November 16, 2009
There was plenty of racing excitement over the weekend in the desert at Phoenix International Raceway.
The action started on Friday in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Ron Hornaday Jr., becoming the first four-time champion in that series. Hornaday’s truck owner, Kevin Harvick, won the race making it a big night for Kevin Harvick Inc.
The excitement continued on Saturday with Carl Edwards narrowing the Kyle Busch’s point lead in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with his win at PIR. While Busch will still win the series championship, it did postpone his championship celebration for one more week.
All eyes were on Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin heading into Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Johnson’s point lead was a slim 73 points to start the day and with both drivers qualifying in the top five Sunday was a great show.
Johnson had a dominant car and was able to storm to victory in the desert with Martin coming home fourth. Johnson leads Martin by 108 points heading into this seasons final event at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday and with a finish of 25th or better Johnson will clinch his fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.
If Johnson does go on to win his fourth straight championship it will make NASCAR history and how special it has been to be a part of it this season!
November 9, 2009
The points race is heating up after yesterday’s exciting race at Texas Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson’s early race incident helped his point lead shrink by more than 110 points over second place driver and teammate, Mark Martin.
Mark Martin, who of course won the Southern 500 at Darlington in May, finished fourth and now has a shot to overtake Johnson in the standings over the season’s final two events. It should be a great battle between the Hendrick Motorsports teammates as Phoenix and Homestead are good tracks for both drivers.
I know I am looking forward to watching the final two races of the season. It seems like just yesterday we were getting ready for the Daytona 500 and now the season is already coming to a close. It has been a great year with interesting storylines and looking ahead to next year I am sure we will be in for another great season of racing!
October 26, 2009
Congrats to Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 team for getting another Martinsville victory! It was Hamlin’s second career win at the track they call the paper clip. It looked like Jimmie Johnson was going to cruise to his second win at Martinsville in 2009 until Denny Hamlin passed the No. 48 and stormed to victory lane.
Much like Darlington, Martinsville is a track rich in history and tradition. NASCAR’s top series has been racing at Martinsville since 1948 making Martinsville the only track on the NASCAR schedule longer than Darlington.
We are really looking forward to the 2010 season and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Tickets for the famed event are on sale now and start as low as $35, you can get your tickets by calling our ticket office at 843-395-8823 or on our website by clicking on the ‘Events & Tickets’ page.
Southern 500 tickets make a great holiday gift and with the holiday season approaching now is a great time to get tickets for someone on your list. You don’t need to worry about size or color when it comes to race tickets; they are a perfect fit for everyone!
October 19, 2009
Jimmie Johnson did it again! Johnson recorded his sixth career victory at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Saturday night picking up his third win in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The win extends Johnson’s point lead to 90 points over second place contender and Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Mark Martin.
The performance of the No. 48 team in the Chase has been something phenomenal to watch. These guys really know how to get to the front of the pack when it counts and put distance between themselves and the rest of the Chase field. I can’t remember a more dominant performance in all of my years in NASCAR.
While Jimmie has performed well thus far in the Chase there is still time for the rest of the field to make up ground. What happened to Juan Pablo Montoya this weekend at Lowe’s is a perfect example that a driver and his team can never be too careful, a bad finish could be coming right around the corner.
October 12, 2009
It is hard to believe that the 2009 season is wrapping up and 2010 is only a couple of months away. Four races into the Chase and Jimmie Johnson has the No. 48 team in familiar territory at the top of the Sprint Cup Series standings. Johnson scored an impressive win at his home track over the weekend and vaulted past teammate Mark Martin into first place.
It’s not time to hand the championship trophy to Jimmie just yet, though. Mark Martin is still hungrier than ever for his first championship and has some tracks coming up that really play into his style of racing. One thing is for sure, this is going to be a great championship battle all the way to the finish at Homestead Miami Speedway.
At Darlington we are already looking to the 2010 season and after months of waiting tickets for the 2010 Southern 500 have finally gone on-sale! We have reduced our prices on over 40,000 seats at the track “Too Tough to Tame” making it more affordable than ever to attend this marquee NASCAR Sprint Cup event at the most unique track on the schedule.
Tickets start as low as $35 making night racing at Darlington the best value on the Sprint Cup circuit. To purchase your tickets visit DarlingtonRaceway.com/tickets, call 866-459-RACE or stop by the track. We can’t wait to see you in the stands in 2010!
