Southside Speedway facts for kids
| The Toughest Short Track in the South | |
|---|---|
Pre Race ceremonies for a 2009 Denny Hamlin Charity event benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
|
|
| Location | Midlothian, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°27′03″N 77°37′45″W / 37.450929°N 77.629130°W |
| Capacity | ~6,000 |
| Owner | J.M. Wilkinson |
| Operator | Sue Clements Patsy Stargardt |
| Opened | April 15, 1959 |
| Closed | December 11, 2020 |
| Former names | Royall Speedway |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.33 mi (0.53 km) |
| Turns | 10° |
| Banking | 12° |
Southside Speedway was a famous short track for stock car auto racing. It was located south of Richmond, Virginia in Chesterfield County. The track was known as "The Toughest Short Track in the South."
Southside Speedway closed permanently on December 11, 2020. This happened after the 2020 racing season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The track was a .333-mile (0.536 km) asphalt oval. It was owned and operated by Sue Clements and Patsy Stargardt.
In March 2025, plans were announced to rebuild the raceway. Lin O’Neal, a former top driver, bought the track from Chesterfield County. He plans to bring it back to its former glory.
History of Southside Speedway
Southside Speedway first opened in 1949. Back then, it was called Royall Speedway. It hosted exciting midget races. Nelson Royall built the track, leasing the land from the Wilkerson family.
The track reopened on April 15, 1959. Modifieds were the main event. For a few years, it was even part of NASCAR's early racing circuit.
NASCAR Races in the Early Days
The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Southside Speedway was on August 18, 1961. At that time, the track was a 1/4 mile dirt oval. Junior Johnson won the pole position and led every lap of the 150-lap race.
By 1962, Southside Speedway became a 1/3 mile asphalt oval. Rex White took the pole, but Jimmy Pardue won the 200-lap race. Richard Petty finished third. The last main NASCAR circuit race was on May 19, 1963. Ned Jarrett won that 300-lap feature.
After these big races, Southside Speedway hosted other NASCAR series. Famous drivers like Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison raced there.
Racing Families and Legends
Throughout its history, Southside Speedway often had one or two main racing divisions. These divisions drew big crowds. Other divisions helped new drivers get started.
In the 1970s, three important names emerged: Ray Hendrick, Cal Johnson, and Ted Hairfield. Their sons and grandsons continued to race and win for decades.
The Hendrick Family Legacy
Ray Hendrick raced his burgundy Modified car in the 1960s and 1970s. He started a racing tradition for his family. Ray Hendrick won 20 races at Martinsville Speedway between 1963 and 1975. This put him at the top of a list of great drivers, even above Richard Petty. He was known for racing everywhere. Ray Hendrick passed away on September 28, 1990.
His son, Roy Hendrick, later raced in the Late Model Stock Car division. His car looked just like his father's. Roy Hendrick was so dominant at Southside Speedway that people called him "Rapid" Roy Hendrick. The "Flying Eleven" logo, used by the Hendricks, became a famous symbol in Virginia short track racing.
Roy's son, Brandon Hendrick, also started racing. He competed in the Late Model Sportsman and Modified divisions. Roy Hendrick continued to race the number 39 car in the Late Model Sportsman division.
The 1980s and 1990s Racing
In the mid to late 1980s, the main divisions were Late Model Stock Cars, Grand Stocks, and Mini Stocks. Wayne Patterson and Roy Hendrick had a big rivalry. Other drivers like Bugs Hairfield and Eddie Johnson also won championships.
Sometimes, the track held exciting enduro races. These races had many cars on the track at once, making them very crowded and fun to watch.
In the early 1990s, Southside Speedway created a weekly Enduro-style division. These cars were first called Street Stocks, then "Southside Chargers." The rivalry between Wayne Patterson and Roy Hendrick continued. Later, Shayne Lockhart and Eddie Johnson also became top drivers.
Denny Hamlin's Start
In 1997, Denny Hamlin began his racing career in the Mini Stock division at Southside Speedway. Over the next five years, he won many races and set track records. He also raced at other nearby tracks.
After racing in the Craftsman Truck Series and the Busch Series, Hamlin joined Joe Gibbs Racing. In 2006, he had his first full season in the Nextel Cup (now Sprint Cup). He won two races and was named Rookie of the Year. Curtis Markham, a former Southside Speedway champion, became Hamlin's spotter.
From 2008 to 2010, Denny Hamlin hosted the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. This special event later moved to Richmond International Raceway.
Later Years and Closure
In the mid-2000s, Southside Speedway offered up to eight racing divisions. The main attractions were the Late Model Sportsman and Modified divisions. These divisions usually raced on alternating Friday nights.
Chris Dodson was the 2007 Late Model Sportsman champion. Thomas Stinson was the 2007 Modified champion. The racing traditions continued with Brandon Hendrick and Chris Hairfield, grandsons of earlier legends. Chris Johnson, another grandson of a racing legend, also won his first Modified feature race in 2008.
The track closed permanently in 2020.
Past Racing Divisions
Even though the track is closed, it's interesting to learn about the different types of cars that raced there.
Late Model Sportsman Cars
These cars were built for racing but looked like modern 4-door sedans. They often had badges like Chevrolet Monte Carlo or Toyota Camry. However, they were specially built from the ground up for racing. Unlike regular street cars, these were pure race cars. This division ran races of different lengths, from 50 to 150 laps.
Modified Cars
"Modifieds" were open-wheel cars. They looked a bit different from Late Model Sportsman cars. Many modern Modifieds were designed to race on dirt tracks. This meant they were harder to handle on asphalt. Drivers would often slide into turns. The Modified class was one of the original main classes at Southside Speedway.
Grand Stock Cars
The Grand Stock class was a step below the Late Model Sportsman and Modifieds. These cars were mostly actual street cars. They had some custom parts, especially on the front. Many Grand Stock cars were Monte Carlos from the late 1980s. This division usually ran 30-lap races.
U-Cars
The U-Cars started in 2003. "U-Car" stood for "U Can Afford to Race." These were American-made 4-cylinder cars. This division was a great starting point for new racers. It was similar to the Mini Stock class from the 1980s and 1990s.
Street Stock Cars
The Street Stock division grew out of the old Enduro Races. These races were wild, "anything-goes" events. Over time, rules were added for safety, like roll cages. The division became known as Street Stocks again.
Track Attendance and Changes
Attendance at Southside Speedway changed a lot over the years. Sometimes, not many people came, which worried the track owners. In the early 1980s, the old wooden grandstands were unsafe. They were replaced in 1983 with newer aluminum grandstands that could hold more fans.
Despite these improvements, there were rumors in the late 1980s that a shopping mall might replace the track. There were even talks about building a new track in Dinwiddie County.
In the early 2000s, there was a discussion about making the track longer. But the owners decided to keep it the same size. When Denny Hamlin became a big star in NASCAR, many fans from Richmond started coming to Southside Speedway. This brought a big boost in attendance.
In 2007, Denny Hamlin visited Southside, and the track saw its best attendance in years. The next year, he brought his teammate Kyle Busch to race in a special event. This race helped the Denny Hamlin Foundation and put Southside Speedway in the national spotlight.
