Scroll Down

Explore the stories, legends, and legacy that shaped NASCAR’s most historic track. Be sure to check back each week, as we will unveil new moments every Monday leading up to the Cook Out Southern 500 race week. And don’t forget to follow us across social to stay up-to-date and insider access!

BUY LABOR DAY WEEKEND TICKETS
SHOP 75TH COLLECTION
VISIT THE MUSEUM
EXPLORE THROWBACK WEEKEND
TRACK HISTORY
1949
Darlington native and visionary Harold Brasington breaks ground on the new, unique egg-shaped oval, which will sit on 70 acres of land right outside of Darlington along Highway 151. He gets the idea to build a big-time track for stock cars in South Carolina after seeing the 1933 Indianapolis 500.
Black-and-white photo showing Darlington Raceway during its early construction phase. The image captures exposed dirt embankments, workers on-site, and concrete forms being shaped for the grandstand area. A few vehicles and a small building sit in the background across the developing track surface.
1950

Summer: NASCAR decides to co-sanction the Southern 500 since Central States Racing Association (CSRA) was having difficulty getting drivers to send entries for the race. Harold Brasington, builder of the track who would become the track’s first President, meets with NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr., who vows to get drivers to make up a full field. Running of the first Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR's original superspeedway race, the first for "stock cars."

More than 75 cars are entered for the event, qualifying over a 15-day period (starting three-wide) while some 25,000 fans watch from the grandstand and infield. The top-starting spot is captured by Curtis Turner at a speed of 82.034 mph. The race is won by Californian Johnny Mantz, the slowest qualifier. He blitzes the field, however, by using a hard-compound truck tire (and never changing them) while others keep blowing tires throughout the race.

 
Black-and-white photo of Harold Brasington standing next to a stock car promoting the inaugural Darlington race. The side of the car is painted with large text reading “Race Date Sept. 3” and “500 mi Stock Car Classic.” Brasington stands proudly in light-colored pants and a short-sleeve shirt.
1951

 Sept 3: Herb Thomas, in the No. 92 Fabulous Hudson Hornet, laps the field to win his first of three Southern 500s in five years. A NASCAR record 82 cars entered the race.

 
Black-and-white action photo of two stock cars racing on a paved track. In the foreground, car #90 driven by Russ Lonas is side-by-side with car #92, labeled “Fabulous Hudson Hornet.” The Hudson Hornet’s iconic lettering is prominently displayed along the side, and the vehicles are slightly banked as they speed along the track, with a guardrail in the background.
1952
After the Southern 500, the track is reconstructed to 1.375 miles in length, which will increase speeds of the cars. Old turns 3 & 4  (south end) were completely rebuilt and banked 26 feet, an increase from 14-foot embankment of previous years. The turns are raised 5 and ½ feet in elevation. Degree of banking is now 23 degrees.
Black-and-white photo of NASCAR driver Buck Baker standing beside his #87 stock car on the frontstretch of Darlington Raceway. Baker, dressed in a white racing uniform and helmet, leans confidently on the car roof. A large crowd fills the grandstands behind him, and a prominent scoring/press tower displays a banner advertising “PURE-PREMIUM Gasoline.” Several other race cars and drivers are visible on the starting grid.
1955
Sept: First complete sellout for the 1955 Southern 500.
Wide-angle black-and-white photo of a packed grandstand at Darlington Raceway in 1955. Spectators in white shirts and hats fill the bleachers as stock cars race along the track. A press box with reporters, clipboards, and typewriters is visible in the foreground.
1955
Herb Thomas wins his third Southern 500 in just five events. Thomas becomes the second driver to win without changing tires while lapping the field. It is the first speedway win for Chevrolet and only their second in Cup history 
A black and white aerial photograph captures a dramatic finish at a 1955 stock car race. Two race cars are crossing the finish line nearly side by side. In the foreground, car number 92 is slightly ahead, bearing the sponsor name “FABULOUS HUDSON HORNET” along the side. Just behind and to the outside, car number 62 trails by a narrow margin. Both cars are vintage 1950s stock cars with visible racing numbers and sponsor markings. A large crowd of spectators, dressed predominantly in white, fills the grandstands in the bottom half of the image. Beyond the track, the infield and pit area are populated with crew members, officials, and vehicles. The scene conveys intense competition and excitement at the finish line.

FOLLOW US

X
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM