Richmond Raceway facts for kids
| "Strawberry Hill" "Action Track" |
|
|---|---|
|
|
Richmond Raceway as seen from the stands.
|
|
| Location | Henrico County, Virginia, United States |
| Time zone | UTC−5 / −4 (DST) |
| Coordinates | 37°35′30″N 77°25′15″W / 37.59169°N 77.42091°W |
| Capacity | 51,000 |
| Owner | International Speedway Corporation |
| Operator | International Speedway Corporation |
| Opened | October 12, 1946 |
| Former names | Richmond International Raceway (1989–2017) Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway (1969–1988) Virginia State Fairgrounds (1964–1968) Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds (1955–1963) Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds Track (1946–1955) |
| Major events | NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 (April) Federated Auto Parts 400 (September) NASCAR Xfinity Series Go Bowling 250 (September) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ToyotaCare 250 (April) |
| D-shaped oval (1988–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.75 mi (1.21 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | 14° in turns 8° on frontstretch 2° on backstretch |
| Race lap record | 0:15.3197 seconds (176.244 mph) (Sam Hornish Jr., Team Penske, 2005, IndyCar) |
Richmond Raceway (RR) is a famous race track located near Richmond, Virginia. It is a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) long, D-shaped track made of asphalt. Many exciting races happen here, including events from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
People often call Richmond Raceway "America's premier short track." It used to host other big races like the IROC series. The track's unique "D" shape lets drivers go very fast. This makes Richmond Raceway feel like a bigger track, even though it's a short one. Drivers and fans love it because there are many ways to race, and cars often bump into each other!
Richmond Raceway is special because it's the only NASCAR track with multiple races that are all held at night. It was once known for selling out 33 NASCAR Cup Series races in a row. This amazing streak ended in 2008 due to tough economic times and a big storm called Tropical Storm Hanna.
From 2004 to 2018, Richmond Raceway hosted the final regular-season race before the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs began. This was a very important race for drivers trying to make it into the playoffs. In 2019, the track's seating capacity was 59,000 fans.
In 2010, the track added a cool new video scoring tower. It has more LED screen space than any other in motorsports. The top of the tower has four large HD screens. These screens show live race action, videos, and graphics. The main part of the tower shows the running order of all the cars.
Contents
History of Racing at Richmond Raceway
Early Racing in Virginia
Racing has a long history in Virginia, going back to colonial times. Before World War I, a club called the Deep Run Hunt Club held horse races. After a break, these races moved to Curles Neck Plantation in 1928.
Racing During World War II
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, all car racing was stopped. This was because of World War II. From 1942 to 1945, no races happened. The US government stopped them mainly to save resources.
Races Start Again
In 1946, the Atlantic Rural Exposition built new fairgrounds. This was at an old place called Strawberry Hill Farm. They made a half-mile dirt track. It was perfect for both horse races and car races. People called it the "Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds Track" or "Strawberry Hill."
On October 12, 1946, Ted Horn won the very first race at the track. He was driving an open-wheel Indy-style car.
Richmond Raceway Joins National Racing
Two years later, the track became part of the NASCAR schedule. In 1953, it started hosting the Grand National Series. Lee Petty won that first NASCAR race in Richmond.
The original dirt track was paved with asphalt in 1968. Then, in 1988, the track was changed to its current D-shaped design. The raceway complex was called "Strawberry Hill" for a long time. In 1999, it was bought and renamed "Richmond International Raceway."
The Strawberry Hill Races, which are horse races, used to be held at Richmond Raceway. In 2001, they moved to Colonial Downs in New Kent County.
Richmond Raceway Complex
Richmond Raceway is part of a much larger area called the Richmond Raceway Complex. This is a huge 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) facility. It is used for many different events.
Besides car races, the Richmond Raceway Complex hosts many shows. These include bead shows, golf shows, and home and garden shows. There are also expos for RVs, camping, and boats. Other events include gun shows, sports card shows, and logging equipment expos. Many arts and crafts shows also take place here.
The complex also hosts outdoor festivals. These include chili cook-offs and pork festivals. Concerts with local and national music artists are also held here. In the past, it hosted the State Fair of Virginia and the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies event.
NASCAR Races at Richmond Raceway
Richmond Raceway hosts two NASCAR races each year for both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series.
Spring Races
The spring races usually happen on the last weekend of April.
- The Xfinity Series race is 250 laps (187.5 miles). It is called the ToyotaCare 250.
