Martinsville Speedway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Martinsville Speedway

Location	340 Speedway Road Ridgeway, Virginia 24148
Time zone	UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST)
Coordinates	36°38′02″N 79°51′04″W / 36.63389°N 79.85111°W / 36.63389; -79.85111
Capacity	Exact figure unknown; less than 44,000
Owner	NASCAR (2019–present) International Speedway Corporation (2004–2019) Henry Clay Earles (1947–1999)
Construction cost	$60,000 USD
Major events	Current: NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 (1950–present) Xfinity 500 (1949–present) NASCAR Xfinity Series Dude Wipes 250 (1982–1994, 2006, 2021–present) Dead On Tools 250 (1960–1994, 2020–present) Zerex 150 (1982–1983, 1986–1990) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 (2003–2021, 2024) Long John Silver's 200 (1995–2019, 2022–present)
Oval
Surface	Asphalt (straights and higher lanes of turns) Concrete (lower lanes of turns)
Length	0.526 mi (0.847 km)
Turns	4
Banking	Turns: 12° Straights: 0°
Race lap record	0:18.845 ( Ross Chastain, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 2022, NASCAR Cup)

Martinsville Speedway is a famous race track in Ridgeway, Virginia, United States. It's known as a "short track" because it's only about 0.526 miles (0.847 km) long. Since it opened in 1947, it has hosted many exciting races, especially those organized by NASCAR. Martinsville Speedway is currently owned by NASCAR and led by its president, Clay Campbell.

The track first opened in September 1947 as a dirt oval. It quickly became a part of NASCAR history, hosting its first Cup Series races in 1949. In 1955, the track was paved with asphalt. Later, in 1976, the lower parts of the turns were paved with concrete to make them last longer. Martinsville Speedway grew a lot starting in the 1990s, adding more seats and improving its facilities. In 2004, a company called International Speedway Corporation (ISC) bought the track. Then, in 2019, NASCAR bought ISC, which meant NASCAR became the owner of Martinsville Speedway.

About the Track

Track Shape and Surface

An overhead photo of Martinsville Speedway in 2011.

Martinsville Speedway is 0.526 miles (0.847 km) long. It has four turns, and each turn is "banked" at 12 degrees. This means the turns are tilted, like a ramp, to help cars go faster around the corners. The straight parts of the track are flat.

The track surface is made of two materials:

• Asphalt: Used for the straight sections and the higher parts of the turns.
• Concrete: Used for the lower parts of the turns.

What You'll Find There

Martinsville Speedway is located in Ridgeway, Virginia. It's easy to get to from major roads like U.S. Route 58 and U.S. Route 220. The track can hold many fans. In 2019, it could seat about 44,000 people.

Famous Hot Dogs

Martinsville Speedway is very famous for its $2 "Martinsville hot dogs." These hot dogs are often served with mustard, chili, cole slaw, and onions. The track started selling these hot dogs a long time ago, and they became a favorite tradition for fans. Since 2023, the hot dogs have been supplied by Jesse Jones, just like they were when the track first started selling them.

Track History

Early Dirt Track Days

Early stock car racing driver Red Byron (pictured in 1949) won the first race at Martinsville Speedway in 1947. He also won the track's first NASCAR Cup Series race two years later.

A businessman named Henry Clay Earles loved stock car races. He decided to build his own track with partners Sam Rice and Henry Lawrence. They found a 30-acre (12 ha) piece of land in Ridgeway, Virginia. They planned to spend $30,000 and have seats for 5,000 people. However, building the red clay track and a guard rail cost twice as much as they expected.

Even with fewer seats, Earles and Rice decided to hold the first race on September 7, 1947. It was a "modified" race, which means the cars were changed from their original design. Red Byron won the race, and 6,013 people paid to watch. Earles later joked that the race was so dusty, it looked like "6,013 Indians" were leaving the track!

Henry Clay Earles (pictured in 1973) managed Martinsville Speedway from 1947 until 1999.

After the first race, they made improvements in 1948. They built a new fence to keep out people who didn't pay. They also bought more land to expand the parking area. By July 1948, a new concrete grandstand with about 4,000 seats was ready.

In 1949, Martinsville Speedway hosted its first ever NASCAR Strictly Stock Series race. This series is now known as the NASCAR Cup Series. Red Byron won this race too. In 1950, Bill France Sr., who founded NASCAR, bought out the shares of Rice and Lawrence, becoming a partner with Earles.

