Darlington Raceway was specifically built for NASCAR racing and is situated near Darlington, South Carolina. The track is an exceptional shape due to it’s somewhat oval-shape.
The circuit was built by Harold Brasington, a race car driver who retired in the late 1940’s, after purchasing 70 acres from a farmer, Sherman Ramsey. It seems that Harold promised the farmer that he would not disturb Sherman’s minnow pond that was situated at the west side of the property, forcing him to create an egg-shape oval with one corner tighter, narrower and more steeply banked.
The track is reputed to be very tough and has earned the nicknames "The lady in Black" (given because the walls are always painted white but by the end of the race was largely black due to plethora of tyres making contact) and “The track too tough to tame”(given because of the toughness of the track and rookie racers hit the wall and receive their “Darlington Stripe”, and the reputation of many top Champions of NASCAR such as Bobbie Alison, David Pearson and Richard Petty have been spring boarded from here.
Work started on the construction in 1949 and the racetrack was finally opened on Labour Day in 1950 and its first NASCAR sanctioned race took place on Labour Day of the same year carrying a purse of $25,000. Hence the NASCAR Southern 500 race was born. The asphalt surfaces track if 1.366mile long and has four turns. Turns one and two have banking of 25 degrees, turns three and four have banking of 23 degrees, the front straight has 3 degrees and the back straight has 2 degrees of banking. The lap record stands at 27.394 seconds (179.514 mph) and was set by Matt Kenseth on the 7th of May 2009 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Major events that are staged at the track are: - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Showtime 500), NASCAR Nationwide Series (Diamond Hill Plywood 200), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Too Tough to Tame 200) and USAC Silver Crown Series (Silver Crown Showdown at Darlington). The track is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation and has a seating capacity of 75,000. There is a museum at the raceway that focuses on the history of Darlington Raceway and of stock car racing, displaying cars driven at Darlington by famous drivers such as Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty and includes the 1950 Plymouth driven to win the first Southern 500 by Johnny Mantz. The museum is dedicated in 1965 to Joe Weatherly who was killed at Riverside in 1964.
Tickets
Ticket office: By telephone: 866-459-7223. Online: Buy tickets. Pit passes: Available through hospitality packages. Fan hospitality: Call the track ticket office for further information. Special packages: Call the track ticket office for further information.
Carry-In Items
Coolers: Allowed (one soft-sided bag - limit of 14x14x14 inches; one clear, plastic bag - limit of 18x18x4; plastic bags may not contain ice). Glass containers: Not allowed. Alcoholic beverages: Allowed. Cameras/binoculars: Allowed, must be worn separately.
Souvenirs and Displays
Merchandise: Driver and NASCAR merchandise haulers on-site. Scanners: Scanners available for rent on-site. Gift shop: Located at the speedway.
Autographs
Check local newspapers and television, or darlingtonraceway.com. Drivers are rarely available on race day.
Pit Area Guidelines
Available through hospitality packages. Shirt and shoes required.
Camping
Reserved: Available; for more information on reserved tent or motor home spaces, contact the ticket office at 866-459-7223.
Location
The address is 1301 Harry Byrd Highway, Darlington, SC 29532.
Disabled parking: Available; authorized, state-issued vehicle license or windshield tag is required. Motorcycle parking: Available.
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