October 5, 2009
Congratulations to Tony Stewart and the entire No. 14 team at Stewart-Haas racing on a great win at Kansas Speedway last weekend!
It has been very exciting to watch Tony Stewart and his team storm to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings this year. What he has been able to accomplish in such a short time at SHR is pretty incredible. We have not seen a strong performance from a driver/owner since Alan Kulwicki in the early 1990s.
One thing that still eludes Stewart is a win at Darlington Raceway in the prestigious Southern 500. Speaking of the Southern 500, tickets for the 2010 event will go on-sale this weekend! It is hard to believe that the Southern 500 event weekend is just around the corner.
Fans purchasing tickets for the 2010 installment of the Southern 500 will notice new, lower prices in nearly every grandstand at Darlington Raceway. Officials at Darlington reduced ticket prices on over 40,000 seats during the off-season making attending the Southern 500 more affordable than ever. With ticket prices starting as low as $35 night-racing at Darlington is the best value on the Sprint Cup Circuit.
You can purchase tickets by calling our ticket office at 866-459-RACE or visit DarlingtonRaceway.com. Everyone at Darlington Raceway is looking forward to seeing you at the track “Too Tough to Tame.”
September 28, 2009
We had a great weekend at the Darlington Historic Racing Festival Presented by O’Reilly Auto parts!
The weekend started out on Saturday with NASCAR legends Cale Yarborough and Junior Johnson answering questions and signing autographs for fans. To hear these guys reminisce about their careers in NASCAR is really something special and I know that all of the fans getting autographs enjoyed meeting two of NASCAR’s original heroes.
Three time Indy 500 champion Johnny Rutherford was also on hand Saturday and talked about his impressive career in Indy racing as well as NASCAR. Rutherford talked about coming into Darlington and getting chills just thinking about all of the history at the track “Too Tough to Tame.”
The excitement continued on Sunday with all-time Darlington wins leader David Pearson and Leonard Wood taking the stage for questions and autographs. These two really have some great stories about Darlington and it was great to hear about their impressive run together in the 1970s.
I would really like to thank all of our fans for coming out and supporting this event. We are already planning for the 2010 Darlington Historic Racing Festival so keep checking DarlingtonRaceway.com for details.
September 21, 2009
It was great to see Southern 500 winner, Mark Martin, get off to a great start in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Mark and his No. 5 team have put together a great year leading the point standings heading into the Chase and getting an important win to kickoff the Chase and keep their momentum going.
Martin also announced late last week that he will be back in the No. 5 next season at Hendrick Motorsports full-time. Having Martin back in 2010 is good for NASCAR. He is a fan favorite, one of the classiest drivers in the garage and a throwback style racer.
Speaking of throwback racers, the Darlington Historic Racing Festival presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts is finally here! Cars will begin rolling into town on Friday for two-days of historic racing. We are expecting over 100 vintage race cars to be at Darlington this weekend as well as some of racings true legends.
All of the cars will be on display in the garage area and many will also go onto the track to run exhibition laps. There will be six classes of cars, including: two stock car classes, Indy roadsters, midgets, modifieds and historics. Fans will also have the opportunity to get up close with these cars in the garage area since each ticket includes admission into the garage area.
In addition to the historic cars many racing legends will also be in attendance. South Carolina natives David Pearson and Cale Yarborough will be participating in question and answer sessions with fans as well as an autograph session. Other legends include: open-wheel legend Johnny Rutherford, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, Marvin Panch, Ray Fox, Ned Jarrett, Rex White and many more.
We sure are looking forward to this weekend’s event and hope to see you at the track “Too Tough to Tame.” Be sure to check out http://www.darlingtonraceway.com for more information on everything going on at Darlington or to purchase tickets to any of our events!
September 14, 2009
Last week was a great week for everyone at Darlington Raceway. On Friday, September 11 we hosted the fourth annual NASCAR Foundation Blood Drive and saw record participation from the community! The Red Cross was able to collect over 200 units of blood making the Blood Drive at Darlington the largest one-day collection in the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina.
Each year the NASCAR Foundation Blood Drive at Darlington has grown and I would like to sincerely thank everyone who came out and participated in this year’s drive. We look forward to making next year’s drive the biggest and best yet.
