Subway 500 sold out: Martinsville Speedway officials announced Tuesday's afternoon that all of the grandstand seating for Sunday's SUBWAY 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup have been sold. A limited number of standing-room only seats will be put on sale at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Tickets do remain for Saturday's Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Tickets for Saturday's event, which include two NEXTEL Cup practice sessions, are $35 for adults in advance, $40 at the gate. Tickets for children 6-12 are $5 and children under six get in free.(Martinsville Speedway)(10-18-2005)
ISC to buy Pikes Peak Intl Raceway the close and sell, Busch race to Martinsville: Pikes Peak International Raceway announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its assets to Rocky Mountain Speedway Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation ("ISC"). Closing of the transaction is expected within the next week, and financial terms were not disclosed. ISC will honor all of PPIR's currently scheduled community uses and rentals through October 31, 2005. After that date, ISC expects to close the facility and begin to market the approximate 1,200-acre parcel for sale. ISC plans to petition NASCAR to realign PPIR’s NASCAR Busch Series event to Martinsville Speedway for 2006. In addition, ISC intends to relocate certain PPIR fixed assets to other racing venues in its portfolio. These assets include grandstand seating, furniture and other equipment and structures that can be utilized for future ISC expansion projects. PPIR’s 16 permanent employees will be given severance packages and a handful will assist in closing the facility. In its nine years of existence, PPIR hosted NASCAR, IRL, AMA, SCCA, USAC and IMSA-sanctioned events.(PPIR)(9-30-2005)
Thompson Named H.Clay Earles Award Winner: Dick Thompson, one of the first public relations representatives in NASCAR, was awarded the H. Clay Earles Award in ceremonies prior to the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday. Thompson was hired by Martinsville Speedway founder Earles in 1966 as the track's first public relations director. At the time he was only the second fulltime public relations person in the sport. Thompson retired from Martinsville Speedway on January 1. The H. Clay Earles Award is presented each spring to a member of the motorsports community for their dedication and contributions to the sport. Former winners include Bill France Jr., Chris Economaki, Bill Joyner and Junie Donleavy.(Martinsville Speedway)(4-14-2005)
Martinsville Pre-Race Highlights: Kroger 250 Truck Race:
National Anthem, Trick Pony
Colors presented by Virginia National Guard
Honorary Grand Marshal, Anthony Edwards of ER fame Advance Auto Parts 500
National Anthem, Bobbie Eakes, from All My Children
Colors presented by Virginia National Guard
Flyover: Four Blackhawk Helicopters, Virginia National Guard
Grand Marshal,Seargeant Sean MaGuire, National Guardsman, giving command live from Iraq.(4-8-2005)
Soap Opera Star to sing Cup race National Anthem at Martinsville: Bobbie Eakes, star of ABC TV's "All My Children" will be performing the National Anthem prior to the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday afternoon. Eakes presently plays the feisty Krystal Carey on "All My Children." Prior to that, she portrayed Macy Alexander on the CBS drama "The Bold and the Beautiful" But it is her singing, not acting, that brings Eakes to the stage for the National Anthem. Eakes also hosts "Top 20 Country Countdown" for the Great American Country cable TV network, which is seen by 27 million people weekly. She recently starred in the feature fillm Charlies War opposite Lynn Redgrave, Olympia Dukakis and Diane Ladd and has guest-starred on ABC's hit comedy "Hope and Faith." Tickets for both the Advance Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, April 10, and the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, on Saturday, April 9, may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway)(4-8-2005)
Truck Series National Anthem by Trick Pony, Actor the Grand Marshal: Trick Pony will perform the National Anthem prior to the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway on April 9. During the race, their likeness will emblazon the hood of Bobby Labonte's #47 All-Star Chevrolet Silverado. Labonte. It will be the first of two trips to Martinsville Speedway for Trick Pony in 2005. They will be the featured act for Celebration 2005, the annual free concert at the speedway, set for July 1. The trio - Heidi Newfield, Ira Dean and Keith Burns - will perform their stirring acappella version of the Nation Anthem, the version that garnered national acclaim after they performed it before an Atlanta Falcons' NFL playoff game last winter.
Anthony Edwards is best known for his roles as Dr. Mark Greene on "ER" and Goose Bradshaw in "Top Gun." His favorite role, though, isn't on either the big or small screen; it's the support he gives the Cure Autism Now Foundation (CAN). And it is in that role - as an ambassador for the Cure Autism Now Foundation - that Edwards will serve as honorary grand marshal for Saturday's Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway. Edwards will be a guest of truck series Brandon Whitt and the #38 Clean Line Motorsports team, which will carry a special Cure Autism Now paint scheme for the Kroger 250.
Tickets for both the Advance Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, April 10, and the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, on Saturday, April 9, may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway)(4-8-2005)
Fans can get an 'inside look' at Martinsville: Pepsi will give fans who purchase $40 backstretch tickets to the Advance Auto Parts 500 on April 10 a special "inside look" at race morning with the Pepsi Track Walk. Anyone buying a $40 backstretch ticket between now and race day will be eligible for the Pepsi Track Walk, an experimental, first-time offering at Martinsville Speedway. For $5 extra, fans who purchase a $40 backstretch ticket will be able to walk around the historic half-mile oval. Pepsi will also give participating fans a coupon good for a free 12-pack of Pepsi. The $40 backstretch tickets and the Pepsi Track Walk may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Participating fans can take the Pepsi Track Walk between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on race day. Good seats in other areas are also available for both the Advance Auto Parts 500 and the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.(Martinsville Speedway)(4-8-2005)
Beer sales at Martinsville: For years, the beer that flows into the Martinsville Speedway has come from the coolers NASCAR fans are allowed to tote inside. Soon it will also flow from speedway concession stand taps. Selling beer to race fans, which will begin at Sunday's Nextel Cup race, is one of the changes implemented by the speedway's new owner, International Speedway Corp. The change -- which allows both carry-in and concession-sold beer -- runs counter to a national trend aimed at cutting back on drinking at sporting events. Beer is sold at professional football, basketball and baseball games, but fans are not allowed to bring their own alcohol, and beer sales are usually cut off before the game ends. While some NASCAR tracks have followed suit, Martinsville is not one of them. Although Martinsville will let fans buy 12-ounce cups of beer at concession stands, the speedway is limiting the size of coolers it allows through the gates. Each fan can bring a 6- by 6- by 12-inch container that speedway spokesman Mike Smith called a "six-pack sized cooler." At past races, fans could bring coolers as large as 14 by 14 by 14 inches. Smaller coolers are part of an ISC policy implemented after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Smith said. The goal was make it easier for track officials to search for weapons, not to restrict the amount of alcohol. Until fans adjust to the new rule, the policy could have the practical effect of reducing the amount of beer consumed at the speedway. Some speedways shut down beer stands as the race winds down. But ISC, which added Martinsville Speedway last year to its group of 12 NASCAR tracks, does not. Henry County, Va., Sheriff Frank Cassell said there have been no major problems at the Martinsville Speedway despite typical crowds of about 70,000 fans. It's not that the speedway doesn't have drunken fans. It's just physically impossible to arrest them all, Cassell said. Though about 130 officers working full-time on traffic and crowd control, only the most obvious -- and potentially dangerous -- drunk is likely to get arrested. Last year, authorities made four drunk-in-public arrests during the three-day race weekend in April. At the October race, there were six such arrests. Martinsville Speedway made no public announcement about its plans to sell beer. Lewis said ISC hopes to make money on $3 beers as it restricts the size of coolers filled with cheaper beer.(News and Record)(4-6-2005)
