The SHOWTIME Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway has long been known as one of the best races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule and the 2011 installment has been named a top-10 event by SceneDaily.com.
Darlington has built a reputation as the track Too Tough To Tame because of the tricky configuration of the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval. The unique configuration is something that brings out the best in NASCAR’s elite competitors.
The Darlington Raceway record book reads like a who’s who of NASCAR’s best drivers. The names of legends like Pearson, Petty and Yarborough sit alongside the names of more recent champions like Gordon and Johnson on the all-time winners list. In fact, of 44 different drivers who have won a Sprint Cup event at Darlington, 17 of them have won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
Here is what Jeff Owens of SceneDaily.com had to say about the upcoming SHOWTIMESouthern 500:
There are few tracks in racing more intriguing than NASCAR’s toughest track. Watching drivers fly around the odd, egg-shaped oval is a mesmerizing experience. Someone tags the wall nearly every lap and few finish without at least minor sheet metal damage. The cream usually rises to the top at Darlington, guaranteeing a showdown among a handful of the sport’s top drivers in the closing stages of the race.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as one of the most anticipated races of 2011 by SceneDaily.com,” said Darlington Raceway President, Chris Browning. “The competition level in the Sprint Cup Series is second to none, and when you couple that with the most challenging track on the circuit you are guaranteed to get one of the most action packed races of the year.”
Other races receiving mentions on the list include the season opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The article can be read in its entirety here.
You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame.
Darlington Raceway, or the track “Too Tough To Tame” as it is known to many, is where the purest of NASCAR competition meets true southern hospitality. A NASCAR staple since 1950, Darlington Raceway has seen some of motorsports most talented drivers thunder to Gatorade Victory Lane. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will kick off the 2011 racing season at Darlington on March 12, 2011. On Mother’s Day weekend, May 6-7, 2011, NASCAR’s biggest stars return to battle the track “Too Tough To Tame” in the Sprint Cup Series SHOWTIME Southern 500® and Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Credit: Darlington Raceway PR
- Talladega Superspeedway Weekend Schedule - April 14, 2024
- Odd Tony Stewart Talladega Post Race Q&A - May 7, 2012
- Team Chevy Post Talladega Race Rundown - May 7, 2012