#TraditionContinues #BojanglesSo500 Welcome Race Fans!Welcome race fans! By Lisa Chalian-Rock DDRA...

A special publication of The News & Press, Darlington, S.C.

www.newsandpress.net WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019

ALSO INSIDE : WELCOME TO DARLINGTON

KERRY THARP COLUMN

LADY IN BLACK 2019

HAROLD BRASINGTON’S LEGACY

DALE EARNHARDT JR.’S CRASH

FLASHBACK TO THE ‘90S

#TraditionContinues#BojanglesSo500Welcome Race Fans!

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019 2 NEWS AND PRESS DARLINGTON, S.C.

SOUTHERN 500

For most non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses – more convenient access, shorter waits and lower costs make everybody feel like a winner. McLeod Urgent Care Centers are fully sta�ed and provide treatment options for both children and adults. We’re ready to get you back on track as quickly as possible.

McLeod Urgent Care Centers – the care you need when there’s no time to wait.

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Darlington: 964 Lochend Drive 843-777-6890 • Florence: 3015 West Palmetto Street 843-777-6870Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-8 pm Saturday and Sunday 9 am-4 pm

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Community means everything.

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If there’s anything you need, call me.

That’s why I’m proud to be here to help life go right™ – and to support Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500.

Bill Moore Jr Ins Agcy IncBill Moore Jr, Agent

200 East Hampton StreetDarlington, SC 29532Bus: 843-393-3752

Welcomeracefans!

By Lisa Chalian-RockDDRA Executive Director

While you are here for therace, the DarlingtonDowntown RevitalizationAssociation invites you to#ShopDarlington with ourlocal stores, restaurants andshops.

Take a photo of you atyour favorite, and tag theDDRA, @ddraSC, using thehash tag #ShopDarlington.We will cross-post it to ourFacebook page,DarlingtonDowntown, andwe will post our favorite inThe News & Press.

We have a slate of eventsfor Race Week, starting withthe Car Hauler’s Parade andRacefest Party on Thursdaynight, beginning at 6 p.m.with Lil' Rusty on the PublicSquare.

The party continuesFriday night as The BondingCompany brings downtownalive with a free concert atLiberty Lane on Pearl Street.

Thanks to the Pee DeeRegional TransportationAuthority, there will be ashuttle to take visitorsbetween the track and down-town Friday night from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Round out theweekend with the Southern500 Parade at 7 p.m. runningfrom the Square along PearlStreet.

Find buried treasures onthe Darlington AntiquesTrail. Stops include B&BVariety & Antiques, 703 PearlSt.; Darlington CountyHistorical Commission, 204Hewitt St.; DarlingtonRaceway Stock Car Museum,1301 Harry Byrd Highway;Scarlett's Antiques, 500 E.Broad St.; So-lina AuctionMarket Inc., 2085 LamarHighway; The Collectors Box,114 Cashua St.; and TheJeweler's Bench, 60 PublicSquare.

Or play a round of golf atthe Darlington Country Club,

125 Country Club Road.Getting hungry? Fill up at

a meat-and-three full ofSouthern charm at Jewel’sDeluxe on the Public Squareor Joe's Grill, 306 Russell St.

Stop in at Carolina DrugStore on the Public Squarefor a milkshake or sandwich.New flavors to try at Chianti’sWings & Things at 136Cashua St. or Fahrenheit 255at 26 Public Square. TryItalian favorites at MammaMia's Italian Kitchen orMexican fare at TenampaMexican Restaurant.

All are downtown withinwalking distance of theDarlington VeteransMemorial and OldDarlington Mural.

Try some tasty seafood atBay Island Seafood, 1316 S.Main St., or MayflowerSeafood, 1765 Harry ByrdHighway. For more barbecue,there’s Nick’s BBQ, 310 S.Main St., or Lindbergh's BBQ,1215 S. Main St.

Step back to the 1950s forAmerican and Greek special-ties for breakfast, lunch, ordinner at Taki’s Diner, 609Pearl St. Look for the race caron the roof of Raceway Grill,1207 Harry Byrd Highway, tocheck out some great racingmemorabilia and tastyAmerican food right next tothe track.

Check out unique fashionsat Merle Norman, 84 PublicSquare; Raven's Closet, 18Public Square; EmmanuelBeauty Supply, 14 PublicSquare; or Roses, 502 PearlSt. Looking for somethingmore than the average gift?Drop by Flower Baskets ByBecky, 204 Russell St., orShannon's Salon & Gifts,1033 Pearl St.

Stop by the Liberty LaneWalk of Fame to see theSouthern 500 mural and thehandprints of all theSouthern 500 winners from1950 to 2000. The brickwalkway connects downtownparking to Pearl Street andthe Public Square.

We hope you enjoy yourtime in Darlington, and comeback to see us!

NEWS AND PRESS DARLINGTON, S.C. 3 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019

The News & PressServing Darlington County since 1874

117 S. Main St., Darlington, SC 29532

Phone (843) 393-3811 Fax (843) 393-6811

www.newsandpress.net

STAFFGeneral Manager: Morrey Thomas

[email protected]: Bobby Bryant

[email protected] Writer: Samantha Lyles

[email protected]: Rachel Howell

[email protected]: Stephan Drew [email protected]

Front Desk: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONSIn-state subscriptions: One year $30

Out-of-state subscriptions: $40

SOUTHERN 500

Welcome to the City of Darlington!Welcome race fans to the City of

Darlington and the Bojangles’ Southern500. Our city extends to all its Raceway vis-itors the most cordial welcome. We wantyou to enjoy yourselves and come backoften to Darlington Raceway or just to visit.

