Martinsville 2

Martinsville Speedway

Track Length: .526 miles
Race Length: 500 Laps – 263 Miles
First Race: May 20, 1956 – Virginia 500
Banking: 12° (Corners); 0° (Straights)
Lengths: 800 feet (Frontstretch & Backstretch)
Seating: 65,000

Track History

340 Speedway Road
Ridgeway, VA 24148

Ticket Info: (877) RACETIX / (877) 722-3849
(866) ISC-TRAK (472-8725) TDD Hearing Impaired

Mailing Address
P. O. Box 3311
Martinsville, VA 24115

Track History

  • Opened in September 1947 by H. Clay Earles, Martinsville, originally a dirt track, is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States.
  • The first NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville was on July 4, 1948.
  • The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was Sept. 25, 1949.
  • The track was paved in 1955.
  • The first 500-lap event at Martinsville was in 1956.
  • Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976.

    Track Notebook

  • Curtis Turner won the pole for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville in 1949.
  • Red Byron won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
  • Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Darrell Waltrip share the consecutive pole record, each with three.
  • Richard Petty leads 15 wins.
  • Kurt Busch won the 2002 fall race from the 36th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
  • Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Martinsville Speedway winner: Richard Petty (4/10/1960 – 22 years, 9 months, 8 days). Oldest NSCS Martinsville Speedway winner: Harry Gant (9/22/1991 – 51 years, 8 months, 12 days).
  • Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Martinsville Speedway pole winner: Ricky Rudd (4/26/1981 – 24 years, 7 months, 14 days). Oldest NSCS Martinsville Speedway pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (04/26/1987 – 45 years, 6 months, 14 days).