Track Facts

Darlington Raceway
Darlington, SC

Sprint Cup Series Race Date: May 10, 2008
Race Name: Dodge Challenger 500
Distance: 1.366 miles
Shape: Egg-Shaped Oval
Banking: 25 degrees in Turns 1 and 2, 23 degrees in turns 3 and 4
Width: 79 feet in turns 1 and 2, 62 feet in turns 3 and 4
Radius: 600 feet in turns 1 and 2, 525 feet in turns 3 and 4
Frontstretch and backstretch: 1,229 feet long, 90 feet wide, 2-degree banking

• The tract's distinctive egg shape is a result of owner of the land the track was built on not wanting his nearby minnow pond disturbed when the track was built.
• The track held its first race on Labor Day 1950. It was the first Southern 500.
• Darlington is home to the closest finish in NASCAR history – a .002-second difference in finishing times between Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch.
• The track has held a race on Mother's Day weekend since 2004, with the racers' mothers taking part in the pre-race ceremonies.