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The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

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Darlington Raceway

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SC Picture Project / Darlington County / Darlington Raceway

Darlington is the county seat of Darlington County, located in the heart of South Carolina’s Pee Dee region. Chartered in 1835, it developed as an agricultural center, first for cotton, and later for tobacco. Today, is best known for its iconic stock car track, the Darlington Raceway.

Darlington Raceway

Brian C. Richards of Woodruff © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

In 1949, local businessman Harold Brasington gambled that the fledgling sport of stock car racing just might catch on, and despite ridicule from family and friends, he bought a former peanut field and built a 1 1/4 mile paved track. The track’s design had to be altered from a true oval shape to satisfy the owner of adjacent land who did not want his minnow pond disturbed. The west end of the track was narrowed to accommodate the fishing hole, and Darlington’s distinctive egg shape was born.

On Labor Day weekend in 1950, Brasington expected no more than 10,000 to attend the first race. Instead, over 25,000 fans crowded through the gates and scaled the walls to watch the action. After 60 years, Darlington Raceway is one of only a few tracks still in use today that helped to launch the popular sport of NASCAR.

Plan Your Trip: Darlington Raceway

Where is Darlington Raceway located?
Address: 1301 Harry Byrd Highway, Darlington, SC 29532
GPS Coordinates: 34.296867,-79.905987
Website: http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/
What else should I see?
Julius A. Dargan House 2.7 miles
Charles S. McCullough House 2.7 miles
Haynsworth House 2.9 miles
St. James United Methodist Church 2.9 miles
Show me more like this!
  • Darlington Historic Sites
    Darlington Raceway Map

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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