tracks for next year. Once those stipulations are agreed to, a sanctioning agreement is signed and the track has a race. Receiving a redline summary, according to one source, is a formality within that process. Darlington, which lost its fall race to Phoenix last season in a realignment of the Nextel Cup schedule, is coming off one of the best weekends in its 56-year history. The Pee Dee track sold out its 60,000 grandstand seats nearly a week before its first night race, which was held May 7. Since then, track officials have received only positive signs about their status for 2006. NASCAR officials have said nothing to shake the belief that Darlington will be on next year's schedule when it is finalized in a few weeks. "I think Darlington will be on the schedule next year," NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter said Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, site of Sunday's 5:30 p.m. Coca-Cola 600. Earlier this year, parent company International Speedway Corp. granted Darlington officials permission to explore capital improvements such as tunnel widening and restroom renovation. Track president Chris Browning was also given the go-ahead to formulate a five-year plan for larger undertakings such as grandstand expansion.(Charleston Post and Courier)(5-28-2005)
- Darlington's start time to change? NASCAR Chairman Brian France hinted that there could be changes to the Darlington race next year because of its late finish last week. France made the comments to XM Satellite and a transcript was posted on nascar.com. Asked if something might be done because the Darlington raced finished after 11:30pm/et last week, France said: "I think they had 11 or 12 cautions and it was longer than anticipated and that may have us re-think, should it start half an hour earlier or something, I'm not sure. Of course, remember it finished later than we'd like, but that's a benefit to the West Coast people who were coming home from dinner or whatever the case is. But it doesn't matter, we have to finish it at a reasonable time and we'll adjust that if we have to."(Roanoke Times)(5-16-2005)
- A Good Sign for Darlington 2006? on Darlington Raceway's website: "Darlington Raceway is currently taking deposits for the return of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series action in 2006, don't miss out, get yours before they are gone" NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Darlington Raceway for another heart-pounding 500 miles around the "Track Too Tough To Tame!" The 2005 event was a compete sell out, so don't miss out again...get your tickets before they are gone!(5-8-2005)
- Some interesting tidbits about Darlington Raceway: Harold King's title at Darlington Raceway is senior adviser to the track president. But the 81-year-old King, a volunteer at the track's first Southern 500 in 1950, is better known as ''Mr. Darlington.'' He estimates he has been to 95% of Darlington's NASCAR races since 1950, including years when he was an ambulance assistant. King's favorite trivia about NASCAR's oldest superspeedway:
* At the first race, crews underestimated the toll the gritty surface would take on tires and went through the infield crowd buying spare tires from fans parked there.
* The infield used to be home to ''The Blockhouse,''a cinderblock jail for drunks.
* Infield admission to the first race was $1 a person, $5 for the vehicle. For years, fans would sneak in lumber in the back of pickups and then construct scaffolding so they could get a better view. People who slept overnight in the infield burned tires to stay warm.
* For the first race, 5,000 were expected; at least 15,000 came. Track creator Harold Brasington put gate receipts in 5-gallon buckets.
* With only one hotel in Darlington during the race's early years, fans came the night before and slept on the hoods of cars around the town square. Some Darlington homes took in fans, setting up cots in front rooms.
* To put down rubber to help traction on the track, townspeople were urged to drive their cars on it in the days before the race.
* Seats on today's backstretch used to be covered with a pavilion-like roof, but it had to be removed as cars became faster because it contained the noise.
* In 1965, when the track was surrounded by a metal guardrail instead of today's concrete wall, NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough (from nearby Timmonsville) crashed and sailed over the railing and off the track, out of view. The crowd was silent until Yarborough, after scrambling uphill on hands and feet, came back into view and waved. For years, the car's flight was a staple of the introduction to ABC's Wide World of Sports. See full article and more tidbits at the USA Today.(5-6-2005)
- Darlington race worth $25-$30 million to economy: The S.C. Department of Commerce estimates that each race directly contributes between $25 million and $30 million to the local economy. With only one race, and that race being held on Mother’s Day weekend, many feared that businesses would suffer. That’s why there was an all-out effort to sell out the Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday. Mother’s Day is considered to be a hindrance to ticket sales, but raceway officials turned it into a positive. “They marketed it as a weekend away for mothers,” said Dave Bailey, economic development director for Darlington County. “And since the race is on Saturday, and not actually on Mother’s Day, I think it helped them a lot.”(Morning News)(5-6-2005)
- Dodge Charger 500 a sellout: Reserved grandstand seats for the Dodge Charger 500, the 104th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, are sold out, track officials have announced. The sellout is the earliest at Darlington since the 1997 Mountain Dew Southern 500, when the track had approximately 10,000 fewer seats than its current seating capacity. Infield admission tickets and reserved infield RV parking spots are still available for purchase. Fans can also be placed on the waiting list by calling the ticket office toll-free at 866.459.RACE. Good seats do remain for the events on Friday, May 6. This very full day of race action begins with qualifying for both the NASCAR Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series. The NASCAR Busch Series will follow up their qualifying efforts on Friday evening in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200.(Darlington Raceway)(5-4-2005)
- Drivers Moms to give the command at Darlington: To celebrate the beginning of a new racing tradition at Darlington Raceway, Mother's Day weekend under the lights, the track plans to officially include the drivers' mothers in the Dodge Charger 500 pre-race ceremonies. The participating mothers will walk across the stage and be introduced along with their sons. Then, as a group, they will utter the most famous words in motorsports, with a bit of a twist - "Sons, and gentlemen, start your engines!" The list of mothers who have agreed to participate so far includes Jeff Gordon's mother, Carol Bickford; Pam Boas, Tony Stewart's mom; Diane Newman, mother of Ryan Newman; Dale Jarrett's mom, Martha Jarrett; Kyle Petty's mom, Lynda Petty; Ramona Vickers, mother of Brian Vickers; and Susie Nolff, mother of Scott Riggs. "Mother's Day weekend is a time to celebrate families," said Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning. "NASCAR itself is often referred to as a family sport, so it just seems natural to include everyone and to create one very special weekend at Darlington Raceway. We know the fans will be thrilled to meet the drivers' mothers. We're excited about all the possibilities of our new race date and look forward to making Mother's Day weekend at Darlington one of the most popular stops on the circuit."(Darlington Raceway)(5-4-2005)
- Craig Woolard to perform national anthem at Darlington: Two of the most familiar sounds of the Southeast -
stock car engines and Carolina beach music - will come together at Darlington Raceway on May 7 as Craig Woolard performs the national anthem prior to the Dodge Charger 500. Woolard, lead singer for legendary beach music band The Embers for 27 years, was named both Male Vocalist of the Year and Producer of the Year at the 2002 Carolina Beach Music Awards. He was also honored for Song of the Year in 2002 for "Love Don't Come No Stronger," the longest-charting beach music song of all time. "Love Don't Come No Stronger" is featured on "Totally Beach: For the Kids," a beach music compilation CD recorded earlier this year to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Woolard, backed by the Craig Woolard Band, will perform "Love Don't Come No Stronger" and other beach music classics during a pre-race concert on the start-finish line stage. The show is scheduled to begin at 5:45. For more information on the Victory Junction Gang Camp or the "Totally Beach: For the Kids" CD, visit www.victoryjunction.org.(Darlington Raceway)(5-3-2005)
- Darlington Cup race sold out: Darlington Raceway was assured that NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway would have its first sellout before race day and only the second since the track expanded to 60,000 seats in 1997. 428 tickets remained for the May 7 Nextel Cup race around noon Saturday. Also the ISC board gave the track permission to develop with a five-year plan that includes expansion and facility improvements.(The State), sounds like we will have at least one Cup a year at Darlington for the near future.(5-2-2005)
- 1800 Tix left for Darlington: NASCAR's return to Mother's Day weekend, thanks to brisk ticket sales for Darlington Raceway's upcoming Dodge Charger 500. Track Predident, Chris Browning said the track had only about 1,800 tickets remaining for the event as of Tuesday morning, raising the possibility that the 60,000-seat facility could have a sellout in the bank nearly a week before the green flag drops. Sellouts at Darlington have been rare, advance sellouts almost unheard of. The track's last sellout was in 2003, when the Southern 500 was run for the final time on its traditional Labor Day weekend spot. The final few tickets for that event weren't sold until the morning of the race. Prior to that, the track hadn't sold out since expanding to its current seating capacity in 1997. Darlington fell less than 200 tickets short of selling out the final Southern 500 last November. That race date was moved to another International Speedway Corp. facility in Phoenix, leaving Darlington with only one annual event, that on a weekend with a bad track record. Browning credits the track's new lighting system -- next week's race will be Darlington's first full night Nextel Cup event -- and a different marketing strategy with helping to accelerate ticket sales. He said officials like state Sen. Hugh Leatherman and Florence Mayor Frank Willis helped track executives meet with regional business and industry leaders, who were urged to use race tickets as incentives for employees or tokens of appreciation for customers.
