DARLINGTON, S.C. – Darlington Raceway, home to the traditional crown jewel Southern 500 over Labor Day Weekend, introduces the Workforce Appreciation Weekend in partnership with the NASCAR Cup Series teams on Sept. 3-4. The new initiative will showcase the NASCAR industry's appreciation to the American workforce throughout the traditional Labor Day Race Weekend at the track Too Tough To Tame.
"Labor Day Weekend is a NASCAR tradition at Darlington Raceway, so we are proud to partner across the industry for the new Workforce Appreciation Weekend," said Kerry Tharp, Darlington Raceway President. "We are grateful to the NASCAR Cup Series race teams for uniting with us to show our appreciation to the American workforce over our traditional Labor Day Weekend of NASCAR racing."
Along with the celebrated kickoff to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Darlington Raceway will showcase opportunities for NASCAR, race teams and industry partners to pay tribute to their workforce’s tireless efforts throughout the year. Darlington Raceway will recognize the American workforce as part of pre-race ceremonies, offer Workforce Appreciation Weekend ticket packages to organizations, and additional elements to be shared in the future.
As part of the initiative, race teams will lead a Workforce Appreciation Honorary Crew Member Program to recognize a deserving employee of their organization over Labor Day Weekend. The recognized crew member will receive the ultimate Labor Day Weekend experience at the track including an invite to the Labor Day Weekend Cookout, serve as an 'honorary crew member,' a guided tour of the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum, the worker’s name listed in place of the driver’s name above the right-side door, a gift from NASCAR and Darlington Raceway, and more.
"There’s nowhere we compete that embodies perseverance, grit and achievement like Darlington," said Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and seven-time Darlington Raceway winner Jeff Gordon. "I can’t imagine a more appropriate place for NASCAR to show our respect and admiration for the American worker. Whether they’re with us at the track or watching from home, the holiday weekend combined with the opening race of our playoffs will deliver well-earned fun and relaxation for our fans. We’re excited to highlight many of their accomplishments through this new program.”
Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of the American workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the holiday began in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday. To learn more about the history of Labor Day, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s website.
For groups and organizations interested in race tickets for Workforce Appreciation Weekend at Darlington Raceway, visit www.darlingtonraceway.com/groups.