Southern 500

Southern 500

November

The Southern 500 is the oldest southern stock-car race, held in Darlington, S.C., since 1950. The race, which draws about 80,000 spectators, is one of the four so-called crown jewels in the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Sprint Cup circuit and is considered the forerunner of those races. The others are the Daytona 500 (in Florida), the Winston 500 (Talladega, Ala.), and the Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte, N.C.).
The first of the southern super speedways, the Darlington track was promoted and built by Harold Brasington, a sometime racing driver, and a group of Darlington citizens. The track was built on land owned by Sherman J. Ramsey, a farmer, and he insisted that his minnow pond not be disturbed. So the track had to skirt around it. Sports writers dubbed the oddly configured raceway the "Lady in Black," supposedly because it was fickle with drivers, like a mysterious woman. The winner of the first race in 1950 was Johnny Mantz.

CONTACTS:
Darlington Raceway
1301 Harry Byrd Hwy.
Darlington, SC 29540
866-459-7223 or 843-395-8499
www.darlingtonraceway.com
National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
1801 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32115
386-253-0611; fax: 386-681-4041
www.nascar.com

SOURCES:
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 363