Nascar insider's are taking a long-range look at this promotional outlook for at least a 4 to 5 year span at Darlington's "Track to Tough to Tame" surface. It's Nascar's hope to bring back the sports lost fan base as well as educate and introduce the younger generation fan's of how the sport has grown from its beach and red clay dirt track day's. Most every true race fans has seen the Glitz and Glamour of the newer track's that have sprung-up in new markets like Chicago, Texas, Kansas, and Vega's. I for one have been to most , but as for this Labor day...........I'll just splash on a l'il sunscreen, top of my igloo cooler with some of my favorite brew's and make the trip back to the racing root's of those hallowed grounds of Darlington's infield just to enjoy the sight's, sound's and smell of a REALLY BIG ONE in Mayberry/ Darlington. The Southern 500 is Back in Darlington on Labor Day Weekend!

Sincerely: Joe Fan

Darlington officials say the response to throwback schemes "incredible": The idea was to start slow and build on this year's initial effort. But based on the reaction from teams, drivers, sponsors and others in the industry, Darlington Raceway officials might want to raise their goals going forward. This week's Bojangles' Southern 500 NASCAR weekend is the kickoff of a five-year plan to celebrate the history and heritage of the legendary race track. As part of the celebration, race teams will feature throwback paint schemes on their cars. Concessions will include items that haven't been on the menu in decades -- fried green tomatoes, sausage perlo and pimento cheese sandwiches. The annual Southern 500 parade, idled since the early '90s, returns. Even ticket prices (for renewal customers) were given the throwback treatment -- $18 seats in the Colvin Grandstands, which is located on the original front stretch of the 1.336-mile track. But it's the paint schemes that have everyone buzzing. More than 30 of the 43 entries lining up are expected to carry the special one-race look. "Our goal," Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile told NASCAR.com, "was eight to 10. This is a five-year platform; this isn't a one-year deal. We felt like if we could get eight or 10 teams on board to really showcase what we're trying to accomplish, we felt like in 2016 we could get more, in 2017 we would get more and so on. But the response that we've gotten from everyone in the industry has been incredible." The era the track is celebrating this year runs from 1970 through '74, Wile said, but "for the teams we just wanted them to celebrate something in the past. It could be from five years ago or it could be something from 50 years ago. The pre-race concert will feature Grand Funk Railroad, which earned its first No. 1 single on the Billboard chart in '73. Country music's Tanya Tucker will sing the national anthem. "Two very iconic early '70s artists that are going to be a part of our weekend and really tie it all together," Wile said.(NASCAR.com), images of all the schemes can be seen on Jayski.com's Darlington Throwback paint schemes page.(9-1-2015)