Darlington Raceway News
June 21, 2007
Darlington beings renovation; 2008 date set for Mothers day: For Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning, about the only thing better than seeing Nextel Cup cars and NASCAR haulers at the track is watching cranes and construction trucks work on the superspeedway. Browning has seen a small construction yard go up right alongside NASCAR's oldest superspeedway as it begins $10 million worth of projects that include repaving the track surface and adding a third access tunnel to the infield. ``I think it's great,'' Browning said Thursday. ``It means a lot for our future.'' Work started this week with crews removing barrier walls. Next comes construction of the access tunnel between turns three and four. Finally, in August, work will begin on repaving the track. Browning said workers will mill off about 3 inches of the track, replacing it with new asphalt -- and guaranteeing a much slicker surface when the Nextel Cup series returns. Browning has received a preliminary copy of the track's NASCAR sanctioning agreement for next year that calls for a fourth-straight Mother's Day weekend race. (AP/Yahoo!)
July 18, 2006
Group told to remove billboard near Speedway: Confederate group says a landowner's decision to remove a billboard because the message was controversial is a violation of its members' free speech rights. The Sons of Confederate Veterans paid for a billboard near Darlington Raceway this year. The group wanted the sign to be visible for the track's one NASCAR race. Organization spokesman Don Gordon said the message was in response to comments by a NASCAR executive about the Confederate flag. The billboard had a checkered race flag and a Confederate flag with the words, "Victory is Great, but Honor is Greater. Defend your Southern heritage." South Carolina Central Railroad owns the land and leases it to Palmetto Outdoor Media for a billboard. The Confederate group paid Palmetto Outdoor for the advertising space. All agree that the sign was removed at the request of the railroad. The ad was in response to a comment made in October by NASCAR chief executive Brian France, who said in an interview that the Confederate flag was "not a flag that I look at with anything favorable. That's for sure." (Post and Courier)
May 13, 2006:
Darlington back in 2007: Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning didn't have to wait nearly as long as last year to find out about his next race. Browning got the NASCAR sanctioning agreements in the mail Friday for 2007, guaranteeing more Nextel Cup racing at "The Track Too Tough To Tame.'' "So that was pretty cool,'' Browning said Saturday. Browning said the format will be the same as this year and take place on Mother's Day weekend with the Busch series' Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on Friday, May 11th, and the Nextel Cup's Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday, May 12th. (SI.com)
Sad News, Darlington Raceway's Brasington passes away: Harold Brasington Jr., the son of Darlington Raceway's founder, has died. The 63-year-old Brasington passed away Saturday, one week before the facility's Nextel Cup event. His survivors include four children, among them daughter Annie Brasington of Charleston. Brasington's father built the track in 1950, the same year it hosted NASCAR's first 500-mile event and first race on a paved track. Brasington Jr. spoke with the media in early April, when the facility's new grandstand was named in honor of his father, and said he would like to see the elder Brasington inducted into NASCAR's upcoming Hall of Fame. (Post Courier)
May 1, 2006:
Darlington Speedway Grandstand seats sold-out! Reserved grandstand seats for the 2006 Dodge Charger 500, the 105th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at legendary Darlington Raceway, are sold out, track officials announced today. The sellout is the earliest in Darlington Raceway history. Last year’s sellout was the earliest at Darlington since the 1997 Mountain Dew Southern 500. This year, Darlington Raceway will welcome her largest grandstand crowd in 57 years of racing. With the addition of the new Brasington Tower in Turn 1, the track now seats approximately 3,000 more fans than last year. “We are thrilled at the continuing excitement surrounding Darlington’s Mother’s Day weekend race date,” said Raceway president Chris Browning. “The fans’ enthusiasm and support has been truly overwhelming. We’ve made a lot of changes over the past year, and we can’t wait to show off the ‘new Darlington’ to a packed house for the second consecutive year, and continue this great Mother’s Day tradition at the track ‘Too Tough To Tame.’ We think seats in the Brasington Tower will become one of the hottest tickets in NASCAR once fans get their first look at Darlington’s race action from Turn 1.” The Dodge Charger 500 will be run on Saturday evening, May 13. Scheduled start time is 6:55 p.m. Infield admission tickets are still available for purchase. Good seats do remain for all events on Friday, May 12. (Darlington Speedway PR)
April 29, 2006:
