The Unocal-Darlington Record Club was a club in the NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series from 1959 to about 2001, based at Darlington Raceway. Membership was achieved by setting qualifying records during time trials for the annual Southern 500 held on Labor Day weekend. During its heyday, it was considered one of the most prestigious and exclusive clubs in motorsports.
The club was sponsored by longtime NASCAR sponsor Pure Oil, which in 1965 was acquired by Union Oil, and later Tosco Corporation (1997), Phillips Petroleum (2001), and after a merger, ConocoPhillips. At some time after the 2001 season, the club was quietly retired, as NASCAR made rule changes that effectively eliminated its usefulness. The club ended permanently when ConocoPhillips ended its sponsorship and was replaced by Sunoco, and the Ferko lawsuit resulted in the lineal Southern 500 being removed from the schedule until the lineal changes of 2020, with the lineal Southern 500 returning to its fall date in 2021.
The original eight charter members were selected in 1959: Dick Joslin (Dodge), Marvin Panch (Ford), Joe Caspolich (Oldsmobile), Bob Burdick (Thunderbird), Speedy Thompson (Chevrolet), Richard Petty (Plymouth), Elmo Langley (Buick), and Fireball Roberts (Pontiac). Roberts was selected as the first president; Former Darlington Raceway president Bob Colvin contributed in creating the club.
Membership qualifications Drivers were awarded membership in the club based on official time trials for the Southern 500. The fastest single driver of each car make (e.g. Chevrolet, Ford, etc.) each won the membership. The general requirements for eligibility were as follows:
Car making the qualifying attempt must be a current model year car. At least three cars from each car make must be entered for that make to have an automatic berth in the club for that year. The fastest single driver from each of the various car makes qualified for the club, provided their speed was within 2% of the fastest overall car in the field.
Special provisions were made for other cars: If only one car from a particular make is entered, that driver was only eligible if he set a track record for that car make; and was within 2% of the fastest overall car in the field (i.e., the pole position winner for the race) If the car was not a current model year chassis, that driver was only eligible if he was the overall fastest driver for that make (i.e., faster than all the current model year chassis of that same make); and he was within 2% of the fastest overall car in the field.
By 2000, the "within 2%" rule was tightened to "within 1%."
Drivers who qualified for the club attended a special dinner and reception and received a special blue blazer. Drivers who entered the club by setting an overall Darlington track record, however, received the more prestigious white blazer. A ring, a plaque and a cash award were also presented. Entry into the club was a lifetime membership, but only active members participated in actual duties. The reception dinner was held on the Friday of Labor Day weekend (two days prior to the Southern 500), and would recognize the drivers who qualified based on the previous year's event.
Only records set in the September Southern 500 were recognized for the club. Any records set during the spring race, or support races (added in 1983 to the Southern 500 weekend) were not eligible.
Competition Board Once the membership was established, the active members of the club were eligible for the annual Competition Board. All active members who qualified for the race within 2% of the fastest car in the field (later 1%) were placed on the board. The board's primary responsibilities were to assist NASCAR in training rookies for racing at each race during the season.
Once the Competition Board was established, the board members voted amongst themselves to select the Club President and Club Vice-President. Each had a tenure of one year. The president's duties primarily were to lead the rookie training, and conduct the annual Darlington Raceway rookie orientation meeting and further rookie test that they had to pass (similar to the Indianapolis 500) before attempting to qualify at Darlington for either race. Likewise, they were not allowed to qualify on the first day of time trials, and were relegated to the second round only (starting 21st or lower).
In 1977, Darlington Raceway began adding support races that helped inexperienced drivers gain experience in shorter events with less-powerful cars. The Baby Grand National series ran 150 kilometer (94.5 mile) races for four-cylinder cars, which ran until 1984. In 1982, the second national series (now the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) added a 200 mile race for the Rebel 500 weekend, and in 1983 another second national series race was run on Southern 500 weekend as a 250-mile race (owing to Blue Laws in South Carolina, the race was set to the state's 250-mile minimum for Sunday races). From 1984 to 2004, support races for the second national series were added to both weekends. Since these drivers had gained experience at Darlington through support races (up to 294 laps of experience in two lower races each year), the rookie panel and NASCAR decided in 1993 to abolish both the rookie test and the first-round rookie prohibition, as Cup Series rookies had typically made four or more starts through support races, if they had at least two full seasons of support series events. When the rule was abolished in 1993, the three primary rookies had each made at least four Darlington starts through the two second national series races each of the previous two seasons. Since 2005, the second national series has run one race (two from 2020-2024) and the current tertiary Craftsman Truck Series also a single race at Darlington, annually since 2020 (two in 2021), allowing drivers to gain even more experience. As of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, the Xfinity Series races on the spring weekend and the Truck Series runs on the Southern 500 weekend.
