The Darlington Raceway is one of the most historic venues in all of sports, let alone for NASCAR. Yet at one point NASCAR was actually thinking of the possibilities that could come from leaving the racetrack. With the possible expansion markets that NASCAR had at its disposal in its peak years this was a reality. But these did not end up happening, and with it the track over time regained a massive standing with the NASCAR audience to be one of the few tracks still hosting multiple dates on the series’ schedule. This is how Darlington made a modern resurgence.
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Outro Song:
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Songs:
Unfoldment, Revealment, Evolution, Exposition, Integration | YouTube Audio Library on the YouTube Audio Library by Chris Zabriskie
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29 comments
What is your favorite Darlington moment?
Going to the 2014 Southern 500 will always be my favorite since it was the first race I went to.
kyle dumping harvick and wreaking on pit road, kyle saying $hit and kyle parking on pit road
The 2003 photo finish between Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch
The wall ride attempt
Logano vs byron 2022 Goodyear 400
There’s many factors that kept Darlington on the schedule. Craven & Busch’s finish, the funding for track lights and people learning from what happened with North Wilkesboro.
Darlington is a top 3 track on the schedule if not the best. Bristol and Martinsville are also in that conversation.
I don’t really like Martinsville with the next gen
I think Darlington is one of the tracks that deserves 2 races
It has 2 dates this year
My personal memory is seeing Erik Jones winning in the 43 last September. I was there and seeing Kyle Busch blow up infront of me and the crowd went wild and cheered
Darlington’s modern resurgence is beautiful, and truly one of the few genuine bright spots any fan of NASCAR can agree on. This track is on my bucket list to visit. It’s one of the best in the sport
As someone who lives in SC and hasn’t missed a race since 2018. You can’t not go. Every race is memorable.
Like Bristol, at some point they switched the front stretch & the back stretch @ Darlington. Obviously, that didn’t make it any easier to drive. In the older film, lots of the grandstands were covered too.Xtra Loud & Xtra hot… But if the temperature & humidity are both 88, I’m not sure the cover helps much.
If you didn’t watch that race live you truly have no clue how amazing that moment was. The fact it was a driver like craven of all drivers to win it and win like that it was just, magical.
Early on Kurt wasn’t the most liked and newer fans aren’t too aware of that, he didn’t get a bunch of fan respect until after his issue with his ex wife, and he showed just how good he was when he took field filler car one after another into top 5-10’s and even wins and every single year. He deserves mad respect now.
Nascar did a great job making Darlington relevant again. Happy this track is on the schedule and for years to come.
Always loved Darlington. The tire fall off makes for a lot of comers and goers during the race, something that is sorely lacking nowadays.
Darlington needs to be put on the National Historic places list
For it to survive this long in the modern times shows the power of tradition. It truly is “Too Tough to Tame”
Wow I didn’t know that much pain and suffering that darlington had in the early 2000s and early 2010
So glad they kept Darlington around, one of my favorite tracks to watch a race, haven’t been there in person but would love to someday. A crown jewel with plenty of history, and a track with 2 of the best dates on the schedule every year
You gotta come to a race at least. You won’t regret it.
As a person from south Carolina I appreciate nascar making the effort to put 2 dates on nascar schedule for Darlington Darlington will always be one of my favorite tracks because of the history and the throwback weekend I just hope it stays that way because Darlington is one of the crown Jewels of nascar
Darlington’s survival and comeback gives me hope that Rockingham will one day be back on the Cup schedule.
7:52 This shot looks straight out of Days Of Thunder!
In any case glad NASCAR was able to restore the luster on this crown jewel. Always a weekend to look forward to!
I think Dale Jr really inspired the throwback stuff, doing the DW Mtn Dew throwback that year. Second, I think nascar lucked out getting the spring race back so they can use that as throwback. Granted nascar drivers change sponsors week to week but it’s important for consistency to go ahead and have the drivers in the paint schemes they’ll be with through some or most of the playoffs.
The photo finish with Craven and Busch and the photo finish was big for Darlington but you touched on the fact in 2020 Darlington had three races, and when they announced Darlington would be the first race back from Covid I like a lot of you we were just happy NASCAR was back. I was just so happy, I mean when I heard that they’d be coming back at Darlington I was like yes, yes, and yes! NASCAR is back. I of course needed anything to try and escape from all the covid stuff and give me something anything just anything to entertain me. I know throwback weekend besides the SuperSpeedway races are my favorite races to enjoy. And whenever I go to the store I usually around late in the year or early in the year like this year try and go look for them when NASCAR decided to team up with Lionel for the authentics I went to one of my Wal-Mart’s and I found a few of them and I was like whoa, Throwback cars!!!! Yes.