| "Darlington Day" At The Governor's Mansion |
| When the NASCAR tour rolls into Darlington
next month, it will be where nearly $30 million is pumped into the
state's economy. So, the message coming out of "Darlington Day" at
the Governor's Mansion was simple - fans need to continue to support
the track that has been hosting NASCAR races for more than 50
years. "We're here to celebrate a great tradition and something that's very unique in the history of NASCAR and what it means not only to the racetrack and to NASCAR, but frankly, South Carolina as a whole," Governor Mark Sanford said. NASCAR drivers Jimmy Spencer and Jeremy Mayfield, along with officials from the raceway and NASCAR, were on hand at the Governor's Mansion for what has become an annual event under Sanford. Spencer, one of a handful of drivers who has won a pole and a race in all three of NASCAR's highest divisions (Nextel Cup, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck) says one of the most disappointing moments of his career was the day he learned Darlington was losing the Southern 500 which meant the Pee Dee would be home to just one NASCAR weekend. Spencer said he understands NASCAR has to grow and that means taking the sport to bigger television markets. But Spencer, who also works as a race analyst for SPEED, says it would be a mistake for Darlington to lose its place on the schedule because of the track's rich history and "the racing is awesome". After enduring years of speculation about whether it would even have one race on the Cup schedule, the Raceway is now poised to remain a fixture in NASCAR. The addition of lights and the move to Mother's Day weekend has given the track new life - last year's first-ever night race was sold out and there are less than three thousand tickets left for next month's Dodge Charger 500. When fans do show up for next month's race, they'll see the new 6,300-seat Brasington grandstand which is part of a $6 million dollar investment to improve the track - upgrades that were greenlighted by the track owners at International Speedway Corp - another sign that Darlington will remain a major player in NASCAR. |