Tag: Throwback Weekend

  • Darlington Raceway selects grassroots racing theme for Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, May 10-12

    Darlington Raceway selects grassroots racing theme for Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, May 10-12

    Darlington Raceway announced today that the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR will be making its return to the track Too Tough to Tame during the Goodyear 400 weekend, May 10-12. This year’s theme – Celebrate our Roots through Grassroots Racing – will honor the racing origins of drivers, owners, team members, and NASCAR as a whole.

    “We’re honored to continue the tradition of hosting NASCAR’s Official Throwback Weekend in the spring,” said Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. “Grassroots racing is the lifeblood of our sport, and providing our industry with a chance to pay tribute to their grassroots origin story acknowledges the importance that it plays in the past, present and future of NASCAR.”

    Every driver has a story about their rise through grassroots/local track racing that led them to one of NASCAR’s national series, and they will each have the opportunity to celebrate their ascent with paint schemes that harken back to the beginning of their racing careers. Drivers will simultaneously be able to utilize Throwback Weekend to amplify their ongoing efforts to support grassroots racing and tell their story.

    NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will also showcase historic local racetracks and drivers in the region for long-time fans to appreciate and new fans to discover.  Throughout the weekend, those in attendance can expect several displays and events that highlight the history and importance of grassroots racing across the country.

    The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR begins with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race on Friday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. Then, the action will continue into Saturday, May 11, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at 1:30 p.m. Finally, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will pay homage to their grassroots origins in the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 12, at 3:00 p.m.

    NASCAR fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets via phone at 866-459-7223 or online at darlingtonraceway.com while supplies last.

    — Darlington Raceway —

  • Weekend Schedule for Darlington Raceway

    Weekend Schedule for Darlington Raceway

    This week NASCAR travels to Darlington Raceway for the fan-favorite Throwback Weekend featuring special paint schemes and activities that pay tribute to NASCAR tradition.

    Hall of Fame members Richard Petty, Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott will help set the mood and share their expertise as they join the FOX Sports broadcast team during the Cup Series Goodyear 400.

    Petty will join Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer during Stage 1, followed by Labonte during Stage 2 while Elliott will be in the booth for the final stage.

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with four wins at the 1.366-mile, Too Tough to Tame, track. Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner.

    Justin Allgaier won the Xfinity Series race at Darlington last year and is hoping to repeat and claim his first victory of 2022.

    The Camping World Truck Series is back on the schedule after a couple of weeks off. It will be the series 10th race at Darlington. Ben Rhodes (2020) and Todd Bodine (2010) are the only active drivers on the entry list for Darlington that have won at the track.

    Throwback Paint Schemes

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, May 6

    3 p.m.: Truck Series Practice/All Entries – FS1

    3:30 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/All Entries – FS1

    5 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice/All Entries – FS1

    5:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/All Entries – FS1

    7:30 p.m.: Truck Series Dead on Tools 200
    Distance: 200.1 miles (147 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 45, Stage 2 ends on Lap 90, Final Stage ends on Lap 147
    FS1/MSN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $712,347

    Saturday, May 7

    10:30 a.m.: Cup Series Practice – Groups A & B – FS1/MSN/SiriusXM

    11:05 a.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) (Groups A & B) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds – FS1/MSN/SiriusXM

    1:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Mahindra ROXOR 200
    Distance: 200.1 miles (147 Laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 45, Stage 2 ends on Lap 90, Final Stage ends on Lap 147
    FS1/MSN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $1,273,583

    Sunday, May

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Goodyear 400
    Distance: 400.2 miles (293 laps)
    Stage 1 ends on Lap 90, Stage 2 ends on Lap 185, Final Stage ends on Lap 293
    FS1/MSN/SiriusXM
    The Purse: $7,292,599

  • Darlington Throwback Weekend will be ‘a walk down memory lane’

    Darlington Throwback Weekend will be ‘a walk down memory lane’

    As soon as I drive through Darlington Raceway’s Turn 3 tunnel, I feel like I’ve stepped back in time and entered another era. The walls feature a collage of the track’s historic moments through the decades and the legends that have conquered the unforgiving surface of the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

    As the 1.66-mile track prepares to host the Throwback Weekend with all three national series competing, track President Kerry Tharp promises a weekend reminiscent of days gone by with special guests, activities and surprises.

    I asked him what will put the biggest smile on his face when he steps outside and looks around on race day.

    “I want the fans to enjoy it,” he said. “They can take a walk down memory lane and relive some great moments in the sport.”

    The decision was made to move the Throwback Weekend to the May event because, Tharp said, “We wanted it to stand on its own.”

    Along with the Throwback paint schemes, fans can enjoy a variety of events that will add to the nostalgic atmosphere.

    The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame will re-open after being closed since last spring due to the pandemic. It’s a must see for NASCAR history buffs and 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 track will also have several merchandise trailers on site, there will be cardboard cutouts of past and current drivers that fans can take pictures with, and if you look up, Tharp said, “We’ll have the Goodyear Blimp; I can’t even remember the last time I saw it overhead.”

    “You’ll see heroes and Hall of Famers this weekend,” Tharp added.

    Greg Biffle, a three-time Darlington race winner, will drive parade laps before the start of the Camping World Truck Series race Friday night. Saturday afternoon before the Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will take his father’s restored No. 8 Chevrolet Nova for a few laps around the track.

    On Mother’s Day NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will hand out carnations to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the track for the Cup Series Goodyear 400. Mothers who are accompanied by their children will have an opportunity to take a photo together to commemorate the special day.

    Look for more announcements from Darlington Raceway throughout the week on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And, don’t forget to visit the Darlington Raceway Virtual Fan Zone to vote for your favorite paint scheme.

    Tickets for all races are still available.

  • Jeremy Clements will be Dropping the Hammer for Throwback weekend

    Jeremy Clements will be Dropping the Hammer for Throwback weekend

    Spartanburg, SC – Jeremy Clements Racing will have the No. 51 machine primed, painted, weighed and ready for Darlington Raceway Saturday, August 31 with a livery that is a little something different than years past.  JCR will be throwing back to the No. 51 EXXON paint scheme from the 1990 film Days of Thunder and will be sponsored by long-time partners RepairableVehicles.com. 

    “I grew up watching Days of Thunder all the time especially headed to Buck Creek Speedway in our cube van that my Grandpa Crawford built, and it would really get me pumped up to race,” Clements said. 

    “Man, thinking back brings a lot of great memories in my early years racing with my Grandpa.  I love this movie so much so that’s where I got the No. 51 from and have had it ever since,”  Clements went on to say. #MyTrackMyRoots

    This is the fifth year that Darlington will hold the NASCAR Throwback weekend. Jeremy will make his ninth career start at the Lady In Black. His current best finish at Darlington is eighth back in 2016. 

    Fans are welcome to join JCR on the Fan Deck and Ride with Jeremy on Saturday, August 31.  Please see Jeremy Clements Racing on Facebook or www.jeremyclements51.com for more details.