New Darlington Raceway president talks Throwback Weekend, Goodyear 400

DARLINGTON, S.C. (WMBF) - Darlington Raceway is getting set to wave the green flag on its first races under new leadership.

New track president Josh Harris spoke to WMBF News on Thursday, a little more than a week out from The Track Too Tough To Tame’s annual “Throwback Weekend” from May 10-12.

“We’re just a little over a week away and the track is ready to go,” said Harris. “There’s activity picking up around the track so it’s getting exciting. We welcome campers next Tuesday and that’ll really kind of kick off the week for us.”

All three NASCAR main series will be at Darlington over those three days, with the Craftsman Truck Series’ Buckle Up South Carolina 200 on May 10, the Xfinity Series’ Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 on May 11 and the NASCAR Cup Series’ Goodyear 400 on May 12.

The Throwback Weekend features a number of tributes to NASCAR’s past with different paint schemes and other surprises.

“Getting to pay homage to the history of the sport and really just telling a lot of stories about how our drivers got to where they are crew chiefs and celebrating the history of the sport,” said Harris.

The weekend’s festivities also include the Throwback Parade, which will take place Saturday after the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200. The track will also pay tribute to Pee Dee native and former NASCAR champion Cale Yarborough, who died late last year.

But even before the first engine roars, Harris said he’s ready to welcome fans all over to the Lady in Black.

“We attract fans from all 50 states, so it’s a destination for a lot of fans,” he said. “So when you come you feel like you’re at home. You feel like walking into your friend’s house and sitting down but you get to the sites and smells of NASCAR racing. It’s truly just an experience that we want everybody to come, feel comfortable enjoy themselves and I know that they’re gonna be entertained with the on-track product and our team is going to do our part to entertain them off the track.”

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