Mothers to give command on Mother's Day weekend at Darlington: In 2005, Mother’s Day weekend gave birth to a new tradition at NASCAR’s most historic track. Collectively serving as grand marshal for the Dodge Charger 500 was a group of women well accustomed to giving commands to NEXTEL Cup Series drivers – their moms. The participating mothers walked across the stage and were introduced to the fans along with their sons. Then, as a group, they uttered the most famous words in motorsports, with a bit of a twist – “Sons and gentleman, start your engines!” The inclusion of the drivers’ mothers in pre-race activities proved to be so popular with fans that the track decided to make their participation an annual event, in honor of Mother’s Day. “Mother’s Day weekend is a time to celebrate families,” said Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning. “NASCAR is frequently described as a family sport, so it just seems natural to include everyone and to create one very special weekend at Darlington Raceway. We are excited about continuing to make the Mother’s Day event at Darlington a marquee weekend, and one of the most popular stops on the circuit.” The list of mothers who will serve as grand marshals for the Dodge Charger 500 includes: Carol Bickford (Jeff Gordon); Ramona Vickers (Brian Vickers); Becky Sorenson (Reed Sorenson); Martha Labonte (Terry and Bobby Labonte); Nancy Sterling (Carl Edwards); Gaye Busch (Kurt and Kyle Busch); Diane Newman (Ryan Newman); Mary Lou Hamlin (Denny Hamlin); Linda Truex (Martin Truex, Jr.); Bell Sadler (Hermie and Elliott Sadler); Margaret Waltrip (Michael Waltrip); Meredith Bowman (Jeff Burton); Jana Bowyer (Clint Bowyer); Joan Wimmer (Scott Wimmer); Susie Nolff (Scott Riggs); and Pam Boas (Tony Stewart). (Darlington Raceway PrR)
March 30, 2006:
Darlington Tickets selling fast, maybe more seats?: Fewer than 8,000 seats remain for the Dodge Charger 500, and the strong sales have Darlington Raceway leaders thinking of expanding faster than they had imagined. Track president Chris Browning said he expects tickets for the Nextel Cup event to be gone in two weeks and that construction on a 6,300-seat grandstand in Turn 1 should be complete by next week, more than a month ahead of the May 13 Dodge Charger 500. The additional seats push the capacity at NASCAR's oldest superspeedway to about 63,000. Demand for this year's race has Browning itching to spring forward. "We've been running so far ahead for so long," Browning said. "It's got us considering and looking at our options." (News Observer)
March 24, 2006:
Johnson. Yarborough cars added to Darlington museum: The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum recently welcomed two additions to its classic car collection. The cars, both sporting the number 11, are on loan from legendary driver and car owner Junior Johnson. Cale Yarborough drove the No. 11 Busch Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Bristol in 1978, while Terry Labonte won two races in the 1985 No. 11 Budweiser Chevy. Johnson, left, and Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning took time out from their unloading duties for a photo before the cars were moved into the museum, where they are currently displayed. The museum, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is also home to the National Motorsports Press Association’s Hall of Fame. (Darlington Raceway PR)
Mar. 5, 2006:
Lady in Black to get repaved: Darlington Raceway is slated to receive a new coat of asphalt sometime within the next two to four years. A centerpiece of Darlington's renaissance will be a repaving job, sorely needed for a grainy, worn surface marked by unsightly patches. But for track president Chris Browning, the challenge is to reinvigorate the old racetrack without changing its character; after all, the slick, slippery, tire-eating surface is a large part of Darlington's wicked reputation, and a large reason why so many drivers see it as the ultimate challenge on the NASCAR tour. "One of the things I've talked about with our asphalt and paving gurus down in Daytona, and one of the things I've challenged them with is, 'Look, guys, we've got a real racy place here. How can we repave this place and still keep it racy like it is now?' " said Browning, whose facility is owned by International Speedway Co., a company based in Daytona Beach, Fla., that operates 12 Nextel Cup venues. The repaving job, Browning said, will happen sometime in the next two to four years. There are no plans to alter the track's banking, which varies from 23 degrees in the narrow end to 25 degrees in the wider end. Repaving is but one part of an ongoing $6 million renovation project, which includes a new grandstand in Turn 1 that will increase Darlington's seating capacity by about 3,000 for the May 13 Dodge Charger 500. The infield tunnels have been refurbished, and plans are on the table to widen them when the track gets ripped up for repaving. . (Charleston Post and Courier)
Feb. 17, 2006:
