Darlington Labor Day Weekend – tips for new fans

They know where to go, the best times to arrive and depart, what to take, where to find driver sightings, and where to be for the action during and before the races.

This short guide is for the rookies — the inside track from the pros, the locals and longtime NASCAR fans on how to get the most from Darlington’s Labor Day race weekend.

Parking and camping

Darlington Raceway’s Danielle Lockemey recommends knowing where you are going before you get there. Take the time to visit the track’s website for parking maps.

The Darlington Raceway offers free general parking. Look for Gate 34 off Indian Branch Road and at Gate 40 off Harry Byrd Highway. Motorcycle parking is at Gate 34. ADA Parking is at Gate 39B off of Harry Byrd Hwy.

The Darlington Raceway offers 4 reserved areas for camping — a tent campground ($80), two RV areas on the outside of the track ($125), and an infield (starting at $347). The infield lots rarely open up and are the most expensive as they also include infield admissions.

Parking outside the track

Camping is also offered by private lot owners around the track. Many take reservations; others do not require it.

Liberty Acres Farm across the street from the track, on the Northeast side along Harry Byrd Highway, offers $20 for daily parking, and $100 for the weekend — including campers. The spot is popular for its location and cost.

“We’re not cheap, but we are the least expensive. We haven’t gone up on your prices since 2003,” said owner Rick Drawdy.

“When the race is over, they can be out of here in 30 minutes, but now on the other side, they backed up for hours.”

It’s a local spot drivers and crews have used over the years.

“After the race they’d come up here, get in the car and they’d be gone in minutes, whereas in there it would take them two hours to get out from inside the track,”

The 400-farm lot has been around since the 1950s. The site offers dry camping for those who are staying for the weekend. There’s a Port-a-Jon on site as well.

What to bring: Cooling devices and groceries. Drawdy said most bring generators for cooling devices, cooking devices, and food for the weekend.

Drawdy said most cook on site or buy from local vendors. The Raceway Grill and the Mayflower Seafood restaurant are popular spots.

Shuttle service

A shuttle service runs on Sunday for fans heading to the Cook Out Southern 500 from the Florence Center (3300 West Radio Drive) to Darlington Raceway. Pick-up times are 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. The shuttle departs from the Darlington Raceway 90 minutes after the checkered flag of the Southern 500.

Darlington Raceway marketing manager Daniel Lockemey said one thing new fans may not realize is that soft-sided coolers are allowed. She said the coolers can’t be any bigger than 14 inches. Food and drinks are allowed in the coolers. Glass is not allowed.

Fan experiences

For just $35, fans can purchase a pre-race experience as an add-on to their tickets. The pass gives fans an opportunity to walk the front stretch where they can sign the start/finish line and watch driver introductions.

Fans can also rent a Racing Electronics (RE) headset that allows them to listen to uncensored audio of their favorite drivers and teams or tune into the radio broadcast. This is a popular feature that once you experience it, will become a must-have for race day.

There is an option to rent double headsets that come with an intercom system with two headphones and microphones. This allows users to communication over the noise of the race.

These must be reserved online before the race. The scanner headsets are $60, $80 for a double.

Lockemey said hearing protection is recommended. Attendees can bring their own or purchase packs from vendors inside the track. Another option is to bring headphones and listen to the race from your phone as you watch.

The NASCAR app comes with perks

The app to download is the NASCAR app. The download is free. A premium feature at $4.99 allows users to listen to live driver audio, similar to the scanner headsets available for rent.

The app also allows fans to create a profile and earn points by watching races, competing challenges and visiting the tracks.

Jon and Melissa Urban of Colorado, redeemed their points for VIP passes to Darlington’s Labor Day weekend.

“There’s a lot of perks. I check in at every race and you get points. You check in when it’s on the TV, you just check in on the leaderboard. And when you come here, you get points. If you’re at the track, you can check in. Last year I got 9000 points,” said Melissa Urban.

The couple also got points for visiting the Darlington Raceway Museum, located near the track on Harry Byrd Highway, where they saw the latest addition — Cale Yarborough’s #11.

Don’t miss Sunday’s pre-race special tribute for 5-time Southern 500 Champion Cale Yarborough. Following the national anthem, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett is scheduled to drive Cale’s 1978 Southern 500 winning car during a ceremonial lap to honor the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champ, who grew up just 15 miles from the track Too Tough to Tame.