Chase Elliott has not changed his mind about NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway and mentioned again that the idea may be wearing thin after 11 years. Darlington Throwback Weekend began in 2015 as a way to honor NASCAR’s long history and became a fan favorite.
Back in the first year of the program, more than 30 of the 43 entries carried special one-race looks. Last year, less than 20 of 39 cars did. This year NASCAR has not officially required throwback schemes.
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Elliott saw that a few years later and felt the concept had “ridden the horse to death” in 2025. This year too, the Hendrick Motorsports driver repeated the same view.
“I think that there’s always celebration and always appreciation for those that have come before us. I think that the throwback weekend in itself had kind of run its course. That’s not to be confused with a lack of appreciation for those that have been here,” Chase Elliott said (1:46 onwards).
“I grew up in a house that spent a lot of time on the road doing that, so I certainly understand that. But yeah, I think it was time to give a break. But we’ll always say hey and appreciate and admire the men and women that have helped pave the way for a lot of us that are here now,” he added.
The 2026 Goodyear 400 is set for Sunday at 3 pm ET at the 1.366-mile South Carolina track. The weekend has drawn a few paint schemes for throwback tributes despite no official theme. RFK Racing announced that all three of its cars will run Greg Biffle tributes at Darlington. Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar will run a throwback to Dale Earnhardt’s 1981 scheme.
Erik Jones and Legacy Motor Club will run a paint scheme similar to Wally Dallenbach Jr.’s car from 1994, and Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith will pay tribute to Bill Elliott’s 1985 Darlington-winning paint scheme and Elliott Sadler’s 2000 Brickyard 400 scheme.
“More questions than answers” – Chase Elliott on the new package and tire setup at Darlington
NASCAR will debut its increased horsepower of 750 at Darlington, with Goodyear bringing the same tire combination used last weekend in Las Vegas. Chase Elliott commented that the new 3-inch rear spoiler and fewer diffuser stabilizing strakes are part of the short-track package.
“I think there’s a lot of questions, probably more questions than answers. Kind of been the trend really all year for us, like just with the new body and just all the things going on,” Chase Elliott said (0:03).
Elliott has had three top-10 finishes in the first five NASCAR Cup races this season, which saw Chevy update the Camaro ZL1 body with a larger hood dome, revised grille, and rocker panels.
The 30-year-old has qualified in third place for the Goodyear 400 this Sunday but also lost car chief Matt Barndt after his No. 9 car failed pre-race inspection twice and lost pit selection. He will enter the race fifth in the overall points standings.
Edited by Tushhita Barua