The NASCAR Foundation Blood Drive was a great kickoff to an awesome weekend of racing at Richmond International Raceway. Heading into the weekend only four drivers were locked into the Chase for the Sprint Cup so everyone was looking forward to an exciting night on Saturday.
Saturday’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 was full of excitement and great story lines. The racing was close up front with Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin battling for the lead for much of the night. Hamlin finally edged Gordon and Busch to get his first Cup Series victory at his home track.
Everyone also had their eyes on Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers throughout the evening. Busch and Vickers were vying for the 12th and final spot in the Chase and Kyle needed to finish well ahead of Vickers to race his way into the Chase. When the checkered flag flew it was Busch in fifth and Vickers in seventh giving Vickers the final spot in the Chase by only eight points – the slimmest margin in Chase history!
With the Chase field set everyone has their eyes on New Hampshire and getting off to a fast start. If Saturday’s race in Richmond is any indication, we are all in for one great race to the finish!
September 9, 2009
Welcome to the new and improved DarlingtonRaceway.com! As you can see our new site has a totally different look and feel and includes many more interactive features including photo and video galleries as well as an interactive timeline featuring historic photos and videos from some of the moments that helped shaped the history of Darlington Raceway.
You can still count on DarlingtonRaceway.com to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening at the track “Too Tough to Tame.” Additionally, news feeds from ESPN have been added throughout the site to bring you the latest in NASCAR news.
Beginning on Monday, September 14 we will be unveiling our 2010 Southern 500 logo on our new site. Be sure to check the site each day to see the new logo as it is unveiled and also enter to win a 2010 Southern 500 ticket package.
Our staff has worked long and hard to make our new site innovative, exciting and fan-friendly. We would love for you to let us know what you think about the new site; please feel free to drop us a note at tickets@darlingtonraceway.com.
Lastly, thank you for your continued support of Darlington Raceway. We have the greatest fans in all of racing and look forward to seeing you here for the 2010 Southern 500.
August 17, 2009
What a great weekend of NASCAR racing in the Irish Hills of Michigan.
Things got off to a great start on Saturday with a wild finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Brad Keselowski's late race heroics led to one of the best finishes we have seen in the Nationwide Series all season. Of course the post race excitement between Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers was pretty exciting too. Both drivers were fighting hard for the win and tempers flared. It was a great testament to the close competition in the Nationwide Series.
Saturday's race meant redemption for Brian Vickers. After starting from the pole Vickers found himself behind former teammate Jimmie Johnson. Johnson had dominated the day but that domination came at a price - less than dominant fuel mileage. Vickers saved fuel and took the lead after Johnson’s tank ran dry late in the race. The win was the second Cup win for Vickers and the first Cup win for Red Bull.
At Darlington Raceway we are only weeks away from the Darlington Historic Racing Festival presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts. Things are coming together nicely and we will be posting a schedule of driver appearances soon.
July 27, 2009
Jimmie Johnson showed why he is a three-time champion on Sunday when he won the Brickyard 400 for the third time. Johnson became the only driver to win the Brickyard back-to-back beating teammate Mark Martin to the checkered flag.
The race was exciting from the drop of the green-flag. Juan Pablo Montoya certainly had the dominate car all day but was penalized late in the race for speeding on pit road. Montoya was looking to make history of his own on Sunday, a win would have meant a victory in the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400, two of racing's most prestigious races.
Speaking of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they have a fantastic museum at the track there. The museum is home to so much history it is really pretty amazing. We announced last week that three cars from that very museum will be on display at the Darlington Historic Racing Festival. The three cars coming from IMS have all raced at Darlington with one of the cars posting a victory in 1950! The cars on display will be:
1950 Russo-Nichels Special
The Russo-Nichels Special was actually built in the basement of the Hammond, Indiana home of its driver, Paul Russo by Russo and his chief mechanic, Ray Nichels. It had to be partially dismantled in order to be removed, earning the nickname, "Basement Bessie." By the time of the final AAA Championship race of the year, at the brand-new Darlington Raceway, Russo was trying to make a comeback after being sidelined with an arm injury. In the meantime, 1950 Indianapolis winner Johnnie Parsons, delayed by travel woes, arrived to discover that another driver was in his car. Russo and Nichels decided to turn "Basement Bessie" over to Parsons and the unlikely combination won the Darlington race.
