More on Martinsville Speedway

Jeff Gordon Publicly Reveals Tom Cruise’s 5-Word Claim on NASCAR’s Cult Classic Movie

Hendrick Motorsports boss Jeff Gordon shared an update on Tom Cruise's upcoming NASCAR-based movie sequel.
Jeff Gordon and Tom Cruise

Skeptical Fans Issue New Demand as NASCAR’s Short Track Experiment Sparks Debate

The NASCAR race at Bristol is coming up, and fans are trying to make them realize the shortcomings of the current short-track package.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA MAR 21 Sprint Cup Series – Food City 500 BRISTOL, TN – MAR 21: The NASCAR Sprint Cup teams take

Rick Hendrick’s Crew Chief Handed Rare Praise After Pulling Off the Unimaginable

Rick Hendrick finally saw his team break the winless streak they held at Martinsville, and Kyle Petty credits it to Alan Gustafson.
AVONDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 05: Rick Hendrick looks on before the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Championship Race on No

NASCAR’s Short-Track Fall Package Falls Short Despite Christopher Bell’s Large Claims

750hp short-track package underwhelms at Martinsville NASCAR race, as lack of tire falloff limits passing despite Bell’s optimism.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA NOCO 400 Apr 16, 2023; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (9) r

Chase Elliott Camp Addresses Rick Hendrick’s ‘Panic Button’ Call With 4-Word Message

Chase Elliott’s camp reveals Rick Hendrick’s “marathon” message that sparked a Martinsville win, as Hamlin’s dominance slips away late.
Chase Elliott Rick Hendrick

Denny Hamlin’s Unjust Maneuver Publicly Called Out by Ryan Blaney in 2-Words

Ryan Blaney was disappointed after Denny Hamlin's wide exit from the final corner ended his race-winning contention.
Ryan Blaney Denny Hamlin

Chase Elliott Claps Back at His Fans as Crew Chief Alan Gustafson Falls Victim to Mass Hatred

Chase Elliott defends Alan Gustafson after Martinsville win, silencing critics with a bold call that secured HMS’s first 2026 victory.
AUTO: MAR 29 NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400

NASCAR Safety Standards Under Question as Connor Zilisch’s Face Gets Hurt at Martinsville

Connor Zilisch’s hard hit at Martinsville Speedway raises new questions about NASCAR’s car safety standards.
2025-talladega-i-nxs-connor-zilisch-nkp

Denny Hamlin Concedes to Chase Elliott’s Martinsville Supremacy With 5-Word Admission

Denny Hamlin’s dominant Martinsville run ends in frustration as Chase Elliott executes a perfect strategy.
Chase Elliott Denny Hamlin

“P*sses Me Off”: SVG Displays Rare Frustration as He Self-Incriminates Himself Over Martinsville Mistake

Shane van Gisbergen shows rare frustration after missing a Martinsville top-10, blaming poor restarts despite a strong pace for Trackhouse.
CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 12: Shane Van Gisbergen ( 97 Kaulig Racing WeatherTech Chevrolet) talks with his crew during qua

Guess Who Is Quietly Moving Up In The Cup Standings – You May be Shocked at the Answer!

While guys like Reddick, Hamlin, Blaney, and Elliott have been getting the headlines this season, someone else is quietly improving on ovals.
NASCAR 2026: Focused Health 250 Austin

Chase Elliott Denies Denny Hamlin of Prestigious NASCAR Record With Resurrecting HMS Claim

Chase Elliott beats Denny Hamlin at Martinsville, denying him a historic record and handing Hendrick Motorsports its first 2026 win.
Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott

About Martinsville Speedway

article-image

USA Today via Reuters

Martinsville Speedway- 2021 Latest News, Winners, Qualifying, Track

Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR stock vehicle racing short track in Henry County, Ridgeway, Virginia. It is owned by the International Speedway Corporation. At 0.526 miles (847 m) long, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The track was additionally one of the previously cleared oval tracks in NASCAR, being inherited in 1947 by accomplices H. Earth Earles, Henry Lawrence, and Sam Rice per Virginia House Joint Resolution No. 76 on the passing of H. Mud Earles.

It is additionally the lone race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its start in 1948. Alongside this, Martinsville is the solitary NASCAR oval track on the NASCAR track circuit to have asphalt surfaces on the straightaways, and concrete to cover the turns.

History

The track is frequently alluded to as a paper clip formed and is banked just 12° in the turns. The blend of long straightaways and level, slender transforms makes it hard to slow down going into turns and smooth increasing speed leaving turns an absolute necessity.

The track was cleared in 1955 and in 1956 it facilitated its initial 500-lap race. In 1976, the turns were repaved with concrete. By 2004, the then 28-year-old cement had shown critical wear. On April 18, 2004, an enormous lump of cement got removed from the track's surface and made extreme harm to the assemblage of Jeff Gordon's vehicle.

In response to this, the track was completely repaved with new concrete and black-top.

Until 1999, Martinsville was infamous for having two pit streets. The backstretch pit street was by and large kept away because if a group needed to pit there during an alert, any vehicle pitting on the front stretch had the benefit of pitting first and not holding fast to pace vehicle speed after leaving their pit street.

This was corrected when pit street was reconfigured to stretch out from the passageway of turn 3 to the exit of turn 2.

The main NASCAR event held on July 4, 1948. In 1951, just four vehicles were running toward the completion, the least of any race held at the speedway. In 1960, Richard Petty turned into the youngest victor at Martinsville, at 22 years, 283 days. Petty has the most successes (15).

Quick Facts

Location340 Speedway Road Ridgeway, Virginia, U.S. 24148
OperatorInternational Speedway Corporation
Major EventsNASCAR Cup Series

Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500

Xfinity 500

NASCAR Xfinity Series

TBA

Draft Top 250

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Hall of Fame 200

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series

ValleyStar Credit Union 300

Length0.526 mi (0.847 km)
Most WinsRichard Petty (15)
Most StartsRichard Petty (67)
PolesDarrell Waltrip (8)