Two legendary NASCAR Hall of Famers, Richard Petty and Bill Elliott, will pace the field for the 68th running of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 3 at Darlington Raceway. Petty will lead the field in his 1967 Plymouth, followed by Elliott, who will serve as the honorary pace car driver, piloting a Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang pace car, as the field goes green for the iconic race. Darlington Raceway will be honoring Petty and Elliott during its award-winning throwback weekend as the two legends of the sport are being recognized by the track for two specific moments that helped shape the history of the Lady in Black. Petty’s win in the 1967 Southern 500 turned out to be his one and only victory in the famed Labor Day weekend classic. Petty led an astounding 345 of a possible 364 laps in a dominant victory. Only three other drivers led laps in the entire race – David Pearson (12 laps), Buddy Baker (6) and Donnie Allison (1). The 2017 season marks the 50th anniversary of Petty’s win in a career that culminated with 200 NASCAR Cup Series victories overall. Petty also recently celebrated his 80th birthday on July 2, which was recognized with much fanfare during the Coke Zero 400 race weekend at Daytona International Speedway.(Darlington Raceway)[Read More Here]
