The Throwback Weekend at Darlington will commemorate its 10th anniversary on Sunday. After its inception, it quickly became one of the most anticipated NASCAR races of the season. While it is full of nostalgia, action, and color, it is one of those events that has divided fans and drivers over the past few years.
For instance, fan favorite Chase Elliot, is not pro-Throwback Weekend. In a pre-race press conference, the Hendrick Motorsports driver did not shy away from expressing his opinion on the race in his typical cool and funny demeanor.
The Most Memorable Throwback Weekend Moments and Races
While some weekend races at Darlington have had a theme, in the others, drivers have had a fair amount of creative freedom. Over the years, there have been several memorable moments at the track. One such event was during its debut. In 2015, Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Camry was draped in a retro Coca-Cola scheme. On that weekend, he won both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series races to start the tradition in style.
In 2020, Bubba Wallace drove his No. 43 Chevy here in a blue-and-white color scheme as a tribute to Wendell Scott. In 1963, Scott, in his No. 43 Chevy Bel Air, became the first-ever black driver to win a Cup Series race.
The next year, in 2021, Chris Buescher rode in his No. 17 Ford painted orange and white to pay tribute to Ricky Craven. In 2003, Ricky Craven was driving literally inches away from Kurt Busch. In the final lap, the two brushed side by side until the finish line, and Craven managed to steal the win by a mere 0.002 seconds.
Chase Elliott’s Direct Take on the Darlington Race
When asked about his take on the upcoming race at Darlington and if it carries the same excitement that it once did, Elliott did not hold back.
“I thought it lost it about four or five years ago,” Elliott candidly admitted. “So I was way too early to that conversation, I think.”
He also added that he had predicted that this might happen in a few years. The No. 9 Chevrolet driver also said the craze behind it is sometimes overdone and has to be cooled down a bit. His exact words were:
“Not to be a downer, I joked about this years ago, but if we kept going down the road, we’re going to be throwing it back to me in 2018. At some point, I think, we’ve got to chill on it a little bit. I think we’ve rode the horse to death, and we tend to do that a little bit too much.”
Meeting with reporters at @TooToughToTame, @chaseelliott didn't sugarcoat what he thought about Throwback Weekend when asked if the weekend had lost its luster. pic.twitter.com/vbggsfGbqF
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter)
That being said, Elliott’s team, Hendrick Motorsports, is one of the 19 teams that will participate in this year’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington. His No. 9 Chevy will be seen in the color scheme that will pay tribute to Kenny Schrader and his No. 25 that he drove for the team in the early 90s.