1954 Dean Van Lines Special
Jimmy Bryan finished third in the 1954 Darlington 200, driving the same Dean Van Lines Special with which he had finished second at Indianapolis five weeks earlier. These finishes were quite remarkable in that the Eddie Kuzma-built Offenhauser-powered car was designed for use on dirt tracks. Bryan did win five dirt track races in 1954, including the last four in succession to capture the 1954 AAA National title by a huge margin.
1956 Wolcott Special
Built primarily for dirt tracks, the Wolcott Special was driven by Rodger Ward in the 1956 Darlington 200. Seen in the attached photo at Indianapolis that May, the driver is Len Sutton, who would end up as Ward's teammate in the one-two finish by the Leader Card team at Indianapolis in 1962. Behind Sutton are fellow "500" drivers Clark "Shorty" Templeman and Jack Turner, plus the famed radio broadcaster, Sid Collins, "The Voice of the 500."
We are looking forward to having everyone here for the Darlington Historic Racing Festival! Remember, tickets are still available and affordable. Adult admission is only $15 per day and kids 12 and under are admitted for FREE!
July 7, 2009
There were plenty of fireworks at Daytona International Speedway last weekend as Tony Stewart tangled with Kyle Busch and won the Coke Zero 400. The finish was certainly exciting with both drivers gunning for the checkered flag and Kyle Busch moving across the front of Tony Stewart's car. It was Tony’s second points win as a driver/owner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
At Darlington we are looking forward to the second annual Darlington Historic Racing Festival on September 26-27. As you may have heard O’Reilly Auto Parts, a leading retailer of automotive parts and accessories, has been signed as the presenting sponsor for the Darlington Historic Racing Festival.
The Darlington Historic Racing Festival presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27. The event will offer fans two days of excitement featuring question and answer sessions with racing legends, exhibition laps by over 100 historic race cars including stock cars, Indy roadsters, midgets and modifieds, autograph sessions, a large display and vendor area, car corrals, and a variety of other activities.
Discounted one-day tickets for the event can be purchased at participating O’Reilly Auto Parts stores in the Charlotte, North Carolina and Greenville, Columbia and Florence, South Carolina areas beginning on August 24 for only $10, a $5 discount off the regular price. Children age 12 and under will be admitted to the event for free. Each admission includes access to the garage and infield area.
June 29, 2009
What an exciting day Joey Logano had at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. It seems like just yesterday we saw Joey Logano win the NASCAR Camping World East Series championship and now he has scored his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.
Joey became the youngest winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history after turning 19 years old late last month. Joey grew up in the northeast so how neat it must have been for him to win at his home track and in front of his most die-hard fans!
I had the opportunity to spend some time with Joey Logano in April when he was at Darlington for our media day event to help promote the Southern 500. Joey is very mature for a 19 year old and he understands the history and tradition of NASCAR. On media day he learned his way around Darlington with a true legend, Cale Yarborough, and that helped him earn a top-10 finish here in the Southern 500.
Joey represents the future of NASCAR and it is great to see him succeed at such a young age. Joey will be a mainstay in NASCAR for years to come and that's good news for everyone.
June 23, 2009
What a great race weekend at Infineon Raceway! Road course racing is something I have always been a fan of. I remember watching sports car races when I was growing up and it is really neat to see NASCAR stock cars turn right, even though it only happens twice a year.
Kasey Kahne's win will be a huge confidence boost for his team and the entire Richard Petty Motorsports organization. Speaking of Richard Petty, how cool was it to see the 'King’ back in victory lane? It had been 10 years since his last visit and that is far too long if you ask me.
Winning can do a lot for a race team. When you are down on your luck and not running well it is easy to point out all of the problems and a win can cure a lot of that. It not only brings confidence to the winning driver and team, it also gives the entire organization something to be proud of. Kasey Kahne is a great young talent and I am sure we will see more of him as the season goes on. How special it must be for Kasey to learn from the winningest driver in NASCAR history - Richard Petty.
Speaking of NASCAR history we are gearing up for the Darlington Historic Racing Festival, September 26-27. You can get your tickets now for the Darlington Historic Racing Festival. Tickets start at $15 per day or $25 for a weekend pass and children 12 and under are admitted FREE! Each admission includes admission into the garage area, driver Q&A sessions and autograph sessions. To get your tickets visit http://www.DarlingtonRaceway.com or call 843-395-8802.
