The upcoming Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway has some of the biggest stakes seen in the game in some time. It marks the final event of the 2024 Cup Series regular season and the final chance for drivers to secure a playoff spot. Conquering the track too tough to tame will also result in taking home the coveted Johnny Mantz trophy.
Made of six wooden tiers and a silver trophy on top, the souvenir is an absolute beauty. It stands at a height of 44 inches and a width of 21 inches and weighs 55.8 pounds.
The trophy is named after Mantz, the driver who won the first Southern 500 back in 1950. He had done so by completing a conservative race with truck wheels on his Hubert Westmoreland Plymouth. Mantz was one of the first drivers who proved that strategies can put you in the victory lane even if you don’t have a fast car.
Track president Josh Harris told WMBF news about the trophy, “A driver can look around all four sides of that trophy and see all those legendary names that have come before him. And sometimes they get their face on it multiple times, which is really cool.” “So I think it’s a traditional trophy.
It harkens back to the early days of trophies in sports and competitions. I think just to see your name and your face along with all of those legendary names and faces really gives it that extra special touch.” The Labor Day event is the 75th edition of the crown jewel fixture and event managers expect another sold-out crowd of nearly 50,000 people.
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