By Tim Leeming
Darlington is the track I first ventured to in 1957 when Uncle Bobby decided it was time to graduate from the quartermile and half mile dirt tracks we attended every week and actually check out Darlington,. That was the spring race of 1957, convertibles on the track. I was 11 and that was many years ago but that memory is so fresh. I missed only a hand full of races from 1957 through 2004 when NASCAR decided tradition was no longer important and neither were the older fans like me who had given a lifetime of support to the sport. Nevertheless, I still must watch all the races from Darlington as it holds a very special place in my heart.
This year's Southern 500, although not the same as the Labor Day weekend tradition of the same name, was a good race and was, more or less, a typical Darlington race. I do dislike the end results with Kevin and Kyle, but things happen. What I did like was seeing the 27 year old driver climb from the Furniture Row Motorsports Chevy, sponsored by Denver Mattress as a winner. And Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500. Two young, unknown drivers, in what are, at best second or third tier cars. But what a great feeling.