June 15, 2009
What an exciting finish to yesterday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway!
Jimmie Johnson certainly had the dominant car all day and looked to be well on his way to victory lane before running out of gas just before the checkered flag. It looked like Greg Biffle, a guy who is always strong at MIS, was going to capitalize on Johnson’s misfortune until his fuel tank ran dry leaving the victory for Southern 500 winner Mark Martin.
Mark is a legend and great ambassador for NASCAR and it was great to see the No. 5 team back in victory lane for the third time this season.
Speaking of legends, last week we announced that South Carolina natives Cale Yarborough and David Pearson will be headlining the driver appearance lineup at the Darlington Historic Racing Festival on September 26-27. Joining them to swap stories and sign autographs will be legendary promoter H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler. I sure am looking forward to hearing the stories these guys have to tell!
You can get your tickets now for the Darlington Historic Racing Festival. Tickets start at $15 per day or $25 for a weekend pass and children 12 and under are admitted FREE! Each admission includes admission into the garage area, driver Q&A sessions and autograph sessions. To get your tickets visit http://www.DarlingtonRaceway.com or call 843-395-8802.
June 1, 2009
What a race yesterday at Dover International Speedway!
I did not think Jimmie Johnson had a shot to win after he had trouble in the pits and came back out on the track behind several cars. Johnson proved me and everyone else wrong as he drove through the pack of cars picking them off one at a time until he finally took the lead from Tony Stewart with just a few laps to go. Sunday really showed why Jonson and the No. 48 team are three-time defending champions.
The other big story to come out of Dover is Tony Stewart. Stewart became the first owner/driver to lead the Cup Series points since Alan Kulwicki. Stewart has always been known as a driver who hits his peak during the summer months so the next several weeks should be some of his best this season.
We are still planning and preparing for the Darlington Historic Racing Festival. Stay tuned to DarlingtonRaceway.com for the latest news and updates on what has become a great annual event!
May 26, 2009
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend, I certainly did. Memorial Day weekend has always been one of my favorite holiday weekends. First and foremost it honors true American heroes - service men and women in the armed forces. Without their sacrifices we would not be able to enjoy the freedoms that we have today. Second, Memorial Day weekend is THE weekend for motorsports. The Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 and Coke 600 are three great races.
Helio Castroneves made history adding his name to a small list of three-time Indy 500 winners. It was great to see Helio make history at Indy's hallowed ground. Given his age and talent level he certainly has a chance to become the first and only five-time winner at Indy. It was also a record-setting day for team owner Roger Penske. The win marked a record 15th time a car owned by Roger Penske had gone to victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The conclusion of the Indy 500 set the stage for NASCAR's longest event - the Coca Cola 600. The 600-mile event is the longest on NASCAR’s schedule but inclement weather forced the race to be run on Memorial Day. After the race got underway rain forced three red-flags. During one caution period for rain NASCAR observed a moment of silence to honor the service men and women from the United States Armed Forces. It was a special moment that won’t soon be forgotten.
May 18, 2009
The 2009 Sprint All-Star race is in the books and Tony Stewart finally got his first win in the All-Star event and his first win as an owner driver. Stewart is one of my favorite drivers; he is a no non-sense kind of a guy who will race anything that has wheels. It is great to see him succeed as an owner-driver and I expect to see even more wins from Stewart-Haas Racing in the future. Who knows, he may finally get that elusive win at Darlington in the 2010 Southern 500.
The next major event on the calendar at Darlington Raceway is the Darlington Historic Racing Festival on September 26-27. We are expecting even more car entries this year than what we saw in last year's event making the 2009 installment the biggest and best yet.
The Darlington Historic Racing Festival is a great event for the entire family, tickets are only $25 for the two-day event and kids 12 and under get in for free. Each admission includes access to the garage and infield area where there will be plenty of vendors, autograph sessions and driver question and answer sessions. To get your tickets give us a call at 843-395-8802 or visit http://www.DarlingtonRaceway.com .
May 11, 2009
50-year-old Mark Martin won the 2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com and collected his 37th Sprint Cup career victory. Martin led 46 laps and took the checkered flag by using the last bit of fuel he had left.