An advance sellout certainly won't hurt Darlington's chances of remaining on the Nextel Cup schedule for another year. Slow ticket sales and relatively small crowds, especially for the track's old March race, were what put Darlington on the realignment bubble in the first place. Now, the 56-year-old facility hopes for more infrastructure improvements that will ensure a long-term future in NASCAR.(Charleston Post and Courier)(4-28-2005)
- Darlington hopes to announce sellout: Darlington Raceway officials hope to announce within the next two weeks their first sellout prior to race day since the track expanded to 60,000 seats in 1997. Only about 3,000 tickets remain for the first-ever night Nextel Cup race at Darlington on May 7. A sellout would enhance the track’s position to keep its remaining Cup date and make a case for expansion. The only other sellout since expansion came two years ago at the final running of the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.
Track president Chris Browning is preparing a five-year plan that includes expansion for a presentation at the fall meeting of International Speedway Corporation board. Among the attractions for the upcoming race will be an appearance by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Dale Jr. Experience Tent in the Wachovia Hospitality Village outside Turn 3. Earnhardt will be in the tent from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on race day. A limited number of tickets will be sold for the event at $80 each. Those wishing to attend the Saturday night Cup race or the Friday night Busch Series Race can order tickets by calling the Raceway ticket hotline at (866) 459-7223.(The State)(4-23-2005)
- Darlington Day: Darlington Day looked back on the legacy of racing in South Carolina and supports its future. Drivers like Jeremy Mayfield and Tony Stewart spent the afternoon at the Governors Mansion Tuesday. It's an effort to rev up ticket sales for the upcoming race and to look back on the tradition of racing in South Sarolina. The Southern 500 left South Carolina and it was devastating for many race fans in the Palmetto State. Stock car racing's original superspeedway will once more serve as a groundbreaker for NASCAR, inaugurating an entirely new race weekend in May. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series' 104th visit to Darlington Raceway will take place on Mother's Day weekend, and will be Darlington's first-ever full weekend of night racing. Racing represents much more than entertaining fans of the sport. Each of the races generates about $30 million for the state. Chad Prosser is with the state's parks and tourism, ""Absolutely. The NASCAR fans are wonderful fans, and they are a big economic base, not only for NASCAR, but for the state as a destination. We use these races not only to sell the Pee Dee area, but to sell the state as a whole." State leaders say it is important for fans to pack the stands to show NASCAR racing at Darlington won't be left in the dust. Get more information on the Dodge Charger 500 Weekend by calling (843) 395-8499.(WIStv.com Columbia, SC)(4-13-2005)
- Darlington Expects to keep race: Darlington Raceway's Chris Browning said he's confident the France family's International Speedway Corp. will keep the legendary Sandhills speedway up and running after this May's Mother's Day weekend race. Many people in the sport fear that ISC is poised to close Darlington at the end of the season, just as it closed the Rockingham track last year (by selling it to promoter Bruton Smith), and possibly sell the Nextel Cup tour date to Smith for a second Cup event at Las Vegas. Browning points to last Wednesday's board meeting that tentatively approved a major capital improvements program: "Additional rest rooms, rebuilding the tunnels, repaving the track - a lot of things are on the drawing board, and they've given me the go-ahead to lay out a five-year plan from a capital standpoint," Browning said. However, Browning concedes a lot is riding on how well this spring's race weekend comes off. The Mother's Day weekend is seen in some quarters as the kiss of death, and the ISC has been accused of picking that weekend with the idea that a failure would provide the ammunition for the sale of the track as a non-productive facility. "I believe the ISC is firmly behind Darlington, when you look at the $3.5 million investment in the lights, and the SAFER barriers (soft walls), and the fact we just got funds approved for future construction projects. We're 7,000 tickets ahead right now from last November's race, which we were within just a couple hundred tickets of selling out. So I'm very, very happy with Mother's Day. We don't have to worry about the hurricanes we did on Labor Day. We're the first race in the Carolinas, and the weather is perfect." Browning says the track officials are talking with neighboring property owners about purchasing land. The track is severely land-locked. "They know when we build more seats we'll need more property, and they're willing to help us," Browning says. The 2006 negotiations will start in June, "And I don't anticipate knowing anything until mid-June," Browning said.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-11-2005)
- 2006 Schedule, bidding for finale? Darlington race date to be sold? UPDATE Denied: NASCAR executives are working on the 2006 Nextel Cup tour schedule, and one suggestion from teams in the garage is for NASCAR to move the season finale to different tracks, as the Super Bowl is moved, with that date up for bids to the track owner willing to post the largest purse. But there are indications that the International Speedway Corp.[ISC] may be willing to sell Darlington Raceway and its lone remaining Cup tour date to track owner Bruton Smith, to move that tour date to Las Vegas, for a Cup event during the last 10 weeks of the 2006 season. And Smith would be willing to bid on being the host for the season finale at Las Vegas Speedway.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-4-2005)
UPDATE: Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning got a call Tuesday that sent him scrambling: Was International Speedway Corp. contemplating a sale of the old country track to its rival? So Browning, who was displaced when North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham was sold last year, called down to the company's Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters to find out. "They told me, 'Hey, nothing to it, buddy,' " Browning told The Associated Press. "That was good enough for me. There's absolutely no truth to the rumors whatsoever," he said. "I don't know where they got started." Smith was unavailable Tuesday and the company doesn't comment "on speculative opinions expressed by other sources outside the company," spokesman Jerry Gappens said. Smith has said previously he would "welcome the opportunity to explore additional NASCAR-sanctioned events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway," Gappens said.
