One year after NASCAR celebrated its 60th year, Darlington Raceway, is set for a 60-year celebration of its own. Darlington is the second-oldest track in NASCAR and has hosted 105 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races over the past 59 years.

“Darlington is steeped in tradition, as much a part of the Southern NASCAR landscape as the sweet scent of magnolias,” said NASCAR Vice President of Communications Jim Hunter, a former president of Darlington Raceway. “The Southern 500 is the Kentucky Derby and Masters of our sport.”

It is only fitting that as part of its 60th anniversary, the track is bringing back the race name that it has been identified with since its first race in 1950. In addition, the outer retaining walls have been painted with red stripes, something that hasn’t been done since 1989.

“Celebrating 60 Years of Racing at Darlington Raceway is truly a special milestone for the track as well as NASCAR,” said Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning. “We wanted to go ‘retro’ for our 60th season and I feel like we have certainly accomplished that on many fronts. Going back to the Southern 500 race name and painting the walls in the old red and white paint scheme is definitely reminiscent of early NASCAR.”

The link to Darlington’s rich NASCAR history doesn’t end there. Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and five-time Darlington winner Cale Yarborough will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the race. Yarborough, from nearby Timmonsville, S.C., will also be joined by several past Darlington winners for a special pre-race ceremony honoring their accomplishments.

The biggest honor of the weekend, however, will go to Saturday night’s race winner – the Johnny Mantz Southern 500 trophy. The newly designed trophy is named after the race’s first winner. It stands approximately three feet tall, weighs nearly 40 pounds and features engraved photos of all past 43 Darlington winners.

“Re-designing the trophy and naming it after Inaugural Southern 500 winner Johnny Mantz was something that was important for us to do because it showcases the history of Darlington Raceway in one place,” Browning said.

It’s not like a driver needs extra incentive to win at Darlington, as Hunter notes.

“A driver’s resume, fans say, is never complete until he’s won a race at what many believe is NASCAR’s toughest track, appropriately nicknamed the track ‘Too Tough To Tame,’ ” Hunter said.