We are proud of the Darlington Racewayand the many improvements made toenhance your experience at the track “TooTough to Tame”. The Bojangles’ Southern500 and Darlington Raceway have madethe City of Darlington one of the bestknown small places in the United States.

Thank you for your patronage ofDarlington Raceway and please drive care-fully. We want you back next year to watchanother exciting Bojangles’ Southern 500.

Sincerely, Gloria C. HinesMayorCity of Darlington

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

By Kerry TharpPresident, Darlington Raceway

In the fall of 1949, HaroldBrasington had a vision of turning an oldcotton field in Darlington into a pavedsuperspeedway for stock car racing.

That vision became a reality one yearlater as Darlington Raceway hosted itsfirst race on Labor Day 1950. Brasingtonand his partners expected a crowd ofaround 8,000 for that first race andwhen more than 25,000 fans showed up,it was the start of a love affair with theLady in Black that has been going strongever since.

In just a few days, DarlingtonRaceway will celebrate the 70th runningof the Bojangles’ Southern 500. Over thespan of seven decades, this race hasbecome one of NASCAR’s “crown jewels”and has established itself as one of thepremier sporting events in SouthCarolina.

Fans from all 50 states and 14 foreigncountries descend upon Darlington eachLabor Day to attend the race weekendand visit the track dubbed “Too Tough toTame.” The annual economic impactthat the race weekend realizes is enor-mous, with nearly a $65 million yearlyimpact on the state, including betterthan a $58 million annual impact on thePee Dee Region.

When it was announced thatDarlington’s spot on the NASCAR calen-dar would return to Labor Day weekendbeginning in 2015, there was a rousinground of applause from the racing faith-ful. Darlington and Labor Day had beena staple on the NASCAR schedule andthe state of state of South Carolina’s cal-endar for more than 50 years and at lastthere was a return to normalcy.

Darlington and Labor Day go together

like peanut butter and jelly. You can’thave one without the other.

The return to Labor Day includ-ed another important twist. The wisefolks at International SpeedwayCorporation, along with NASCAR offi-cials, also had a vision about whatDarlington’s race weekend could meanfor the industry.

Why not create a “throwback” week-end honoring the former heroes, Hall ofFamers and legends of the sport, whichwould include retro paint schemes, retrouniforms and other nostalgic elements?What better venue to showcase thesport’s past, present and future thanDarlington Raceway?

The concept of the throwback week-end was born and introduced to thefans, teams, drivers, media and others inthe industry. Under the direction of for-mer Darlington Raceway President ChipWile, Darlington’s 2015 Labor DayThrowback Weekend was a huge successand laid the groundwork for the contin-ued development of the platform.Shortly thereafter, the weekend was rat-ified as the “Official ThrowbackWeekend of NASCAR.” In four shortyears the throwback theme has takenthe sport by storm and helped re-ener-gize the entire industry with its reunion-like atmosphere.

This year, Darlington Racewaywill celebrate the 1990-94 era, honorthe legendary David Pearson and recog-nize the 70th running of the Bojangles’Southern 500.

In addition, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the15-time NASCAR Most Popular DriverAward recipient who retired from full-time racing two years ago, will bebehind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevroletfor the Aug. 31 running of the Sport

Clips Haircuts VFW 200. It will be DaleJr.’s only on-track racing appearance ofthe entire season and will be a race thatfans won’t want to miss.

On March 26 of this year, the2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule wasannounced and for the sixth straightyear, the Darlington event will onceagain be held over Labor Day Weekend.

The 71st running of the Bojangles’Southern 500 will take place Sunday,Sept. 6, and will be the first race of the2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Thisis great news for our fans, our communi-ty and South Carolina.

The vision that HaroldBrasington had more than 70 years agoto build a race track in Darlington quick-ly came to fruition and has provided thePee Dee and beyond with countlessmemories that will last a lifetime.

Darlington Raceway invites you toexperience its 2019 ThrowbackWeekend Aug. 30-Sept. 1. Tickets are on

sale by calling 1-866-459-RACE or byvisiting www.darlingtonraceway.com.The Lady in Black promises to provideplenty of exciting racing action conduct-ed against the backdrop of the sport’srich heritage and tradition.


SOUTHERN 500

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Darlington Raceway – The Track Too Tough To Tame

Hartsville native Haylee Johnson is theRaceway’s Lady in Black for 2019.

As the Lady in Black, Johnson will serve as akey ambassador for Darlington Raceway through-out the year.

She will represent the track at various commu-nity and media events as well as the 70th annualMonster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.“We arepleased that Haylee Johnson will be our Lady inBlack for 2019,” track President Kerry Tharp said.

“Haylee has a wonderful personality andunderstands the importance of DarlingtonRaceway in our community, having grown up innearby Hartsville. She will be a great ambassadorfor the track.”

Johnson is excited to get started in her newposition.

“This is a great opportunity for me to serve asDarlington Raceway’s Lady in Black,” Johnsonsaid.