International Speedway Corp. spokesman David Talley said there's been no talk of selling Darlington, which has hosted NASCAR events since 1950. His company's focus, he said, is developing tracks in the New York City area and the Pacific northwest. Also, recent improvements at Darlington like its multimillion-dollar lighting system mean "you can surmise that we are very behind the track," Talley said. Browning expects to announce more capital improvements in the coming weeks that will add to the track's viability.(CNNSI/AP) AND Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president for corporate communications, said that’s not the case. “Bruton said something to the affect if Darlington was for sale, he would be interested in buying it,” Hunter said. “In the liberal translation of that it has become ‘planning to buy it. But it’s not for sale. There are no plans for it to be for sale. There’s absolutely no merit to that rumor.”(The State)(4-6-2005)
- Bruton looking to buy Darlington? UPDATE: Bruton Smith, whose Speedway Motorsports owns Atlanta Motor Speedway, is making noise over getting another Cup date for one of his tracks [Las Vegas]. Speculation has it that Smith is looking at buying Daytona Beach-based International Speedway Corporation's Darlington Speedway -- now pared to one Cup date -- closing it down and plugging its Cup date into one of his tracks, elsewhere.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(3-20-2005)
UPDATE: The future of Darlington Raceway is again the subject of speculation - that the France family's International Speedway Corp. may sell the South Carolina track to promoter Bruton Smith so he can move Darlington's remaining Nextel Cup date to Las Vegas Speedway next season [and squash the Atlanta to Vegas runor]. The Frances were on the verge of selling Darlington to Smith last year, for just such a Cup swap, only to back off at the last moment. One reason for adding a second date in Las Vegas would be to increase the value of NASCAR's pending new TV contracts, currently under negotiation.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-21-2005)
- Southern 500 coming back in 2006? UPDATE 3 No Plans: ESPN Magazine is reporting [Dec. 6th page 140] that Labor Day racing may return to Darlington [Raceway] as early as 2006. NASCAR were concerned at the negative reaction to the mothballing of the 54-year-old Southern 500, and that was before LA [Los Angeles] TV stations bailed on the race at Fontana, CA [California Speedway, Sept 5th on NBC], Darlington's replacement, in favor of baseball.(ESPN Magazine)(12-1-2004), been told that the NBC affilaite in LA doesn't carry baseball, so not sure of that reference.
UPDATE: from an ESPN Insider chat with NASCAR President Mike Helton when asked about the 'return' of the Southern 500: "The 2005 schedule that has been released shows the only Darlington race being on the Saturday before Mother's Day. Since we only plan one year at a time, that is the most current answer."(ESPN.com Insider)(12-8-2004)
UPDATE 2 - California could lose a 2nd date? Among the rumors at the Nextel Media Tour in Charlotte, N.C., is that one of California Speedway's two NASCAR dates could be in trouble. Mind you, it's strictly something said and repeated but never finding its way into print. After all, it's rather silly to even think about. Absurd is perhaps a better adjective. NASCAR, track owner International Speedway Corp. and the controlling France family went to great lengths to realign the schedule in 2004 to give Fontana its Labor Day Sunday night event. To even propose such a thought after one race is unthinkable. However, it indicates someone somewhere is concerned about whether NASCAR will ever catch on in Southern California. Apparently, selling 93,000 seats or so, not to mention another 15,000 in the infield, isn't enough for some. There have been published reports in various Southern newspapers that California Speedway is encountering problems selling tickets for the Feb. 27 Auto Club 500.(more at the Daily Bulletin)(1-28-2005)
UPDATE 3 - No plans to return Darlington's race to Labor Day: Darlington won’t get its date back. NASCAR president Brian France said there are no plans to give Darlington Raceway back its traditional Labor Day weekend date despite published reports that the track with that date might lose a race. He also didn’t totally close the door. “That’s always possible,” he said. “But I think they want to build their equity on the Saturday night race Mother’s Day weekend, and they’re very focused on doing that.” Speculation that California Speedway might lose the Labor Day date it inherited from Darlington last year surfaced during NASCAR’s media tour in Charlotte two weeks ago.(The State)(2-11-2005)
- the race at Darlington now the "Dodge Charger 500": The all-new Dodge Charger is expected to be in showrooms in June. To build awareness for the Charger, the Carolina Dodge Dealers and Darlington Raceway have agreed to name the May 7th Nextel Cup Series race the "Dodge Charger 500". A new race logo, designed with the Charger Hemi orange color, fuels
the passion of the earlier era and bridges it to today. On Saturday, May 7, Darlington will host springtime Cup Series racing for the 49th consecutive year. The 2005 Dodge Charger 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety, opening a new chapter in Darlington's long and storied history. Jimmie Johnson won both NEXTEL Cup Series events at Darlington Raceway in 2004. Tickets for all events are on sale now. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE, or log onto to www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(2-2-2005)
- Free Shuttle Servcice at Darlington: Activities at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, November 14 will begin well before the green flag waves to begin the final running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. You won't want to miss anything, so why worry about fighting the traffic? Darlington Raceway and the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) are offering free shuttle service to and from the track for the Mountain Dew Southern 500. Fans wishing to take advantage of this service have two options - be picked up, or park and ride. Pickups will be available at various hotels in the area beginning at 8:30 a.m. on November 14. Participating hotels include Sleep Inn; Red Roof Inn; Guesthouse Inn; Fairfield Inn; Holiday Inn and Suites; Comfort Inn; Days Inn; Suburban Extended Stay; EconoLodge; Thunderbird Inn; and Best Western.
The park-and-ride shuttle service will also begin at 8:30 a.m. Departure point in Florence is the Florence Civic Center, located at the intersection of I-95 and I-20. Both the park-and-ride and hotel pickup shuttles are free. Return service from the track will begin immediately following the conclusion of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. For more information contact PDRTA at 843.665.2227.
For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223), or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(11-11-2004)
- Thursday admission fee waived in honor of Veterans' Day: Thursday, November 11 promises to be a busy qualifying and practice day for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as they prepare for the first-ever night race at Darlington, the Darlington 200, coming up on Friday evening, November 12. Since the birth of America, the US Armed Forces have diligently worked to protect and ensure its citizens' safety. On Thursday, November 11, Americans will once again celebrate Veterans' Day. The holiday was enacted by Congress in 1926 to officially recognize the end of the first global conflict -- World War 1. In honor and recognition of Veterans' Day, Darlington Raceway will waive admission fees for all guests on November 11. Fans are invited for a complimentary "sneak preview" of Friday evening's race, another landmark event in Darlington's long history. Friday will also feature qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Published start time for the Darlington 200 is 8 p.m. Bobby Hamilton is the defending champion. The weekend continues on Saturday, November 13, with the BI-LO 200 NASCAR Busch Series race. Start time for that event, won last year by Brian Vickers, is 1 p.m. Sunday, November 14 will feature the 55th, and final, running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500, the penultimate race in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. This legendary event was first run in 1950, but will see its inaugural checkered flag under the lights in 2004. Terry Labonte is the defending race champion. Published start time is 1:30 p.m. For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE
(7223), or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(11-8-2004)
- ISC Plans to Keep Darlington Open: Millions of dollars in improvements and plans for future upgrades offer the best evidence that Darlington Raceway will remain a fixture on the stock-car racing scene. That is the view of Paul Phipps, vice president and chief marketing officer of Darlington’s parent company, the International Speedway Corporation. “We love Darlington and its tradition,” said Phipps, who was in Columbia [SC] on Thursday to address USC’s International Conference on Sport and Entertainment Business. “We would not have made the investments we have and then close the track.” In the past decade, ISC has built more than 30,000 new seats to boost capacity to approximately 60,000. Garage areas have been improved and officials installed “soft walls” last year. A new lighting system will be used for the first time next weekend.(The State)(11-5-2004)
- Sad News: Erin Carleton Browning, the 10-year-old daughter of Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning, died Monday after a long battle with bone cancer. Erin was diagnosed with the disease three years ago. Her father, Chris, was named the track's president this past May to replace Andrew Gurtis. Browning had been at North Carolina Speedway at Rockingham since 1992. He assumed the new position after the track, known as "The Rock," was taken off the next year's Nextel Cup schedule. Darlington is preparing to hold the Southern 500 in two weeks, the next-to-last event in NASCAR's 10-race championship chase. Mac Josey, Darlington vice president, will run day-to-day operations while Browning is away. Funeral services for Erin will be Wednesday in High Point, N.C.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of Erin Browning be made to the following:
- Victory Junction Gang Camp, 4500 Adam's Way, Randleman, N.C., 27317.
