In celebration of 60 years of racing, Darlington Raceway officials have announced the walls of the famed speedway will sport a retro paint scheme when the Southern 500 takes the green on Saturday May 9. Memories of Petty, Allison, Waltrip, Pearson and Yarborough dicing it up at the “Track To Tough To Tame” will come back to many hardcore race fans when they notice the red and white retaining walls that now surround the track.

"Giving the most famous walls on the NASCAR circuit a retro facelift seemed very fitting as part of our 60th celebration," said track President, Chris Browning. "This is the first time since 1989 that the walls have been painted anything but white and it certainly reminds me of the early days of NASCAR racing."

Asked if he thought the new red and white paint scheme would make for a kinder, gentler wall Browning responded: "Ask Pearson or Yarborough how forgiving the walls were when they were racing here, but I know we will still see plenty of Darlington stripes in 2009."

Track workers painted 40 foot sections, alternating red and white, using 315 gallons of paint to complete the job in just under 50 hours. A great final touch is the retro font used for the Darlington Raceway signage located at the start/finish line.

For more information about ticket availability for the Southern 500 presented by Go Daddy contact the Darlington Raceway ticket office at 866-459-RACE or online at http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/tickets/.

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