Darlington offers fans Daytona special: The 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season has finally arrived. On Sunday, February 19, the eyes of race fans all over the world will be focused on the state of Florida and racing’s premier event, the Daytona 500. Darlington Raceway is offering a special one-day-only deal to celebrate the opening of the season at Daytona. Fans who purchase any grandstand ticket to the 2006 Dodge Charger 500, coming up Saturday, May 13 at the track “Too Tough To Tame,” will receive a free pre-race pit pass. The pre-race pit pass allows access to the pit road area until one hour before the start of the race. This offer is valid only on Sunday, February 19 – race day at Daytona. Ticket prices for the Dodge Charger 500 start at $45. Fans can purchase their tickets and receive their free pre-race pit passes by calling toll-free at 866.459.RACE (7223), or by visiting www.racetickets.com, on Sunday, February 19. Only 12 weeks remain until racing returns to NASCAR’s original superspeedway. The Dodge Charger 500 weekend at Darlington Raceway will once again feature flag-to-flag racing under the lights. Activities will include practice and qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series on Friday, May 12, followed by the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race that evening. Matt Kenseth won the event in 2005. On Saturday, May 13, Darlington will host Cup Series racing for the 57th consecutive year. The 2006 Dodge Charger 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety. Greg Biffle is the defending champion. Tickets for all events are on sale now. For more information, call the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 866.459.RACE, or log onto to www.racetickets.com. (Darlington Raceway PR)
Feb. 8, 2006:
Darlington grandstand construction: The construction of a new 6,100-seat grandstand outside Turn 1 at Darlington Raceway is progressing according to schedule, according to the Elrod Corporation, the construction company which is overseeing the project. Estimated completion date for the tower, which has yet to be named, is early to mid-April. Seats in the new tower for the Dodge Charger 500 weekend, May 12-13, are now available by calling 866.459.RACE (7223), or at www.racetickets.com. (Darlington Raceway PR)
Jan. 16, 2006:
Darlington tickets added to Smithsonian: The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum was the recipient of a valuable addition to its memorabilia collection on Wednesday, January 11. Fayetteville Christian School presented Raceway president Chris Browning with a complete set of original tickets from all three races run in Darlington during the track’s 1950 inaugural season, including an AMA motorcycle race, a “Big Car” (later Indy car) race, and the legendary Southern 500 stock car event. More than 100 FCS middle-schoolers attended the press conference, prompting Browning to remark that the day represented a textbook blending of racing’s past and its future. “It is so gratifying to look around the museum today and see what a valuable role Darlington Raceway has played, and will continue to play, in the evolution of NASCAR,” he said. A matching set of Darlington Raceway tickets was presented to the Smithsonian Institution in the fall of 2005, where they reside as part of the museum’s American History collection. Curator Ellen Hughes said the Smithsonian was thrilled to receive what she described as “valuable memorabilia from a sport that has grown from southern heritage to widespread national prominence.” The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and NMPA Hall of Fame are open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The 2006 Dodge Charger 500, coming up on Saturday evening, May 13, will once again be run under the lights in its entirety. Greg Biffle is the defending champion. (Darlington Raceway PR)
Jan. 5, 2006:
Darlington names track superintendent: H. Lee Taylor was named track superintendent at Darlington Raceway. Taylor takes over for Sammie Yarborough, who retired last month after 15 years at Darlington. Taylor worked with a Columbia trucking company for 25 years before becoming general manager of the Darlington County Water Department. Taylor also was general manager of the Richland County Public Service District. Darlington president Chris Browning said Taylor was a valuable worker at race events for several years. (Myrtle Beach Sun)
Nov. 1, 2005:
Darlington renovation project: Darlington Raceway's ongoing renovation projects continued last week with the removal of the Brasington Grandstand from Turn 2. Brasington, constructed in 1965, was one of the last remaining covered grandstands in racing until the roof was removed in 2004 to accommodate the addition of lights at the track "Too Tough To Tame." The 3,300-seat grandstand bore the name of Harold Brasington, the Darlington developer whose vision of a race track designed specifically for stock cars ultimately became NASCAR's most historic venue. Additional seating for 6,300 fans will be erected in Turn 1, and will be completed in time for the Dodge Charger 500 in May 2006. (Darlington Raceway PR)
Sep. 7, 2005