- Hospice and Palliative Care Center, 1100-C South Stratford Road, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27103.(ThatsRacin.com/AP and see her site at prayforerin.tripod.com)(11-2-2004)
- The final Southern 500 to end under the lights: It is fairly common knowledge by now that the first official night race at Darlington will be the Darlington 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on Friday evening, November 12. Some confusion remains, however, on the subject of exactly when NASCAR's premier series will see race action under the lights. To help answer those questions, the track "Too Tough To Tame" has set a date with the stars of the NEXTEL Cup Series. At 4:30pm/et on Sunday, November 14, Darlington Raceway will throw the switch and shine the lights on the Mountain Dew Southern 500 for the first time in history. "The phones have been ringing off the hook with fans asking how much of the race will actually be run under the lights," said Mac Josey, vice president of Darlington Raceway. "We hope that announcing exactly what time we will turn on the lights will clear things up. Many people have waited a long time for this moment, and we don't want them to miss it."
Scheduled start time for the race is 1:30pm/et. Running time for last year's Mountain Dew Southern 500 was four hours, nine minutes. Night racing makes its official Darlington debut on Friday, November 12 with the Darlington 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
Published start time for the race is 8 p.m. Bobby Hamilton is the defending champion. Friday will also feature qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, beginning at 1:30pm/et. The weekend continues on Saturday, November 13 with the BI-LO 200 NASCAR Busch Series race. Start time for that event, won last year by Brian Vickers, is 1:00pm/et. Sunday, November 14 will feature the 55th, and final, running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. This legendary event was first run in 1950, but will see its checkered flag wave under the lights for the first time in 2004. Terry Labonte is the defending champion. For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE (7223), or visit darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(11-3-2004)
- Wedding Packages at Darlington: If your idea of a perfect wedding day includes the words, "Gentleman, start your engines," that particular dream can become a reality on November 14 at Darlington Raceway. Darlington Raceway's fall 2004 wedding package includes a marriage ceremony in Gatorade Victory Lane on Sunday morning, prior to the Mountain Dew Southern 500; four pre-race pit passes; a souvenir program; a commemorative event souvenir; and embroidered Darlington Raceway caps for the bride and groom. Cost for the package is $200. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and provide photo identification and a valid South Carolina marriage license. South Carolina marriage licenses may be obtained from any Probate Court office in the state. If you are traveling to Darlington from out of state and need information on how you can obtain a South Carolina marriage license after you arrive, call the Darlington County Probate Court office at 843.398.4310. For more information or to schedule your November 14 wedding at Darlington Raceway, contact Deena Shelley in the Raceway ticket office toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223). Wedding packages must be scheduled in advance; only a limited number are available. Racing under the lights comes to Darlington Raceway November 12-14. For more information on the Darlington 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday evening, November 12, the South Carolina 200 on Saturday, November 13, or the 55th running of the legendary Mountain Dew Southern 500 on Sunday, November 14, contact the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223).(Darlington Raceway PR)(9-5-2004)
- Darlington Lights 'em up: Darlington Raceway's half-century of tradition changed in a flash Tuesday night with the debut of its multimillion dollar lighting system. Just before twilight, officials threw the seven switches that lit up exterior lights at "The Lady in Black," NASCAR's oldest superspeedway that debuted in 1950. Jeff Gordon, the Nextel Cup points leader and a six-time Darlington winner, headlined an exhibition program that also featured truck series points leader Bobby Hamilton and all-time racing greats David Pearson and Cale Yarborough. Each driver cruised 10 laps around Darlington in front an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 fans — much larger than the usual crowds for Friday qualifying and Saturday Busch races — who got in free for the night show. When he finished, Gordon stopped on the start-finish line and jumped on top of his #24 Chevrolet to wild applause.(USA Today/AP)(8-25-2004)
- TONIGHT - Lights go on at Darlington, fans welcome: Not all of the activity at Darlington Raceway's upcoming facility lighting exhibition on Tuesday, August 24 will take place on the track. From 7 to 8 p.m., fans are invited to join Eli Gold as he hosts MRN's "NASCAR Live" program from Gatorade Victory Lane. This one-hour telephone talk show is devoted exclusively to NASCAR racing, and gives listeners an opportunity to talk directly to the superstars of the sport.
On August 24, the show will focus on the first laps ever run under the lights at the track "Too Tough To Tame." The four participating drivers will also be Gold's guests on "NASCAR Live" - David Pearson, Darlington's all-time winner with 10 victories; Cale Yarborough, the only driver to win three consecutive Cup Series championships and tied for all-time wins in the Mountain Dew Southern 500; Bobby Hamilton, winner of two of Darlington's three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races to date, and current win leader in the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; and Jeff Gordon, four-time Cup Series champion. Gordon leads all active drivers in wins at Darlington Raceway (six), and is tied with Yarborough for all-time Mountain Dew Southern 500 wins (five).
Gates will open to the public at 6 p.m. The first laps will be run at approximately 8:15 p.m. Admission is free.