“I’m excited to get started and represent thetrack at many events this year.”

Johnson is a 2018 graduate of Hartsville HighSchool. She is currently a student at FrancisMarion University, where she is studying nursing.She is also currently employed at The Retreat ofCarolina Bay assisted living facility in Hartsville.


SOUTHERN 500

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SOUTHERN 500

By Harold Brasington IIISpecial to the News & Press

“My generation! Yeah! Yeah!” Even for folks like me born a couple

years after The Who’s 1965 hit, you haveto admit – that’s an awesome song.

All that angst, optimism and defiancerolled up into one satisfying wallop.Every generation has songs like that. Asoundtrack to your coming of age. A soniccue for your launch into the great wideopen. (Hope you get the Tom Petty refer-ence – he always did it for my age group.And the “Back in Black” album fromAC/DC, and vintage Aerosmith, and LedZeppelin….

So it’s throwback time again inDarlington, and I’ve got a question for allof you race fans . . . what do racing androck-and-roll have in common?

Here is the short answer: D-I-Y, or “doit yourself” for those of us still getting thehang of communicating with acronyms.It’s an ironic thing to ponder when youthink about it.

In a time when TV shows about fixingstuff yourself is more popular than ever, itis getting harder all the time to do itbecause of a little thing the marketingwizards started a long time ago calledplanned obsolescence. Has a sinister ring,doesn’t it?

A lot of stuff is so cheap and computer-ized that there is just no fixing it, and thatwas the plan all along. So while we gearup to “throwback” this weekend and getnostalgic about the music and the carsfrom the past, let’s send up a salute to all

those drivers, mechanics and crew mem-bers from days gone by. Men like JuniorJohnson and Smokey Yunick. People whocould fix things. People who inventedthings. People who had a big hand in cre-ating the framework for our iconic carculture and what we think of as the“American Way of Life.”

Our early rockers customized theirgear because the stuff they wanted hadnot been invented yet. Eddie Van Halenfamously created the “Frankenstrat” bycombining parts from Fender and Gibsonguitars and changed the sound of rockovernight.

In the same way, our masterminds inthe garages worked wonders out on theracetrack to increase speed, efficiency,tire performance and safety. All of theseinnovations made their way into the carswe came to rely on.

The automobile was key to transform-ing 20th century America. It democra-tized mobility, and the asphalt oval is thelaboratory where the details got workedout. And that is the significance ofDarlington Raceway and the visionarymen who built her, and those who camelater and continued to build upon thedream that Harold Brasington started somany years ago.

This year we throwback to 1990-94. Ifthis was your generation, then I feel sureyou were rocking hard to “Smells LikeTeen Spirit” by Nirvana. And while thegrunge bands in the Northwest were put-ting the grit back in rock and roll,NASCAR was polishing up its image andgetting ready to head ’em up and move

’em out – the westward expansion wasunder way.

We were dialing back themustache/mullet combo and Hollywoodwas back in Darlington with big-nameactors to make “Days of Thunder.” TomCruise got a speeding ticket on CashuaStreet and we got our first look at a newactress named Nicole Kidman (I reckonTom got a good look, too).

I recently had a chance to visit withDarlington Raceway President KerryTharp about the 1990s Throwbacktheme and I think we were both a littlesurprised about how much haschanged in one generation – forNASCAR and the world in general.

I asked Kerry what he thought wasspecial about that time and we wentthrough the list of all the obviousthings like the epic rivalry betweenJeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Sr.And then he paused and looked at meand said something that really stuckwith me. “It was also a time when wesat down at the table at night andtalked with your family and friendsand you looked people in the eyebecause we didn’t have phones at thetable.”

Kerry – you are preaching to thechoir, my friend!

That is another reason to love raceweekend even more. A lot of peopleare going to put their phones down fora few precious hours and connect withtheir fellow race fans and enjoy livingin the moment, right where they are,in Darlington.

I think my granddad would agreewith the sentiment. He liked to keep it

simple. Some folks said he preferred to dothings the hard way. Sometimes thatmight be the right way if you like the endresult. And what was that result? Asmooth ride on an engineered highway ina reasonably safe and reliable car. That iswhat my generation got out of the deal.

Granddad was a man of few words,but he made a few comments that Iremember to this day. “Racing fixed thetires and the brakes on cars, then we hadto go and build the roads, too.”

I’m ready to get nostalgic for the ’90s.And that can be the launching point to gowherever you want to in the history ofstock car racing here in Darlington.

This is where racing on asphalt began.This is where some of the legendary carsstill live. If you get the chance to visit withMarshall Griffin and one of his “RoaringRelics,” count yourself lucky. He takes hiscars out of the museum every year to letfans touch or even sit in a piece ofNASCAR history. Help a young fan meeta driver or check out a race car. Theseyoung fans are the innovators of tomor-row and will be solving the mobility chal-lenges that face America.

We might not be the rough-hewn rab-ble we once were. I know a lot of myrowdy friends have “rowdied on down” asHank Jr. once said. But we still know howto have a good time. I just hope I’m notthe only one yelling “Free Bird!” whenBetter Than Ezra takes the stage for thepre-race show.

