DARLINGTON - There's definitely something missing at the Track Too Tough To Tame this Mother's Day weekend, and it's not just the old covering over the (now) backstretch grandstands.
It's that faded yellow ball cap with "NASCAR '48" written in white.
On second thought, there are plenty of those caps, but not the original--the calling card of Jim Hunter.
The former Darlington Raceway president-turned NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communication died last fall after a year-long battle with cancer, and the tributes seemingly haven't quit since.
"It really has been overwhelming," said Ann Hunter, Jim's wife for 48 years. "It's been wonderful, and it's been amazing--something quite unexpected," she said.
Hunter said the stories about her husband she hears nearly every day are heart-warming, and, in a way, surprising.
"Things that Jim has done that we never knew about," she said. "They would come up to us and say, 'Jim did this for me,' or 'Jim did that for me. We never would have been able to continue with out Jim,' so that's been real surprising."
But that's what made Hunter--a former University of South Carolina athlete, newspaper writer, and track promoter--so special to so many in the sport. But it's this small track in one of NASCAR's now smallest markets that meant so much to the man who spent ten years as track president.
"I know Darlington Raceway held a special place in Jim's heart and I am happy we can continue to honor him," said track president Chris Browning. The track will re-dedicate the Jim Hunter Media Center, tucked inside turn one, this weekend.
The building itself was built in 1997, and was dedicated as the "James H. Hunter Media Center."
"He used to tell me, 'Nobody knows me by'" that name, said Hunter. She says she's honored that the track will continue to honor her husband's legacy and contributions in years to come.
"We've seen (the track) come a long way, and, of course, it's changed a lot," said Hunter. "But I think Chris and (general manager) Mac (Josey) are doing a great job," she said.
Hunter also said the community of Darlington--where she still has a home--meant so much to her husband and showed immeasurable support during his illness and after his death.
"They just rallied around and we just never would have made it without Darlington," Hunter said. "Their prayers, phone calls, visits--they never forgot us," she said.
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