It’s time to turn back the clock and celebrate Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway.
NASCAR legends of today and yesteryear will come together this weekend to pay homage to the sport’s past, and in the process run the 13th race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Goodyear 400 (Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Many of the drivers and teams will be paying tribute to the past this weekend with special paint schemes on their cars. For a full detailed list of the paint schemes and cars/trucks participating, select this link and visit NASCAR.com’s 2024 Throwback Weekend Gallery.
Historic Darlington Raceway is a perfect stage for Throwback Weekend
The industry and fans alike all agree Darlington Raceway is the perfect stage for Throwback Weekend.
The historic 1.366-mile egg-shaped paved oval, known as Darlington Raceway, has hosted 125 NASCAR Cup Series races dating back to 1950. The raceway was originally built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-1950 and hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history, and the first on asphalt on September 4, 1950.
A total of 75 cars competed in the inaugural event and Curtis Turner won the pole at 82.034 mph. The race was won by Johnny Mantz (Plymouth, 75.250 mph), and it took 6 hours, 38 minutes, and 40 seconds to complete.
Since then, Darlington Raceway has undergone some changes through the years. In 1953, the track was re-measured to 1.375 miles.
Then in 1970, the track was re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race of that season. The track was repaved in 1995 and then again prior to the 2008 season. Over the years the historic facility has become known amongst its competitors as ‘the track too tough to tame.’
In total, the 125 NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway have produced 54 different pole winners and 54 different race winners.
Ring-in Mother’s Day this Sunday with NASCAR
This weekend’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be the 11th-time in NASCAR Cup Series history the series has competed on Mother’s Day.
The 2021 season was the first time since 2007 the NASCAR Cup Series had competed on Mother’s Day. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. took the win on May 9, 2021 becoming the seventh different driver to win on Mother’s Day in the series.
Then in 2022, Team Penske’s Joey Logano joined in the Mother’s Day festivities grabbing his first win on the special holiday on May 8, 2022, becoming the eighth different driver to win on Mother’s Day.
And last season, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron joined the list of drivers to win on Mother’s Day after capturing his first win on the special holiday on May 14, 2023, becoming the ninth different driver to win on Mother’s Day.
Prior to the 2021 season race, the most recent winner on Mother’s Day in the NASCAR Cup Series was NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won the 2007 rain delayed Darlington Raceway race on May 13, 2007.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker holds the record for the most wins on Mother’s Day in the NASCAR Cup Series with two victories on the special holiday (1956, 1954).
