Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is a stock car racing short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, just south of Martinsville. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in stock car racing, being built in 1947 by partners H. Clay Earles, Henry Lawrence, and Sam Rice, nearly a year before NASCAR was officially formed.[2] It is also the only race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948. Along with this, Martinsville is the only oval track on the NASCAR circuit to have asphalt surfaces on the straightaways and concrete to cover the turns. At 0.526 miles (847 m) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. It is owned by NASCAR.
"Half Mile Of Mayhem"
"The Paperclip"
"The Augusta National of Race Tracks"
340 Speedway Road
Ridgeway, Virginia, U.S. 24148
44,000-65,000 (depending on stands/configuration) [1]
NASCAR
1947
1947
Current:
NASCAR Cup Series
Cook Out 400 (1950–present)
Xfinity 500 (1949–present)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Dude Wipes 250 (1982–present)
Dead On Tools 250 (1960–present)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Long John Silver's 200 (1995–present)
Asphalt
Concrete
0.526 miles (0.847 km)
4
Turns 12°
Straights 0°
Tradition[edit]
Unique to Martinsville, winners of the NASCAR Cup Series, Truck Series, and Whelen Modified events receive a longcase clock as a trophy, a nod to Martinsville's famous furniture industry. This tradition started in 1964, when Earles decided he wanted to present a trophy that would reflect the Martinsville area. He chose clocks made by a local company, Ridgeway Clocks (now a subsidiary of Michigan-based Howard Miller).[8]
The hot dogs at Martinsville as well are a notable part of the fan experience.[8] The hot dogs themselves are composed of a hot dog in a bun, with chili, coleslaw, mustard and onions as toppings.[9]