Darlington International Raceway

PO Box 500
Darlington
SC 29532
USA

Tel: 803-393-4041

Distance: 1.366 miles
Banking: Turns 1 and 2 - 23 degrees
         Turns 3 and 4 - 25 degress

Located 1.5 miles west of the city on Harry Byrd Blvd.

Where To Stay

Camping:-

Florence KOA, Exit 60 I26, Rt 2 Box 154, Kinards 29355. Tel: 803 697-5105.

Motels:-

Croft Magnolia Inn, US 52 & SR 34, 306 Cashua St, Darlington SC 29526. Tel: 803 393-1908.

Best Western, I95 Exit 164, 1808 W.Lucas, Florence 29501. Tel: 803 678-9292. Fax: 803 678-9990.

Comfort Inn, I95 Exit 164, US52, Florence 29501. Tel & Fax: 803 665-4558.

Darlington History

Constructed in 1949-50 by a man with a vision Darlington Raceway began NASCAR's superspeedway era on September 4, 1950 with the running of the first Southern 500. Since that day the racing landmark has embodied the passions and frustrations of 3 generations of competitors thus becoming a NASCAR tradition. Darlington, "Too Tough To Tame" has always toyed with the minds of the world's greatest stock car drivers.

The tough old track has tripped, kicked, punched and slapped drivers around as though they were lightweights in a heavyweight title bout. A tight racing groove and disproportionately banked east and west turns make the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval the toughest and most demanding in racing. Trading paint and door-to-door racing is what Darlington is about. The track "Too Tough To Tame" has always had a certain mystique, a presence that can be felt if not seen. It's always been unpredictable but by a racer's standard the toughest is most desirable. Drivers would rather win Darlington than any other. This is the place their grandparents talked about. Racing events at Darlington Raceway are to racing what "The Masters" at Augusta National is to golf.

Darlington is the heart of the deep south, traditional as grits and red-eye gravy. Darlington has set the standard for today's fastest growing sport of NASCAR, and racing's greatest have won Darlington - the list reads like a "who's who" in racing:- Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Bobby Allison, Fred Lorenzen, Fireball Roberts, Joe Weatherly, Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt are a few. Darlington hosts 5 major events each year, and in the spring fans get 2 races for the price of one during "Cents-Sational Saturday", featuring the Dodge IROC Series and the Mark 111 Vans 200. The Dodge IROC Series consists of 12 of the world's best drivers from NASCAR IndyCar Racing and Road Racing in identically prepared Dodge Sports Coupes.

Located adjacent to the Raceway is the NMPA Stock Car Hall of Fame/Joe Weatherly Museum which houses the largest collection of NASCAR stock racing cars in the world. The "Shrine of Stock Car Racing" is open 7 days a week.