Forty-five thousand fans would attend the event, interrupted by 0.31 inches of precipitation, shortened to the shortest race in what is now the Cup Series by percentage in Darlington history (51.50%, 189 laps, which is six laps more than an official race, which would be 184 laps), as the race was shortened because of impending darkness (Darlington did not add lights until the 2004 Southern 500).