Sunday, November 14 will feature the 55th, and final, running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. This legendary race was first run in 1950, but will see its inaugural checkered flag under the lights in 2004. Terry Labonte is the defending race champion. Published start time is 1:30 p.m. For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223), or log online.(8-24-2004)
- Josey named Darlington Raceway VP: Track officials announced that Mac Josey has been named vice president of Darlington Raceway. Josey has served in many capacities at the track since joining the staff in 1990, including ticket office manager and director of ticketing. Most recently, he was named to the position of general manager in 2001. He will assume the title of vice president immediately. Josey is a graduate of Francis Marion University in Florence, SC, and also holds an MBA degree from Columbia University in New York City. He is a native of Darlington.(Darlington Raceway PR)(8-4-2004)
- Hamilton added to 'Night Riders' at Darlington: Darlington Raceway's August 24 "Night Riders" event recently got a little brighter with the addition of one of the Truck Series' biggest stars. Track officials announced today that Bobby Hamilton has been added to the lineup. Hamilton has won two of the three Truck Series races run at Darlington, including the inaugural race in May of 2001. "Night Riders" offers fans an opportunity to get their first look at the track "Too Tough To Tame" under its newly-installed facility
lighting system. The event is free and the public is invited. Gates will open at 6 p.m., and activity is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. with
a Gatorade Victory Lane broadcast of MRN's NASCAR Live program, hosted by Eli Gold. Following a ceremonial coin toss to officially open the festivities, the first car will hit the track at approximately 8:20 p.m. Serving fans their first taste of primetime action, Darlington Raceway-style, will be David Pearson, three-time Cup Series champion and Darlington's all-time winner with 10 Cup victories; Cale Yarborough, the only driver to win three consecutive Cup Series championships, who is currently tied for all-time wins in the Mountain Dew Southern 500 (5 wins); and Jeff Gordon, four-time Cup Series champion and the most successful active driver at Darlington, tied with Cale Yarborough for all-time Mountain Dew Southern 500 wins and third on Darlington's all-time win (6 career wins) list behind Pearson (10) and Dale Earnhardt (9). The exhibition laps will be followed by question-and-answer sessions with Pearson, Yarborough, Hamilton and Gordon. The final running of the legendary Mountain Dew Southern 500 will see its closing laps and checkered flag under the lights on Sunday, November 14, the next-to-last race of the 2004 NEXTEL Cup Series season and a pivotal event in the Chase
for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. For more information on tickets for Darlington Raceway inaugural weekend under the lights, contact the
Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223), or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(PR)(7-31-2004)
- New Darlington Tix Structure for 2005: Fans attending the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 on Saturday evening, May 7, 2005 at Darlington Raceway will discover that something other than the race date is new. The first-ever NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race to be run completely under the lights at the track "Too Tough To Tame" will feature a new ticket pricing structure, as well. All seats in the Tyler and Pearson Towers, the track's premier grandstands, will be $95 each, a savings of $15 per ticket over previous years. Seats in the Wallace Grandstand, located on the track's start/finish line, will be priced at $85 each. Brasington Grandstand seats, in action-packed Turn 2, will be $70 (a savings of $10), and spots in the adjacent Colvin Grandstand are available at $45 and $70, depending on seat location. Ticket holders for the 2004 Mountain Dew Southern 500, coming up November 14 at Darlington Raceway, and those who attended the 2004 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 in March 2004 will be offered the first chances to renew their seats for a full weekend of primetime racing in May 2005. When the renewal process is completed, tickets will go on sale to the general public. New customers may submit seat requests now by calling the toll-free Raceway ticket hotline at 866.459.RACE (7223).(Darlington Raceway Site)(7-29-2004)
- Interesting website: darlingtonfanz.org....Fanz to Support the Darlington Racing Tradition (FSDRT) have formed a non profit organization to link all fans together. They are accepting donations to show support to keep the one race at Darlington Speedway, at the same time you will be helping various charities. All proceeds, less expenses will be donated to the 501c3 Charity of Choice of the driver who wins each year in Darlington as long as there is Cup Racing in Darlington. More at darlingtonfanz.org.(7-26-2004)
- Darlington tests the lights: The original home of NASCAR rivalry gave the very sun itself a little friendly competition Friday when Darlington Raceway threw the switch to test its new Mirtran interior lights. The first official night race at the track "Too Tough To Tame" will be the Darlington 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday evening, November 12. The 55th Mountain Dew Southern 500 on Sunday, November 14 will end under the lights. For more information, call toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223), or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(6-25-2004)
- Guided tours of the track "Too Tough To Tame" start June 7: Beginning Monday, June 7, Darlington Raceway will offer daily track tours. The tours, which will run every hour beginning at 10 a.m., will begin at the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum. Visitors will learn entertaining historical facts about NASCAR's original superspeedway * the origin of the "Darlington Stripe" and the reason for the track's unique egg shape, for example. The tour will also include stops in the NEXTEL Cup garage area, the start/finish line, and finally, the most coveted parking spot at Darlington Raceway * Gatorade Victory Lane. Cost for the Darlington Raceway track tour is $5; children ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets are available in the Darlington Raceway Gift Shop, located on Highway 151 adjacent to the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame.
On August 24, Darlington Raceway will give fans their first look at "Darlington After Dark" with the Night Riders, presented by BI-LO.
This free event will be highlighted by exhibition laps under the lights from Darlington champions both present and past. David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Jeff Gordon will be behind the wheels of the first cars ever driven under Darlington's brand-new facility lighting system. Sparks will fly, guaranteed.
In November, Darlington Raceway will host the 55th running of the legendary Mountain Dew Southern 500. The weekend includes the
Darlington 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, the track's inaugural event under the lights, on Friday evening, November 12.
Published start time for the race is 8 p.m. On Saturday afternoon, November 13, the stars of the NASCAR Busch Series will test their mettle on racing's toughest track in the BI-LO 200. Brian Vickers won this event in 2003.
Sunday, November 14 will feature the final running of NASCAR's most historic race and the penultimate event in the Chase for the NEXTEL
Cup, the Mountain Dew Southern 500. Terry Labonte is the defending champion of this premier event. For tickets or more information, contact the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223), or visit
www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(6-7-2004)
- Chris Browning named president of Darlington Raceway: Former North Carolina Speedway Vice President and General Manager Chris Browning has been named president of Darlington Raceway, International Speedway Corporation officials announced today. Andrew Gurtis, who has served as Raceway president for the past three years, has been named senior director, operational planning and integration for ISC. In his new position, he will act as lead assistant to Chief Operating Officer John Saunders on matters related to ongoing business unit operations and field integration. Browning, who has been executive vice president and general manager for North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC since 2002, said he is excited about the move. "I look forward to helping continue the history and tradition that has earned Darlington Raceway its special position in the sport of stock car racing," he said. Browning began his tenure at North Carolina Speedway in 1992 as director of public relations. He is a graduate of Pfeiffer College with a degree in business administration.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-19-2004)
- Darlington Personnel Changes: International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced several key strategic moves including naming Andrew Gurtis, who most recently served as President of Darlington Raceway, Senior Director, Operational Planning and Integration for ISC and former North Carolina Speedway President Chris Browning President of Darlington Raceway. ISC President Lesa Kennedy made the announcements today. Prior to his 3-year stint at Darlington, Gurtis served as Vice President of Administration at Daytona International Speedway for 4 years. In his new position, Gurtis will act as lead assistant to Chief Operating Officer John Saunders on matters related to ongoing business unit operations and field integration. Browning has been Executive Vice President and General Manager for North Carolina Speedway since 2002. As EVP and GM, he was responsible for all marketing, sales, public relations, operations and governmental relations. As President, he will continue those duties at Darlington. ISC is a leading promoter of motorsports activities in the United States, currently promoting more than 100 events annually.(Darlington Raceway PR)(5-19-2004)
- In Case Ya Missed It - No more Southern 500 after 2004: Buried among all the announcements of schedule realignment and tracks being purchased this weekend was that the Southern 500 will not exist after this season. Darlington's lone Cup race will move next season to May7 and be held at night. The race will be known as the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500. "Moving this weekend to Saturday night of Mother's Day weekend, the Southern [500] name didn't necessarily feel right," said track president Andrew Gurtis. The track is billing the Nov.14 Southern 500 as the 55th and final running of the historic race. The Southern 500 was NASCAR's first 500-mile race in 1950.(Roanoke Times)(5-16-2004)
- Darlington AND Rockingham to lose races? Alternating ONE racedate? Texas and Vegas get the dates? UPDATE 2 Darlington expects to get two dates in 2005:
Settlement negotiations in a lawsuit over a second Nextel Cup date for Texas Motor Speedway have potentially major ramifications for two tracks in the Carolinas, The Observer has learned.
