NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway for the seventh annual Throwback Weekend. The Camping World Truck Series will compete Friday night followed by the Xfinity Series Saturday afternoon.
The Cup Series Goodyear 400 will take center stage on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Many of the drivers will be paying tribute to the past this weekend with special paint schemes on their cars. For a full detailed list of the paint schemes and cars participating select this link and visit NASCAR.com’s 2021 Throwback Weekend Photo Gallery.
Along with the Throwback paint schemes, fans can enjoy a variety of events that will add to the nostalgic atmosphere. In honor of Mother’s Day, Darlington Raceway will also hand out flowers to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the track.
There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.
The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula:
• 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
• 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
• 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
• 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
All times are Eastern.
Friday, May 7
7:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Trucks)
7:30 p.m.: Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200
Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles
Pole: John Hunter Nemechek
FS1 /MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday, May 8
12:40 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
1 p.m.: Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200
Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles
Pole: AJ Allmendinger
FS1 /MRN/TSN3/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday, May 9
3:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars)
3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Goodyear 400
Stages 90/185/293 Laps = 400.2 Miles
Pole: Brad Keselowski
FS1 /MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Darlington Raceway Data
Season Race #: 12 of 36 (05-09-21)
Track Size: 1.366-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,229 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,229 feet
Race Length: 293 laps / 400 miles
Stage 1 Length: 90 laps
Stage 2 Length: 95 laps
Final Stage Length: 108 laps
Darlington Raceway Qualifying Information:
Track qualifying record: Aric Almirola, Ford,184.145 mph (26.705 secs.) on April 11, 2014.
2020 pole winner: Brad Keselowski – Qualifying by random draw on May 17, 2020.
- Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active drivers in starts at Darlington with 26 each.
- Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at 8.8 in 17 starts.
- 51 different NCS drivers have won at least one pole at Darlington and six are active this weekend. Kevin Harvick (2), Kurt Busch (2), Brad Keselowski (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Ryan Newman (1), and William Byron (1).
- The youngest Darlington pole winner is William Byron on Sept. 1, 2019 (21 years, 9 months, 3 days).
- A total of 12 different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the NCS. Ford leads with 43 poles, followed by Chevrolet (22), Mercury (13), Pontiac (10), Dodge (8), Buick (3), Oldsmobile (3), Plymouth (3), Toyota (2), Chrysler (1), Hudson (1) and Studebaker (1).
Darlington Raceway Race Information:
Track race record (500 miles): Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 141.383 mph (03:32:45) on May 11, 2013.
2020 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford, 115.815 mph (03:27:21) on May 17, 2020.
- 51 different NCS drivers have won at Darlington and six are active this weekend. Kevin Harvick (3), Denny Hamlin (3), Erik Jones (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1), and Kyle Busch (1).
- Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to win from the pole (2014) at Darlington.
- The pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Darlington.
- Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14.
- 11 different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Darlington. Chevrolet leads with 41 victories, followed by Ford (31), Mercury (10), Toyota (eight), Oldsmobile (six), Dodge (five), Pontiac (five), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Hudson (three) and American Motor Company (two).
- Kevin Harvick leads all active NCS drivers with 782 laps led in 26 starts.
Top 12 Driver Ratings at Darlington
Kyle Larson – 111.3
Denny Hamlin – 106.8
Erik Jones – 105.7
Kevin Harvick – 104.8
Kyle Busch – 102.8
Martin Truex Jr. – 101.2
Brad Keselowski – 98.4
Chase Elliott – 90.2
Joey Logano – 90.1
Kurt Busch – 88.9
Ryan Newman – 87.6
William Byron – 82.2
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (18 total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.