Jackson Hewitt Pole Day Sponsor At Martinsville: With tax day looming the week after the running of the Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race, Martinsville Speedway has found the perfect pole-day partner. Speedway officials announced today that Jackson Hewitt Tax Service will be the sponsor of pole day for the Advance Auto Parts 500. Jackson Hewitt Pole Day will be Friday, April 8, exactly one week before the April 15 deadline for federal tax filing. "We are thrilled to be the 2005 Pole Day sponsor for the Advance Auto Parts 500. We feel this is a great opportunity for us to amp up our presence at Martinsville and connect with NASCAR fans," said Mike Lister, President and CEO, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. "We are especially excited about the Advance Auto Parts 500 race as we will be the primary sponsor on the #16 Ford driven by Greg Biffle for the first time." Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. is the second largest tax preparation service company in the United States, with over 5,400 franchised and company-owned offices in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Tickets for Jackson Hewitt Pole Day are $15 and may be purchased the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Anyone buying an Advance Auto Parts 500 ticket between now and April 1 can receive $5 off the purchase of a Kroger 250 ticket. Children's truck tickets are discounted $1 when bought with an Advance Auto Parts 500 ticket.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-15-2005)
Lights at Martinsville for Mod race; Cup soon? NASCAR's modified series will be returning to Martinsville Speedway to run the track's first ever night race - has as much to do with the future as anything else. Southern Virginia's historic speedway is flipping the switch. Joining the trend. Trying to keep up. And for a track faced with an uncertain future, the idea isn't half bad. The lights are only temporary. They'll be brought in three days before the Sept.3 event, whisked away after 250 white-knuckle, open-wheel laps. But in the interim, you can bet speedway officials will be taking notes, and it might not be long until we see a Nextel Cup event here finish after dusk. "It's a good opportunity for our sheriff's department to see how things flow at night," speedway president Clay Campbell said of the Labor Day weekend event. "It's a good opportunity for our operations department to see the problems that we have running at nighttime. So it's good for everybody, for NASCAR and the fans. So it is a good trial run. Who knows what the future holds as far as another event being run at night?"
That's as close as Campbell would come to addressing night-racing's future at Martinsville. But one look at the 2005 Nextel Cup schedule shows you that this is where the sport is heading. More and more, NASCAR wants to appeal to the West Coast television markets, and it's hard to do that at Martinsville when both races, which will start at 12:30 p.m. local time, 9:30 a.m. Pacific, get underway during breakfast in Los Angeles. Permanent lights would allow some flexibility in the scheduling. A 3 p.m. local time start for the October race would be manageable. A Saturday night race could be considered.
Pleasing NASCAR is a must for Martinsville, which was sold last May to International Speedway Corp. Even though it sells out its Cup events and remains a fan favorite, the speedway is in danger of losing one or both of its Cup dates as the sport continues to expand to larger markets. Campbell insists that adding the modified race has nothing to do with such speculation. "There are no [Cup Series] assurances past 2005, but Talladega doesn't have assurances past 2005," Campbell said. "Nobody does. It's a year-to-year deal, and they don't give you any hint whatsoever as to the future. So that's nothing that has changed. It's the same thing it was 5 or 10 years ago. We feel confident moving forward. The money we have spent in the past nine months is probably as much as we've ever spent, redoing the catch fence, moving the railroads. We've spent millions of dollars to improve what we have, and I don't think we'd be doing any of that if we knew our revenue stream would be cut in half." So perhaps a Cup race at night will be just another improvement, but none of that can materialize without careful planning. Serving more than 60,000 fans is complicated enough in the daytime. The modified race, which Campbell hopes can draw 15,000-20,000 spectators, can provide numerous lessons.(Ronaoke Times)(3-9-2005)
Martinsville Speedway Unveils New Ticket Office Hours: Race fans will soon have the opportunity to do some Saturday ticket shopping at Martinsville Speedway. Beginning Saturday, March 12, Martinsville Speedway's ticket office will begin staying open on Saturday's from 9:00am to 1:00pm/et. The expanded hours will be in effect until the Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on April 10. Tickets for both the Advance Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, April 10, and the Kroger 250, on Saturday, April 9, are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Advance Auto Parts 500 tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-7-2005)
Martinsville Speedway Claims NASCAR.com Fan Award: Martinsville Speedway has been a fan-favorite for just about every minute of its almost 60-year existence. And some things never change. In NASCAR.COM's Third Annual 2004 Fan's Voice Awards, Martinsville Speedway was honored as the "Location You'd Hate to See Lose A Race." And this was not a poll of a handful of fans. Almost 600,000 votes were cast in the online voting, which lasted the last three weeks of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. The next chance for fans to visit Martinsville Speedway will be the Advance Auto Parts 500 weekend, set for April 8-10. Both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series will qualify on April 8 while the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race is on April 9. The Advance Auto Parts 500 is set for April 10. Good seats remain for both events and may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(2-25-2005)
Martinsville Speedway Unveils Reserved Camping For 2005: For the first time, Martinsville Speedway will be offering reserved camping in several areas of the Tom Johnson Campground in 2005. The reserved spots will go on sale Wednesday, February 16 and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX. To be eligible to reserve a spot, customers must be a season ticket holder for both the April and October NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events at Martinsville Speedway. Each ticket holder can reserve one spot. Anyone purchasing a reserved camping spot will receive two free tickets for the Advance Auto Parts 500 Pole Day on Friday, April 8. The reserved areas are in four locations: parallel to the backstretch; adjacent to the third turn; near the entrance to the Tom Johnson Campground; and in the north area of the campground. All but a few of the reserved spots are 18 feet wide and 42 feet deep. The reserved spaces are for self-contained specialty vehicles only.The Backstretch and Third Turn reserved spaces are $300 per year and
are renewable. The Campground Entrance reserved spots are $250 per year and are renewable. The North reserved spots are $100 per NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event weekend and are non-renewable. To reserve a spot or for more information, call 877.RACE.TIX.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(2-18-2005)
More FREE Parking at Martinsville: Martinsville Speedway will open three new parking areas for this spring's Advance Auto Parts 500 weekend, adding about 20 acres of free parking within easy walking distance of the track. The new parking areas will serve west-bound traffic off of the U.S. 58 bypass. Fans who park in the new areas will be able to access the track via pedestrian walkway through the Tom Johnson Campground. The Advance Auto Parts 500 weekend is scheduled for April 8-10. Both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series will qualify on April 8 while the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race is on April 9. The Advance Auto Parts 500 is set for April 10. Good seats remain for both events and may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(2-7-2005)
