Darlington Raceway Creates Over $50 Million In Economic Impact Annually For South Carolina’s Pee Dee Region

by February 20, 2017 0 comments

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Since 1950, Darlington Raceway has long been considered one of the pillars of the NASCAR calendar. Its historic significance in the sport is unlike any other since Harold Brasington brought his vision to life in a rural South Carolina cotton field nearly 70 years ago.

With its return to Labor Day weekend in 2015 (the track hosted a Labor Day NASCAR event from 1950-2003), and success of its award-winning Throwback marketing campaign, Darlington Raceway continues to be an iconic and historic track, one that is a destination for tens of thousands of race fans every year.

With all its success hosting NASCAR and other community events, Darlington Raceway is contributing nearly $53 million in economic impact to the state of South Carolina. That total includes $50.1 million in direct and indirect impact annually for the Pee Dee region, where the track calls home.

Those figures make Darlington Raceway one of the leading economic contributors to the state and region, according to a recent study by the University of South Carolina and renowned associate professor of sport and entertainment management Dr. Tom Regan.

“As a major sporting venue, we are proud to say we are located in the state of South Carolina, Pee Dee region and Darlington County,” Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp said. “The race track works extremely hard to bring a tremendous amount of economic benefit to our home state and region and that is something we take a great deal of pride in. We are blessed to have such a loyal fan base and to have close partnerships with the state and local governments and business community. It is indeed an honor for Darlington Raceway to host one of NASCAR’s most prestigious events every Labor Day weekend.”

The study also stated the following facts about Darlington Raceway:

·         Over 791 jobs are created for South Carolina and Pee Dee residents annually

·         The ongoing operations of Darlington Raceway generate more than $20.79 million in Labor Income for South Carolina workers annually

·         Over $7 million in fiscal revenues are generated each year in the state of South Carolina for the ongoing activities and operations of Darlington Raceway

·         Of the more than $7 million total, over $2.8 million in tax revenues benefit state and local government, while the remaining $4.2 million in tax revenues benefit the federal government

·         Attendees of Darlington Raceway events hail from all 50 states and 14 different countries annually, making it the largest attraction in South Carolina for out of state visitors

·         The power of the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR is real: Darlington Raceway’s award-winning Throwback marketing campaign has generated more than $243 million in ad value and over 2 billion media impressions for the track and region

The economic benefit Darlington Raceway has on the state and region is extremely impactful in the eyes of two of the state’s top political leaders.

“Darlington Raceway, the greatest race track in America, has served as a tremendous partner with Darlington County and all of South Carolina,” said South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas (District 65-Darlington). “For over 67 years, the greatest racing legends have made their way through the famous turns of “the track too tough to tame” and to this great community. Today’s announcement of Darlington Raceway’s economic impact of more than $50 million per year to this region is further evidence Darlington remains at the top of the racing world. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Raceway family to make sure racing continues to grow and expand in South Carolina.”

“The economic vitality of Darlington is one of my priorities as Senator,” said South Carolina Senator Gerald Malloy, who represents the state’s 29th District. “As such, I’m very supportive of our partnership with Darlington Raceway and through that partnership with the state and local government; Darlington Raceway has been an integral economic engine for this region. Today’s announcement of the Raceway’s annual economic impact of over $50 million represents an economic boon to this region. I look forward to continuing to work alongside Darlington Raceway in developing the best possible business environment for generations to come.”

Darlington Raceway is one of 23 tracks nationwide that host Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events each year. The raceway’s award-winning throwback campaign is now The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500® on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017 and the NASCAR XFINITY Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 race on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017. Tickets are on sale now by calling 866-459-7223 or visiting DarlingtonRaceway.com.

You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame. Fans are encouraged to post their Bojangles’ Southern 500 stories and memories at #TraditionContinues, #BojanglesSo500 and #SportClips200.

Source: Darlington Raceway

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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