Record Club by car make
ChevroletYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Speedy Thompson 123.3871960Rex White 125.6981961Dave Mader 125.5781962Rex White 127.4621963Junior Johnson 133.4141964J. T. Putney 126.8401965Jim Paschal 134.7391966Bobby Johns 135.9891967Bobby Johns 138.5771968Bobby Allison 138.3891969Bobby Johns 142.0081971Charlie Glotzbach147.5191972Bobby Allison 152.2281973Bobby Allison 149.4341974Benny Parsons 147.3121975Benny Parsons 151.6321976Darrell Waltrip 152.8621977Darrell Waltrip 153.4931979Donnie Allison 154.5061981Ricky Rudd 151.8891983Neil Bonnett 157.1871985Benny Parsons 155.8571986Tim Richmond 158.4891987Terry Labonte 156.3131988Dale Earnhardt 160.1981989Ken Schrader 160.0211990Dale Earnhardt 158.4481991Dale Earnhardt 161.3171992Ernie Irvan 161.9921993Ken Schrader 161.2591994Ken Schrader 166.8281995Dale Earnhardt 166.5011996Jeff Gordon 170.8331997Ken Schrader 169.8011998Jeff Gordon 168.2611999Jeff Gordon 170.7922000Mike Skinner 169.2112001Jeff Gordon 167.916
Ford ThunderbirdYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Bob Burdick 122.7141960Elmo Langley122.244FordYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Marvin Panch 118.2011960Joe Weatherly 124.8811961Fred Lorenzen 128.4371962Fred Lorenzen 127.8981963Fireball Roberts 133.8191964Fred Lorenzen 135.7271965Junior Johnson 137.5281967Darel Dieringer 143.4261968Lee Roy Yarbrough144.0541969Donnie Allison 151.1771971Walter Ballard 142.1141975Buddy Baker 152.6631976Buddy Baker 152.9911979Bobby Allison 154.8811982Bill Elliott 153.8911983Buddy Baker 155.1881984Ricky Rudd 154.0991985Bill Elliott 156.6411986Cale Yarborough 156.1191987Davey Allison 157.2321988Bill Elliott 160.8271989Alan Kulwicki 160.1561990Bill Elliott 157.7771991Davey Allison 162.5061992Sterling Marlin 162.2491993Bobby Labonte 160.3031994Geoff Bodine 166.9981995John Andretti 167.3791996Dale Jarrett 170.9341997Bill Elliott 170.5131998Dale Jarrett 168.8791999Kenny Irwin 170.9702000Jeremy Mayfield 169.4442001Kurt Busch 168.048
PontiacYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Fireball Roberts123.7341960Cotton Owens 126.1461961Fireball Roberts128.6801962Fireball Roberts130.2461963Bobby Johns 132.5651964Bunkie Blackburn 129.5891965Bobby Johns 133.5851966H. B. Bailey 134.3101967H. B. Bailey 136.4101968H. B. Bailey 133.9011969Roy Tyner 136.9521971David Pearson 147.5691975H. B. Bailey 139.1071981Harry Gant 152.6931982Ricky Rudd 153.3681983Tim Richmond 155.7291984Tim Richmond 154.5981985Tim Richmond 154.9481988Rusty Wallace 159.7611989Rusty Wallace 159.6681990Rusty Wallace 157.5041992Rusty Wallace 159.8491993Rusty Wallace 158.9351994Bobby Labonte 166.4331995Ward Burton 165.6651996Rick Mast 169.7131997Bobby Labonte 170.6611998Ward Burton 168.6771999Ward Burton 170.8452000Johnny Benson 169.4092001Ken Schrader 167.254
DodgeYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Dick Joslin 112.9101960Jim Whitman 117.7101961T. C. Hunt 121.9881962Larry Thomas 123.7731963David Pearson 131.2041964David Pearson 135.9791966Lee Roy Yarbrough140.0581967Buddy Baker 142.7331968Charlie Glotzbach144.8301969Bobby Allison 151.4821971Buddy Baker 145.9091972Richard Petty 149.0721973Richard Petty 147.8481974Richard Petty 150.1321975Richard Petty 152.8391976Dave Marcis 152.8391978Earle Canavan 147.2472001John Andretti 167.493
PlymouthYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Richard Petty 123.1241960Richard Petty 125.0741961Richard Petty 125.9061962Richard Petty 127.1431963G. C. Spencer 131.0741964Richard Petty 136.8151965Curtis Turner 134.4741966Richard Petty 139.7191967Richard Petty 143.4361968Darel Dieringer144.4431969Dick Brooks 146.3671970Dick Brooks 147.6401971Pete Hamilton 147.662
MatadorYear Driver Speed (mph)1972Dave Marcis 147.7461974Bobby Allison148.8421975Bobby Allison152.663
OldsmobileYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Joe Caspolich 121.8081960Tiny Lund 118.8401978Cale Yarborough152.1821979Cale Yarborough152.3581985Buddy Baker 154.1081986Buddy Baker 156.6661987Lake Speed 156.2681988Lake Speed 158.0461989Harry Gant 159.3001990Harry Gant 157.2171991Harry Gant 160.8431992Harry Gant 160.811
ChryslerYear Driver Speed (mph)1961Buck Baker 126.3391962Buddy Baker 126.3721963Neil Castles119.0331978Ed Negre 146.322
MercuryYear Driver Speed (mph)1961Curtis Crider 119.8541962Emanuel Zervakis 126.2271963Joe Weatherly 132.7701964Darel Dieringer 134.4191965Earl Balmer 136.5511966Darel Dieringer 139.5931967Lee Roy Yarbrough140.6251968Cale Yarborough 144.8301969Cale Yarborough 151.9851972David Pearson 152.3421975David Pearson 153.9011976David Pearson 154.669
BuickYear Driver Speed (mph)1959Elmo Langley 123.3871982David Pearson 155.7391983Joe Ruttman 155.0221984Bobby Allison 154.4521985Greg Sacks 154.7731986Bobby Hillin Jr.156.3971988Morgan Shepherd 158.1981989Ricky Rudd 158.6071990Brett Bodine 157.434
Note that in 1959 & 1960, the Ford Thunderbird was categorized separately from Ford.
Sources:
Alphabetical member list Bold indicates track record member (white blazer)
Bobby Allison Davey Allison Donnie Allison John Andretti H. B. Bailey Buck Baker Buddy Baker Walter Ballard Earl Balmer Johnny Benson Bunkie Blackburn Dick Brooks Brett Bodine Geoff Bodine Neil Bonnett Bob Burdick Ward Burton Earle Canavan Joe Caspolich Neil Castles Curtis Crider Darel Dieringer Dale Earnhardt Bill Elliott Harry Gant Charlie Glotzbach Jeff Gordon Pete Hamilton Bobby Hillin Jr. T. C. Hunt Ernie Irvan Kenny Irwin Jr.* Dale Jarrett Bobby Johns Junior Johnson Dick Joslin Alan Kulwicki Bobby Labonte Terry Labonte Elmo Langley Fred Lorenzen Tiny Lund Dave Mader Dave Marcis Sterling Marlin Rick Mast Jeremy Mayfield Ed Negre Cotton Owens Marvin Panch Benny Parsons Jim Paschal David Pearson Richard Petty J.T. Putney Tim Richmond Fireball Roberts Ricky Rudd Joe Ruttman Greg Sacks Ken Schrader Morgan Shepherd Mike Skinner Lake Speed G.C. Spencer Larry Thomas Speedy Thompson Curtis Turner Roy Tyner Rusty Wallace Darrell Waltrip Joe Weatherly Rex White Jim Whitman Cale Yarborough LeeRoy Yarbrough Emanuel Zervakis