New Carry-In Policy at Martinsville: To help insure quicker and easier access into events, Martinsville Speedway will have a new policy for carry-in items beginning with the 2005 season. Fans may bring one soft side bag or cooler, no larger than 6 x 6 x12 into the venue. They may also bring in one clear plastic bag, no larger than 18 x 18 x 4. Binoculars, scanners, headsets and cameras, not placed in a bag, but worn separately over the neck or on the belt, and seat cushions carried separately are also allowed. "This is a move we think will help make entry to the grandstands smoother because now gate security will have much less to search, therefore speeding up the process," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. "This policy has worked well at other ISC (International Speedway Corporation) tracks and we believe it will work well here, also." The new policy will go into effect with the Advance Auto Parts 500 weekend which is April 8-10. Examples of approved soft side bags or coolers include a soft side cooler, a scanner bag, a fanny pack, a purse, a diaper bag, or a binocular bag. This one bag may be carried in any manner * by the handle, with shoulder straps or on a belt. The soft side cooler may contain ice. The approved clear plastic bags may not contain ice. Seat cushions with compartments will be reviewed on an individual basis. Fans may continue to bring their own food and beverages into the grandstands as long as it is brought in the approved bags or coolers. All items brought through the grandstand gates will be inspected. Qualifying for both the Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Series race and the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race is set for Friday, April 8. The Kroger 250 is scheduled for Saturday, April 9 while the Advance Auto Parts 500 will take the green flag on Sunday, April 10. Tickets for both the Kroger 250 and the Advance Auto Parts 500 are on sale and may be purchased by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX or by visiting the Martinsville Speedway website, www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(1-4-2005)
Cup car and Simulator on hand at Martinsville Toy Drive: Martinsville Speedway's 11th Annual Toy Drive will be capped off with an appearance by a Dale Earnhardt Inc. race car, a chance to ride in a race-car simulator and an appearance by Santa Claus. The toy drive will make its second stop at Martinsville's Wal-Mart on Saturday, December 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a few unique race-fan opportunities while raising toys for needy youngsters in Martinsville and Henry County.
The DEI-owned Kraft Chevrolet that John Andretti piloted to a 13th-place finish in last February's Daytona 500 will be on hand for fans to inspect. This is not a show car, but the actual NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car Andretti drove at Daytona. Also, there will be a DEI representative on hand to answer questions about the car.
Fans will also get a chance to ride in the Advance Auto Parts race car simulator, an experience that comes pretty close to duplicating a ride in a real race car.
Martinsville Speedway's Victory Lane will be on display, giving fans a chance to have their pictures taken in the same spot where drivers like Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace have collected the winner's trophy. Also, Martinsville Speedway's 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo pace car will be on exhibit. Santa Claus will make an appearance in Victory Lane at 11 a.m. There is no charge for any of the activities, but the contribution of one new, unwrapped toy would be appreciated. Speedway staff and other volunteers will man the display. Anyone donating toys on Saturday or at the Martinsville Speedway office will be entered in a drawing for tickets for next spring's Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event at Martinsville Speedway. Other collection sites for the toy drive include all area Advance Auto Parts Stores, all area Kroger stores and Meadowgreen Market in Oak Level. All donated toys will go to local Toys For Tots, handled by the Edward W. Richardson Detachment of the United States Marine Corps League. All toys will stay in the immediate area. For more information, call Karen Parker at (276) 956-8460, Hope Perry at (276) 956-1148, Mike Smith at (276) 956-1543 or Leigh Carter at (276) 956-3919.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(12-7-2004)
Martinsville Speedway Toy Drive To Spend Two Days At Wal-Mart: Martinsville Speedway's 11th Annual Toy Drive took a giant step toward success this week. The Martinsville Wal-Mart will host two days of the speedway's two-week long toy drive. Speedway staff and other volunteers will man a display outside of the Martinsville Wal-Mart on Saturday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 11, collecting toys for needy youngsters in the Martinsville and Henry County area. Because of construction work at the track, speedway officials were forced to come up with an alternate plan to the normal day-long event in the speedway's infield. The result is a longer, two-week toy drive with several collection sites, including Martinsville Speedway's main office, all area Advance Auto Parts Stores, all area Kroger stores and Meadowgreen Market in Oak Level. Anyone donating toys at the speedway office will be entered into a drawing for tickets for next spring's Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event at Martinsville Speedway. The two days of toy collection at Wal-Mart will have a race-track flavor, with Martinsville Speedway's portable Victory Lane serving as the centerpiece. There will be race cars on display each day along with the 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Martinsville Speedway pace car. There will also be autograph sessions featuring NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series drivers. All donated toys will go to local Toys For Tots, handled by the Edward W. Richardson Detachment of the United States Marine Corps League. All toys will stay in the immediate area. For more information, call Karen Parker at (276) 956-8460, Hope Perry at (276) 956-1148, Mike Smith at (276) 956-1543 or Leigh Carter at (276) 956-3919.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(11-27-2004)
No Quaifying Changes at Martinsville: Martinsville Speedway will not be one of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup tracks switching to shortened race weekends in the spring of 2005. NASCAR recently announced a plan to move qualifying from Friday to
Saturday at some tracks to help cut team expenses for 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. Cars will be impounded after time trials, with no major work allowed before the start of the race. The teams would still practice on Fridays. NASCAR is not mandating tracks to make the change. "We understand NASCAR's intent with this move, but at the same time from our standpoint, qualifying day is a big day for us," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. "We put a lot of people in the grandstands. Spending Friday afternoon at qualifying has become a tradition in this part of the country." The Advance Auto Parts 500 is scheduled for Sunday, April 10, the day after the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Both series will qualify on Friday, April 8. Tickets for both the Advance Auto Parts 500 and the Kroger 250 are on sale and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(11-20-2004)
Construction Projects Continue At Martinsville Speedway: The roar of engines had barely faded into the background after the end of the SUBWAY 500 before construction crews were back working at Martinsville Speedway. By 8:00am on the day after the SUBWAY 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Martinsville last week, crews had begun tearing down the catch fence that separates race fans from action on the track. Two days later the entire fence was gone and work had started on the new, taller fence which will be in place for the Advance Auto Parts 500 on April 10, 2005. The fence will be 21 feet high and curve out over the track. Work continues on the project to relocate the railroad tracks that parallel the backstretch and should be completed before the Advance Auto Parts 500. A good portion of the project was finished before the SUBWAY 500, including all of the grading and earth moving and the construction of a new rail bed. Work should begin on laying new tracks on the rail bed in the next couple of weeks. Once the new section of track is completed, it will be tied into the existing rail line. The new section of tracks will be about 180 feet from the original tracks. Great seats are still available for the Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on April 10, 2005 for $40 to $72