Talking about your generation

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

By Hunter ThomasSpecial to the News & Press

When Kyle Busch heardthat Dale Earnhardt Jr.’sairplane had crashed atElizabethton MunicipalAirport in Tennessee, hisheart, along with the rest ofthe world’s, absolutelydropped.

Earnhardt, his wife,Amy, daughter, Isla, dogGus and two pilots, climbedfrom the fiery crash afterhis Cessna CitationLatitude slid off the runwayand nearly reached thenearby highway. The scenewas horrific, but no onesuffered any seriousinjuries.

“Amy and I want tothank everyone who haslifted us up with phonecalls, messages and prayersince last Thursday,”Earnhardt posted on socialmedia Aug. 19.

“We are truly blessedthat all on board escapedwith no serious injuries,including our daughter, ourtwo pilots and our dog Gus.With respect to the investi-gation, we will not be spec-ulating or discussing thecause of the accident. I amthankful for the quickresponse of my pilots, locallaw enforcement, emer-gency personnel and hospi-tal staff. Lastly, Amy and Icontinue to be very appre-ciative of the privacyextended to us to processeverything. It has beenimportant to do that togeth-er and on our own time.”

Busch, who has compet-ed against Earnhardt formost of his career, said thathis heart dropped after his

own pilot told him aboutthe crash. The first thingBusch wanted to know wasif there were any survivors.

“It’s scary any time youhear about those things orsee those things,” Buschsaid. “Certainly when Iheard about it -- my pilotactually called me and waslike, hey, have you heardthis or seen this yet -- and Iwas like, no, and heexplained to me what allhappened. As soon as hesaid Jr.’s plane went down,my heart just dropped. Myfirst thing was like well, arethere any survivors becauseyou don’t know any of thedetails originally and then alot more of the details startcoming out and you starthearing things, but it’s ascary situation.”

The 2015 MonsterEnergy NASCAR Cup Serieschampion actually travels inthe same model airplanethat Earnhardt does eachweek. Without knowing anyadditional details otherthan what has been report-ed, Busch spoke very highlyabout the airplane model.

“With as much as we dotravel and things like that –I know Jr. has had his pilotsfor a long, long time. I don’tknow any of the details pastwhat you guys all knowbecause I haven’t spoken toanybody,” Busch said. “It’sjust everybody has proce-dures and protocols andthings like that. I feel likeCessna and TextronAviation – those guys do anamazing job. They actuallyhelp me manage my air-craft. I have the exact sameplane Dale Jr. has, aCitation Latitude, and it’s

been a fantastic aircraft toget me from Point A to PointB and it’s always been therefor us and it’s done a phe-nomenal job, so I’m not surethe details as to what hap-pened if it was whose erroror whose accident it was, Idon’t know.”

With Busch and his wife,Samantha, traveling sepa-rately on some weekends,he knows that anything ispossible, just as if they wereto drive to the racetrack sep-arately. However, when anairplane crashes, it can cer-tainly become a tragedyvery quickly.

“There’s a lot of airplaneflights that happenthroughout the days,throughout the years andeverything else and there’sa few that have issues andfor as many flights that aresuccessful, it’s certainly atragedy when there’s flightsthat aren’t a success,” Buschsaid. “I’m glad that every-body was okay.”

While in Tennessee,Busch started the Bass ProShops NRA Night Race atBristol Motor Speedway inthe 31st position, but hefought his way through thepack and captured a fourth-place finish, marking his12th top-five effort in 24races this season.

“I was just too loose atthe end,” Busch said. “Thecar just wasn’t there reallyall weekend long. I justnever really found what Iwas looking for. We werekind of all over the place.Early on, we were so loosethat I was just barely hang-ing on and trying to makeup time there.

“We finally got it tight-

ened up enough there whenI was racing with the 2(Brad Keselowski) and gotthe lead from the 2 beforethat caution came out. Thenwe tried to make it a littlebit better for exit after thatbecause we were going togo a long ways on tires wefigured and just made it tooloose. I just had no rear trac-tion getting into the corner.We salvaged a hard-foughtday for fourth. That’s aboutit.”

Now, the Joe GibbsRacing driver heads toDarlington Raceway, a trackwhere he has captured awin, three top-five and ninetop-10 finishes. Busch isalways a strong contenderat the Lady in Black, but thisseason, he enters theBojangles’ Southern 500 asthe points leader with fourwins.

Busch is showing nosigns of slowing down withan average finish of 7.2, andhe has completed 99.9 per-

cent of the laps this season.With momentum in hisfavor, Busch is looking for-ward to the throwbackweekend at Darlington.

“Every time we go toDarlington they have kindof a different era that you’resupposed to fit within forcriteria I guess on howthey’re going to theme it,”Busch said. “We didn’t par-

ticipate the first couple ofyears, but lately, we’ve beena participant of that and it’sbeen pretty cool, so I’vebeen pretty excited.

The 70th running of theBojangles’ Southern 500will broadcast live on theNBC Sports Network(NBCSN) and the MotorRacing Network (MRN) at 6p.m. Sept. 1.


SOUTHERN 500

37th South Carolina Sweet Potato Festival

Fun for the whole family!

Admission is FREE

Darlingtoninvites you to the

37th South Carolina Sweet Potato Festival

Saturday, October 12, 2019 | 9 am - 4 pmDarlington Public Square

Brought to you by the Pilot Club of Darlington

Fun for the whole family!