Fans have a chance around Darlington, "Laps for Relief": For the first time in more than a quarter century, Darlington Raceway will open her gates and invite the public to take a drive on NASCAR's most historic track. "Laps for Relief" on Saturday, September 17, will raise money to lend support to millions of residents in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama affected by Hurricane Katrina. From noon to 5 p.m. on September 17, the public is encouraged to visit Darlington Raceway and, with any on-site monetary donation, will be allowed to drive five paced laps around the track "Too Tough To Tame" in their personal vehicles or on their motorcycles, led by the official pace car. All proceeds from the event will be given to the American Red Cross. Donations for Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief can also be made at www.racefanshelp.com, a new website launched last week by Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, AL. As the track located closest to the areas affected by Katrina, Talladega is spearheading ISC's company-wide fundraising efforts. Beginning at Richmond International Raceway's Chevy Rock & Roll weekend September 8-10, ISC-owned tracks will begin facilitating the collection of monetary donations from race fans to the Red Cross in support of the Hurricane Katrina efforts. (Darlington PR)
Aug 25, 2005
Darlington signs agreement for 2006 Cup date: (Darlington Raceway) Track president Chris Browning says he has signed the sanctioning agreement to hold the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 on May 13 and sent it on to NASCAR headquarters. Like this past year, the race will be run the Saturday night before Mother's Day. Also like 2005, the weekend will feature a Friday night Busch race. Browning says when International Speedway Corp., Darlington's owners, gave the track the green flag in July to accept ticket renewals for a 2006 event, "it pretty much told us we'd be back, so this is no surprise," he said. Still, NASCAR's official stamp is continued good news that "The Track Too Tough To Tame" still has a place in the sport after 55 years of racing. "We're happy about that," Browning said. Browning did not have figures on tickets renewed as yet, saying the track was "a few percentage points ahead" of last season's sales. He expected tickets to go on sale to the general public by the middle of September. (CNNSI)
July 6, 2005
Darlington receives 06 date: "The Lady In Black" has apparently made it to another year. Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning said Wednesday that the track got the go-ahead from its owners, International Speedway Corp., to send out ticket renewal letters for another Mother's Day weekend Nextel Cup race. The date of the Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 is May 13, 2006, the night before the holiday. "I think if there were any other plans (for Darlington), ISC wouldn't let us do this," Browning told The Associated Press. Browning said there will be a support Friday night race May 12, but he wouldn't say whether it would be the traditional Busch series or the Craftsman Truck Series, which has run at Darlington in the past. Renewal letters went out this week, Darlington spokeswoman Cathy Elliott said. Once everyone who purchased tickets this year gets a chance to buy again, then Darlington will go to its waiting list of about 1,300, she said. Browning expects the full NASCAR schedule to be released later this summer. (Newsday)
May 27 2005
Darlington Gets Commitment from ISC: The venerable South Carolina speedway has gotten its NASCAR sanctioning agreement for 2006, officials close to the situation confirmed Thursday. It is “99 percent certain” that Darlington will keep its current date, on the night before Mother’s Day, for 2006, the sources said. Better yet, perhaps, Darlington’s parent company, International Speedway Corp., has committed to a five-year, multi-million-dollar plan to refurbish the track, which opened in 1950, sources said. (SPPEDTV)
May 16, 2005)
Start Time Change at Darlington: NASCAR Chairman Brian France hinted that there could be changes to the Darlington race next year because of its late finish last week. France made the comments to XM Satellite and a transcript was posted on nascar.com. Asked if something might be done because the Darlington raced finished after 11:30 p.m. last week, France said: "I think they had 11 or 12 cautions and it was longer than anticipated and that may have us re-think, should it start half an hour earlier or something, I'm not sure. (Roanoke.com)
May 8, 2005
Darlington to keep Date? International Speedway Corporation officials are planning to have Darlington Raceway on the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule next season. "We're fairly confident with the success of this weekend well be around next year," said Andrew Gurtis, who stepped down as president of Darlington Raceway a year ago to take a position with ISC. "That's good enough for us. Saturday night's race sold out a week in advance, the first pre-race sellout for the 60,000-seat facility since it expanded after the 1997 season and only the second sellout during that span. (Myrtle Beach Online)
