2013 Race Winner: #20-Matt Kenseth, 141.383mph, started 7th

Track Race Record: Matt Kenseth, May 2013, 141.383mph

Slowest Race Record: Fonty Flock, Sept 1952, 74.512mph

Oldest Race Winner: Harry Gant, 51 years, 7 months, 22 days, 9/01/1991)

Youngest Race Winner: Kyle Busch, 23 years, 0 months, 8 days, 5/10/2008

2013 Pole Sitter: #78-Kurt Busch, 181.918mph, finished 14th

Track Qualifying Record: Kurt Busch, May 2013, 181.918mph

Oldest Pole Winner: David Pearson, 47 years, 8 months, 15 days, 9/06/1982

Youngest Pole Winner: Kurt Busch, 23 years, 0 months, 29 days, 9/02/2001

Most Wins - Active Driver: Jeff Gordon, 7

Most Wins - All Time: David Pearson, 10

Most Poles - Active Driver: Bill Elliott, 5

Most Poles - All Time: David Pearson, 12

Most Wins - Owner: Rick Hendrick, 13

Most Top 5s: 25 - Richard Petty

Most Top 10s: 35 - Bill Elliott

Most Leaders: 20, 9/4/1994

Fewest Leaders: 2, 9/4/1950

Most Lead Changes: 41, 9/6/1982

Fewest Lead Changes: 4, 9/4/1950

Most Laps Led [500 miles]: Johnny Mantz, Sept 1950, 351 laps [of 367]

Most Laps Led [400 miles]: Richard Petty, April 1966, 281 laps [of 293]

Most Cautions: 17, May 2009

Most Caution Laps: 101, Sept 1974

Fewest Cautions: 0, Sept 1963

Fewest Caution Laps: 0, Sept 1963

Most Finishers on the Lead Lap: 23, Sept 2002

Fewest Finishers on the Lead Lap: 1 - 24 times, most recently 9/3/1979

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Johnny Mantz, Sept 1950, started 43rd [75 started, 3 abreast]

Most Wins by a Manufacturer: 39, Chevy

45 drivers have posted poles at Darlington

A total of 46 drivers have won Sprint Cup races at Darlington

Races won from the Pole: 19 of 110

Races won from the top 5: 68 of 110

Races won from the Top 10: 95 of 110

Races won from the Top 15: 104 of 110

Races won from outside the Top 10: 15 of 119

What is a "Darlington stripe" Slang term for the black marks resulting from scrapes with the wall at the 1.366-mile track where the high lane is the fastest. Might be called the "SAFER stripe" this weekend after the addition of the energy-absorbing barriers

Darlington Double: three drivers have completed the Darlington sweep of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races on the same weekend:
1987 - Dale Earnhardt
1993 - Mark Martin
2010 - Denny Hamlin.

Darlington continues Mother's Day tradition: With its annual event falling on Mother's Day weekend, Darlington Raceway has built a longtime tradition with its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 race. Each year, the grand marshals for the race have been the moms of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, a tradition that fans, drivers and their families have enjoyed over the last several years. The moms will once again say the command to start engines for this weekend's race, but will also be joined by a special honorary mom, Stephanie Decker, who has her own story of courage and perseverance to tell. Decker will join the likes of driver's moms, including Carol Bickford (Jeff Gordon), Gaye Busch (Kurt & Kyle Busch), Tammy Kahne (Kasey Kahne), Beverly Ragan (David Ragan), Janna Bowyer (Clint Bowyer), Kay Keselowski (Brad Keselowski), Brenda Jackson (Dale Earnhardt Jr.), Mary Lou Hamlin (Denny Hamlin) and Carol Mears (Casey Mears), among others. Decker, a resident of Henryville, Ind., was injured shielding two of her children from a devastating tornado that hit their home in March of 2012. Decker lost the use of both of her legs in the incident and now utilizes prosthetics to walk on. Her up-hill battle to walk again was a national news story of courage, leading to the creation of the Stephanie Decker Foundation, supporting prosthetics for kids and access to leading-edge prosthetics for every person.(Darlington Raceway)(5-9-2013)