Admission is FREE

Busch’s heart dropped when he heard about Earnhardt Jr.’s crash

Kyle Busch talks to fans on pit road prior to the Bass ProShops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s airplane sits along Highway 91 in Tennessee as officials prepare toremove the cockpit. PHOTOS BY HUNTER THOMAS/THE FOURTHTURN.COM

With DarlingtonRaceway celebrating the1990-94 era of NASCARfor its throwback week-end, it’s only fitting thatthe track recognizes one ofthe most dominant driversof that time period – DaleEarnhardt.

During that five-yearperiod in the early 1990s,Earnhardt won an incredi-ble four NASCAR CupSeries championships(1990, 1991, 1993 and1994), accumulating 24Cup wins, 75 top-five and105 top-10 finishes in thatspan. The 1994 champi-onship would beEarnhardt’s seventh andfinal series title.

“It was a special time tobe part of Dale Earnhardt’steam back in the early1990s,” Danny“Chocolate” Myers,Earnhardt’s fuel man inthose years, said. “We hada tremendous amount ofsuccess in those days andwere part of somethingtruly special. The No. 3team was hard to beat thenand I’m just happy I was apart of it.”

Mark Martin would beone of Earnhardt’s biggestnemesis in the early ’90shaving lost the champi-onship to The Intimidatorby a mere 26 points in1990. A 46-point penaltyMartin suffered from aRichmond race earlier in

the season for an illegalcarburetor handed the titleto Earnhardt that year.

After winning the 1991championship comfort-ably over Ricky Rudd,1992 was a trying year forthe No. 3 team. Earnhardtfinished 12th in the pointstandings, earning just onevictory with six top-fiveshowings, while AlanKulwicki won the champi-onship that year. It was hisfirst finish outside the top-10 in points since the 1982campaign.

After a disappointing1992, the No. 3 teamregrouped and cruised toanother comfortablechampionship in 1993over Rusty Wallace. The1994 and final Cup title forEarnhardt was his best yet.He battled with ErnieIrvan for the points leadthroughout the season,but Irvan suffered a near-fatal incident in theAugust race at Michigan,handing the title toEarnhardt. The next clos-est finisher was MarkMartin, who was 444points behind.

“The dominance thatDale Earnhardt had duringthe early ’90s was as animpressive feat that we’veseen in our sport,”Darlington RacewayPresident Kerry Tharpsaid. “Very few driversover the last 70 years have

had the kind of successthat he had from 1990-94.He definitely lived up tohis nickname of TheIntimidator and wasalmost always the guy upfront that everyone waschasing. It was an impres-sive run for the No. 3Richard Childress Racingteam for sure.”

Four of Earnhardt’s vic-tories in the 1990-94 eracame at DarlingtonRaceway. He won bothraces in 1990, and the1993 and 1994 springraces at the Lady in Black.

Despite losingEarnhardt in 2001, thesport continues to recog-nize the icon and NASCARHall of Famer on a regularbasis and DarlingtonRaceway will celebrate hisachievements during itsthrowback weekend festiv-ities.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. bythe numbers: MonsterEnergy NASCAR CupSeries

Wins – 76 (8th all-time)Poles – 22Top-5 Finishes: 281Top-10 Finishes: 428Laps Led: 25,684Most wins at track

(Cup): TalladegaSuperspeedway (10),Atlanta Motor Speedway(9), Bristol MotorSpeedway (9), DarlingtonRaceway (9)

SOUTHERN 500

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By Hunter ThomasSpecial to the News & Press

For the first time innearly a year, DaleEarnhardt Jr. will return tocompetition in theNASCAR Xfinity Series onAug. 31 at DarlingtonRaceway.

Earnhardt, who retiredfrom full-time competitionin the Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series fol-lowing the 2017 season,has only made one startsince hanging up the hel-met, and it was atRichmond Raceway inSeptember of last year.

Earnhardt started theNASCAR Xfinity Series racein second. He led 96 lapsand finished fourth. Now,the 15-time NationalMotorsports PressAssociation (NMPA) MostPopular Driver will strapinto his Chevrolet one moretime and take to the highbacks of the track, TooTough To Tame in the SportClips Haircuts VFW 200.

“It will mean a lot to mein the same way it meant alot to me at Richmond lastyear,” Earnhardt Jr. said.“The only expectation Ibring into the weekend is togive the fans their money’sworth. Otherwise it’s nopressure, maximum fun.It’s not about the resultsanymore; it’s about theexperience. Make no mis-take, though – I’m going totry to win.”

Not only is Earnhardtplanning on putting a showon for the fans, but he willrace a No. 8 Chevrolet forthe first time since 2007.The iconic numberadorned Earnhardt’s racecar when he first brokeonto the scene inNASCAR’s premier series;however, come Labor Dayweekend, he won’t be pilot-ing a red No. 8 Budweisercar, instead, popular may-onnaise brand Hellmann’swill serve as the sponsor.The scheme was inspiredby Dale Earnhardt Sr.’sfirst-ever NASCAR scheme

that was blue and yellowback in 1975.

“Hellmann’s is onceagain the primary sponsor,and I will drive the No. 8,”Earnhardt said. “I had anidea for a throwbackscheme, but with this beingmy only race I knew itwould’ve been justified forHellmann’s to prefer a cur-rent scheme. They support-ed my idea, and I am thank-ful.”

