Prior to 2005, the second weekend in May was always reserved for that one special lady in everyone’s life — Mother. Thanks to NASCAR, we now pay homage to two ladies. What was once an off weekend in NASCAR is no more. This week, we’ll honor two ladies. The first is — and always has been — No. 1 in your program and No. 1 in your heart, Mom. All the driver’s mothers will appear at driver’s introductions this weekend with their sons. They will also say the four most famous words in motorsports, “Sons, start your engines.”

The second: “The Lady in Black.” That’s right, Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C., plays host to this weekend’s Dodge Challenger 500. NASCAR didn’t completely infringe on Mother’s Day. Sunday still belongs to mom, but “The Lady in Black” owns Saturday night.

The national holiday began in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed May 10 the first official Mother’s Day. The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), more specifically Frank Hering, introduced the idea of Mother’s Day in 1904 — shocking that it only took the government 10 years to pass the legislation. Sure, “The Lady in Black” has seen the likes of David Pearson and Fireball Roberts grow to be giants of the sport, but it was their mothers who raised them to be men.