A source close to talks in a suit against NASCAR by two Speedway Motorsports Inc. [SMI] shareholders said Monday a settlement could result in International Speedway Corp. selling both North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham and Darlington Raceway to SMI. If such a deal were made, two of three remaining Cup dates from Rockingham and Darlington would move – one to Texas Motor Speedway and the other to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, giving those SMI-owned tracks two dates each per season. The other date would alternate between Rockingham and Darlington, with the Nextel Cup, Busch and Truck series racing at Rockingham one year then at Darlington the next [so much for lights and SAFER]. "I am aware of the (settlement) talks," SMI chairman Bruton Smith said Monday. "I think that they have been going on for about two months, and they're further down the road than they ever have been. But there will have to be a written agreement among all of the attorneys before there's any done deal." Smith said that in his mind any settlement of the suit would have to include a second Cup date for Texas. "That's certainly the key to it, that's why it was filed," he said.(more at ThatsRacin.com), see past news about this on my lawsuit page.(3-23-2004)
UPDATE: After attracting the largest crowd in the 45-year history of Darlington Raceway's spring Nextel Cup event, track officials are feeling good about their chances of keeping two races for 2005. How good? "I feel confident we'll host two races next year. Frankly, I can't see it any other way," raceway president Andrew Gurtis said Tuesday. "As the promoter at Darlington Raceway, look at the last two races we've had here. We've had a sellout for the Mountain Dew Southern 500, and a record crowd for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. We have two strong sponsors on our Cup races, and great racing. Things are just stacking up." But sources have indicated to The Post and Courier that the millions of dollars ISC has spent to add the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier and a lighting system at Darlington guarantee that the Pee Dee track will have at least one annual event on the Nextel Cup schedule.(Chareslton Post and Courier)
BUT Could a settlement be imminent in the battle to bring a second Nextel Cup race to Texas Motor Speedway? According to several media outlets, yes. But spokesmen for the opposing camps said they are simply following court orders in a mediation process. According to The Associated Press, Samuel Cherry, the attorney for a TMS shareholder who sued NASCAR over its refusal to award a second event, said Tuesday that progress is being made in settlement talks. Cherry said the plaintiffs and NASCAR have agreed not to discuss specifics of the 2-year-old suit. Spokespersons from both racing entities contend that no settlement is about to materialize. "(The suit) is based on the false presumption that NASCAR promised Texas Motor Speedway a second date, which NASCAR did not," NASCAR vice president of communications Jim Hunter said. "No settlement has been reached, to my knowledge." Lauri Wilks, Hunter's counterpart at SMI didn't know anything more. "Not as far as I know," Wilks said. "I don't have an official word of anything." Apparently, there is no agreement -- at least not in written form -- on the table. "Obviously, as everyone knows, it's in the best interest of the sport to put this thing behind us," Hunter said. "We're not at liberty to discuss any of the particulars. There is no timeline. In the meantime, we've got to get on with the business of running the races."(in part from the Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(3-24-2004)
- Darlington's Race Dates Not Guaranteed: NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter says Darlington Raceway's two-race future is not guaranteed, despite stronger attendance, and the additions of lights and SAFER barriers the past year. "I don't think you can rule out any possibility for 2005 or beyond," Hunter said Sunday. NASCAR's oldest superspeedway - its first race came in 1950 - has been rumored on the way out for several years. Ex-NASCAR CEO Bill France Jr. said in January 2003 that Darlington was among tracks where unless attendance improved, they could lose one of its two Nextel Cup events.(FoxSports/AP)(3-22-2004)
- Gordon, Pearson, Yarborough to test the Darlington lights - Aug 24th: Darlington Raceway's new lighting system won't be used for a race until November. But it will be christened this summer in an exhibition highlighted by Jeff Gordon, who has won six races at the 54-year-old track. Raceway president Andrew Gurtis announced Friday night that Gordon, all-time Darlington winner David Pearson, and area native Cale Yarborough will take laps under the lights Aug. 24 in an event designed to show off the new system. The 72 exterior light poles are already up, and crews will return after Sunday's Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 to install infield fixtures and the power system. Construction is expected to be finished by late June. The Aug. 24 exhibition promises to be similar to one held at Daytona International Speedway, when the late Dale Earnhardt took laps under the lights shortly after that track's system was installed in 1998.(Charleston Post and Courier)(3-20-2004)
- Drivers concerned about SAFER at Darlington, could test a day earlier: Drivers have expressed concern that the newly installed SAFER barriers at Darlington, a 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval, will eliminate the existing groove. The barrier juts out 30 inches into the track. Jeff Gordon is in favor of the SAFER barriers, but he says moving the walls before installing the barriers would have been a better option. "But I'd rather have it than not have it, so we'll just deal with it," Gordon says. "We do brush the wall there, which I don't think is a real issue. I wouldn't mind it being a little bit softer when I rub up against it." The narrower groove will make racing tighter and passing more difficult. Because the racing conditions are expected to change so dramatically, NASCAR president Mike Helton says the organization is considering allowing teams to come in a day early to test.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(3-8-2004)
- No Testing at Darlington: Teams won't be able to test at Darlington because the track is installing SAFER barriers in time for the spring race weekend, March 19-21. Indianapolis was the first track to install the barriers. Daytona and Talladega plan to install them before their next races.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News), gonna be a lot of Darlington 'stripes' in March.(3-1-2004)
- Darlington to install SAFER: Darlington Raceway officials announced today that installation of SAFER barriers at the historic track is under way. A recent announcement by NASCAR stated that all facilities hosting NEXTEL Cup Series events would be equipped with the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction system by January 2005. "Our goal is to have the SAFER barrier up at every track where it's recommended by the experts by 2005,'' said Gary Nelson, NASCAR's managing director of research and development. Darlington joins Richmond, Phoenix, Homestead-Miami, New Hampshire and Indianapolis on the list of tracks with the SAFER system. Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway have announced plans to have the barriers in place in time for their upcoming events in April and July. The SAFER barriers' installation at Darlington will be completed in time for the spring event, the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 weekend, coming up March 19-21. Dean Sicking headed the University of Nebraska team that developed the SAFER barrier, which absorbs some of the energy in a crash, lessening the impact for a driver. The barrier is made up of steel tubes and pads of hard foam and is affixed to the concrete wall. In 2003, Dr. Sicking and the University of Nebraska were honored as
the recipients of NASCAR's Award of Excellence for their work. "Safety is of paramount importance in our sport, and we are pleased to
be installing the SAFER barrier at Darlington Raceway," said Andrew Gurtis, president of Darlington Raceway.(Darlington Raceway PR)(2-24-2004)
- Latest Darlington rumor: When the lights go up, the Labor Day date comes back and everyone wins. California can have Darlington's new November date -- making the big L.A. market part of the 10-race title chase -- and the Southern 500 returns to its traditional weekend. Why would they be putting up lights at Darlington for either of its two cool-weather events? It's such a perfect solution, you kinda figure it's not true.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(2-21-2004)
- SAFER hard to install at Darlington: Darlington Raceway was built in 1949 and is considered the most peculiar track on the NASCAR circuit, an oval with one end wider than the other, a slight kink in one of the corners, and a racing groove that sometimes runs just inches from the wall. Those idiosyncrasies have endeared themselves to fans and drivers who love great racing. But they present headaches for engineers at the University of Nebraska's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, developers of the crash-softening SAFER wall barriers NASCAR is trying to add to every track. The Steel and Foam Energy-Reduction barrier, a combination of steel tubes and polystyrene foam designed to absorb impact energy during an accident, is used at six facilities that host Nextel Cup events. Daytona International Speedway, which hosts Sunday's Daytona 500, plans to have the barrier in place before its July event. NASCAR officials want the "soft wall" system up at every track where it's practical by January of 2005. Dr. Dean Sicking, director of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, will admit that Darlington is problematic. But he doesn't think the implementation of the SAFER barrier at the 1.3-mile Pee Dee facility is impossible. "We're in the process of looking at all of the high-speed ovals, and that would include Darlington," Sicking said Monday from his office in Lincoln, Neb. "Darlington is quirky. It has some problems. It may not be first up. But I think it's certainly on the radar screen." Asked if Darlington had been ruled out for SAFER use, Sicking said, "Absolutely not." While Sicking wouldn't go into specific detail about the problems Darlington presents, he said the 54-year-old facility has some hurdles in common with other NASCAR venues. At some tracks, the concrete walls to be covered by the SAFER barrier are too short. At others, the part of the wall to be covered by the SAFER barrier, or the transition areas where the barrier begins and ends, may interfere with the racing line. The latter problem is particularly evident at Darlington, where cars run right up against the wall. There's also a slight kink in the wall exiting Turn 2, which cars often make contact with while coming out of the corner, lasting evidence of Brasington's primitive method of engineering. "At some tracks -- and I think Darlington would fall into this category -- the barrier is going to severely affect the racing lines, and we've got to be very careful about where we put it, and how the transitions work," Sicking said. "Because the closer you are to the racing line, the more important the transitions are. Some of the walls, the radius changes a lot, so there's not a constant radius. These are just all complications that have to be overcome, but it just makes the installation more complicated and a little more time-consuming."