each. To purchase tickets call the speedway ticket office toll free at 877-722-3849 or order online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing action returns to Martinsville Speedway on April 9, 2005. Tickets for are $35 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12. All seats are unreserved.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(11-5-2004)
National Anthem at Martinsville: Josh Turner will bring his deep baritone voice to Martinsville Speedway Sunday to perform the National Anthem prior to the SUBWAY 500 Cup race. Turner burst onto the scene earlier this year with his signature song, "Long Black Train," and rode it to stardom. The album has almost sold one million copies. Turner will have a large presence at Martinsville Speedway both Saturday and Sunday, even though he won't be at the track in person until early Sunday morning, prior to the SUBWAY 500. His likeness will be on the hood of the Chevrolet Silverado driven by Bobby Labonte in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday. It's only the second time that NEXTEL Cup star Labonte has driven in a Truck Series event. It's part of the Chevy Silverado All Star drivers program. Turner will be one of seven stars showcased in the program this season.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(10-21-2004)
National Anthem and other Martinsville Info for the Subway 500: National Anthem: Josh Turner (Country Music performer, Long Black Train) Grand Marshalls: Jared Fogle (Subway) and Subway Franchisee Gary Davis from Statesboro, GA Honorary Starter: Mike Zwally of Subway Color Guard: Virginia National Guard Flyover: Three UH-60ls (Blackhawks) out of the Virginia Army National Guard 2-224th AVN Battalion out of Richmond, Va.(10-20-2004)
Martinsville Cup race sold out: Martinsville Speedway officials announced Monday morning that with the exception of a few seats in the family section, Sunday's SUBWAY 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race is a sellout. Tickets for the Family Section are $40 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. There will be a maximum of two adults with each child's ticket, but there is no limit to the number of children an adult can bring. On race morning, adults cannot enter the gates to the Family Section without a child accompanying them. Everyone sitting in the Family Section must enter through Gate 5. Tickets do remain for Saturday's Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Tickets for Saturday's event, which include two NEXTEL Cup practice sessions, are $35 for adults; $5 for children 6-12; and children under six get in free. In addition to the truck race, fans will get to see two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice sessions, including happy hour. Action gets underway at Martinsville Speedway Friday with practice and qualifying for both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the ticket window on the day of the event.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(10-18-2004)
Race Fans Can Tour Speedway, Arrington Manufacturing for Charity: Fans arriving early for the SUBWAY 500 at Martinsville Speedway can spend part of Thursday exploring the rich racing tradition of the Martinsville and Henry County area. On Thursday, students in the Patrick Henry Community College Motorsports Program will offer 90-minute race tours, beginning at
Martinsville Speedway, moving to Arrington Manufacturing, manufacturer of Dodge race engines, and concluding at the Patrick
Henry Community College Motorsports site. Traveling in PHCC vans, the tours will begin in front of the Martinsville Speedway ticket office every 30 minutes, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and running until 4:30 p.m.
The tour of Martinsville Speedway will include a stop in the Speedway Suite, a drive around the track, with a photo opportunity at the start-finish line and a ride through the infield and garage area. Each tour guide will offer historical and topical information on the track and will field questions. The tour will leave the speedway and travel to Arrington Manufacturing, a large, state-of-the-art engine manufacturing center founded by Joey Arrington. Fans will get to tour the facility and watch Dodge racing engines being constructed. The tour will wind down at the Patrick Henry Community College Motorsports Program fabrication and setup shops where tour members will watch PHCC students work on race cars under construction. The tour will conclude back at the Martinsville Speedway ticket office. The tour cost is $10 per person or an entire van can be reserved for a group (10 or less) for $100. Those who don't want to take the entire tour may visit just one site for $7.50. The tour is a fundraiser for the Patrick Henry Community College Motorsports Program, but $5 of each ticket sold will go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Reservations for the tour may be made by visiting the PHCC website at www.ph.vccs.edu or by calling the college at 276-656-0222. The tour is sponsored by the PHCC Student Motorsports Association, Martinsville Speedway and Arrington Manufacturing.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(10-18-2004)
Sadler gets to feel the new Martinsville Suface: #38-Elliott Sadler drove his way into Martinsville Speedway's "unofficial" record book Wednesday afternoon. Slowly circling the track in the passenger side of track president Clay Campbell's street car, Sadler became the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver to take a lap on Martinsville's recently repaved racing surface. "I got to ride on the race track earlier and it is smooth," Sadler said during a media gathering for the October 24th running of the SUBWAY 500. "In talking to Clay, I know there were a lot of headaches involved in getting the repaving done, but it is unbelievably smooth. It's a big difference from the way the track was. From the concrete to the asphalt, wow, the transition is unbelievable. I'm glad they added another 100 feet of concrete. That will be a lot easier on the motor guys and on the driver. That was always the biggest obstacle here at Martinsville, getting the car hooked up from the concrete to the asphalt." It wasn't the new asphalt and concrete that caught Sadler's eye first, though. "When Clay took me around the track, the first thing I noticed were the SAFER walls. As a driver, we love to see track owners do that," said Sadler. "And not only did he do the corners, he did the inside of the straightaway walls, which is going the extra step." Sadler helped Martinsville Speedway unveil a myriad of changes and additions to the historic facility since the NEXTEL Cup Series last visited in April. The on-track work - the resurfacing and SAFER barriers - were the most evident, but there were more. Stage one of the projects to relocate the railroad tracks which parallel the backstretch is just about finished. Excavation and grading work, which involved the moving of over 100,000 yards of earth, is complete and the new rail bed is ready. Reseeding has begun so campers will have grassy camping spots for the SUBWAY 500 weekend. After the October events, work will begin on laying new tracks on the new rail bed, about 100 yards from the location of the present tracks. The souvenir area outside of the fourth turn has also been enlarged. The old souvenir and display area will be used solely for corporate displays. Souvenir trailers will be located on four tiers built on the slope directly adjacent to the display area. Tickets for both the SUBWAY 500 on Sunday, October 24, and the Kroger 200 NASACAR Craftsman Truck Series race, on Saturday, October 23, are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. SUBWAY 500 tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(9-23-2004)
