Darlington Raceway honored three of the most recognizable names in NASCAR.
“The Track Too Tough To Tame” payed tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon ahead of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 by naming seating areas after the three Chevrolet drivers.
The two suite towers outside of Turn 3 have been renamed The Earnhardt Towers, and will be adorned with pictures from different moments throughout both Earnhardts’ careers.
“Darlington Raceway is fortunate to have many of the sport’s legends honored throughout our property,” track president Kerry Tharp said in a statement. “We felt that it was fitting to honor Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for their positive impact on the sport and on the track Too Tough To Tame. Earnhardt Towers will forever celebrate and recognize their achievements and be a lasting landmark at our tradition-rich facility.”
Luxury boxes located near the start-finish line similarly have been renamed, and will now be known as the Jeff Gordon Finish Line Terrace,” according to WLTX-TV. Throughout his time as a full-time Cup driver, Gordon racked up an impressive seven wins at Darlington.
“As a race car driver when you drive around a track like Darlington or Bristol and you see garages with legends like (Craig) Yarborough, (Richard) Petty and (David) Pearson, those things stand out to you,” Gordon said. “And you hope you accomplish enough in racing to get recognized in that way.”
Although this technically is the second year of Earnhardt’s retirement, Sunday’s race will mark the first time he attends the Southern 500 as a spectator. In 2016, the throwback night was one of the races in which Gordon fielded the No. 88 while Earnhardt Jr. was injured.
Thumbnail photo via NASCAR
