What is the Darlington Stripe?

What is the “Darlington Stripe” that is frequently mentioned during the running of the Southern 500?

In NASCAR, the Southern 500 is considered by many to be as sacred as the Daytona 500.  The race is a Labor Day Weekend tradition and has been won by many of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. The track also has a reputation as being one of the toughest to win.

The nicknames “The Lady in Black” and “The Track Too Tough to Tame” have defined Darlington for decades. The former for it’s fresh asphalt that was put down the night before races early on and the latter for it’s incredibly tough turns and natural ability to knock drivers off their game.

Darlington is one of those their rare tracks on the schedule that leaves drivers battling the track more than each other. In most cases, drivers leave with the “Darlington Stripe” for their efforts.

That refers to the fact that many drivers will hit the walls because of the high speeds and sharp turns and end up leaving a great deal of pain on the wall they just hit and ultimately leaving a stripe on their own car.

The term is brought up in the race multiple times by announcers and it’s one of the great obstacles and challenges that come with the track. To win the Southern 500 is one of the greatest achievements in NASCAR. It’s a race that was built on pride and tradition.

There’s no such thing as an easy race in NASCAR, but Darlington has proven to be unbelievably difficult over time and that’s what makes it such a great race every single year.