The drivers put on a show for the fans with a record setting 17 cautions during the race. There is no doubt in my mind that Darlington Raceway is the most exciting race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule and last weekend was no exception.
Darlington Raceway has concluded another successful race weekend with a celebration that will never be forgotten. The Lady in Black's 60th season of racing included an excellent pre-race concert by Billy Currington, a visit from Darlington Raceway’s previous winners and NASCAR legends, a throw-back look with retro red and white walls and the introduction of the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers onstage with their Mom’s for this Mother’s Day Weekend.
It was a great weekend for all who were apart of Darlington Raceway’s 60th season of racing. I want to personally thank the Darlington Raceway staff for their tremendous dedication to making this year so special. I also want to thank the fans for their continued support of Darlington Raceway, without them there would not be a race as great as the Southern 500.
May 4, 2009
Kyle Busch celebrated his 24th birthday in victory lane sweeping the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup series races at Richmond International Raceway. I'm sure last weekend’s success will be carried over to Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com as he will be racing for a repeat win.
The week "Too Tough to Tame" is here and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com back to Darlington, SC. Kicking off the week is the Taste of Darlington on Tuesday night, the Hauler Parade on Thursday, the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on Friday night and the return of the Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com on Saturday night.
I’m looking forward to this year’s pre-race festivities on Saturday including the Darlington Raceway legends that will be joining us onstage for the return of the Southern 500 race title. Having the previous Darlington Raceway winners here will prelude to the 2009 Darlington Historic Racing Festival that will be held here in September. This is another great event that Darlington Raceway is looking forward to hosting and welcoming fans from all over the country.
We still have tickets available for the 2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com. Our ticket office will be opened from 8am-6pm this week, so give us a call at 866-459-RACE or logon to DarlingtonRaceway.com for tickets. I hope to see everyone here to help us celebrate 60 years of racing this weekend. It will be a weekend to remember.
April 27, 2009
Congratulations to Brad Keselowski on his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win. Brad's win came at one of my favorite tracks - Talladega Superspeedway. You can always expect to see a good show at Talladega just like you can when you watch a race at Darlington.
There is only one more race weekend before the green flags will drop for the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 8th and the Southern 500® presented by GoDaddy.com on May 9th. The staff at Darlington Raceway is looking forward to hosting a first-class event at the track "Too Tough To Tame."
We are Celebrating 60 Years of Racing at Darlington Raceway and we have plenty of pre-race festivities going on to make it memorable. We are honored to announce that five-time Southern 500 champion Cale Yarborough will be back to the track to serve as our honorary pace car driver for the Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com. Along with Cale, we will have other Darlington Raceway legends joining the active Sprint Cup drivers onstage for driver introductions to reminisce their racing days.
We still have tickets available, but you better order now! Our new ticket office hours are Monday - Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 1pm-5pm. Or you can visit us at www.DarlingtonRaceway.com.
We look forward to seeing everyone in just a couple of weeks at the track "Too Tough to Tame!"
April 20, 2009
Mark Martin won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race for Hendrick Motorsports in Phoenix last weekend and is only a couple of points away from being a contender for the Chase. It has been 16 years since Martin has won at Darlington Raceway and he has proven he can still get it done on the track against the best drivers in the world.
Fans will notice a special yet familiar change to the track's paint scheme for this year’s Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com and Diamond Hill Plywood 200. The most famous walls in NASCAR have gone retro and have been painted red and white to give Darlington Raceway a fresh look for the track’s 60th season of racing.
Along with the new look of the track, Darlington Raceway will also present a new trophy to the winner of this year’s Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com. The Johnny Mantz Southern 500 trophy displays all 43 drivers that have driven to victory on NASCAR’s toughest track.
We are only three weeks away from the week "Too Tough to Tame" and the staff here at Darlington Raceway is gearing up for the 2009 Southern 500® presented by GoDaddy.com. This week we will host a special media event with Joey Logano and Cale Yarborough. Logano has a promising future in the Spring Cup Series, but the true test to this young talent is how he can handle the Lady in Black. Logano will have a great opportunity to learn about Darlington from five-time Southern 500 champion Cale Yarborough at this event.
Tickets are still available for the Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com. This event has sold-out the last four years so hurry and get your tickets today. Call our ticket office today at 843-395-8802 or visit www.DarlingtonRaceway.com!
