By Brandon Reed

With the 61st annual Southern 500 ready to take place Saturday night at Darlington Raceway, we take a look back at the history of the Georgia Gang in the famed classic at Georgia Racing History.com.

Right from the beginning, the Georgia Gang has played a big role in the running of the Southern 500. From Raymond Parks changing tires on Red Byron's Cadillac in the first event in 1950 to Bill Elliott's winning of the first Winston Million, drivers from the Peach State have had a lot to be proud of over the years at Darlington. You can read all about some of those great moments (and a few near misses) this week over at Georgia Racing History.com.