DARLINGTON, S.C. -- What's new at Darlington Raceway? Well, not much of anything -- and that's the way several NASCAR drivers like it.

From the Brasington Grandstand on the backstretch to the cement-block infield concession stands, history is everywhere at the 52-year-old track.

"I like that there's no pretty suites, it's just the racetrack," said Jeff Burton, twice a Darlington winner. "That's pretty cool."

There have been several improvements since Harold Brasington bulldozed an oddly shaped oval out of some Darlington County farmland to get "The Track Too Tough To Tame" into the 21st century. But no one's confusing this country track with gleaming new layouts in Las Vegas, Texas or Chicago.

"Even the new garages here don't look like new garages," said Burton, who was testing for this week's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. "It's nice to go somewhere where the stuff doesn't look all fancy and cool like all the other racetracks. And I think that's OK."

Darlington's history and reputation as "The Track Too Tough To Tame" keeps the drivers revved up about returning. The track's age and relatively smaller capacity to other Winston Cup raceways -- officials jam about 80,000 in for the Southern 500 each Labor Day weekend -- make it the annual topic of NASCAR contraction.

The latest fears came about a year ago when then-Darlington president Jim Hunter left to become NASCAR's spokesman. However, track president Andrew Gurtis said he's secure the venue will remain a two-race layout down the road.

"This is a premier NASCAR track and that's what we're going to play upon," Gurtis said.

You don't have to sell that to the drivers.

"I think this has a place in our sport for the reminder of the heritage and tradition," said Burton, who recalled his family, including older brother, Ward, traveling from their Virginia home to the Darlington races.

Ward Burton has won twice at Darlington, including last year's Southern 500.

"I told Ward last year, 'OK, you had won at Darlington before, but now you've won the Southern 500 and that's moves you up even higher in my eyes,"' Jeff Burton said.

Balancing tradition with the modern amenities that fans expect can be difficult, Gurtis said.

Darlington cannot raze its stands for new luxury towers. Improvement comes in small steps, Gurtis said. The most recent were the 7,800-seat Pearson Tower, named for all-time track winner David Pearson, in 1997 with Hunter at the helm.

Gurtis hopes to add a new tower for media and VIPs in turn one near the start-finish line before seeing if other seats can be squeezed in.

"The track's made great strides in the past several years," Gurtis said. "The tougher job is left for me in terms of the aesthetic improvements. ... Those are things that I think will come in the next several years as we bring Darlington to that new legion of race fan."

As long as they don't mess with the tire-chewing, one-groove, black-surfaced track.

"This has been racing forever," said Jack Sprague, who has toured Darlington in Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck races. "I understand them building the new racetracks with all them suites and stuff, you have to do that. But this is grass-roots racing, boys. This is what it's all about."

Jimmie Johnson, a Winston Cup rookie, says the hard part is going 170 mph on a track designed to top out at about 100 mph. "I wish the track was wider because with the abrasive surface, we could have three- and four-wide racing here," he said. "I don't know how we could get that."

Jeff Burton doesn't want Darlington to change at all.

"It's just fun to come here," he said. "There are very few race tracks I remember coming to the very first time. This one I do."