Darlington begins construction work

For Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning, about the only thing better than seeing Nextel Cup cars and NASCAR haulers at the track is watching cranes and construction trucks work on the superspeedway.
Browning has seen a small construction yard go up right alongside NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway as it begins $10 million worth of projects that include repaving the track surface and adding a third access tunnel to the infield.

“I think it’s great," Browning said Thursday. “It means a lot for our future."

Work started this week with crews removing the track’s SAFER barrier walls. Next comes construction of the access tunnel between turns three and four. Finally, in August, work will begin on repaving the track. Browning said workers will mill off about 3 inches of the track, replacing it with new asphalt – and guaranteeing a much slicker surface when the Nextel Cup series returns.

Browning has received a preliminary copy of the track’s NASCAR sanctioning agreement for next year that calls for a fourth-straight Mother’s Day weekend race. But after three straight sellouts, Browning wasn’t as worried about Darlington’s future as he was a few years ago.

So secure, in fact, Darlington put up a billboard outside the track with next year’s dates and “New Asphalt, Same Attitude."

Leaders at International Speedway Corp., Darlington’s owners, have been very positive about the track’s resurgence.

“Everybody’s really, really pleased with the way things are going," Browning said. “We’re appreciative of the support that we can keep building this place." More at ThatsRacin.com