In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about changes that seem eminent at Darlington Speedway. Some have already been implemented, such as changing the location of the start/finish line and adding backstretch pits. Others are still being discussed, like running a night race and dropping the spring date. I’m here to tell you that although to some, changes make sense, to this fan, things should stay the same. I believe that the track lost a lot of it’s mystique when it was reconfigured. No longer can we talk about the looming fourth turn wall as a driver tries to make a winning move on the last lap. Yes, the wall is still there, but it just isn’t the same; saying that a driver made a great move off turn two, defeating the ominous turn two wall. As far as night racing, I guess I could concede that point, as long as it saves the spring date.

Seemingly lost this weekend in the wake of Ernie Irvan’s retirement announcement and the fireworks between Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt is the 50^th Labor Day classic at Darlington. There are plenty of positives going on this weekend. Which of the five No Bull drivers will make the charge for the million dollars from Winston? Will it be Mark Martin, who has won this race before or Jeff Burton who won the spring race this year at Darlington and also won a No Bull event at Charlotte. Will Tony Stewart break through with his first victory in a big way? How about Bobby Labonte, who seemingly is always in the running for these million dollar races, yet manages somehow to always just come up short. Can Dale Jarrett bounce back from a terrible week at Bristol and a rotten qualifying run at Darlington to claim the prize? Is Jeff Gordon going to play spoiler and win his fourth straight Southern 500. Bill Elliott and Darrell Waltrip both won their most recent race at Darlington, and both are looking to change their luck. No matter who wins this race, they will undoubtably look back on as one of the biggest of their careers.

Looking back at the past winners of the Southern 500 is like looking at the ultimate who’s who of NASCAR. CaleYarborough 5 times, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Allison 4 times, Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson and Bill Elliott 3 times, Harry Gant twice, plus a list of names like Martin, Waltrip, Richmond, Bonnett, Labonte, Baker, Petty and Ned Jarrett who won it once. Perhaps even more intriguing is the list of drivers that never won the Southern 500. Great drivers like Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Davey Allison, Benny Parsons, and a host of others never have had the luck to drive into victory lane at Darlington in the fall. It is equally noteworthy that Richard Petty, the King of Stock Cars and the most successful driver in the sports history only won the Southern 500 once. Darlington is most definitely a place of heartbreak. When Winston introduced the "Winston Million" the award was based on the driver that could win 3 of the 4 most challenging superspeedway races. Daytona (most prestigious), Talladega (fastest), Charlotte (longest) and Darlington (oldest). In reality, I think Darlington was added as an insurance policy as "toughest". If that was the reason, it worked. Only twice had a driver claimed the prize. Bill Elliott in the first year and Jeff Gordon in the last year of the program. Along with the great racing, Darlington has produced some of the most memorable driver quotes. Who can forget Dale Jarrett, leading the race with the million dollar prize within his grasp, radioing his crew saying "we’re in the wall"? How about Jeff Gordon saying to Jeff Burton after winning the prize "Jeff! It was for a million bucks." Of course, my favorite quote came from Dale Earnhardt in 1985, who crashed after making a great charge, smoking his tires in all corners trying to deny Bill Elliott his chance at fame. When asked if there was anyone left that could beat Elliott, Earnhardt replied, "Naw, he’s just riding." Of course, Bill ended up winning the race, but not before narrowly dodging a couple of accidents right in front of him and then holding off a determined challenge from one of the masters of Darlington, Cale Yarborough; who had no power steering.

Darlington means many things to many drivers. To some, it is a place of glory and success, others remember the agony of a race gone wrong when one of the old tracks walls reached out and swatted them out of contention. To me, it means the onset of autumn; fall fishing, turning leaves, chilly mornings and the greatest race of them all. To me, no other race, including Daytona, has the intrigue, challenge and nail biting that Darlington has. No lead is safe, no driver comfortable when on Darlington's surface. So, when the arguments start about how to fit new tracks like Kansas City and Chicago onto the schedule, or how to get Texas a second date; I plead with you, leave Darlington alone. The tradition found at this track will never be found on the smooth, symmetrical tracks of Vegas, Texas or California. The Kansas City’s and Chicago’s will never equal the degree of difficulty and prestige of winning at Darlington. Expansion is a great thing, but don’t sacrifice the roots of NASCAR to accomplish it.