NASCAR entered Darlington Raceway for the eighth race weekend of the 2025 season; however, the two-day stretch featured more than just fun racing. The sport’s “Throwback Weekend” took place, as drivers and teams ran old paint schemes that honor the past. It is a fun weekend that also features several NASCAR legends who come to Darlington.
However, is NASCAR’s “Throwback Weekend” starting to lose its luster? According to Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, that is exactly what has been happening over the last four to five years, and he wasn’t shy in sharing his opinion on NASCAR’s big weekend.
“I thought I lost it about four or five years ago, so I was way too early to that conversation, I think,” Elliott said in a press conference. “Not to be a downer, I joked about this years ago, but if we kept going down the road, we’re going to be throwing it back to me in 2018. At some point, I think we’ve got to chill on it a little bit. I think we’ve rode the horse to death, and we tend to do that a little bit too much.”
Elliott’s opinion is certainly bold, but “Throwback Weekend” is positive for NASCAR. It allows the sport to reconnect with several former drivers, as seen this weekend with Richard Petty, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and so many others. While the paint schemes might be getting tough for NASCAR teams, the idea of a “Throwback Weekend” only brings more to the table for the sport.
