Darlington Raceway to Host Several Community Events Leading into the Cook Out Southern 500 NASCAR Race Weekend – Speedway Digest

As part of its 75^th Anniversary celebrations, Darlington Raceway will host several events throughout the community as the anticipation builds for the opening round of the NASCAR Playoffs.

Starting on Wednesday, fans can participate in a wide variety of activities both at the track and in the surrounding areas, featuring their favorite drivers as they prepare for the Cook Out Southern 500. See the full list of events and activations below:

• Wednesday, Aug. 27 – Track Laps for Charity with Zane Smith: From 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., fans can drive their own personal vehicle around the famed Darlington Raceway and get a taste of what it’s like to tackle the Lady in Black. Those wishing to participate can sign up with a price of $30 per car for 3 laps and a photo in Mobil 1 Victory Lane with NASCAR Cup Series driver Zane Smith. For more information, visit https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/events/tracklaps/.

• Thursday, Aug. 28 – Hauler Showcase and Parade with Cole Custer: At 4:00 p.m., fans are invited to nearby Florence-Darlington Technical College, where they can take photos by their favorite, colorful haulers from all the 36 NASCAR Cup Series teams. The haulers will depart Florence-Darlington Technical College at 6 p.m. and parade through downtown Darlington and onto the historic Darlington Raceway where they will load into the NASCAR Cup Series Garage, with NASCAR Cup Series Driver Cole Custer acting as the Grand Marshal, giving the commands for the hauler drivers to start their engines.

• Friday, Aug. 29 – The NASCAR Foundation Speediatrics Fun Day Festival with Austin Dillon: On Friday at 9:00 a.m., The NASCAR Foundation and Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon will host kids from the Black Creek Elementary School at the NASCAR Experience in the Fan Zone at Darlington Raceway for the Speediatrics Fun Day Festival. The NASCAR-themed field day inside the NASCAR Experience display promotes healthy lifestyle habits for children in local racing communities through racing-themed lifestyle programming.

• Friday, Aug. 29 – American Red Cross Blood Drive: From 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Darlington Raceway and the American Red Cross will host a blood driver in front of the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum & Gift Shop. All donors will receive a free gift from the American Red Cross, and the first 30 donors will receive two (2) tickets to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Sober or Slammer. Donors can register by visiting www.redcrossblood.org using Sponsor Code: DARLINGTONRACEWAY.

• Saturday Aug. 30 – Sunday Aug. 31 – Turn 2 Tailgate Zone: As the college football season gets underway on Labor Day weekend, Darlington Raceway invites fans to watch their favorite teams at a new Tailgate Zone in the area outside Turn 2 at the corner of Race Track Road and Harry Byrd Highway. The track will have food vendors and multiple TVs playing a variety of college football games, including the South Carolina vs. University of Virgina matchup on Sunday.

• Saturday, Aug. 30 – Terrence Carraway Memorial 5K with Ross Chastain: at 5:30 p.m. runners will take to the track Too Tough to Tame in their own race to the checkered flag in the Terrence Carraway Memorial 5K. Trackhouse Racing Driver Ross Chastain will be joining runners to give encouragement throughout the race. Proceeds from the 5K will go towards the Terrence F. Carraway Foundation. For more information on how to sign-up, please visit https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/events/memorial5k/.

• Now – Aug. 31 – 50/50 Raffle: South Carolina residents and NASCAR fans located in the state of South Carolina during the time of the 50/50 raffle can purchase 50/50 raffle tickets to take home a cash prize. Half of the prize will go to the selected winner, with the other half being donated to Darlington Shares, a donor-advised fund of The NASCAR Foundation whose mission of improving the quality of life for the Pee Dee region through the support of youth-focused organizations and life-enriching programs. For more information visit visiting www.darlingtonraceway5050.com. 

The racing action at Darlington Raceway kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 30, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Sober or Slammer 200, then concludes on Sunday, Aug. 31, with the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 as drivers in both series look to begin their Playoffs run with a win at the track Too Tough to Tame.

For more information on all the events taking place at Darlington Raceway, please visit www.darlingtonraceway.com.

Darlington Raceway PR