Racing festival set for 'Lady In Black' next Labor Day weekend

The Associated Press

Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007

DARLINGTON, S.C. – It’s not the Southern 500 at Darlington. But some of racing’s most famous names will return to the track “Too Tough To Tame” next Labor Day weekend.

Raceway officials said Wednesday that NASCAR greats David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson and others will take part in the Darlington Historic Racing Festival on Aug. 30-31.

Until four years ago, The Labor Day weekend at Darlington was reserved for Nextel Cup and one of its crown jewel races, the Southern 500. However, in 2003, NASCAR officials shifted the holiday weekend race to California as Darlington lost one of its two annual events.

Darlington has sold out its lone race the past three years since it moved to the Saturday night before Mother’s Day.

Track president Chris Browning says the new festival will bring more than 100 vintage race cars, ranging from the 1950s to the 1970s, to NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway.

“Auto racing fans are incredibly proud of the sport’s history, and we feel there is no better venue than Darlington Raceway to bring the sport’s legendary drivers and cars back together for a weekend of celebration and fun,” Browning said.

Darlington is currently undergoing about $10 million in improvements before next May’s Dodge Avenger 500, including the track’s first repaving since 1995.

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