Darlington Raceway — Attraction in South Carolina

I am not sure where to start. My husband and I were so excited for this race. We had tickets for the Southern 500, but decided to scope out the track on Saturday since this was our first time at Darlington. Saturday was okay. Sunday was not. Unless I overlooked it, I only saw one RE booth for scanner rentals. Bristol and Martinsville, as small as they are have the booths everywhere. The workers at the haulers were rude and seemed as if you were inconveniencing them by needing something. Got the Brasington and noticed people struggling up each level of the ramp pushing those in wheelchairs. We were in section G on row 19. We had 2 friends in G on the front row as our friend was in a wheelchair, on oxygen with stage 4 lung cancer. His wife ran to the restroom so my husband went down to check on him to make sure he was okay. During this time, my husband sat in his wife's seat and was told by a worker to go back to his seat. My husband tried to explain that he knew him and was checking on him to make sure he was okay. The employee told him that he doesn't care who he knows and that he needs to go back and find his seat. Another friend in section G was on their way to the restroom and was told to get in their seat. Really? That is not all, even during a caution they will not allow you to the bottom to take photos of the cars. I mean, this is the throwback paint scheme weekend. People paid hundreds and some thousands of their hard earned dollars to attend this race, only to be treated as if they were in grade school. Before the race truly got started, the drinks at most booths were warm. This has completely ruined what we thought would be a great time for our first and now last visit at the track. This was a throwback race alright. Throwback to the old testament biblical days. I have never seen such treatment by track workers to the fans. Oh and around 10 pm one of the golf cart driver's who appeared very young was driving on Indian Cave Road with no lights on at all. I am surprised he didn't get hit by a vehicle or that he hit a pedestrian. I have always renewed tickets at least once or twice to each track, but not this one. I refuse to be treated this way. Glad you got my...

We have been going for years. This year, I was disappointed in the event staff. These are not track employees.1. There were only 2 or 3 workers at each gate for Xfinity & Cup. Stood in line a while until we saw a gate by Pearson that wasn't as crowded. 2. Cup race, event worker tore our ticket. Said her scanner didn't work. 3. I left my phone in the bathroom in Wallace grandstands after the Xfinity race. We called it and a wonderful lady in the cleaning crew held it for me. I went to the tunnel gate and just walked in because the event was over. My son and his friend was with me. A event staff lady who was sitting down rudely asked me where I was going. She asked if I had a wristband and I said "I have a ticket. Wristbands are for entrance in tunnel". She insisted all the other gates were locked and further insisted my son and his friend had to wait outside gate. My son said she was loudly talking about me, running her mouth, making comments while I was gone. I got my phone from the lady in cleaning crew, thanked her. Walked out of Wallace grandstand and saw that ALL the other gates leading to merchandise trailers were unlocked. 4. Saturday after the Xfinity race, we went to the Southern 500 parade and stood in front of the museum as we always did, only to find out they moved the route. No one announced it. There weren't any signs. No one with a megaphone said it was moved. A highway patrolman stopped and said it to 2 people but not everyone. We saw them leave. At 8 p.m., we figured it was over and we missed it. Then we met some nice race fans at Wendys who said it didn't start until 8:15. 5. The food was horrible. Bojangles tasted fine but was overly priced. Hot dog was boring and plain. The cheeseburgers were awful! They didn't look cooked through and tasted horrible. No corn dogs, no ice cream, no funnel cakes. Awful for the price you pay...

🏁 Great Track, Rough Experience

The race track itself was fantastic—exciting atmosphere, great views, and thrilling action. However, several logistical issues made the overall experience frustrating.

🚗 Parking Woes Parking was a major headache. There was no designated handicap parking, and we had to walk over a mile with a cane. The staff directing traffic were shockingly rude, even threatening to call the police on guests who parked in clearly empty spots. It felt unnecessarily hostile.

🍔 Food & Drink Prices Concessions were overpriced and underwhelming. Expect to pay $8 for a bottle of water, $10 for a pretzel, and $16 for a beer. If you’re planning a visit, I highly recommend bringing your own drinks and snacks if allowed.

🚻 Bathroom Conditions The restrooms were in terrible shape. “Disgusting” barely covers it—black mold on the stall walls, toilets that wouldn’t flush, and no soap or sanitation options. Wet wipes are a must if you want to avoid getting sick.

🚦 Post-Event Chaos After the event, there was zero traffic control. It took us over two hours just to exit the venue. With thousands of people trying to leave at once, it was complete gridlock.

✅ Final Thoughts Would I return? Yes—but only because the race itself was worth it. Just know what you’re getting into: bring your own supplies, prepare for long walks, and brace yourself for crowds and poor infrastructure. A little preparation...