- The NASCAR Cup Series race is 400 laps (300 miles). It is called the Toyota Owners 400.
Fall Races
The fall races usually happen on the second weekend of September.
- The Xfinity Series race is 250 laps (187.5 miles). It is called the Go Bowling 250.
- The Cup Series race is 400 laps (300 miles). It is called the Federated Auto Parts 400. This race is often the last chance for drivers to get into the NASCAR playoffs.
Richmond used to host a Craftsman Truck Series race until 2005. That race moved to Talladega Superspeedway. The Truck Series did not return to Richmond until 2020. Richmond also hosted an IndyCar Series race until 2009. IndyCar was supposed to return in 2020, but the race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Timeline of Key Events
- October 12, 1946: Ted Horn wins the first race at the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds. He drove an open-wheel car on a half-mile dirt track.
- April 19, 1953: Lee Petty wins the first NASCAR "Grand National Division" race. His average speed was 45.535 mph (73.281 km/h).
- 1955: Paul Sawyer and famous racer Joe Weatherly buy the property. The track becomes known as the "Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds."
- March 10, 1964: The first Richmond race runs under temporary lights.
- 1988: The track is changed from a 0.542-mile (872 m) oval to its current 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped layout. The first race on the new track was in September 1988. Permanent lights were added in 1991.
- The track has had several names, including "Strawberry Hill" and "Richmond Fairgrounds Speedway."
- Richard Petty holds the record for most wins at Richmond with 13 victories.
- Richmond was the site of a famous crash in 1986 between Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip. Both hit the wall, and Kyle Petty won the race.
- Richmond hosted International Race of Champions events in 2004 and 2005. Matt Kenseth won in 2004, and Mark Martin won in 2005.
- 1999: Tony Stewart gets his first career Cup Series win here.
- June 30, 2001: The Indy Racing League holds its first-ever short track race at Richmond.
- 2005: Kasey Kahne earns his first career Cup Series win at this track.
- May 6, 2006: This was Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s last win in his #8 Budweiser Chevrolet.
- June 11, 2017: The track is renamed "Richmond Raceway" as part of a $30 million upgrade.
- September 22, 2018: Kyle Busch gets his 50th career Cup win here. This was also the first time the track hosted a Playoff race.
Races and Events
Current Races
- NASCAR Cup Series
- Toyota Owners 400 (April)
- Federated Auto Parts 400 (September)
- NASCAR Xfinity Series
- Go Bowling 250 (September)
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
- ToyotaCare 250 (April)
Previous Races
Richmond Raceway has hosted many other types of races in the past, including:
- AAA Sprint Cars (1946–1948, 1952 and 1953)
- IndyCar Series (Indy Richmond 300) (2001–2009)
- International Race of Champions (2004 & 2005)
- NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (UNOH 100) (2011–2015)
- NASCAR Xfinity Series (ToyotaCare 250) (1982–2020)
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Cheerios Betty Crocker 200) (1995–2005)
- NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (1990–1993, 1997, 1999–2002)
Track Records
Here are some of the fastest times and records set at Richmond Raceway:
- NASCAR Cup Series qualifying: Jeff Gordon, 20.674 seconds (130.599 mph); 2013
- NASCAR Cup Series race: Dale Jarrett, 2 hours, 45 minutes, 4 seconds (109.047 mph); 1997
- NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying: Kyle Busch, 20.874 seconds (129.348 mph); 2004
- NASCAR Xfinity Series race: Dale Jarrett, 1 hour, 47 minutes, 13 seconds (104.928 mph); 1995
- IndyCar Series qualifying: Sam Hornish Jr., 15.3197 seconds (176.244 mph); 2005
NASCAR Cup Series Records
(As of September 10, 2011)
| Most wins | 13 | Richard Petty |
| Most top fives | 34 | Richard Petty |
| Most top tens | 41 | Richard Petty |
| Most starts | 63 | Richard Petty |
| Most poles | 8 | Richard Petty, Bobby Allison |
| Most laps completed | 21135 | Richard Petty |
| Most laps led | 5136 | Richard Petty |
| Highest avg. start* | 3.7 | Bobby Isaac |
| Highest avg. finish* | 5.0 | Kyle Busch |
- minimum 10 starts
- Richmond Raceway race results at Racing-Reference
Images for kids
-
2019 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway
-
2018 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway
See also
In Spanish: Richmond Raceway para niños
