Darlington combines classic NASCAR experience with future: 'Nostalgia is really cool'

Shane Connuck, The Charlotte Observer on Apr 3, 2025

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There’s no track in NASCAR like Darlington Raceway.

It’s hosted numerous momentous occasions throughout Cup Series history, since Harold Brasington laid out his idea for this unique race track in his South Carolina hometown during the late 1940s.

And now, the track’s leadership looks to the future.

Darlington, which generates $112 million from its two annual NASCAR Cup Series races, is set to host the Goodyear 400 on Sunday afternoon. The upcoming race will feature the 11th “throwback weekend,” where old-school paint schemes and logos will be in front of cellphone cameras once again.

“We’re in an era where nostalgia is really cool,” Josh Harris, who took over as Darlington’s track president in 2023, said in an interview. “There are only a handful of places where you can really tap into that for a whole weekend. And that’s what our our responsibility is, here with our team, is every weekend to make it something a little different, a little new for our race fans who continue to come year after year. And for those who may be coming for their first time, to give them that authentic Darlington experience, so that when they walk away from here they think, man, that was really cool.

“I feel like I got in touch with something from my past. A favorite driver I might have had, or a favorite paint scheme when you think about that for throwback weekend. Or when we’re here for the Southern 500 — it’s that Labor Day tradition, being able to see which driver can hold on after 500 grueling miles to win that race and take home a crown jewel event.”

‘The day-to-day for us is big picture’

Harris and his team aim to leave an impact both on and off the race track.

Every month, a group of eighth graders from Darlington County Schools spends roughly a half-day at the track. Students tour the venue, museum and NMPA Hall of Fame, while hearing from various staff members on career opportunities.

Additionally, Darlington is hosting more charity fundraisers and other public events throughout the weeks when racing isn’t on the track.

“The day-to-day for us is big picture,” Harris said. “It’s always planning for those two big events and doing everything that we need to be doing to prepare for those on a daily basis. But it’s also taking a look at: ‘What are the things that we can plug in, in between our two NASCAR weekends, where we can still get people out here exposed?’ And ultimately, the idea is, it intrigues them enough that they want to come back for a race.”

Darlington area is growing, and the track is ‘a big part of that’

The historic race track remains the Palmetto State’s only professional sports facility.

Businesses continue growing across the Pee Dee region, and South Carolina’s metropolitan areas, including Florence, have seen population growth.

The spring race and Southern 500 weekends bring fans from all 50 states and several countries to the Darlington area. Hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses keep coming to the area, and the historic race track is at the center of it.

“None of these things happen overnight,” Harris said. “But when you look around us and you see the growth throughout Darlington County — whether you’re going over to the Hartsville area and the growth there here, right in Darlington — there are a lot of great things going on downtown, some revitalization in the area, Cheraw and Society Hill, over to Florence, (Interstates) 95 and 20 meeting, a lot of manufacturing and industry has helped fuel the growth over there, plus some forward-thinking leadership — again, nothing happened overnight.

“2025, years in the making of growth and development. And certainly it’s great for our race fans when they come into town to have close proximity, to be able to stay in hotels, get out and eat in some great restaurants. So we weren’t the only reason for that, but I’d like to think we’re a big part of that.”