Darlington to host autograph session: Darlington Raceway is offering its fans an opportunity to participate in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series autograph session with drivers Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, David Ragan and Dave Blaney. The autograph session will take place on Friday, May 10 from 10-10:45 a.m. in The Sprint Unlimited Experience display, located in the fan display area behind the frontstretch grandstands. A wristband will be issued for the autograph session and can be picked up at the Bojangles' display from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Only 200 wristbands will be handed out for the session so supplies are limited. To receive a wristband at the Bojangles' display, fans must present a ticket to either the NASCAR Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 or Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500. An infield camping admission may also be used to attend the autograph session.(Darlington Raceway)(4-30-2013)

Harvick, Burton, Labonte to speak at Darlington hospitality: Race fans who want to get up close and personal with today's NASCAR stars need to look no further than Darlington Raceway's hospitality areas on May 10-11. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick, along with Jeff Burton and Bobby Labonte, who are both Coca-Cola Racing Family members, are scheduled to participate in 15-minute question and answer sessions for race fans in the track's Darlington Stripe Zone Hospitality club, prior to the running of the Bojangles' Southern 500. For $140 per package (plus the cost of a grandstand ticket), fans receive a pre-race cold pit pass (shirt and shoes required), full meal and snacks, unlimited non-alcohol beverage service until the scheduled race start, four beer coupons to guests 21 years of age and older, a Darlington-branded gift, event program and live entertainment. Combine that with scheduled driver appearances by Harvick, Burton and Labonte and it's the perfect package for a race fan.(Darlington Raceway)(4-24-2013)

Darlington Raceway's "Race Into Reading" Program: Elementary students in the Darlington County School District (DCSD) read more than 9,200 books in five weeks, as part of Darlington Raceway's "Race Into Reading" Program. Rosenwald Elementary/Middle School in Society Hill won the competition, averaging 12 books per student. St. John's Elementary School came in second, averaging 4.7 books per student and West Hartsville Elementary came in third, averaging 3.9 books per student. Designed as a way to celebrate "March is Reading Month" and to get children excited about reading, the "Race Into Reading" program challenged first through fifth graders across the county to read as many books as possible. The students from the top three reading schools received a visit from NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Parker Kligerman, driver of the #77 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, and the Nationwide Series showcar today as part of their reward for reading the most books. The program kicked off on March 1 with all Darlington County School District elementary students receiving a Darlington Raceway bookmark, reading reminder bracelet, and a youth admission ticket to Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 on Friday, May 10.(Darlington Raceway)(4-23-2013)

Darlington Raceway could keep tax money if seats are widened: A bill that could allow Darlington Raceway to watch out for both its fans' bottoms and the track's bottom line is headed to the South Carolina Senate. The Senate Finance Committee passed a proposal Tuesday that would allow the track to keep its 5 percent tax on tickets even if the speedway's capacity falls below 60,000  in the event bigger seats are one day needed to accommodate fans. Darlington Raceway currently seats 62,000. But track president Chris Browning says the speedway is considering widening its 18-inch wide seats as an amenity for the crowds. "One of the things a lot of stadiums are doing is widening seats to make fans more comfortable," he explained. But he said reducing seating capacity because of bigger seats has tax implications. The bill before lawmakers would delete the reference to the track's 60,000 fans while allowing it to keep the tax proceeds as a NASCAR sanctioned motor speedway that plays host to at least one race a year of the preeminent NASCAR racing series.(Associated Press/Augusta Chronicle)(4-11-2013)

Paige Duke will serve as "Lady in Black" at Darlington: The Lady in Black, as Darlington Raceway has been notably named for decades, will have a new face in 2013 as Paige Duke will serve as the track's official "The Lady in Black" for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 race weekend on May 10-11. Duke, a former Miss Sprint Cup and current model, will be present during the race weekend and other track events throughout the year proudly wearing a black fire suit and representing Darlington Raceway. Her local ties are in the state of South Carolina as she hails from nearby Lancaster, S.C. and is a graduate of Clemson University. Besides her role serving as Miss Sprint Cup in 2010-11, Duke is the national spokesperson for Kruger Farms, an online outdoor outfitter in Minnesota, and was cast in the CMT hit show Sweet Home Alabama for two seasons in 2011 and 2012. She is also a model for various national campaigns and works as a veterinary technician in Lancaster.(Darlington Raceway)(4-6-2013)

