Take Stock of the Southern 500’s Return

August has got racing on the brain for many Darlington residents. In addition to the Historic Racing Festival scheduled for the end of the month, Aug. 30-31, there have been two especially significant announcements regarding the track in the last few weeks. First, Darlington Raceway Track President Chris Browning announced that the Mother’s Day Race will now be the Southern 500, a revered name in racing — and Darlington — history. As locals celebrated race’s return while still wishing it still applied to its historic Labor Day date — moved to California’s Talladega Speedway in 2004 — a second announcement came from NASCAR that the Labor Day date was moving again, this time to Atlanta Motor Speedway. This shuffling of the schedule has some natives wondering why the date couldn’t come back home to Darlington.

Weigh in on the Southern 500 and its new date by posting your comments here.
Look for more comments in the Aug. 28 edition of the News and Press.