May 2, 2005
Darlington Sellout: Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning had two reasons to celebrate Saturday. It was his birthday and he was assured that NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway would have its first sellout before race day and only the second since the track expanded to 60,000 seats in 1997. Browning said 428 tickets remained for the May 7 Nextel Cup race when he left the track around noon Saturday to celebrate his birthday with his oldest daughter in Columbia. That’s well under the range International Speedway Corporation requires for a sellout. (The State)
April 23, 2005
Darlington Hopes to Announce Sellout: Darlington Raceway officials hope to announce within the next two weeks their first sellout prior to race day since the track expanded to 60,000 seats in 1997. Only about 3,000 tickets remain for the first-ever night Nextel Cup race at Darlington on May 7. A sellout would enhance the track’s position to keep its remaining Cup date and make a case for expansion. The only other sellout since expansion came two years ago at the final running of the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend. Track president Chris Browning is preparing a five-year plan that includes expansion for a presentation at the fall meeting of International Speedway Corporation board. (TheState)
April 14, 2005
Darlington here to stay, Browning Says: One year ago last week, Browning, then the head cheese at Rockingham, submitted a proposal to the ISC board requesting upgrades to the facility. And when even the most minimal requests were declined, he knew the Nextel Cup Series had graced The Rock for the final time "We had submitted several capital projects, down to just small things, and it went before the board and nothing got approved," Browning recalled Wednesday from his office at the racetrack. "When I got that back, I knew something was going on." Word is something's going on with Darlington right now. Speculation of late says Bruton Smith is soon to purchase Darlington from ISC, then take its date and ship it to the strip. And while Browning's superiors have assured him that such rumors are baseless -- that ISC hasn't so much as spoken with Smith about Darlington -- he knew the board's response to his most recent proposal would provide the proverbial proof in the pudding. (NASCAR.com's Marty Smith)
April 13, 2005
Darlington Day: Darlington Day looks back on the legacy of racing in South Carolina and supports its future. Drivers like Jeremy Mayfield and Tony Stewart spent the afternoon at the Governors Mansion Tuesday. It's an effort to rev up ticket sales for the upcoming race and to look back on the tradition of racing in South Sarolina. The Southern 500 left South Carolina and it was devastating for many race fans in the Palmetto State. Stock car racing's original superspeedway will once more serve as a groundbreaker for NASCAR, inaugurating an entirely new race weekend in May. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series' 104th visit to Darlington Raceway will take place on Mother's Day weekend, and will be Darlington's first-ever full weekend of night racing. (WISTV)
April 11, 2005
Darlington Confident about keeping date: Darlington Raceway's Chris Browning said he's confident the France family's International Speedway Corp. will keep the legendary Sandhills speedway up and running after this May's Mother's Day weekend race. Many people in the sport fear that ISC is poised to close Darlington at the end of the season, just as it closed the Rockingham track last year (by selling it to promoter Bruton Smith), and possibly sell the Nextel Cup tour date to Smith for a second Cup event at Las Vegas. Browning points to last Wednesday's board meeting that tentatively approved a major capital improvements program: "Additional rest rooms, rebuilding the tunnels, repaving the track - a lot of things are on the drawing board, and they've given me the go-ahead to lay out a five-year plan from a capital standpoint," Browning said. (Winston Salem)
April 6, 2005
Darlington not being sold: Darlington Raceway president Chris Browning got a call Tuesday that sent him scrambling: Was International Speedway Corp. contemplating a sale of the old country track to its rival? So Browning, who was displaced when North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham was sold last year, called down to the company's Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters to find out. "They told me, 'Hey, nothing to it, buddy,' " Browning told The Associated Press. "That was good enough for me." Browning said the report he read on the Internet speculated that Bruton Smith of Speedway Motorsports Inc. wanted to buy Darlington and move its remaining race weekend to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, giving that facility a second race date. But Browning said that's not the case. "There's absolutely no truth to the rumors whatsoever," he said. "I don't know where they got started." (NASCAR)
