Dominion Raceway facts for kids

Opening Day 2016

Dominion Raceway is a cool place for motorsport fans in Thornburg, Virginia. It's a big complex where different kinds of races happen. You can find an oval track, a road course, and even a drag strip here!

This raceway hosts exciting events like NASCAR races, SCCA events, and Superkart races. It's also a place for amateur road course and street racing.

Dominion Raceway: A Modern Racing Hub

Dominion Raceway started being built in 2013 and officially opened its doors in 2016. It's located at 6510 Dominion Raceway Ave. in Thornburg, Virginia. This modern facility was designed to offer a variety of racing experiences for both drivers and fans.

What Kind of Races Happen Here?

Dominion Raceway has three main types of tracks:

• Oval Track: This track is 0.4 miles long and has four turns. It's perfect for fast-paced, wheel-to-wheel racing.
• Road Course: This track is 2 miles long and has 12 turns. It's more challenging, with twists and turns that test a driver's skill.
• Drag Strip: This is a straight track, 0.125 miles long. It's used for drag racing, where two cars race side-by-side to see who can finish first.

Who Won the First Races?

When Dominion Raceway first opened, many drivers competed to be the first winners on the new tracks. Here are some of the first champions:

The Story of Old Dominion Speedway

Before Dominion Raceway, there was another famous track called Old Dominion Speedway (ODS). It was located in Prince William County, Virginia. This track had a long history of racing.

Why Did Old Dominion Speedway Move?

Old Dominion Speedway closed in 2012. The main reason was that people who lived nearby started complaining about the noise from the races. Because of these complaints, the owner, Steve Britt, decided to look for a new place to build a raceway. This led to the creation of the new Dominion Raceway.

What Was Old Dominion Speedway Like?

Old Dominion Speedway had a drag strip and an oval track.

• The drag strip was used for exciting Friday night drag races. It was originally a dirt track in 1953 and was the first official drag strip on the East Coast.
• The oval track was 3/8-mile long. It hosted many different types of races, including Late Models and Bandoleros. This track started as a dirt track in 1952 and was paved in 1953.

Old Dominion Speedway is also known as the birthplace of the "Late Model Stock Car." This type of racing became very popular and even led to the creation of the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Famous Races and Events at Old Dominion

Old Dominion Speedway hosted many special events and races over the years.

The "Big One" Race

One of the most exciting events was "The Big One." This race happened at the end of the season and was a huge deal. It brought in many cars, offered big prizes, and attracted lots of fans. It was a non-points race, meaning drivers could race as hard as they wanted without worrying about championship points.

Here are some of the winners of "ODS The Big One":

• 2006: Dustin Storm
• 2007: Dustin Storm
• 2009: David Polenz
• 2010: Mike Darne
• 2011: Doug Liberman
• 2012: Michael Hardin

Racing with Karts and More

Besides car races, Old Dominion Speedway also had a karting series. This was a great way for younger drivers to get started in racing. They also hosted fun events like monster truck shows, drifting events, and car shows.

NASCAR Legends Raced Here!

Before it was called Old Dominion Speedway, the track was known as Longview Speedway. Many famous NASCAR drivers raced there, including legends like Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, and Bobby Allison. Even more recent stars like Mark McFarland and Denny Hamlin have raced at this historic track. In 2006, Albert Anderson made history as the first African-American to win a race at Old Dominion Speedway.

Here are some of the NASCAR Grand National Series winners at the track:

• 1958: Frankie Schneider
• 1963: Richard Petty
• 1964: Ned Jarrett
• 1964: Ned Jarrett
• 1965: Junior Johnson
• 1965: Richard Petty
• 1966: Elmo Langley