"The Lady in Black. The Track Too Tough to Tame. A 1.366-mile asphalt oval that opened in 1950 as NASCAR's first true superspeedway, and the place where the 2026 O'Reilly Chase begins."
Key Takeaways
- 1.366-mile asphalt oval in Darlington, South Carolina, with 23 to 25 degrees of banking in the turns. Its lopsided, egg-like shape makes the two ends of the track race differently, and it has been punishing precision drivers since 1950.
- NASCAR's first true superspeedway. Before the giant tracks were built, Darlington was the sport's biggest stage, and it remains one of the oldest and most challenging venues on the circuit.
- Home of the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend, one of NASCAR's crown-jewel races, plus a second NASCAR weekend each season.
- David Pearson owns the record book: most wins (10) and most poles (12). The second-closest finish in NASCAR history happened here in March 2003, when Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch to the line by 0.002 seconds.
- The 2026 O'Reilly Chase opens here: the Fleetio 200 (NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) runs Saturday, September 5 at 7:30 p.m., the first of the nine Chase races, with the Cook Out Southern 500 (NASCAR Cup Series) on Sunday, September 6 at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Darlington, South Carolina Track Type: Asphalt oval Length: 1.366 miles Banking: 23 to 25 degrees in the turns Opened: 1950 Owner: NASCAR (via the October 18, 2019 merger with International Speedway Corporation) Caution speed: 45 mph Nicknames: "The Lady in Black" · "The Track Too Tough to Tame"
The Chase at Darlington: Race 25
The 2026 O'Reilly Chase begins at Darlington on Labor Day weekend:
| Date | Race | Series | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sep 5 | Fleetio 200 | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sep 6 | Cook Out Southern 500 | NASCAR Cup Series | 5:00 p.m. |
Saturday's Fleetio 200 is Race 25 of the 33-race season and the opener of the nine-race Chase. The Chase is the O'Reilly Series championship: the top 12 drivers in points after Race 24 at Daytona settle the title over the season's final nine races. The track's own billing for the weekend says it directly: the Chase begins at the track Too Tough To Tame. Sunday's Southern 500 opens the Cup Series Chase on the same weekend.
Tickets: Saturday general admission and reserved seats, Sunday reserved seats, and two-day packages covering both races are sold through the track's official Labor Day weekend page. Camping, a pre-race pass, scanner rentals, and premium parking are offered on the same page. The official weekend schedule carries session times as the track posts them. Race-week extras include Track Laps on September 3 and the Hauler Showcase and Parade on September 4.
Overview
Darlington Raceway is NASCAR's original superspeedway, and seventy-five years on it remains one of the sport's sternest tests of precision. The 1.366-mile oval is famously asymmetric: the two ends were built with different shapes, so a car set up well for one set of corners tends to be compromised in the other. Drivers spend whole races inches from the outside wall, and the track's signature scuff, the "Darlington stripe," is the paint a car leaves behind when the wall finally collects its toll.
The two nicknames tell the whole story. "The Track Too Tough to Tame" is a warning; "The Lady in Black" is the track dressed for a funeral. Darlington rewards veterans, ruins impatient afternoons, and has produced some of the most famous finishes in NASCAR history.
For the O'Reilly Series, Darlington carries extra weight in 2026: it is the first race of the Chase, the place where the 12-driver championship field starts converting regular-season position into title pressure.
History
Darlington opened in 1950, and its place in the sport is structural: before the era of the giant ovals, it was NASCAR's first true superspeedway, the first purpose-built big track the young sanctioning body raced on. The Southern 500, run on Labor Day weekend, became one of stock car racing's crown jewels and remains the track's marquee event; the facility hosts two NASCAR weekends per season.
The record book belongs to David Pearson, whose 10 wins and 12 poles at Darlington both stand as track records. The track celebrated its 75th anniversary as one of NASCAR's enduring landmarks, and since October 18, 2019 it has been owned outright by NASCAR itself, which acquired longtime owner International Speedway Corporation in a $2 billion merger.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1950 | Darlington Raceway opens as NASCAR's first true superspeedway |
| 1950s onward | The Southern 500 becomes a Labor Day tradition and crown-jewel race |
| 1960s-70s | David Pearson builds track records that still stand: 10 wins, 12 poles |
| 2003 | Ricky Craven edges Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds, the second-closest finish in NASCAR history (March) |
| 2019 | NASCAR acquires International Speedway Corporation; Darlington comes under direct NASCAR ownership (October 18) |
| 2026 | Darlington opens the O'Reilly Chase with the Fleetio 200 (September 5) |
The Racing
Darlington is a handling track wearing a superspeedway's clothes. The asphalt is abrasive, tire wear is heavy, and the asymmetric layout means the car is never comfortable at both ends of the lap. The fast line runs tight against the outside wall, which is why the Darlington stripe is worn like a badge: running close enough to score the wall is often simply the speed of the place.
That combination rewards experience and car management over raw aggression. Fresh tires transform lap times, track position swings on pit strategy, and the final laps of a long run belong to the drivers who saved their equipment. As a Chase opener, it is a maximum-pressure test: a mistake against the wall in the first race of a nine-race championship can shape a driver's whole postseason.
Track records by series are maintained by the track's media office and updated event by event.
Ownership and Management
Darlington Raceway is owned by NASCAR following the October 18, 2019 completion of its $2 billion merger with International Speedway Corporation, the France family track company that had owned Darlington for decades. The track operates within NASCAR's track portfolio alongside Daytona, Talladega, Phoenix, and Homestead-Miami, and its website runs on the NASCAR Digital Media Network.
Visiting Darlington
Darlington is in Darlington, South Carolina. Tickets for the Labor Day weekend, camping across the fall race weekend, and add-ons including the pre-race pass, scanner rentals, and premium parking are sold through the official event page; the track also offers group tickets and a fan guide with maps and gate policies. Race-week community events, including Track Laps for charity and the downtown Hauler Showcase and Parade, run in the days before the weekend.
See Also
- Daytona International Speedway Track Guide covers the cutoff race that sets the 12-driver field arriving here.
- O'Reilly Series standings for the live Chase picture.
- The Grand National Show, our weekly show, follows the stories behind the race through the Chase.
2026 O'Reilly Chase tracks
- Darlington Raceway · Race 25
- World Wide Technology Raceway · Race 26
- Bristol Motor Speedway · Race 27
- Las Vegas Motor Speedway · Race 28
- Charlotte Motor Speedway · Race 29
- Phoenix Raceway · Race 30
- Talladega Superspeedway · Race 31
- Martinsville Speedway · Race 32
- Homestead-Miami Speedway · Race 33
O'Reilly Series reference
Track facts compiled from primary sources read August 26, 2026: darlingtonraceway.com (About Us and Labor Day weekend event pages) and SEC filings on the 2019 NASCAR-International Speedway Corporation merger, plus the GNT 2026 O'Reilly schedule records. Records by series are maintained by the track's media office. Page version 2, August 26, 2026.