Location
1301 Harry Byrd Highway
Darlington, SC 29532
Track Details
Completed : 1950
Distance : 1.366 miles
Shape : Oval
Banking : 25° Turns 1-2, 23° Turns 3-4, 3° frontstretch, 2° backstretch
Frontstretch : 1,229 feet
Backstretch : 1,229 feet
Seating : 63,000
Nicknamed “Too Tough To Tame” or “The Lady In Black” Darlington Raceway’s unique egg shaped design has a history all its own. Set on the old cotton/peanut field of Harold Brasington who had insight in 1950 to build a raceway in today’s world is considered to be the top spectator sport of NASCAR.
Darlington Raceway’s maiden race was Labor Day in 1950 and expected 10,000 fans; however, much to the delight of Mr. Brasington, 25,000 fans crowded the stands to witness the field of 75 stock cars thundering down the front stretch at a top speed of 76 mph. The 1.366 mile unique egg shaped design comes from the fact that there was a minnow pond that was promised not to be moved in order to pave the way for Darlington Raceway. This twisted design causes many challenges for crews in order to get the car to handle the same way on both sides of the track.
For many years, Darlington Raceway played host to two NASCAR Cup events per year, one in the spring and the other Labor Day weekend. The Labor Day weekend event was given to Auto Club Speedway. This move by NASCAR was determined by several factors. One being that the races at Darlington were not a sellout. This is due to the location of the track being in the textile belt of South Carolina, which has been suffering to an ongoing economic decline. Another factor is the remote area that the raceway is located in is not a tourist destination. NASCAR wants to position itself as being country wide and not just southeastern. Some say that even the last remaining race at Darlington is in jeopardy; however, recent announcements by the track of a $10 million capital improvement project hopes to keep the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway.
When selecting your seat, the Tyler Tower offers the best view of the start/finish line and also the pits as they are located above the Wallace Grandstand. The seats in the Tyler Tower are not that much more than those located in other sections of the track. If you spend a few extra dollars you will get the best seat at the track. Seating in the Wallace Grandstand isn’t bad; if you like this section, select a row above 10 so that you can get a better view. Backstretch seats in the Brasington and Colvin Grandstand are sections to avoid as they provide no view of the pits. As an economical seat selection, look at a low row in the Wallace Grandstand or Pearson Tower. As always, here at NASCAR Cheap Tickets you can expect to find cheap Dodge Challenger 500 ticket prices with no hidden charges, no service fees, and free shipping!
Whether you are searching for cheap race tickets for Darlington Raceway or hotels in the general area of Darlington or a full hotel and ticket package, NASCAR Cheap Tickets is your one stop shop.