Darlington announces 2017 throwback theme – Nascar

RELATED: See the 2016 Darlington retro schemes

DARLINGTON, S.C. (Jan. 18, 2017) — Another historic celebration of the sport is in store for Darlington Raceway in 2017.

The track is pleased to announce “Year 3” of its award-winning throwback campaign for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 race weekend on Sept. 1-3, 2017.

The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR will be celebrating the 1985-89 era of the sport in 2017, which like the 1975-84 period it celebrated in 2016, was a time of exceptional growth and exposure for NASCAR.

“The track will be celebrating the 1985-89 time period of the sport during our throwback weekend in 2017,”Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp said. “As we enter the third year of our throwback campaign, we’ll be focusing on drivers, personalities and moments that were compelling in that timeframe, such as the emergence of Dale Earnhardt Sr., Bill Elliott winning the first Winston Million, and the growth of the NASCAR XFINITY Series(formerly the Busch Grand National Series). It will be an exciting era for the track and industry to celebrate.”

As the sport moved into the late 1980s, NASCAR champions such as Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace, among others, made a tremendous impact on the sport and will be celebrated during the Labor Day weekend festivities. This year is also the 50^thanniversary of Richard Petty’s one and only Southern 500 victory (1967).

The honoring of champions from 1985-89 is just one part of the track’s overall strategy to celebrate its history. Darlington Raceway‘s throwback campaign focuses on specific eras plus the historic moments and drivers that made impacts at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.”

For the third straight year, Darlington Raceway is also excited to announce it will once again highlight its rich history with a commemorative ticket design for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 linking the past, present and future.

“We’ve enjoyed producing the commemorative tickets for our fans every year of the throwback program,” said Tharp. “It’s important that our fans who attend the Darlington Raceway NASCAR weekend walk away with a special keepsake that recognizes our rich history and honors the stars of our sport.”

The retro design will link 1987 Southern 500 champion Dale Earnhardt, who ranks second all-time with nine NASCAR Cup Series wins at Darlington Raceway, as well as 2016 Bojangles’ Southern 500 winner Martin Truex Jr.

These special tickets will be used for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500. Tickets are expected to be mailed to customers starting in mid-June. There will also be a retro-style ticket for the NASCAR XFINITY Series VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 that will be unveiled at a later date.

Ticket renewals have been mailed so current fans can renew their seats and race day experiences for the 2017 Labor Day weekend. Renewing tickets early guarantees seats at the track’s best prices prior to the opening of all remaining seats to the general public on February 22.

Renewing customers receive many great benefits for being a loyal customer, including the raceway’s best pricing, for Labor Day weekend.

Renewal benefits include:

-The track’s best prices for the Bojangles’ Southern 500

-Convenient five-part payment plan

-Special renewal pricing for Darlington Stripe Zone Hospitality ($30 savings)

-Special renewal pricing for pre-race pit passes ($10 savings)

-Special renewal pricing for all-inclusive driver intros, pre-race concert and pre-race pit road access ($15 savings)

-Special renewal pricing for FanVision rentals ($25 savings)

-Special renewal pricing for Racing Electronics scanner rental ($15 savings)

-Special renewal opportunity to purchase NASCAR XFINITY Series VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 tickets for just $25 each when you renew your Bojangles Southern 500 ticket package ($5-10 savings)

Guests may renew their tickets and campsites by calling 866-459-RACE (7223) or visiting www.DarlingtonRaceway.com/renewals. The renewal deadline is Friday, Feb. 10.

The Tradition Continues on Labor Day weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500® is set for Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017. The NASCAR XFINITY Series VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 will race on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017. You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame.