Darlington Raceway

Lore & Background

Darlington Raceway opened in 1950 under Darlington native Harold Brasington, who sought to replicate the success of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 in his hometown. Brasington quickly cut all ties with the facility, with Bob Colvin taking over control of the venue as president of the track. Colvin expanded and improved the speedway, but this work ended unfinished when he died in 1967, and the track's lack of amenities were criticized. The International Speedway Corporation (ISC) bought the facility in 1982 and expanded it in the 1990s. The track has remained a staple of the NASCAR Cup Series since its beginning years despite Darlington's small market and NASCAR's national expansion; the Southern 500 is considered among the schedule's most prestigious races.

Reader's Guide

Darlington Raceway in its current form is measured at 1.366 mi, with 25° of banking in the track's first two turns, 23° of banking in the track's last two turns, and 6° of banking on the track's straights. The track is known for its asymmetrical layout, with the first two turns having a wider radius than the last two turns. Due to numerous factors, including an unusually highly abrasive track surface, its asymmetrical shape, and the track's preferred racing line of being near the wall, the track has often been regarded by NASCAR drivers as one of the toughest circuits on the NASCAR schedule, with teams often sacrificing performance in one set of turns to run better in the other set of turns.

Did You Know?

• The track's egg shape resulted from Harold Brasington altering the radius of turns to protect a fishing pond owned by J. S. Ramsey.
• The venue was originally nicknamed 'Harold's Folly' by the local populace due to heavy speculation and doubt.
• The first major race at Darlington, the 1950 Southern 500, was won by Johnny Mantz.
• Bob Colvin, the second track president, enforced racially segregated policies, barring black spectators from grandstands and black driver Wendell Scott from racing for most of his tenure.