DARLINGTON, S.C. – South Carolina lawmakers have made the first week in September "Darlington Raceway Week" as the track prepares for Labor Day weekend racing.
Both the state Senate and House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution stating that from Aug. 31-Sept. 6, the state would honor NASCAR's oldest superspeedway. The Southern 500 will be run on Sept. 6, marking a return to the holiday weekend after 12 years elsewhere on the Sprint Cup schedule.
State Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Hartsville, said the track's history is a big reason lawmakers passed the resolution.
Darlington Raceway hosted a Labor Day weekend race from 1950-2003 before the date was shuffled to other venues. Darlington's race was held on Mother's Day weekend from 2005-13. Last year, the Southern 500 was run in the middle of April.
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