Sport Clips, VFW return as Darlington Nationwide race sponsors: Longtime partners, Sport Clips Haircuts and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), announce the return of the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 Nationwide Series event at Darlington Raceway on Friday, May 10, 2013. It is the second consecutive year the two organizations have partnered to sponsor the Nationwide Series event at Darlington. Sport Clips and the VFW will continue to use their NASCAR partnership to raise awareness about the struggles many military families are facing and the VFW's mission to support active-duty military, veterans and their families. As the "Official Haircutter" of the VFW, Sport Clips has donated almost $2 million to the organization's Operation Uplink free call days program through its annual "Help a Hero" campaign. Since the first contribution of more than $80,000 was made in 2007, Sport Clips' donations have increased annually. The company's most recent donation of a record-breaking $500,000 was presented to the VFW at the national headquarters on December 10, 2012.(Darlington Raceway)(3-29-2013)

South Carolina Education Lottery issues NASCAR ticket: The South's love affair with racing is now celebrated on an instant ticket from the South Carolina Education Lottery. FAN-tastic!, an officially licensed NASCAR game, is on sale at lottery retailers statewide. FAN-tastic!, with a top prize of $100,000, offers racing fans a second-chance opportunity to win Special Insider trips to Darlington Raceway or the Biggest Race in NASCAR. Tickets are $5. It's fitting for the Lottery to launch a racing-themed ticket and pay homage to Darlington Raceway, a part of the racing landscape of this state for more than six decades. An iconic image of cars racing out of the turn at the track known as "Too Tough to Tame" is the artwork for the FAN-tastic! ticket.(Darlington Raceway)(3-28-2013)

Darlington offers new hospitality option: A new turn-key hospitality option is available for race fans wanting a VIP experience when they attend either the NASCAR Nationwide Series 200 on May 10 or the Bojangles' Southern 500 on May 11 at Darlington Raceway. The Champions Club, housed in the former President's Suite in turn 3 of the Darlington infield, provides an all-inclusive experience for fans. Each Champions Club package consists of one VIP access pass, COLD garage access (Saturday only), a pass to attend pre-race driver introductions (Saturday only), catered meal and snacks, unlimited non-alcoholic Coke beverages and water, cash bar including beer, wine and mixed beverages, a souvenir program, Darlington Raceway branded gift and a lanyard. One Champions Club parking pass will also be provided for package orders of four or more. The Champions Club hospitality package is available for $110 per person on Friday or $185 per person on Saturday.(Darlington Raceway)(3-11-2013)

Darlington releases mobile app: With the ever-changing world of communication through technology, Darlington Raceway is giving its race fans more convenient and enhanced ways to obtain information about the track Too Tough To Tame with the launch of its new mobile app and redesigned DarlingtonRaceway.com website. The free mobile app, available for both iOS and Android users, will give fans the most up-to-date information on the track, which includes news, maps, social media, event information and more. Visit the iTunes App Store or Google Play to download the free app today using keyword search "Darlington Raceway". The new and improved DarlingtonRaceway.com will offer a more streamlined format that is easier to navigate and also feature Facebook and Twitter RSS feeds, showing the most up to date posts from the track.(Darlington Raceway)(3-9-2013)

Outshyne to perform prerace concert at Darlington: Pre-race entertainment for the May 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway just got kicked up a notch with the addition of a pre-race concert. Millstar Nashville recording artist, Outshyne, will perform at Darlington Raceway prior to driver introductions for the Bojangles' Southern 500 on May 11. The pre-race concert will begin at approximately 5 p.m. Outshyne's lead singer Waylon Owings will also perform the national anthem for the Bojangles' Southern 500. The latest album by Outshyne, "Startin' Over" debuted at #11 on the iTunes charts and the band's latest single "Dirt Road Romance" has been climbing the charts at a rapid pace. The South Carolina-based band is expected to take off in 2013 for greater heights in the country music industry.(Darlington Raceway)(3-7-2013)

Speeds up at Darlington tire test: #99-Carl Edwards and several other Sprint Cup stars gave the new, faster Gen-6 race car a thumbs-up after a Goodyear tire test Tuesday at Darlington Raceway. Edwards said the digital speedometer on his Ford Fusion hit 193 mph right before entering turn three, a typically unheard of speed at the ultra-tricky track. "Each time down, you want to watch and see what you're doing," he said. "But the fastest point is the point where the track needs your attention and your eyes are not supposed to be on that monitor. I saw 193 or something, but I can't look at it any longer before I have to look into the corner." #11-Denny Hamlin, #56-Martin Truex Jr., #27-Paul Menard and #42-Juan Pablo Montoya were also at Darlington for the daylong session. NASCAR teams have previously tested the car at Daytona International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Edwards found the new machine to be faster and racers should expect better handling and tighter racing when the circuit returns to NASCAR's oldest superspeedway for the Southern 500 on May 11. A few laps around the track "Too Tough To Tame" in the new car and Truex was confident someone would shatter Darlington's record qualifying speed of 181.254 mph set by Kasey Kahne at the 2011 race.(Associated Press)(2-6-2013)

