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NASCAR’s Darlington Raceway set for throwback weekend

AP file photo by Chris Carlson / Darlington Raceway once again has two dates on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule after nearly two decades with just one. The South Carolina track is hosting its NASCAR throwback weekend that culminates with Sunday's Cup Series race, and the playoffs will open in September with the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.
AP file photo by Chris Carlson / Darlington Raceway once again has two dates on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule after nearly two decades with just one. The South Carolina track is hosting its NASCAR throwback weekend that culminates with Sunday's Cup Series race, and the playoffs will open in September with the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend. AP file photo by Chris Carlson / Darlington Raceway once again has two dates on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule after nearly two decades with just one. The South Carolina track is hosting its NASCAR throwback weekend that culminates with Sunday's Cup Series race, and the playoffs will open in September with the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.

By PETE IACOBELLI / The Associated Press 3 min read

Darlington Raceway was strangely busy last spring, just a couple months after the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in earnest.

The country venue that’s more than half a century old opened its gates to help NASCAR restart its engines during a hectic stretch of three races in five days. The mid-May residency was the perfect warmup for a return to two scheduled Cup Series races this season at the South Carolina track for the first time since 2004.

Darlington is hosting all three of NASCAR’s national series this weekend, with the Cup Series stars celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday. NASCAR then returns in September for the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.

It is something of a rebirth for a track that seemed closer to extinction during the 17 years since NASCAR stripped the “Lady In Black” of one of its coveted race dates.

“We’re certainly excited with what’s occurred,” said Kerry Tharp, track president since 2016. “We consider ourselves like the Wrigley Field of NASCAR.”