While NASCAR wants its tracks to use the system, the implementation is being left up to the individual track owners. Darlington is owned by International Speedway Corp., a track conglomerate run by the same France family that runs NASCAR. Of the six tracks that currently employ the SAFER barrier, four -- Richmond, Phoenix, Talladega and Homestead-Miami -- are owned by ISC.(Charleston Post and Courier)(2-10-2004)
- Dodge Six-Pack is Back: The Dodge Six-Pack, one of the most popular ticket packages ever created for race fans, returns to Darlington Raceway in 2004 by popular demand. The promotion will officially kick off during the Saturday, February 7 MRN broadcast of the Budweiser Shootout, and will be available until the checkered flag falls at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 15, or while they last. The Dodge Six-Pack is a unique opportunity designed to offer fans an affordably-priced opportunity to attend Darlington Raceway's spring fling event, the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 on Sunday, March 21. The package includes six reserved grandstand seats for the race. Total cost for the Six-Pack is $150. The Dodge Six-Pack will get an added push from John Boy and Billy. The popular syndicated radio talk show personalities are among NASCAR's biggest supporters. Darlington Raceway president Andrew Gurtis will talk about the track "Too Tough To Tame" during a call-in interview with John Boy and Billy on February 12, and the track will sponsor on-air promotions all week long. The Dodge Six-Pack will be available February 7 through February 15 only, or while they last. Quantities are extremely limited. The package, which costs $150, includes six seats for the home of the closest finish in NASCAR history, the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, on Sunday, March 21 at Darlington Raceway.
The Dodge Six-Pack is only available by calling the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223). This offer is not
available online. For more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call 843.395.8499, or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(DR PR)(2-6-2004)
- Newman on Darlington pole ticket: Ryan Newman, driver of the #12 ALLTEL Dodge for Penske Racing is featured on the collectible pole day ticket for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 weekend, coming up March 19-21 at Darlington Raceway. Newman led all drivers by earning 11 pole positions during the 2003 racing season. In March of 2003, Newman earned the second-place starting position at Darlington behind polesitter Elliott Sadler, then returned in August to win the top starting spot for the final Labor Day running of the
legendary Mountain Dew Southern 500, his first Darlington pole position in NASCAR's premier Series. For more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, including Bud Pole qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series on Friday, March 19; the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, March 20; and the 48th running of the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 on Sunday, March 21, contact the Raceway ticket hotline at 843.395.8499, or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(2-3-2004)
- Southern 500 to End Under the Lights:
Darlington Raceway Track president Andrew Gurtis lobbied NASCAR, stock-car racing’s sanctioning body, and NBC, which will televise the Southern 500 race, for a chance to show off the lights at stock-car racing’s oldest super-speedway. The 1:30 p.m. starting time on Nov. 14 assures the track will use its newly installed light system. The 500-mile race around Darlington’s 1.366-mile layout almost always requires more than four hours to complete. The 2003 event took 4 hours, 9 minutes. Sunset on Nov. 14 is 5:16 p.m. High temperatures on Nov. 14 the past two years have been in the 60s. Fixtures outside the track for Darlington’s lighting system have been installed. Inside fixtures and the power grid will be completed this summer. The first night race is scheduled to be the in the Craftsman Truck Series on Nov. 12, which kicks off a race weekend that includes a Busch Series race on Nov. 13 and the Southern 500. Darlington’s first race weekend of 2004 features the Busch Series on March 20 and the Nextel Cup’s Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 a day later.(The State)(1-25-2004)
- Darlington Tix on sale: Tickets for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, March 21, 2004 at Darlington Raceway, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 5 - just in time for the holidays. Darlington Raceway's spring event, the first of the legendary track's two annual NASCAR Nextel Cup Series weekends, is widely considered to the be the more "rough and tumble" of the two races. Friday, March 19, 2004 will feature Bud Pole Qualifying for both the NASCAR Busch and Nextel Cup Series, followed by the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, March 20. On Sunday, March 21, the stars of NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series will tackle the track "Too Tough To Tame" for the 102nd time in the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, call the Raceway ticket hotline at 843.395.8499, or log onto the Darlington Raceway site)(12-5-2003)
- Darlington loses cover, gaining lights: The most tangible sign of lights coming to Darlington Raceway is the removal of the roof of the Brasington Grandstand, the second-oldest covered grandstand in Winston Cup racing behind one at Indianapolis. The roof was removed last week, and a crane has been brought in to take down the roof support. Musco Lighting, the Iowa company doing the work, had to remove the roof to ensure even lighting of the track. "The roof is so close to the racetrack that Musco cannot get light on the track from the outside," said track superintendent Sammie Yarborough, cousin to three-time Winston Cup champion Cale. "You've got to have light balanced from both sides. They tried everything they could figure and couldn't do it, so we didn't have any choice." The track will eventually be ringed by 74 light poles, including 47 exterior poles ranging from 90 to 120 feet high, and 27 more that will rise 30 to 40 feet above the grandstands. Running along the inside of the track will be 212 reflectors that will direct light onto the racing surface. It's the same setup Musco has used to light a number of other Winston Cup venues, including those in Daytona Beach and Charlotte. On Oct. 27, 22 tractor-trailers will deliver the light poles, which will assembled on the ground. Cranes will then lift them into the foundations, where the tapered poles will lock into place. Although the sponsorship agreements announced Tuesday extend into 2006 and 2008, there's no guarantee Darlington will have a spring race beyond next season. Gurtis said the realignment issue did come up during negotiations.(Charleston Post and Courier)(10-15-2003)
- Darlington Sponsors Re-up: On Tuesday, Raceway and Carolina Dodge Dealers Association officials announced that the spring 2004 Nextel (Winston) Cup Series race will continue as the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. The new contract runs for five years, through March 2008. The March 2004 race weekend carries a double sponsorship package. Track officials also announced today that Darlington-based company Diamond Hill Plywood will assume title sponsorship of the NASCAR Busch Series race. The Diamond Hill Plywood Co. 200 will be run on Saturday, March 20. The contract runs three years, through March 2006. Diamond Hill Plywood has sponsored Darlington's spring Busch Series event before, from 1997 to 1999. This time around, the company also plans to sponsor a golf tournament in conjunction with the race weekend. That event will be called the Diamond Hill Plywood Golf Classic. Darlington's spring race weekend kicks off on Friday, March 19, 2004 with Bud Pole qualifying for the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series. Saturday, March 20 will feature the Diamond Hill Plywood Co. 200 NASCAR Busch Series race, and Sunday, March 21 will feature the 48th running of the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race. For tickets or more information on these or other upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, contact the ticket hotline at 843.395.8499, or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(Darlington Raceway PR)(10-15-2003)