The last time thatEarnhardt competed in aNASCAR Xfinity Series raceat Darlington Raceway wasback in 1999, the year thathe won his second consecu-tive series championship.The North Carolina nativehas 140 series starts,amassing 24 wins, 10 poles,68 top-five and 92 top-10finishes.

“We are thrilled to haveDale Earnhardt Jr. race inour NASCAR XFINITYSeries Sport Clips HaircutsVFW 200 event atDarlington Raceway,” saidDarlington Raceway

President Kerry Tharp.“Dale has a tremendousamount of passion forDarlington and we are allexcited to see what kind ofspecial throwback paintscheme he will run at thetrack Too Tough To Tame.Fans don’t get many oppor-tunities to see him race, soit will be something specialto see on Aug. 31.”

Earnhardt has alwaysbeen a fan of NASCAR’shistory, so the throwbackrace at Darlington Racewayfits his style perfectly.While Earnhardt is knownworld-wide as one of themost iconic NASCAR driv-ers of all-time, believe it ornot, his racing career beganin South Carolina.

Earnhardt grew up rac-ing at Florence MotorSpeedway and MyrtleBeach Speedway as well asother tracks throughoutthe Carolinas. That’s onereason why race fans in thePee Dee and Grand Strandregions love to seeEarnhardt compete out onthe track. He was a topcompeting NASCARWeekly Series competitorin the area back in the1990s.

“I raced the beach forfour years in the ’90s whenI was growing up trying tofigure out how to drive,

and the beach is just likethis place,” Earnhardt toldTheFourthTurn.com atRichmond last year. “Thesurface is slick and wornout.”

Earnhardt continued:“It’s funny, you think back,somebody was asking meout there how much fun Ihad, or when was the lasttime I had that much fun. Ialways think back to theLate Model days as proba-bly the funnest racing that Idid.

“You went with yourbuddies. Whoever wouldgo got in the truck. You’dstop halfway down to thebeach and get out and get aMountain Dew and a SlimJim and drive the rest ofthe way. You’d stop down inSouth Carolina after thebeach, you went to theHuddle House. You didn’tgo to Waffle House,because the Waffle Housedoesn’t have French toast,but the Huddle Housedoes.

“I’m a big Waffle Housefan, but the Huddle Housesdown at the beach were bigtime after the race unlessyou wrecked somebody,then you didn’t stop.Because they’d be there. Imiss how free and easy thatwas, and as you got higher,it’s obviously bigger busi-

ness.”The worn-out surface

that Myrtle BeachSpeedway and FlorenceMotor Speedway features iswhat helped lead toEarnhardt’s success at par-ticularly DarlingtonRaceway and RichmondRaceway. While he hasnever won at Darlington,Earnhardt has finished 21of his 22 Cup Series startsat the track, and in theXfinity Series, he has fin-ished all four starts at thetrack. That speaks volumeswhen navigating aroundNASCAR’s toughest tracks.

“There are many things Ilove about Darlington thatcontributed to my decisionto run there this year, butthe main reason is the tracksurface,” Earnhardt Jr.said. “I love races whereyou have to be smart andmanage your tires.Darlington is slick, and itwears out tires. It’s one ofthe few stops on the circuitthat provides that chal-lenge.”

The Sport Clips HaircutsVFW 200 at DarlingtonRaceway will start at 4 p.m.on Aug. 31, and it willbroadcast live on NBC andthe Motor Racing Network(MRN).

Earnhardt Jr. returns to the Lady in Black for one more dance

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks with the media following his only NASCAR Xfinity Series start of2018 at Richmond Raceway. PHOTO BY HUNTER THOMAS/THE FOURTHTURN.COM

Earnhardt set the benchmarkin the early ’90s

Dale Earnhardt Jr. carries on his dad’s tradition PHOTO BY HUNTER THOMAS/THE FOURTHTURN.COM


SOUTHERN 500

Pop music icon andGreenville native Edwin McCainwill participate in the award-winning Official ThrowbackWeekend of NASCAR by per-forming the National Anthemfor the Monster Energy NASCARCup Series Bojangles’ Southern500 at Darlington Raceway onSunday, Sept. 1.

McCain will perform theanthem for the track’s 70thanniversary of the Bojangles’Southern 500, which first com-peted at the track Too Tough ToTame in 1950.

“With South Carolina beingmy home state, I’m excited to beperforming the NationalAnthem at one of the sport’sbiggest races of the year atDarlington Raceway,” McCainsaid. “I’ve always embraced mySouth Carolina roots so to per-form at my home state’sNASCAR track is an honor.”

Called the “great Americanromantic” by the New YorkTimes, McCain has built an envi-able career over the past 20years by balancing his massivepop success with the year-round

touring schedule of a tirelesstroubadour.

His hit songs, authentic spiritand surprisingly affable sense ofhumor keep fans coming backtime and time again for nightsthat feel more like parties withold friends than rock concerts.

After recording two of thebiggest love songs in the historyof pop music and experiencingthe success that comes with atelevision show on AnimalPlanet (“Flipping Ships”),McCain now performs upwardsof 100 shows annually through-out the U.S. as a solo artist, withhis full band or his acoustic trio.

