Behind the scenes: Florence Motor Speedway in photos

Even casual race fans know about South Carolina's Darlington Raceway, one of the most iconic venues the NASCAR Cup Series visits on an annual basis. Those same fans may or may not know about a NASCAR Home Track located just 15 miles south of Darlington known as the Diamond of the Southeast. Florence Motor Speedway, nestled in the town of Timmonsville, is indeed a gem of a short track.

Florence Motor Speedway, now a NASCAR-sanctioned venue and part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, has been hosting local short track racing since 1982. It has been operated on the watch of owner and promotor Steve Zacharias since 2020. Zacharias is the reason Florence's racing season begins with the IceBreaker, an event that features late-model stocks in addition to super trucks, limited late models and mini stocks. He brought the IceBreaker to Florence from nearby Myrtle Beach Speedway upon that track's closing.

Florence Motor Speedway's location in Timmonsville, South Carolina, is notable, as the town earned worldwide recognition as the home of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Cale Yarborough. A three-time Cup Series champion, four-time winner of the Daytona 500 and five-time winner of the Southern 500 at his home track of Darlington, Yarborough never left his hometown roots, still maintaining his farm home in the area. In his honor, a stretch of South Carolina Highway 403 through Timmonsville is named Cale Yarborough Highway. Heading north on that road, a right turn on U.S. route 76 will lead straight to Florence Motor Speedway.

The track itself is unique in its layout. The 0.4-mile paved oval features progressive banking in the corners, a combination that's prone to producing side-by-side racing. Perhaps the most unique attribute of Florence Motor Speedway is that fact that, with the exception of the frontstretch in front of the grandstands, it has no outside wall.

Florence's race season begins with the IceBreaker each February. Its opening points night lands in early March, and the season runs through November, ending with the annual South Carolina 400 CP Memorial.

Florence's race divisions competing in various events throughout the year include late models, chargers, mini stocks, super trucks, vintage cars, street stocks, legend cars, bandoleros and limited late models.

Including those that took place at Myrtle Beach, the list of IceBreaker feature winners includes Josh Berry (2022), Chad McCumbee (2021), Sam Yarbrough (2020), Ty Gibbs (2019), Timothy Peters (2018), Lee Pulliam (2017) and Tommy Lemons Jr. (2016). Florence also hosted a CARS Super Late Model Tour event in 2020, plus a pair of CARS Late Model Stock Tour races in 2020 and 2021.