What Really Happened at Darlington

So, unfortunately I find myself having to write yet another article in regards to information that was misleading or outright wrong. The incident last night appears to be no different. 

It appears as though the local media in the Darlington area has fallen into the trap of reporting "facts" without actually getting information. What this leads to is a lot of people sharing an article that places a business in a bad light for absolutely no reason. While I won't call out the "news" outlet for what in my opinion is a piss poor attempt at journalism, I will say that their way of reporting the "news" is pretty pathetic. So let's see what really happened. 

Last night there was a large event going on at Darlington Dragway. Not exactly unusual for one of the most popular tracks in the southeastern part of the country. They do a number of different style events. Last nights show was titled Fast & Flashy 3. It's a car and bike show along with racing. Based on the reports I received, it was a great crowd. Here's where things went "wrong" though. The "news" reported in big bold headlines "Two Shot at Darlington Dragway." A great click bait type of title. They do this so you will click on the article and read something that either isn't true or is completely halfassed because it helps their ratings and ability to sell ad space. 

The real deal is this. When this story broke I contacted the management at the track to verify that they were ok and then I contacted the owner of the facility to get the actual events of what happened. What had happened is that there was a person with a firearm at the event, he dropped his firearm by mistake and it discharged, injuring himself and his friend. It appears as though one was injured in the finger and one was just grazed. So that is the facts that we have been provided on this incident. It's too bad that so many people just live to click, believe, and share. The odd part is the "reporting" that the locals have done is that in the 16 1/2 hrs since the incident, they have not updated their story with any more information. Apparently an accidental discharge isn't as big of a news story as two shot at dragstrip is. 

I ask the drag racing community to stop falling for that crap reporting and stop sharing it. If there is news to be reported, you need to rely on sources like us, Drag Illustrated, DragZine, and Comp Plus. Your local news doesn't care about drag racing or the drag racing community. 

In closing let me add this. I have personally been to Darlington this season on multiple occasions. The staff and management at the facility are as good as you will find anywhere in the country. The owners care about the fans and racers, along with the community as a whole. This was an isolated accident and not an act of violence. I would appreciate that you share this throughout the drag racing community so that the facts are what is being shared. 

Thank You