SAFER Barriers Up And Ready For Action at Martinsville: Construction work wrapped up early this week on SAFER Barriers at Martinsville Speedway. They will be in use first for the Bailey's 300 Late Model Stock Car race on October 10, followed by the SUBWAY 500 weekend October 22-24. SAFER is an acronym for "steal and foam energy reduction." "We always want our competitors to be as safe as they possibly can be and the SAFER barriers were the next logical step in that direction," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. "I know firsthand from my Late Model Stock experience that hitting the wall is never fun, but at least with the SAFER barriers we have lessened the impact of the hit." The SAFER barriers at Martinsville Speedway cover just over a half mile. They extend 832 feet on the outside wall of the first and second turns; 640 feet on the outside of the third and fourth turns; 706 feet along the inside front stretch wall; and 569 feet along the inside of the back stretch wall. There were a total of 3.02 miles of tube steel used in the project and a total of 364,000 pounds or 182 tons of steel. Almost 9,000 pieces of hardware and fasteners were used. The Elrod Corporation of Mooresville, IN, was the primary contractor on the project. The installation of the SAFER barriers was one of several off season projects at Martinsville Speedway, including repaving of the racing surface, expansion of souvenir area and the first stage of work on the relocation of the railroad track which parallels the backstretch.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(9-23-2004)
Martinsville Speedway Unveils New Ticket Office Hours: With the Chase For The NEXTEL Cup and the Subway 500 looming large, the Martinsville Speedway ticket office has expanded its hours. Beginning Monday, August 30, Martinsville Speedway's ticket office will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The expanded hours will be in effect until the Subway 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on October 24. Tickets for both the Subway 500 on Sunday, October 24, and the Kroger 200 NASACAR Craftsman Truck Series race, on Saturday, Saturday, October 23, are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Subway 500 tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(9-1-2004)
Railroad Track Relocation started at Martinsville: Work began this week on the long-awaited relocation of the Norfolk and Southern railroad line that parallels the backstretch at Martinsville Speedway. Crews are working on the excavation portion of the project, preparing a site about 100 yards behind the present location of the tracks for the move. The entire relocation project is expected to be finished by the first week of September.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(7-22-2004)
image courtesy of Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Concrete Done: As afternoon temperatures soared into the high 90s, leaders of the resurfacing project at Martinsville Speedway decided it would be much easier and much more tolerable to pour and spread the concrete in the turns during the cool, early morning hours. With portable light towers ablaze, concrete trucks rumbled into the half-mile track at 2 a.m. both Wednesday and Thursday. By 9 a.m. each day, work was finished, first the third and fourth turns on Wednesday and then the first and second turns on Thursday. Almost 800 yards of concrete 'roughly 80 truck loads' were used for the job. It took about 50 workers from APAC/Ballenger, the project's general contractor, and Boxley Concrete of Martinsville, to complete the task. Work on the asphalt portion of the project should begin within the next week and the entire resurfacing should be finished the first week in August. Tickets for the SUBWAY 500 [Oct 23rd] are available and may be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com or by calling 877.RACE.TIX. Tickets for the Kroger 200 and the Bailey's 300 may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(7-20-2004)
Martinsville Speedway Image
Winner of Martinsville Sweepstakes: Tampa resident Dave Ogden is the grand prize winner of a prize package valued at $28,400 in the national "Advance to Martinsville Speedway Sweepstakes," sponsored by Advance Auto Parts and FOX Sports Net. Ogden was selected in a random drawing. He received a new 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo - a replica of the pace car used at all NASCAR Nextel Cup Races - a trip for two to the 2005 Advance Auto Parts 500 race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., roundtrip coach airfare, hotel accommodations for two nights, a ride in the pace car on the track, a pit tour and $500 spending money. Ogden accepted the keys to the 2004 Monte Carlo at an awards ceremony at the Advance Discount Auto Parts store at 901 East Hillsborough Ave., in Tampa. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is based in Roanoke, Va., and is the second largest auto parts chain in the nation. With more than 2,500 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the Company serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities, services, as well as on-line purchase of parts and accessories can be found on the Company's web site at www.advanceautoparts.com.(PR)(7-31-2004)
Martinsville Sale Completed: International Speedway Corporation completed its acquisition of the half-mile, 63,000-seat Martinsville Speedway in southern Virginia on Tuesday, thus concluding its deal with rival racetrack owner Speedway Motorsports Inc. The purchase price of $192m was financed by the $100m sale of North Carolina Speedway at Rockingham to SMI and $92m in cash. Martinsville hosts two NASCAR Nextel Cup events annually, and two NASCAR Craftsman Truck races. "Today we add a storied facility to the ISC portfolio and increase our roster of premium Nextel Cup events," commented ISC president Lesa France Kennedy. "Martinsville offers several growth opportunities over the long term.”(Speed Channel)(7-15-2004)
Martinsville Work continues: Construction crews continue work on Martinsville Speedway's track. The concrete corners and asphalt straightaways are being replaced. Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway, said nothing has been determined about whether to ground the corners and how much. When that work was done a couple of years ago, cars could go two-wide in the corners. Campbell said engineers are studying what to do and are using computer simulations in an effort to ensure Martinsville is a two-groove track.(Roanoke Times)(7-3-2004)
Total Resurfacing Of Martinsville Speedway Underway: After a couple of months of thought, research and planning, Martinsville Speedway's racing surface is set for a total facelift. Construction crews began demolition of the concrete in the turns this morning in preparation for a total resurfacing of the .526-mile oval. The project, which includes new concrete in the turns and asphalt on the straights, should be finished by mid-July. Drivers and fans alike will notice a slight change at the exits of the second and fourth turns. The two grooves of concrete will be extended about 100 feet past the exit point of the turns. "Drivers have expressed concern for years about the transition between the concrete and asphalt," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. "In the past they were still trying to accelerate off the corner while they were changing surfaces. Now the concrete will extend out further. It will be less upsetting to the car." The transition point from asphalt to concrete entering the first and third turns will remain the same. "Entering the turn isn't really an issue," said Campbell. Surveying crews spent several weeks carefully charting the racing surface to make sure the finished product was as smooth as possible. "The resurfacing will be done with computer precision," said Campbell. "The track is going to be very smooth; the transition points will be near-perfect." The new surface will get its first test in the Bailey's 300 Late Model Stock race on October 10. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers will get their first look at the track during the SUBWAY 500 weekend October 22-24. MW Windows Pole Day is scheduled for Friday, October 22, with the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race scheduled for Saturday, October 23. The SUBWAY 500 will be run on Sunday, October 24. Tickets for the SUBWAY 500 are available and may be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com or by calling 877.RACE.TIX. Tickets for the Kroger 200 and the Bailey's 300 may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(6-9-2004)