April 14, 2009
I hope everyone had a relaxing Easter weekend and enjoyed watching young gun Joey Logano battle Kyle Busch to win his second Nationwide Series race on Saturday night. We look forward to hosting Joey at our media day coming up this month and talking with him about his year so far and what experiences he has gained to help him prepare for the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Darlington Raceway.
We are excited to announce that this year's presenting sponsor for the 2009 Southern 500® will be the world’s dominant Web hosting domain registrar, GoDaddy.com. We are looking forward to this partnership with Go Daddy. To have them on board to help us celebrate 60 years of racing with the return of the Southern 500 brand will make this year’s event even more special.
I appreciate everyone visiting DarlingtonRaceway.com and continuing to support the track. We only have a couple more weeks until the green flag will wave for the Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com. It will be a great Mother’s Day weekend and we are excited for all the fans to be a part of the celebration. Don’t miss this historic event; get your tickets today by calling our ticket office at 843-395-8802 or visiting www.DarlingtonRaceway.com!
April 8, 2009
Last weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Texas Motor Speedway certainly was exciting. Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team thundered to victory lane ending a 47 race winless streak. It was Gordon’s first win in a point race since October of 2007. The victory kept Gordon on top of the Sprint Cup Series standings as the series takes a break this weekend for Easter.
I am certainly going to be keeping my eyes on the No. 24 team in the coming weeks as the series heads to tracks where they have traditionally performed well, including Darlington. Gordon is a seven-time winner at Darlington and has more wins here than any other active driver. His last win at the track "Too Tough to Tame" came in 2007 and I think he may just be the driver to beat at Darlington in 2009.
Hopefully you saw our announcement last week about the VAULT pre-race concert featuring Billy Currington. Billy has been a race fan for all of his life and is really looking forward to playing the National Anthem and pre-race concert at Darlington.
Get your tickets for the 2009 Southern 500 today! We have affordable tickets available starting at $35 and you can add on the Colvin Grill All-You-Can-Eat package for only $15. Call 843-395-8802 or visit www.DarlingtonRaceway.com to purchase your tickets. I can’t wait to see everyone at Darlington!
March 31, 2009
The nice weather along with some great short track racing made my trip to Martinsville a great one, not to mention I had three of those famous, tasty hotdogs.
I was very impressed by Jimmie Johnson's determination as he drove underneath Denny Hamlin to earn his first win of the season. This gives Johnson his 41st career victory as a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver.
This week I was fortunate enough to visit the Richard Childress Racing shop in Welcome, N.C. We toured the chassis and fabrication shop and had the opportunity to talk with the experts that work on and construct NASCAR Sprint cars. It was incredible to see these guys at work and I have an immense appreciation for the ones behind the scenes who work long hours before and after race weekends.
We are excited that race week at the track "Too Tough to Tame" is approaching quickly. We still have tickets starting at $35 available and hospitality packages to add something extra to your race weekend experience. 2009 marks our 60th Season of Racing, so do not miss out.
Thank you again for visiting www.DarlingtonRaceway.com and keep checking us out for updates and announcements.
March 24, 2009
I know Joe Gibbs is extremely proud after the teamwork Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin displayed last Sunday in Bristol. Busch stayed ahead of pack for 378 laps and it paid off as he took the green white checkered flag. His teammate Denny Hamlin finished 2nd and closing the top 5 included Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahn. Kahne gives Richard Petty Motorsports their first top 5 finish of the season and I'm hoping to see more of them as we race through the season.
I spent yesterday in Columbia, SC with South Carolina legislatures and announced the findings of our latest economic impact study. The study revealed that Darlington Raceway has a $54 million impact annually on the state of South Carolina.
The South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate also passed a Concurrent Resolution declaring the week of the Southern 500 Darlington Raceway week, a week "Too Tough to Tame," in South Carolina.
You can become a fan of Darlington Raceway on Facebook to receive news and updates as well as post any questions you may have on our discussion board. Our staff will answer any questions you may have personally so you know you will be getting the most accurate information.
Enjoy the rest of your week and enjoy this weekend's race in Martinsville.
March 17, 2009
Last weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series had the first off week of the season, but at Darlington Raceway we had plenty of excitement last week. Drivers Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte and Elliott Sadler were at the track "Too Tough to Tame" testing tires for Goodyear. Each of the drivers praised the two year-old surface and the tires Goodyear brought to the test.