Paving and Growing Bigger

Over the next 30 years, Martinsville Speedway kept growing. In 1953, Earles started talking about paving the track. By June 1955, he announced that the track would be paved with asphalt. They also added a concrete wall and more seats. The work finished in September 1955, and the grandstand could then hold 8,670 people. The next year, a new East Grandstand with 7,000 seats was built, bringing the total capacity to about 16,000.

In 1960, a cover was added over part of the West Grandstand. Two years later, a new press box with air conditioning was built. In 1963, the turns were made slightly wider. More seats were added in the following years, reaching 21,000 by 1965. In 1969, NASCAR changed how it measured track lengths, and Martinsville's official length became 0.526 miles (0.847 km).

In 1972, the track had a $25,000 improvement project, which included repaving the turns. Another project in 1973 repaved the entire track and added more seats. By 1974, the track could hold over 30,000 fans.

Big Changes and Modernization

Martinsville Speedway in 1985.

The track was repaved again in 1976. This time, the lower parts of the turns were paved with concrete instead of asphalt. Earles believed concrete would last longer. In 1979, a new press box with 105 seats was built.

Sadly, on October 24, 1985, a modified driver named Richie Evans was involved in a crash and passed away. On March 22, 1987, another modified driver, Charlie Jarzombek, also passed away after a crash.

In the 1990s, Martinsville Speedway saw many big changes. New fences and a new 2,500-seat tower were added in 1989. More seats were added every year for the next five years, increasing the capacity significantly. In 1996, a large 7,000-seat tower named after NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. was built. This tower was expanded by 5,000 seats the next year. The pit road, where cars stop for service during a race, was also made bigger. In 1998, another 8,000-seat tower was added. By April 1999, all pit stalls were moved to one main pit road.

On November 16, 1999, Henry Clay Earles passed away. His grandson, Clay Campbell, took over running the track. In 2000, a 5,000-seat grandstand, eight special suites, and a new press box were built. In 2001, a new garage building for Cup Series teams was constructed, and the concrete parts of the track were resurfaced. The concrete was resurfaced again in 2002.

In 2003, a $2.5 million project was announced to add 2,000 more seats and move a nearby railroad. This project was completed in 2005. In 2004, both the concrete and asphalt parts of the track were repaved after some concrete broke loose during a race. Also in 2004, SAFER barriers were added around the outside of the track. These barriers are designed to absorb impact and make crashes safer for drivers.

New Ownership and Night Racing

Night racing at Martinsville Speedway in 2024. In 2017, a permanent lighting system was installed at the track to host night racing.

In February 2004, there were reports that someone wanted to buy Martinsville Speedway. On May 14, 2004, the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), a company owned by the France family, announced they had bought Martinsville Speedway.

In 2005, Martinsville Speedway held its first night race, using temporary lights. Three years later, a new scoreboard, a media center, and more SAFER barriers were added. In 2011, $3 million was spent on a new speaker system and wider grandstand seats. In 2013, the track reduced its seating capacity to 55,000.

A big change happened in 2017 when a permanent lighting system was installed. This cost about $5 million and allowed Martinsville to host night races regularly. In 2019, the seating capacity was reduced again to 44,000. In the same year, NASCAR bought ISC, which meant NASCAR became the owner of Martinsville Speedway. In 2022, more seats were removed from the first and second turns and replaced with grass.

Races and Other Uses

NASCAR Races

A NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway in 1985. Since 1949, the track has held the series annually.

Martinsville Speedway hosts two big NASCAR weekends each year. The main events are the NASCAR Cup Series races, known as the Cook Out 400 and the Xfinity 500.

The track also hosts races from other NASCAR series:

• NASCAR Xfinity Series: These races include the U.S. Marine Corps 250 and the National Debt Relief 250.
• NASCAR Truck Series: These races include the Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 and the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200.

Movie Filming

Martinsville Speedway was used as a filming location for the 1973 movie The Last American Hero. This film was inspired by the life of NASCAR driver and team owner Junior Johnson.

Fastest Lap Records

As of October 2024, here are some of the fastest official race lap records at Martinsville Speedway:

See also

In Spanish: Martinsville Speedway para niños