Martinsville Speedway
Location: Ridgeway, Virginia (near Martinsville) Track Type: Oval (paperclip-shaped) Length: 0.526 miles Surface: Asphalt Banking: 12° in turns Seating Capacity: Approximately 51,000 Opened: 1947
Overview
Martinsville Speedway is the oldest track on the NASCAR national schedule and the only facility that has hosted NASCAR Cup Series races every year since the sport's founding season in 1948. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in southern Virginia, Martinsville is a 0.526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval that is unlike any other track in motorsports. Its distinctive shape — two long straightaways connected by tight, flat turns — produces a style of racing that emphasizes braking, patience, and the willingness to use a bumper.
Martinsville's signature characteristic is its flat, tight corners connected by relatively long straights. Drivers accelerate hard down the straights and then must brake heavily entering the turns, which creates dramatic speed differentials and frequent contact. "Martinsville racing" is synonymous with close, physical, bump-and-run competition.
History and Significance
The track was built by H. Clay Earles, a local businessman who carved a half-mile oval out of a cornfield in 1947. Earles operated the track for decades before selling it to International Speedway Corporation (now NASCAR's track subsidiary) in 2004. Today, the speedway is owned and operated by NASCAR.
Clay Campbell, the current president of Martinsville Speedway, was one of the three co-founders of the Virginia Triple Crown in 2012. Campbell has been instrumental in positioning Martinsville as a venue that honors both its Cup Series heritage and its commitment to grassroots short-track racing.
The grandfather clock trophy awarded to Martinsville race winners is one of the most iconic trophies in all of motorsports. While the clock is a Cup Series tradition, the prestige it represents permeates every event held at the facility.
Key Events at Martinsville
- ValleyStar Credit Union 300 — Virginia Triple Crown finale and the largest Late Model Stock Car race in the country (September 26, 2026). The 2025 edition drew 50+ entries.
- NASCAR Cup Series — Two race weekends per year (spring and fall)
- O'Reilly Auto Parts Series — Annual race weekend
- CARS Tour season finale (October 2026)
The ValleyStar Credit Union 300
The ValleyStar 300 is the crown jewel of Late Model Stock Car racing. At 300 laps on a half-mile track, it's a grueling test of endurance, equipment, and racecraft. The race draws the largest fields and the biggest purses of any short-track Late Model event in the country. For Virginia Triple Crown contenders, the ValleyStar 300 is the championship decider — the final race where the best-average-finish title is determined.
Getting There
Martinsville Speedway is located at 340 Speedway Road, Ridgeway, VA 24148. The track is approximately 60 miles south of Roanoke, VA, 90 miles north of Greensboro, NC, and about 30 miles north of the North Carolina border.
For Grand National Today Coverage
Martinsville is the most important single venue in GNT's coverage map. It's where the Virginia Triple Crown championship is decided, where the CARS Tour season concludes, and where the NASCAR national series visits twice per year. When Martinsville has a race weekend, GNT is covering it.