Darlington regains Southern 500 name

The Southern 500 is back at Darlington Raceway. Track president Chris Browning said Wednesday the historic name will return to Darlington for next May’s Sprint Cup race, restoring at least part of more than a half-century of tradition to the old country track.

“The timing really is good with us celebrating our 60th year of racing next year," Browning said. “It just seemed to make sense."

The Southern 500 was a shaky startup venture when it was first run on Sept. 4, 1950. But over the next five-plus decades, it became a Labor Day staple for NASCAR drivers, fans and their families to spend the final summer holiday in South Carolina’s steamy Pee Dee region.

After 2003, that date was given to California Speedway with its larger layout and population center.

“Although it’s not on Labor Day, it is a 500-mile race at Darlington," Browning said. “And that’s another way of our continuing to tie back into our history and our tradition." Yahoo! Sports