- Truck Race at Darlington to race under the lights: Sparks will literally fly at the track "Too Tough To Tame" when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series officially christens Darlington Raceway's brand-new facility lighting system by battling it out under the lights on Friday evening, November 12, 2004. Start time for the race, which will be televised on the Speed Channel, is 7 p.m. EST. Broadcast schedules are tentative and subject to change. Darlington will host two race weekends next year, in March and November. The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 weekend, March 19-21, will include Bud pole qualifying on Friday, March 19; the darlingtonraceway.com 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, March 20; and the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race on Sunday, March 21. In addition to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, November 12, Darlington's fall race weekend also includes the South Carolina 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, November 13; and the 55th running of the legendary Mountain Dew Southern 500 on Sunday, November 14. Start times for those events have not been announced.For more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, contact the Raceway ticket hotline at 843.395.8499, or visit
www.darlingtonraceway.com. (Darlington Raceway)(9-25-2003)
- Sold Out: Sunday's race was the first sellout of a Southern 500 race since 1997. It also was the first time the track had over 60,000 people in attendance since it expanded in 1998.(Morning News)(9-1-2003)
- Darlington Problems? the Winston Salem Journal reports .....This track's yearly share of the annual $400 million in television money for the 36-race series is about $14 million. You don't have to clean your glasses to see that that none of that has been spent to upgrade Darlington. The 'historic' third-turn tunnel is ever closer to collapse. The 'covered' garage is little more than tobacco-barn roofing on rusting steel stakes. The road system surrounding the track is still chaotic and haphazard. Ticket sales have never been astounding, or even adequate, even though this is the last great beach weekend of the year, and one of the world's great beaches, with thousands of vacationers, is only 80 miles away, practically untapped. Once a major event, the France family let the Southern 500 deteriorate into just another race in a small, sandy town in the middle of nowhere. No, all of that just draws knowing chuckles from these racers. Augusta National this ain't, and they know it. So moving the Southern 500 to a cooler date is fine. In fact, a good question is why track promoters didn't move this race to the nighttime, like Bristol, long ago.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-31-2003)
- Could Be Record Crowd at Darlington: Darlington Raceway Track president Andrew Gurtis on Thursday stopped just short of saying the Southern 500 will be sold out for the first time since before the track was expanded to about 60,000 seats in 1998. "I can say without question we'll have the largest attendance in Darlington Raceway history by a few thousand," Gurtis said. Gurtis would not say how many tickets had been sold for this weekend's race, and he wouldn't put a hard number on past attendance. In the past, Darlington crowds have reached an estimated 75,000, including infield tickets and grandstand seats.(The State)(8-29-2003)
- Parade: The following National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame members are scheduled to participate in the Mountain Dew Southern 500 parade, to be held in downtown Darlington [SC] on Saturday morning, August 30: Sam Ard; Jerry Cook; Ned Jarrett; Jack Ingram; Dale Inman; and all-time Darlington Raceawy champion David Pearson. The parade, a 50-year tradition in Darlington, will begin at 10:00am/et.(Darlington Raceway {PR)(8-29-2003)
- Free Shuttle Service at Darlington: Sunday morning, August 31 at Darlington Raceway is stuffed as full as a holiday turkey with pre-race activities for the 54th running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. You won't want to miss anything, so why worry about fighting the traffic? The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) is offering free shuttle service to and from Darlington Raceway for the Mountain Dew Southern 500. Fans wishing to take advantage of this service have two options “ be picked up, or park and ride. Pickups will be available at various hotels in the area beginning at 8:15 a.m. on August 31. Hotels on Highway 52 which offer shuttle pickup service include Holiday Inn and Suites; Motel 6; Guesthouse Inn; Comfort Inn; Econo Lodge; Microtel; Country Inn and Suites; Ramada Inn; and Sleep Inn. The following hotels on David McLeod Blvd will also have shuttle pickup service:. Fairfield Inn; Red Roof Inn; and Affordable Suites. The park-and-ride shuttle service will also begin at 8:15 a.m. Departure point in Florence is the Florence Civic Center, located at the intersection of I-95 and I-20. Both the park-and-ride and hotel pickup shuttles are free. Return service from the track will begin immediately following the conclusion of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. For more information contact PDRTA at 843.665.2227.(Darlington Raceway PR)(8-28-2003)
- David Spade at Darlington; and with Wally: Film and television star David Spade will visit Darlington Raceway for the 54th running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500 on Sunday, August 31. The trip is part of the promotional campaign for Spade's new film for Paramount Pictures, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, [www.dickieroberts.com]scheduled for release on Friday, September 5. Spade, who made his television debut as a regular cast member on the NBC favorite Saturday Night Live in 1990, was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1999 for his role as Dennis Finch, the wise-cracking, power-hungry assistant on Just Shoot Me. Nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1999 and 2000 and an American Comedy Award in 1999, also for his work on Just Shoot Me, Spade's film career continues to grow, as well. Following a Sunday morning press conference in the James H. Hunter Media Center, Spade will participate in pre-race ceremonies for the Mountain Dew Southern 500.(Darlington Raceway PR) AND Actor David Spade doing a Darlington ride-along with NBC analyst Wally Dallenbach as part of the Discover Card Countdown to Green
pre-race show’s “Wally’s World” segment.(NBC PR)(8-27-2003)
- Southern 500 Program: A 54-year tradition ends in 2003 with the final Labor Day weekend running of the legendary Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, which moves to November in 2004. The first superspeedway stock car race, this historic event quickly became the NASCAR Winston Cup Series standard. Only the top drivers can succeed on the track “Too Tough to Tame.” The
2003 Mountain Dew Southern 500 Event Program will feature this on their cover, more at the Darlington Raceway site.(8-26-2003)
- Smashmouth Concert at Darlington: Smash Mouth will bring a carefree, fun-in-the-sun attitude to Darlington Raceway on Sunday, August 31. The band will perform a pre-race concert on the track's start/finish line at approximately 11:30a,/et, prior to the 54th running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. Smash Mouth will return to the stage to open NBC's pre-race broadcast at 12:30pm/et with a live performance of their current hit single, "You Are My Number One," from the band's latest CD, Get the Picture?. Smash Mouth's performance is included in the price of a race ticket to the Mountain Dew Southern 500. For more information on upcoming events at Darlington Raceway, including The Pantry Pole Day on Friday, August 29, the Winn-Dixie 200 presented by PepsiCo NASCAR Busch Series race on Sat
