The Darlington Raceway has been on the NASCAR calendar since as far back as 1950. However, the race track has been far from the same as it was 76 years ago. Over the many decades, the 1.3-mile oval has evolved to adapt to the various car generations and safety standards. Additionally, it has been repaved a fair number of times, thus changing the characteristics. At this very track, Cup Series star Erik Jones has made plenty of memories, which he reflected on recently.

One NASCAR driver spoke about why the track is hard to conquer

The Darlington Raceway has a couple of nicknames, ‘The Lady in Black’ and ‘Track Too Tough to Tame.’ This nickname is justified because its egg-shaped layout makes it difficult for drivers to master. And now, Former winner Erik Jones opened up about how it felt racing at the iconic venue.

He told Jason Toy, “I think it’s been, it’s lost grip since I’ve been going there for sure. It’s been 10 years since I went there. The first time I went, the repave was only a handful of years before that. So it was still somewhat of a newer surface, but it ages super quickly, even when I went there the first time.

It was far from having a lot of grip, but it’s definitely gone down since then and gotten slicker through the years. You always think about that place, a little bit differently, how you manage your run and your tires and things you do in the car. Whatever’s in the aggregate of that pavement, it’s definitely really abrasive and really works everything out. Makes it fun as a driver, that’s the thing, we love a good challenge ad it makes it racy and makes you have a lot of options to pass, move around and be better on the run, which is always fun.”

Jones seized victory at Darlington back in 2022 when he won the Southern 500, driving for the then Petty GMS Racing. He started 15th at the time and steadily worked his way up the order. Jones finished Stage 1 in 8th place, dropping to 9th at the end of Stage 2.

From there, he rallied forth and went on to clinch victory, but by then the Playoffs had begun, and he was not in the Playoffs. In other words, his win had no championship consequences, and he ended the season in 18th place.

How has Erik Jones performed in 2026?

2026 has not been particularly kind to Jones and his Legacy Motor Club team. In the first three races, he failed to breach the Top 20, with his highest finish being 21st at the Daytona 500. Fortunately, things began to look up at Phoenix when he secured 10th place in the race. Finally, last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jones ended the race in 20th place.

This weekend, he will return to the scene that granted him victory four years ago, and he will be hoping to do it again. The Darlington weekend is special because it usually marks a Throwback weekend, where teams and drivers run tribute paint schemes. However, this season is different as there hasn’t been an announcement of a Throwback weekend. Apparently, Jones will be paying tribute to former NASCAR driver Wally Dallenbach Jr.

He raced for Richard Petty Motorsports back in 1994 and piloted the iconic #43 car. So Jones and Legacy Motor Club figured that is was appropriate to pay tribute to him. Admittedly, Dallenbach Jr never quite found success in NASCAR, but did make his mark elsewhere. As it happens, he clinched four class wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and 3 class wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring in his racing career. He is also a 2-time Trans-Am champion and a Trans-Am Hall of Famer, so his resume speaks for itself.