Update on the new concrete at Martinsville - wider is better?:New track owner of Martinsville Speedway, International Speedway Corp., has decided that Martinsville’s concrete corners would be redone at the same time that the front and back straights are [were] repaved. A question about the worthiness of Martinsville’s concrete came into question during the last Cup event when a large chunk of the track surface tore up, ending up in the nose of Jeff Gordon’s Chevy. Track president Clay Campbell says that track surveys are being done to very accurate tolerances so that the repair can be mapped out very specifically. But most of the track that had asphalt would get a fresh coat and the concrete would be removed and replaced. The big materials exception will come at the exits of Turns 2 and 4; and the current 50-foot concrete footprint will be extended by 100 feet to 150 feet. This change, according to Campbell, is being well received by the competitors because trying to get 850 horsepower hooked up on a concrete to asphalt transition can be problematic. Interesting, concrete was put in the corners of Martinsville’s speedways after many years of losing the battle to keep asphalt in the corners because the cars would tear the pavement loose during a 500-lap event.(Team Ford Racing)(5-30-2004)
Martinsville Tix On Sale - Family Section on May 17th: Tickets for Martinsville Speedway's popular Family Section will be sold in advance for the October 24th running of the SUBWAY 500. For many years, Martinsville Speedway has reserved a section of reduced-price seats in the third-turn area for families, but tickets went on sale the morning of the event. And adults purchasing tickets had to have their children present at the time of purchase. "Last spring was the first time we sold the Family Section in advance and it was a big hit," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. "It's much more convenient for fans to make these purchases over the phone. All the old rules still exist for that section. The only change is fans can now buy in advance." Tickets for the Family Section are $40 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. The tickets will go on sale May 17. There will be a maximum of two adults with each child's ticket, but there is no limit to the number of children an adult can bring. On race morning, adults cannot enter the gates to the Family Section without a child accompanying them. Everyone sitting in the Family Section must enter through Gate 5. When the Family Section tickets go on sale on May 17, they may be purchased by phone (877-RACE-TIX) or by visiting Martinsville Speedway's ticket office.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(5-16-2004)
So...how many seats does Martinsville have? Just how many seats are there at Martinsville Speedway? That's a good question that arises out of Friday's news that the track has been sold to International Speedway Corp. Here are the numbers reported in various sources that all at least seem to be official:
91,000? Capacity listed in the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Media Guide.
86,000? Number of grandstand seats listed on the track's Web site, not including seats in 25 corporate suites.
70,000? Number of seats given by Clay Campbell, the track's president, when he was asked the track's capacity on Friday.
63,000? Number of grandstand seats listed in a news release issued Friday reporting ISC's purchase. That number also did not include seats in the corporate suites.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-15-2004)
Martinsville bought by ISC, Rockingham sold to SMI by ISC: International Speedway Corporation [ISC] announced the following: The Company will acquire the assets of Martinsville Speedway, which hosts two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events annually, for $192 million. The acquisition will be funded by $100.4 million in proceeds from the sale of the assets of North Carolina Speedway, which currently hosts one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event annually, and $91.6 million in cash. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. [SMI] will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million, as per the terms of a settlement agreement in the Ferko/Vaughn litigation filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division. The Settlement Agreement releases ISC and NASCAR from all claims related to the litigation. The released claims include, but are not limited to, allegations or assertions with respect to the awarding and/or sanctioning of races, the effect of the common control of NASCAR and ISC residing in the France Family Group, and the market power either individually or jointly of NASCAR and ISC. Separately, the Company received NASCAR's approval for the realignment of several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races within its portfolio beginning in 2005. The net result is the addition of a second Cup event for Phoenix International Raceway and the reduction of Darlington Raceway's event schedule by one Cup date. ISC also intends for Nazareth Speedway's NASCAR Busch and IRL IndyCar events to be realigned to other facilities within its portfolio and will cease major motorsport event operations at the facility after completion of the track's 2004 events. Martinsville Acquisition and Ferko/Vaughn Settlement The acquisition of Martinsville and the sale of North Carolina will happen in a series of transactions that will essentially occur simultaneously. Martinsville is privately owned, and the France family, which controls in excess of 60% of the combined voting interest of ISC, indirectly owns 50% of Martinsville. The addition of an incremental NASCAR NEXTEL Cup date resulting from the Transactions was integral to the Company's decision to settle the Ferko/Vaughn litigation through the sale of North Carolina. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, SMI will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million in cash. The sale of North Carolina is expected to close following the satisfaction of conditions as provided in the North Carolina Asset Purchase Agreement and the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement is subject to Court approval, which the Company anticipates receiving within the next 30 to 45 days. The purchase prices for the assets of both facilities are subject to certain non-material adjustments and prorations at closing, and both are expected to close within the next 30 to 45 days in ISC's third quarter. ISC expects to record an approximate $36 million after-tax gain, or $0.68 per diluted share, from the sale of North Carolina and will reflect the facility's operations as discontinued in the Company's financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles Significant Realignment Initiatives Announced for 2005 NASCAR has approved ISC's proposal for the realignment of several NEXTEL Cup dates, including races at Phoenix, Darlington and California Speedway. Commented John R. Saunders, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ISC. "In addition, race fans in the Southwest will have another opportunity to experience the excitement of live NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing. We will install lighting at Phoenix in order for the facility's 2005 spring race to finish under the lights during east coast prime time, typically a time of day with larger television audiences. Also, by realigning Nazareth's Busch and IRL events to other facilities in our portfolio, we believe we can successfully grow these events over the long term at a quicker rate than in their current venue. As such, we are presently working with the various sanctioning bodies involved." ISC will record a non-cash pre-tax charge of approximately $13 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, to reflect the impairment of Nazareth's long-lived assets.(ISC PR)(5-14-2004)