Recently, he’s added orches-tras to his repertoire, perform-ing with symphonies in selectmarkets where he brings hispowerful songs to majestic newheights.

Those enduring love songs(and wedding must-haves) “I’llBe” and “I Could Not Ask ForMore” aren’t just for the roman-tic at heart; “American Idol” and“The Voice” contestants turn toEdwin’s ballads every singleyear to help them win over

judges and fans alike (just asklast season’s AI winner, NickFradiani). Even Justin Bieberhas been known to belt out “I’llBe” during his own concerts.

2018 marked the 20th year ofthe success of “I’ll Be,” whichtopped the Billboard charts in1998 and has proven to be atimeless classic over the pasttwo decades.

“We’re excited about havingSouth Carolina’s own EdwinMcCain perform our NationalAnthem for the 70th running ofthe Bojangles’ Southern 500,”track President Kerry Tharpsaid.

“It’s great to see SouthCarolina natives like McCainbeing involved in their homestate’s NASCAR events. It meansa lot to Darlington Raceway andthe sport. Pre-race ceremoniesfor the Bojangles’ Southern 500will be a can’t-miss opportunityfor fans.”


SOUTHERN 500

McCain follows his S.C. roots to Raceway


SOUTHERN 500

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1992: Gordon begins hisNASCAR Hall of Fame career

It was the final race ofthe 1992 NASCAR CupSeries season at AtlantaMotor Speedway and AlanKulwicki edged Bill Elliottout for his first and onlychampionship in a banneryear for the Wisconsin driv-er.

However, as Kulwickiwas celebrating his cham-pionship (and RichardPetty celebrating his finalNASCAR Cup Series race inan illustrious Hall of Famecareer), another story qui-etly unfolded with a driverthat would change the nar-rative of the sport forever,eventually leading to aNASCAR Hall of Famecareer, – driver of the No.24 Chevrolet Jeff Gordon.

In that Atlanta race,Gordon, who had wonthree races, captured 11poles and finished fourth inthe NASCAR Busch Seriesstandings that same year,made his NASCAR CupSeries debut in the season

finale (in a Rick Hendrickowned car), qualifying 21stand finishing 31st after suf-fering a crash 164 laps intothe race.

Despite the brief set-back in Atlanta in 1992,Gordon’s success that sea-son still resonated withteam owner Rick Hendrick,who signed him to a fullcontract for the 1993 Cupcampaign earlier that year.After placing 14th in thefinal 1993 NASCAR CupSeries standings, Gordonwould finally break-through in the 1994 seasonwith two victories, his firstat the Coca-Cola 600 atCharlotte and his second inthe inaugural Brickyard400 at Indianapolis.

He would finish 8th inthe 1994 standings, but fol-lowed with seven race winsand his first championshipin 1995. It would be thestart to a tremendouslysuccessful NASCAR Hall ofFame career that ended

with his retirement fromfull-time racing in 2015 (heraced eight races for DaleEarnhardt Jr. in 2016). Heaccumulated 93 careerNASCAR Cup Series wins,which ranks third all-timein the sports history behindRichard Petty (200) andDavid Pearson (105).

Gordon was inductedinto both the NASCAR Hallof Fame Feb. 1, and theNMPA (NationalMotorsports PressAssociation) Hall of FameJan. 27.

“Jeff Gordon is one ofthe greatest drivers in oursport’s history and his illus-trious NASCAR careerbegan during the time peri-od we are celebrating forthrowback weekend thisyear,” Darlington RacewayPresident Kerry Tharp said.“He has had such a positiveimpact on NASCAR and hispopularity and contribu-tions have transcended oursport.”

NEWS AND PRESS DARLINGTON, S.C. 13 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 2019

SOUTHERN 500

Highlighting its award-winning ThrowbackWeekend, celebrating the1990-94 era of the sport,Darlington Raceway andthe Myrtle Beach Chamberof Commerce haveannounced that multi-plat-inum rock/alternativegroup Better Than Ezrawill headline the VisitMyrtle Beach Pre-RaceConcert for its MonsterEnergy NASCAR CupSeries Bojangles’ Southern500 race Sept. 1.

“It’s exciting that wewill be performing the pre-race concert at a historicNASCAR track likeDarlington Raceway,”Better Than Ezra frontmanKevin Griffin said. “It willbe a fun show we knowrace fans will enjoy. The’90s were a special time forBetter Than Ezra so it’s agreat fit for us to play dur-ing the track’s celebrationof the early ’90s for theirthrowback weekend.”

“Better Than Ezra con-tinues to put on great per-formances for their fansand our Visit Myrtle BeachPre-Race Concert will beno different,” saidDarlington RacewayPresident Kerry Tharp.“They had many of theirmost notable hits in the

’90s and are a perfect fit toget the fans excited forwhat will be an amazingBojangles’ Southern 500event.”

After being foundedwhile students atLouisiana State University(LSU) in 1988, frontmanKevin Griffin and bassistTom Drummond com-prised the core of the bandat its onset as they hit theroad and won over one fanat a time beginning in1989.

This fan base would goon to be known as“Ezralites” by the time thefirst pressing of Deluxelanded independently in1993. As the audience dra-matically grew, Elektrasigned the boys in 1995and officially releasedDeluxe.