For those of you that have already purchased tickets be checking your mailbox because the first batches of tickets were mailed out yesterday. If you have not gotten your tickets yet for the Southern 500® there are still great seats available. You can purchase tickets for as little as $35 dollars by calling 866-459-RACE or at DarlingtonRaceway.com!
The days are flying by and before you know it, the green flag will be waiving for the 2009 Southern 500® on May 9. Show your Mom how much you care about her by bringing her to the most historic race on the circuit this Mother's Day Weekend.
Have a great week and see you back here at www.DarlingtonRaceway.com.
March 10, 2009
It was great weather for racing on Sunday and a great win for Kurt Busch. This win gave Kurt his 19th Cup victory since he started racing in the Cup Series back in 2000. Kurt had a dominate car all day long and an exciting last couple of laps passing Carl Edwards during a Green-White-Checker finish to take home the win.
We have Goodyear tire testing here this week and that means we are getting even closer to the Southern 500®. Goodyear will be testing tires with Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick and hearing those engines circle the track is sweet music to our ears here at Darlington.
We are less than 60 days away from the Southern 500 and tickets are moving going fast! If you haven't gotten your tickets yet now is a greta time to buy. We have tickets starting at $35 and recently announced the return of our Colvin Grill all-you-can-eat package for only $15 per person. You do not want to miss the 60th Season of Racing at the track "Too Tough to Tame," call our ticket office at 1-866-459-RACE.
Have a great week and see you back here at www.DarlingtonRaceway.com.
March 4, 2009
It sure was a great homecoming victory for Kyle Busch this past weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is Kyle's 13th Sprint Cup win and his first at the track located in his hometown.
Yet another great race behind us as we count down the days until the 2009 Southern 500®. I am happy to announce that we began selling our Colvin Grandstand all-you-can-eat ticket package this week. The package will sell for $50 and includes a seat in the Colvin grandstand and all-you-can-eat hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and soft drinks at the Colvin Grill. You can purchase these tickets by calling our ticket office at 1-866-459-RACE.
NASCAR will be in Atlanta, GA this weekend for the Kobalt Tools 500. Let’s see if Kyle can pull off a back-to-back victory at the track he won at last year. Have a great rest of the week and enjoy the race this weekend.
February 24, 2009
The Auto Club 500 in Fontana, CA turned out to be a great race after the rain cleared and the green flag was waved. On Sunday Matt Kenseth became the fifth driver to win the first two consecutive races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He joined an elite crew including Marvin Panch, Bob Welborn, David Pearson and Jeff Gordon. So far, a dominating season for Kenseth and Roush-Fenway Racing.
Kyle Busch also had an impressive run at Auto Club Speedway as he became the only driver to win two NASCAR National Touring events on the same day. He came close to capturing all three races in Fontana as he finished 3rd in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
This week will be a busy one at Darlington Raceway. Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Ned Jarrett and his former car owner Bondy Long will be at Darlington Raceway this week to talk about the return of the Southern 500. Together these two have compiled 27 victories including one special win here at Darlington Raceway in 1965.
We are another week closer to the 2009 Southern 500 and for those of you who have not purchased your ticket yet for this historic race, you can call our ticket office at 1-866-459-RACE or visit DarlingtonRaceway.com.
Enjoy the rest of your week and keep checking DarlingtonRaceway.com every week for new updates.
February 17, 2009
The 2009 NASCAR season is underway and I want to congratulate Matt Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing for their victory in this year's Daytona 500. Kenseth broke a 36- race winless streak and Jack Roush visited the Daytona 500's Victory Lane for the first time. Kenseth is off to a great start and I am sure we will be seeing more of him as a front runner for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
Last week in Daytona was a vast mix of excitement and surprise for drivers as well as our fans. Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch kicked-off the season by taking home trophies for the Gatorade Duels on Thursday. Tony Stewart finally caught a break after both of his cars wrecked during Cup practice and captured the win for the first race of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Here at Darlington Raceway we are gearing up for another year of racing. You can always visit our webpage, DarlingtonRaceway.com, to get up to the minute information about tickets and track news.
There are a lot of contenders to win races in 2009 and just like last weekend’s race in Daytona; you never know what can happen, so stay tuned to this weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California for the Auto Club 500.