ISC reports dip in profits: International Speedway Corp. saw a year-over-year decline in both its 2012 fourth-quarter and full-year earnings and revenues, but the narrowing of the revenue decline for its core business operations to less than 1 percent has company officials encouraged. "We experienced leading signs of revenue stabilization this year," stated Lesa France Kennedy, ISC's chief executive officer, in both a news release and Thursday morning conference call with stock analysts. ISC, which operates Daytona International Speedway and a dozen other tracks around that country that host NASCAR races and other motorsports events, generated a net profit of roughly $54.6 million for its fiscal year, which ended Nov. 30, down from $69.4 million in fiscal 2011, and a fourth-quarter net profit of about $24.7 million, down from $26.5 million the same period the previous year. Its revenues totaled $612.3 million in 2012, down from $629.7 million in 2011, and in the fourth quarter it generated $189.4 million in sales, down from $191.9 million the same period the previous year. Kennedy said ISC had year-over-year increases in both revenues from broadcast fees, corporate sponsorships and food, beverage and merchandise sales at races, but "we continue to experience modest headwinds with admissions, not to the degree experienced in 2011, but enough to know we still have further inroads to make with our consumer."(full article at the Daytona Beach News-Journal)(1-25-2013)

Darlington Raceway's Toy Drive Generates over $3000: With the generosity of its fans and community supporters, Darlington Raceway's Toys for Tots Fundraiser & Toy Drive raised over $3,000 worth of toys and cash donations, guaranteeing many children in the Pee Dee area will have a gift to open on Christmas Day this year. The Toys for Tots Fundraiser & Toy Drive at Darlington Raceway is the largest single-day collection event in the Pee Dee area and has raised more than $12,000 for the local U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program since 2010.(Darlington Raceway)(11-20-2012)

Tickets in sale for May races at Darlington: Tickets for Darlington Raceway's NASCAR Nationwide Series 200 and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 on May 10-11, 2013, are on sale to the public. Darlington will continue to offer great pricing for all of its events in 2013 with adult tickets to the Bojangles' Southern 500 starting at just $35. The track Too Tough to Tame will also continue its youth and military ticket programs:
· Youth Tickets  Darlington Raceway will continue to offer tickets for our fans age 12 and under at half-price in all reserved grandstands at each of our NASCAR events in 2013. Youth 12 and under are admitted FREE in Wallace Grandstand for the NASCAR Nationwide Series 200 (wristband required).
· Military Tickets  Military members with an active duty or retired military ID will pay just half-price for grandstand seating at all Darlington events. During the Bojangles' Southern 500 pre-race ceremonies, military members will be encouraged to stand so that they can be honored and recognized by Darlington Raceway.
Also on sale are two all-inclusive hospitality options, the Darlington Stripe Zone (Bojangles' Southern 500 race day) and T4 Zone (NASCAR Nationwide Series 200 race day). Each hospitality package will give fans a VIP experience when they visit Darlington. Fans that would like to camp during the Bojangles' Southern 500 weekend can purchase a tent or RV site in one of Darlington's seven campgrounds. Additional admissions for any of the infield camping areas can be purchased for $100 each while youth 12 and under are admitted for free with an adult. Tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 on May 11 and NASCAR Nationwide Series 200 on Friday, May 10 are on sale. Fans can purchase tickets to both events by visiting www.DarlingtonRaceway.com or by calling 866-459-7223.(Darlington Raceway)(11-17-2012)

Bojangles to Sponsor Southern 500: Officials for Darlington Raceway and Bojangles announced a five-year deal Thursday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C for Bojangles to sponsor the Southern 500. The agreement means Bojangles will be offered at concession stands at the Darlington Raceway. Bojangles' menu is also available at four other tracks owned by International Speedway Corp. -- Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Motor Speedway, Martinsville Raceway and Richmond International Raceway. Darlington president Chris Browning says the agreement brings together two longtime Southern brands. The race had been sponsored by Showtime the past two years. The Bojangles' Southern 500 takes place Saturday, May 12. The Nationwide Series will race at Darlington on Friday, May 11.(wltx.com)(3-15-2012)