A fixture on radio andMTV, “Good” captured #1on the Hot Modern RockTracks Chart and wentmulti-platinum. 1996’sFriction, Baby yieldeddefinitive anthems such as“Desperately Wanting” and“King Of New Orleans.” Astring of fan favoritealbums followed, includ-ing How Does Your GardenGrow? [1998] and Closer[2001].

2005’s Before The

Robots represented anoth-er creative high. Its leadsingle “A Lifetime” peakedin the Top 15 of theBillboard Adult Top 40chart as “Juicy” went on tofamously soundtrack aDesperate Housewivescampaign. Paper Empirefollowed in 2009 and thenthe band released their lat-est album in 2014, AllTogether Now. Producedby Tony Hoffer [M83,Beck,] it spawned the hit“Crazy Lucky,” whichnotched 10 million-plusstreams.

At the same time, theirtouring presence bur-geoned year after year asBetter Than Ezra continueto sell out amphitheatersand arenas worldwide. Aforce of nature on stage,the group consistentlydeliver on tour as countlessfans sing along to everyword nightly. Their gigsfurther uphold a growinglegend.

Outside of Better ThanEzra, Griffin establishedhimself as a sought-afterhitmaking songwriter, hav-ing songs recorded by thelikes of Taylor Swift andTrain. He also penned #1hits for Howie Day andSugarland in addition towriting with The Struts

and Moon Taxi. In 2015,Griffin co-founded thePilgrimage Music &Cultural Festival, whichcounts Justin Timberlakeamong others as partners.

Along the way, theylaunched the Better ThanEzra Foundation(www.BTEFoundation.org) in order to support theirhometown. Chaired byDrummond, its charityendeavors span coastalrestoration projects, afterschool programs forunderprivileged kids, andmore. Since 2008, it has

raised over $1.7 million forcauses throughout greaterNew Orleans.

Celebrating 25 years ofDeluxe in 2018, the guysreissued the record ondouble vinyl. In the end,you’ll never forget thesongs on Deluxe or anyother release from theirdiscography — and that’sbetter than anything.

The Myrtle BeachChamber of Commercewill be sponsoringDarlington’s pre-race con-cert for the second consec-utive year after partnering

with the track for countrystar Clay Walker’s show in2018.

Darlington Racewayhas had a long-standingrelationship with VisitMyrtle Beach, as manyrace fans visit the trackeach year for its Labor Dayweekend NASCAR events,followed by a vacation toMyrtle Beach. WithDarlington only located 75miles from Myrtle Beach,its proximity makes it aprime destination for fami-ly and friends.

Darrell Waltripentered the 1992Bojangles’ Southern 500on a hot streak and waslooking for more.

The three-timeNASCAR Cup SeriesChampion and owner of83 career victories (at thetime) traveled toDarlington Raceway thatsummer for the annualLabor Day Southern 500weekend festivities withmomentum after winningat Bristol MotorSpeedway and posting asecond-place showing atMichigan International

Speedway the two racesprior.

Little did Waltrip knowthat after winning theBojangles’ Southern 500for his 84th career win, itwould be the last time hevisited Gatorade VictoryLane in NASCAR’s topseries. It was also his firstand only Bojangles’Southern 500 victory (hisother four wins atDarlington were in springevents).

“It was interesting,because we didn’t havethe fastest car in the fieldfor sure. All eyes were on

Davey Allison trying towin the Winston Millionthat weekend and no onewas looking at us to com-pete for the win,” Waltripsaid.

“It ended up being arain-shortened eventabout 5-6 laps after I tookthe lead and was in frontof Mark Martin. The racenever got restarted so Igot the victory, which Inever would have thoughtwould be my last Cup vic-tory in the sport.

“It was pretty remark-able that up to that pointall my wins at Darlington

were in spring races and Ihad never won aSouthern 500 on LaborDay weekend,” Waltripcontinued. “I was fortu-nate that the weathergods were on our sidethat day and we were ableto get the lead and keep itwith around 70 laps to goin the race.

“I hated it for Davey,because he had a great carand raced up front mostof the day, but they pitted12 laps before the raincame and could never getback up front. It is a victo-ry I will cherish forever

despite the circumstancesof how it played out.”

Waltrip competed inNASCAR’s top series foranother eight seasonsuntil 2000 and postednearly 40 top-10 finishesin those years but anothertrip to Gatorade VictoryLane eluded him. Despitethat, Waltrip is consid-ered one of the sport’s all-time greatest drivers, cul-minating with his electioninto the NASCAR Hall ofFame’s third inductionclass in 2012.

Waltrip’s 84 careerNASCAR Cup Series is

tied for fourth all-timewith Bobby Allison, justone ahead of current driv-er Jimmie Johnson, whohas 83 (who is tied withCale Yarborough).

“I can’t complain aboutmy career at all. I’m fortu-nate that I had so muchsuccess in NASCAR over anearly 30 year career. Wewon a few championshipsand a lot of races and I’mblessed to still be part of itwith my television career.It’s been a great ride forsure,” Waltrip concluded.


SOUTHERN 500

Flashback to 1992: ‘No one was looking at us tocompete for the win’

Better Than Ezra: Another way to salute the ’90s

NEWS AND PRESS DARLINGTON, S.C. 15 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 289 2019

SOUTHERN 500


SOUTHERN 500

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