Darlington Raceway unveils Johnny Mantz trophy

The winner of the 2009 Southern 500® presented by GoDaddy.com will be the recipient of a very special piece of hardware – the Johnny Mantz Southern 500 trophy.

By: Darlington Raceway Public Relations | SCNow
Published: April 15, 2009

DARLINGTON – The winner of the 2009 Southern 500® presented by GoDaddy.com will be the recipient of a very special piece of hardware – the Johnny Mantz Southern 500 trophy.

Named after Inaugural Southern 500 winner Johnny Mantz, the new trophy replaces the crystal palmetto tree that was used since Darlington began running on Mother’s Day weekend in 2005. The four-tiered trophy stands approximately three feet tall, weighs nearly 40 pounds and features engraved photos of all 43 past Darlington Raceway winners.

“Drivers always talk about adding their name to the list of winners at Darlington Raceway and now winners will have their name and image permanently etched in Darlington history on the Johnny Mantz Southern 500 trophy,” said Darlington Raceway President, Chris Browning. “Naming the trophy after Johnny Mantz helps connect the history and tradition of Darlington to today’s NASCAR and I know that the winner of this year’s event will be honored to have a prominent place in Darlington history.”

Longtime Darlington Raceway ticket holder, Kent Lewis, came up with the design concept for the trophy. The trophy was created by American Trophy in Florence, S.C. and following the 2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com will be placed in the Darlington Raceway Museum year-round for fans to view.

Darlington Raceway or the track “Too Tough to Tame” as it is known to many, is where the purest of NASCAR competition meets true southern hospitality. A NASCAR staple since 1950, Darlington Raceway has seen some of motorsports most talented drivers thunder to Victory Lane. In 2009, a NASCAR tradition, the Southern 500® presented by GoDaddy.com, will return as Darlington Raceway celebrates 60 Seasons of Racing.

Be a part of history when Darlington Raceway celebrates 60 years of racing in 2009. Tickets to the 2009 Southern 500® presented by GoDaddy.com, as well as the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 are on-sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Darlington Raceway ticket office at 866-459-RACE or online at http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/tickets/.