SPARTA – Kerry Tharp has spent the last 11 years moderating driver interviews and accommodating the needs of NASCAR media.

The tables turned last week as Tharp himself was the focus of media attention.

Tharp is signing off from his role as senior director of communications for NASCAR after 11 years to take over as president of Darlington Raceway.

The Louisville native and 1979 Western Kentucky University graduate worked his last race in his media relations role in Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway.

“To be able to be at Kentucky Speedway, since I’m a native Kentuckian, as my final race in the NASCAR role is a real thrill,” Tharp told the Daily News on Saturday.

Tharp officially takes over as president of the historic South Carolina track on July 18.

There was no shortage of handshakes and congratulations for the WKU grad nicknamed “Commander” during the final race in his home state.

Race winner Brad Keselowski and other drivers gave their congratulations following post-race interviews and he was recognized in the media center with a cake decorated with “Thanks Commander! We Will Miss You!”

“The day-to-day, week-to-week group that you become such a part of that’s been a part of me for 11 to 12 years, that part of it I’ll miss,” Tharp said. “I’ll miss those relationships and the camaraderie. I know I’ll still be able to interact with these folks. I plan on still being at the tracks as much as I can.”

Before joining NASCAR, Tharp spent more than 20 years in media relations at the University of South Carolina, but never ventured to Darlington in that time.

In fact, Tharp was never a NASCAR fan growing up in Louisville. Tharp, 59, will now take over as president of NASCAR’s second oldest track thanks to the relationships and connections he’s formed in the sport for more than a decade.

“I’ve got a lot to learn,” Tharp said. “It’s going to be a different role. Where I’ve been focused on communications and PR and marketing and so forth the past 11-plus years, now I have to focus on everything. I’ll need to know how much toilet paper they’re using at Darlington and concessions, where tractors are parked and how much ice we have for the weekend.

“While that is definitely out of my comfort zone to know all that, what gives me a little bit of confidence is to know I’ve been around all that in some capacity to work with people who have touched those areas the last 10 years, so I think I can draw upon that experience.”

Tharp will hit the ground running later this week as Darlington prepares to host the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Sept. 4, restoring a Labor Day weekend tradition.

Last year, the track marketed a NASCAR Throwback initiative to add a nostalgic feel with old-school paint schemes.

That move worked for Darlington and Tharp said that setup is “right in their wheelhouse.”

But he also acknowledged the track’s need for reaching a younger demographic, specifically using the track’s history and improving the sport’s social media presence to draw younger fans toward racing.

“I’d like to grow that track where we’re impacting young people and younger fans in the state of South Carolina, the Carolinas in general and NASCAR,” Tharp said. “I think it’s very important that the young people in our sport get involved at an early age. We have enough smart people at Darlington and resources to do that. We’ll keep it relevant for not only the current and former fans, but the fans of the future.”

— Follow Daily News sports reporter Elliott Pratt on Twitter @OleBoyPratt or visit bgdailynews.com.