Martinsville now 100% ISC's? UPDATE 2 To be sold to ISC: hearing that Martinsville Speedway, partially owned by ISC, has purchased purchased the remaining 51% they of the track they didn't own. Supposedly Clay Campbell will still run the track.(3-19-2004) UPDATE Denied: been told by folks with Martinsville Speedway that this rumor is no true and is incorrect. Also, the France family owns part of the track, not publicly-owned ISC.(3-20-2004) UPDATE 2: International Speedway Corp.[ISC] will announce today that it has purchased Martinsville Speedway, an industry source said, in what will be a day of several major announcements regarding NASCAR's future. International Speedway Corp., which owns 11 tracks that host Nextel Cup races, will purchase Martinsville Speedway from the Earles and France families, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway, did not return calls. Campbell, who will remain as the track's president, is expected to attend an 11:00am/et ISC news conference at Richmond International Raceway announcing the sale. He'll return to Martinsville Speedway for a 2:00pm/et news conference there. An official with International Speedway Corp. would not confirm the transaction. If ISC purchases Martinsville Speedway, it would mark the first time in five years the company has bought a track that hosts Cup races. ISC bought Richmond International Raceway from Paul Sawyer and his sons in 1999 for about $215 million. Eighteen of the 36 Cup races this season will be held at ISC-owned tracks, including Daytona, Talladega and Darlington. Now a 92,000-seat track that has had 21 consecutive sellouts, Martinsville Speedway will retain its two dates next season, but the future is murky. "I wouldn't be surprised at some point if Martinsville totally goes away," said Tim Conder, a leisure analyst who specializes in the racing industry for A.G. Edwards, one of the nation's largest and oldest investment firms. "I'd put that somewhere on the long-term endangered list." Conder defined "long term" as three to five years. "Who knows what tomorrow is going to bring, but in the foreseeable future I think they're solid on the schedule," NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter said of Martinsville's future. Hunter would not say whether that meant for one or two races a year.(in part from the Roanoke Times)(5-14-2004)
More on Martinsville Resurfacing: Martinsville Speedway is expected to have new concrete installed in each of its four corners, track president Clay Campbell said Thursday. Campbell says he expects board approval early next week and work on the corners to begin in about two weeks. The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series returns to Martinsville on Oct.24 and is a part of the season-ending 10-race chase for the championship. The repaving is a result of three potholes that developed during the Cup race there last month, delaying the race 77 minutes. The largest pothole measured one foot wide, one foot long and 4 inches deep. Jeff Gordon's car ran over a portion of the broken concrete and suffered right front damage while running second. He finished sixth to winner Rusty Wallace. "Had that problem not cropped up race day we probably wouldn't do it," Campbell said of pouring new concrete. "There's nothing to say that wouldn't happen again. Now is the time to do it." The lower groove of concrete was poured in the corners in 1976. The middle groove of concrete was poured in 1981. The company that will pour the concrete this time also did the work at Nashville Superspeedway. Once the new concrete settles, Campbell must decide which groove to grind. Track officials ground the lower groove a couple of years ago. While drivers could run there, they began to move to a higher groove that wasn't as bumpy and the track had two lanes for cars to run. The concrete work is part of a track resurfacing. The asphalt straightaways will be repaved in a project that was planned before the April race. Campbell says his goal is to have both projects completed July1. The track hosts a July2 fireworks show and concert. Campbell says that event won't be affected if there are construction delays.(Roanoke Times)(5-7-2004)
Martinsville Re-paving underway...concrete next? Martinsville Speedway expects to have a completely new racing surface ready in time for October's NASCAR Subway 500, according to Clay Campbell, track president. After a foot-long hole in the concrete on turn 3 damaged Jeff Gordon's car and delayed last month's Advance Auto Parts 500 for 77 minutes, Campbell began considering whether to replace all of the track's concrete. There's a "98 percent chance the concrete will be redone," Campbell said on Wednesday morning. Campbell said he traveled to Nashville, Tenn., last week to examine the concrete surface of its track in anticipation of redoing the speedway. He "looked at the smoothness and what kind of texture and finish" the concrete had to help decide whether replacing Martinsville's corners would prevent further damage in the long run. The hole that delayed last month's race "happened in an expansion joint," Campbell said, "so who knows if it will happen again." Even if the concrete is not replaced, the speedway will have new asphalt straightaways. Crews began tearing up the track's asphalt on Monday, Campbell said, adding that the work is a scheduled project and has nothing to do with the incident last month. The concrete replacement would be completed before new asphalt is laid, Campbell said, to ensure the asphalt work is not damaged by the heavy equipment needed to pour the concrete turns. Campbell met with Apac Construction, which is doing the asphalt work, on Wednesday afternoon to discuss moving forward with the concrete replacement. No final decision was made, however, according to speedway Director of Public Relations Mike Smith. If a decision on the project is made soon, Campbell said, the entire new surface will be ready by the middle of June. After the October race, Smith said the speedway will install SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers in the corners to reduce the risk of injury to drivers when a car hits the wall. Because of the crossover gate in turn 4, Campbell said, the speedway needs a special design. The University of Nebraska is studying how to implement the barriers, Campbell added, which should take 3-4 months. The speedway also is set to begin expanding along its backstretch after Norfolk Southern Railroad agreed to move its tracks back about 200 feet, Campbell said. The project should begin in about two weeks, he added, and the extra space will allow the speedway to add seats starting as early as Jan. 2005. No more than 3,000 seats will be put in at a time, Campbell said, adding that the final result could be a 35,000 seat grandstand with suites on top to match the front stretch. The expansion will be gradual, Campbell explained, to monitor the demand for more seats. Campbell added that he is not actively looking to sell the speedway, but is always open to offers. "As long as we're here there's always the possibility of someone coming here and buying us," he said.(Martinsville Bulletin (one day article))(5-6-2004)
Martinsville to redo - whole surface? Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell says he might replace all the concrete in the track's corners but won't decide what to do for another week. Martinsville has concrete corners and asphalt straightaways. The straightaways will be repaved starting in early May. Campbell spent part of Tuesday examining Nashville Superspeedway, a concrete track, and talking to track officials and concrete experts. Portions of Martinsville's concrete corners broke apart during the Advance Auto Parts 500 there earlier this month. That created potholes, including one that was a foot long, a foot wide and 4 inches deep. Part of the concrete that came apart damaged Jeff Gordon's car as he ran in second place, ruining his chances to win a third consecutive race there. Track repairs delayed the race 77 minutes. Campbell's dilemma is if he repairs only the potholes how likely will other potholes emerge? If he pours new concrete what does he do to keep Martinsville a two-groove track? "I'm leaning toward doing it all so we know we won't have that problem at all," Campbell said pouring new concrete in the corners. "Our biggest problem is how do we do it and still have two grooves." Campbell had the lower groove grounded a couple of years ago. While drivers could run on that, they began to move to a higher groove that wasn't as bumpy and the track had two lanes for cars to run. So why not just ground the track the same way? "I wouldn't want to go back in with new concrete and grind it to that extent," he said, adding he could ground the higher groove and leave the lower groove alone. "It was actually more than what we anticipated being done to it. It worked out OK. I think there are ways to accomplish it without going to that extreme, whether that be variable banking." So more banking at Martinsville? "A few degrees, make that bottom lane a little bit flatter," Campbell said. "I don't know that if it's really the way to go with the turns being what they are here. I'm not sure it would accomplish what we want."(Roanoke Times)(4-28-2004)
