Raceway welcomes honorary guests

Race week has finally arrived for the new spring home of the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR at Darlington Raceway. For the first announced spring race weekend since 2004, the Lady in Black will welcome competitors, legends and fans back for the fierce competition of NASCAR’s three premier series and a host of memorable moments on May 7-9. This will be the first time the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR has featured all three premier series on its regular schedule with the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. To celebrate the return of spring racing, Darlington will welcome honorary guests Dale Inman, Leonard Wood, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle. “As we welcome legends, competitors and fans back to Darlington Raceway, the track Too Tough To Tame is ready to offer a spring throwback race weekend experience like no other,” said Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp. “For the first time since 2004, the Lady in Black has two regularly scheduled weekend events that will be alive with fierce racing action. The upcoming throwback weekend will be a celebration of NASCAR history with our loyal fans cheering on the sport’s best in all three premier series.” 2012 NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Inman has been named the Honorary Starter to wave the green flag for the Goodyear 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, May 9. Prior to the green flag, 2013 NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood and 2015 NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott will take parade laps. Wood will drive a 1971 restored Ford Mercury that 2011 NASCAR Hall of Famer and Darlington’s all-time winningest driver “The Silver Fox” David Pearson competed in. Elliott will drive a restored version of the No. 9 Coors Motorcraft Ford Thunderbird from his 1988 NASCAR Cup Series championship season. For Mother’s Day, NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will hand out flowers to welcome mothers attending the Goodyear 400. The flowers will be distributed to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the gates for the Cup Series race at the Lady in Black. There will also be photo opportunities for mothers and children to remember their race day together. Prior to the green flag for the Steakhouse Elite 200 Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race on Saturday, May 9, Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2021 NASCAR Hall of Famer, will drive his father’s restored No. 8 Chevrolet Nova for parade laps. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was a three-time Darlington winner in the Xfinity Series, and twice drove a GM Goodwrench-sponsored No. 8 to Victory Lane at the Lady in Black. To kick off the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR on Friday, May 7, three-time Darlington race winner Greg Biffle will take parade laps in a vintage 1976 Ford truck prior to the green flag for the LiftKits4Less.com 200 Camping World Truck Series Triple Truck Challenge race. As Darlington hosts fans back at the racetrack, it will also welcome the public back to the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum & National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame for the first time since the pandemic began last spring. The museum will be open on Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The museum will offer free admission to fans who hold a race ticket. Face masks will be required and social distancing must be practiced. Entrance will be through the front door of the gift shop. There will also be a Legends Merchandise trailer located outside the museum exit. The track encourages fans to wear their favorite NASCAR Throwback gear for race weekend to further engage with the race weekend experience. Darlington Raceway will have additional fan engagements including a Throwback paint scheme fan vote, Throwback concession items and much more throughout race week.

Author: Stephan Drew

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