2011 SHOWTIME Southern 500, Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC

Rev up Mother's Day

by Laura Barnett | May 04, 2011

Years before I became a resident of South Carolina, I was lucky enough to have annual passes to the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Although the Labor Day race was scuttled after the 2004 season, it has been replaced with a new tradition of racing each May on Mother’s Day weekend: the SHOWTIME Southern 500. As part of the Mother’s Day weekend tradition, many of the driver’s mothers participate in pre-race ceremonies and give the “gentlemen, start your engines” command to get the racing underway. For more than 60 years the “Track Too Tough To Tame” has hosted some of the most exciting races in the history of NASCAR, and this one is no exception.

The racetrack is extremely fan-friendly and has the added distinction of each seat presenting a spectacular view that is lacking at most newer tracks. A unique offering from Darlington Raceway is The Darlington Stripe Zone. The hospitality experience gives fans a pre-race pit pass, appetizers, a dinner buffet, four beer tickets, unlimited soda and water, a commemorative track souvenir, and official SHOWTIME Southern 500 event program for only $140 per person in addition to their regular race ticket.

Insiders Tip: Tailgating in the field (the parking lot) is a Darlington tradition; race goers continue to tailgate after the race while waiting on the traffic to clear.

Darlington Raceway

1301 Harry Byrd Highway

Darlington, SC 29532

Tickets range from $40 to $199

Darlington Stripe Zone is $140 in addition to regular ticket