NASCAR returns to roots, celebrating its 10th throwback weekend at Darlington

NASCAR is celebrating its annual throwback weekend at Darlington for the 10th straight year.

Some of the Cup Series cars are decorated in old-school paint schemes for Sunday’s race. South Carolina’s historic race track — lauded by many as the track “Too Tough to Tame” and the “Lady in Black” — has hosted a race featuring colors and logos representing grassroots racing since 2015.

“It’s getting harder and harder to do,” said Josh Berry, who will drive a silver Harrison’s No. 4 Ford that pays homage to Rodney Childers, his crew chief. “You see less and less of them, because it takes a lot of people. There’s been a lot of them that have been done already.

“But really, it takes a partner like ours, with Harrison’s, that wants to buy into it, and is willing to change their colors and their branding to buy into that.”

Berry, whose tribute was unveiled alongside South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster last month at the Governor’s Mansion, added how honored he is to represent Childers — who fought back tears when the scheme was revealed.

A mustached Tyler Reddick, honoring Tim Richmond, wins pole

Tyler Reddick has always looked up to Tim Richmond.

The fast-rising 28-year-old driver felt that Richmond — who died at 34 of AIDS-related complications in 1988 — always seemed to have fun when he was in a race car.

“Whether he was at the track or away from the track, he was always living life to the fullest and was happy living the life he was,” Reddick explained after winning the pole position for Sunday’s race. “There is a lot of truth to that. If you are, throughout your week, just dreading whatever it is — it bleeds into what happens and what you take to the race track.

“Tim (Richmond) was always happy doing whatever he was doing. How he lived his life during the week, what he would do — he was having fun, enjoying himself — and that crept over into the race weekend.”

Reddick is piloting a white car with purple and orange lines on the bottom.

It models the No. 29 Ford that Richmond drove when he was a fledgling driver hoping for a permanent spot in the Cup Series in 1982. Richmond initially ran a part-time schedule with Fast Company Limited, a startup team, and went on to win 13 races, including the 1986 Southern 500, before his death.

How long will Alexa De Leon, Reddick’s fiancé, let him keep the mustache?

“We will see,” Reddick said. “I don’t think it will be long, but if I win tomorrow, I’m just going to have to keep it around. Hopefully we win, and we will cross that bridge when we get there.”

Starting lineup for the Goodyear 400