Track Analysis: How the Darlington Raceway Earned the Nickname ‘Track Too Tough to Tame’

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series has made landfall at the Darlington Raceway. The race weekend is an important one because it is the first Playoff race of the year. If any one of the Top 16 drivers wins the event, they have a one-way ticket to the next Playoff round. However, it’s easy to say that one of the Top 16 drivers has to win at Darlington. As it happens, the 1.3 mile circuit is so notorious that it has two nicknames, ‘Lady in Black’ and ‘Track Too Tough to Tame’.

The last person to win the Southern 500 is Erik Jones from a 15th place on the grid. However, he will find it a little more difficult from 20th on the grid in the 2023 edition of the race. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell starts on pole position, and Denny Hamlin makes it a Joe Gibbs Racing front row lockout. Behind them are Tyler Reddick in the 23XI Racing Toyota, and Ryan Blaney leading an army of six Fords. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch is the lead Chevrolet, down in 11th place on the grid.

Why is the Darlington Raceway so notorious in the NASCAR community?

Truthfully speaking, the origin of the Too Tough to Tame moniker is still shrouded in mystery. However, Darlington Raceway president Kerry Tharp succinctly put it, “Too Tough to Tame speaks for itself. It’s a very, very difficult track for the drivers and teams to navigate, and it’s also a track where they want to win very, very badly.”

In fact, Dale Earnhardt Jr. even confessed that in his early career, he hated the track. It got to a stage where he used to dread coming to the track to race there. However, as the years rolled by, his stance slowly changed and he began to appreciate the track. In Earnhardt Jr’s words, he fell in love with the track’s history and the challenge that it presented.

When did the ‘Lady in Black’ nickname begin to stick?

All the way back in 1965, journalist Benny Phillips wrote, “As treacherous as Mata Hari. As desirable as Hollywood’s most beautiful actress — as unpredictable as any woman. These are the virtues of ‘The Lady in Black.’”

READ MORE: “I’ll Never Forget That Finish” – Ahead of the Darlington Race, NASCAR Fanatics Get Nostalgic Seeing One of the Closest Finishes Resurface

Some have surmised that the late Bill France Jr. was not too fond of this nickname. He was more receptive towards a name that sounded a lot more ominous. This was because the South Carolina track had a reputation for breaking drivers’ hearts and their cars for multiple years.

WATCH THIS STORY: “Mid Talent” Kyle Larson Called Out for Double Standards as “Embarrassing” Darlington Move Resurfaces