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Events and Attractions

Track comes up with new throwback themes

At this weekend’s second annual NASCAR throwback event at Darlington Raceway, awaiting some attendees will be specially made View-Masters that give a glimpse into the racetrack’s rich history.

The devices show iconic shots of the track and some of the more famous drivers to race there. Darlington ordered 2,000 of the devices, at a price it wouldn’t disclose, to be distributed to teams, media members and hospitality guests.

The program and tickets for this year’s race (shown with last year’s ticket, top) nod to NASCAR history 1975-84.
The View-Master plan is one of many new ideas that Darlington is using to keep things fresh and interesting for year two of the throwback weekend, which will celebrate NASCAR history between 1975 and 1984. This comes after what was seen as a strong start last year, when owner International Speedway Corp. implemented the idea to breathe life back into the track — and sport — as Darlington’s annual race, the Bojangles’ Southern 500, moved back to Labor Day weekend.

“Our goal with year two was to build upon the momentum of year one and make it even better, and what that means is more engagement with race teams, media partners and fans,” said Daryl Wolfe, ISC’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, who helps oversee the program.

While the roughly 60,000-seat track doesn’t release attendance figures, the 2015 race attracted its biggest crowd in

years and drew a 3.7 Nielsen rating with an average of 5.9 million viewers — the best Labor Day weekend NASCAR race rating since 2007. New track president Kerry Tharp is optimistic attendance will be stable or up.
While a full sellout has not been reached, infield and RV camping is sold out, as are suites.

Among the notable developments

around the race this year are increases in the number of Cup and Xfinity teams and sponsors running throwback paint schemes. Thirty-six out of 40 Cup cars will run specially designed throwback designs this year, up from 32 last year. Fifteen cars in the Xfinity Series will participate this year, up significantly from just five last year.

The sport also received a boost from announcements in recent weeks that Procter & Gamble’s Tide brand and Hooters — two former longtime sponsors in the sport — would make their first appearances in years during Sunday’s race. Wolfe said it was a goal from the beginning to suggest to teams to chase brands for the Southern 500 that either left the sport entirely or diminished their presence over the years.

“From the team side, [the event] creates a lot of energy,” said Steve Newmark, president of Roush Fenway Racing, whose company landed Hooters. “That’s both within the shop … and it also gives us an opportunity to go out and talk to different partners about doing something creative and making a splash.”

Other special features around the race include retro programs and tickets, 12 banners around the track showing scenes from the sport’s past, throwback concessions and 19 NASCAR hall of famers who are expected to be in attendance. Teams also are instituting their own ideas, like Richard Childress Racing’s plan to hand out throwback hero cards.

The event has turned into one of the season’s bigger opportunities for merchandise partner Fanatics and licensees like diecast maker Lionel, which has found a niche in the Darlington throwback weekend. Lionel is expecting to do $2 million in total revenue around the race, and recently devoted 10 pages out of a 16-page catalog specifically to Darlington throwback schemes.

As it did last year, NBC Sports will be bringing back legendary announcers Ken Squier and Ned Jarrett to call part of the race alongside Jarrett’s son, Dale. Other throwback elements include the on-air talent’s wardrobe, music, logos and graphics, and old clips of Darlington races interspersed into the usual Blake Shelton opening song.

On the corporate activation front, title sponsor Bojangles’ has been activating in all of its stores with 7 million cups that featured a sweepstakes around the race, which generated 900,000 entries. It also will be giving out samples of its sweet tea at the track.

Originally, ISC had envisioned — and publicly stated — that the throwback idea would be a five-year plan to start. However, ISC and Darlington officials said last week that with the success the event has seen so far, they now consider the throwback weekend an annual event that will stretch far beyond half a decade.

“It’s a sustainable platform because of the alignments we have from NBC to sponsors to NASCAR to the teams, and that whole trickle down from the teams,” said Tony Sizemore, senior director of consumer marketing at Darlington. “We have ideas going out until the 2030s already, believe it or not.”

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