Drivers hitting the wall are considered to have received their "Darlington Stripe" thanks to the missing paint on the right side of the car.

[2][3] Attendance was established at seventy thousand people; about the size of a typical modern day sporting event.

Drivers who were amazed at the speeds they went during these times would be absolutely surprised at the modern NASCAR vehicles going upwards of 184 miles per hour (296 km/h) in the most recent races at Darlington Raceway.

However, the use of ever-advancing technology and complicated luck-based strategies has caused driver skill to become of secondary importance in NASCAR races.

The raw skill, determination and grit that dominated the NASCAR Cup Series from its debut in 1949 to the late-1990s has been replaced by calculated strategies made primarily by the crew chiefs in the 21st century.

[2][3] Other notable drivers in the race included future car owner Junior Johnson, Joe Weatherly, Fonty Flock, Gwyn Staley, Fireball Roberts, Tiny Lund and Herb Thomas.

Jesse James Taylor made his first Cup start since his brutal rollover at Lakewood back in November 1951 that left him with some serious head injuries.

He never quite reached back to the heights he did before; any chances of making a comeback ended quickly here with an engine failure in the early laps.

Carl Kiekhaefer was the only notable crew chief to attend this race; he was also the owner of the #87 Chrysler vehicle driven by Buck Baker.

Failed to qualify: William Pike (#74), Joe Blair (#5), Matt Gowan (#64), Bobby Boyd, Rat Garner (#17), Bryce Beck, Pete Yow (#03), Jud Larson (#69), Everett Brashear (#39)[7] Withdrew from race: Johnny Fite (#20)[7] Section reference:[3] † signifies that the driver is known to be deceased * Driver failed to finish race Section reference:[3]