Campbell to examine Nashville: Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said he plans to go to Nashville Superspeedway on Tuesday and examine that concrete track. Portions of the concrete corners came apart during last weekend's Cup race at Martinsville, and Campbell is looking into whether a small section needs to be repaired or the entire concrete sections redone. The concrete for the lower groove was poured in 1976. The second groove was poured in 1981 at Martinsville. Nashville's concrete was poured in the fall of 2000. The Busch series raced there earlier this month. "Nashville seems really smooth, nice with a lots of grip," said Robby Gordon, who finished fifth in the Busch race there. Any new work done might require a Goodyear test, but a Goodyear official said he didn't anticipate the company needing to make a new tire for Martinsville.(Roanoke Times)(4-25-2004)
Martinsville Repaving but NOT re-concreting UPDATE: Martinsville Speedway's aged asphalt, which has been in place since the mid-1980s, is set to be replaced, track officials revealed Sunday However, the concrete portion of the .526-mile oval, which developed three holes during Sunday's race, will not be touched, save for re-assessing and repairing what caused the problem.(more at NASCAR.com)(4-19-2004) UPDATE: A resurfacing job scheduled to begin next week at Martinsville Speedway may get a lot more extensive if inspection crews find more evidence of failing spots in the concrete turns. A large chunk of cement came loose in the lower groove of the third turn during Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race, leaving a pothole about a foot wide by a foot long and a depression as deep as 3 inches. The race was red-flagged after Jeff Gordon ran over the chunk and damaged his car, and repairs to the track took over an hour. Track president W. Clay Campbell said Monday he still doesn't know what caused the cement to come loose. He said the track had been inspected after a truck race Saturday night and nothing appeared wrong.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(4-20-2004)
Martinsville Work to Begin Soon: As soon as the checkered flag drops at Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts 500, work will begin on Martinsville Speedway’s $3 million capital improvements plan. The plan includes relocating the railroad trucks that run parallel to the backstretch of the speedway, repaving the race track and installing “soft walls.” After several years of negotiations with Norfolk Southern, the railroad company agreed to allow the speedway to move the tracks about 100 yards away from the backstretch. While there are no immediate plans to add more seating, moving the railroad tracks could make room for about 30,000 additional seats. The relocation of the tracks will begin in May and is scheduled to be completed before NASCAR returns to the speedway in October. Crews will begin repaving the race track this summer. Following the October races, crews will begin installing SAFER barriers, commonly known as soft walls, in the turns of the track. SAFER barriers will be the final addition of Martinsville Speedway’s $3 million capital improvements plan. The plan will complement the $17 million in improvements that have taken place at the speedway since 1988. The speedway has expanded from 750 seats in 1947 to nearly 90,000 seats.(Danville Reister and Bee)(4-16-2004)
Cup Race sold out at Martinsville: Sunday's Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race was announced a sellout yesterday by Martinsville Speedway. Tickets remain for Friday qualifying and Saturday's Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck race. Tickets for Saturday's event, which include two NEXTEL Cup practice sessions, are $35 for adults; $5 for children 6-12; and children under six get in free.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(4-13-2004)
Tickets Remain For Races at Martisnville: Don’t let anyone try to tell you there aren’t tickets remaining for the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway because good seats do remain. Every spring about this time the Speedway ticket office gets calls questioning if the event is sold out. Although the Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race is normally sold out before the green flag flies, there are good seats remaining for the event. In addition to available tickets for the Advance Auto Parts 500 on April 18, there are plenty of prime seats available for the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, scheduled for April 17. Ticket prices for the Advance Auto Parts 500 range from $40 to $72. Tickets for the Kroger 250 are $35 and all seats are unreserved. Speedway officials also warn potential ticket buyers to avoid unauthorized independent ticket agencies across the country who are selling tickets far above face value.These agencies have no connection with Martinsville Speedway. They have obtained tickets through over-the-phone or internet orders, without divulging their planned use for the tickets. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitors will time trial for the Kroger 250 at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 16 while qualifying for the Advance Auto Parts 500 is set for 3 p.m. Tickets for qualifying are $15 for adults and children under 12 get in free. The Craftsman Truck Series racing action begins at 1 p.m. on April 17 when the green flag waves on the Kroger 250. Tickets for the Kroger 250 are $35 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12. All seats are unreserved. Great seats are still available for the Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race for $40 to $72 each. To purchase tickets call the speedway ticket office toll free at 877-722-3849 or order online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Martinsville Speedway’s ticket office is open seven days a week, from 9 to 7 Monday through Friday; from 9 to 3 on Saturday; and from 1 to 4 on Sunday.(Martinsville Speedway PR) also check out Jayski's Ticket Links page sponsor, Premiere Sports Travel.(4-6-2004)
Martinsville to lose a date? Kansas to get it? International Speedway Corp. is considering adding a second tour date at Kansas City next spring, possibly in May, and that could come at the expense of a Martinsville race.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-22-2004)
SAFER News - Martinsville coming too: There's been some discussion to the pace of the rollout of the SAFER barriers, and the order in which tracks are having the barriers installed. Hunter told TFR today that the pace at which SAFER barriers are being installed has nothing to do with venue, but rather logistics. Debate came to the SAFER barrier project when the two fastest venues of the tour, Speedway Motorsports Inc.s' Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, noted they'd not have the energy absorbing walls installed in time for their 2004 NASCAR events. "There was absolutely nothing to any of the stories on the timeline," Hunter said. "We set up a schedule for [Dr. Dean] Sicking [of the University of Nebraska] and his folks to visit the different tracks. [NASCAR's] Gary Nelson, Dean Sicking and his group met with a representative of SMI, Wes Harris. I guess he's sort of their construction manager and in the process I think the communication got lost and then with Humpy saying that he wanted his engineers to look at it and all those kinds of things, everybody is on board with the SAFER walls." Martinsville Speedway, a half-mile track located in Southern Virginia, will also not have SAFER installed for their spring event, but hopes to have them installed for their October event. Martinsville poses a problem for the engineers due to its single point of entry (a cross-over gate located in Turn 4) to the infield area. Sicking's engineers have got to devise a solution where the SAFER can be installed to the moveable gate. "I think you'll see them at most of the tracks this year and certainly in 2005," said Hunter. "I don't think there's anybody out there that doesn't agree that the SAFER walls are the way to go."(Ford Racing)(3-22-2004)
Martinsville now 100% ISC's? UPDATE Denied and SAFER: hearing that Martinsville Speedway, partially owned by ISC, has purchased purchased the remaining 51% they of the track they didn't own. Supposedly Clay Campbell will still run the track.(3-19-2004) UPDATE: been told by folks with Martinsville Speedway that this rumor is no true and is incorrect. Also, the France family owns part of the track, not publicly-owned ISC.(3-20-2004) AND - No Sale and SAFER: Clay Campbell, president and general manger of Martinsville Speedway, says he is not selling the track. Campbell owns 50 percent of the track with the France family owning the other half. "It's been in my family from Day1," Campbell said. "We have never had any desire to get out of the business. I like what I do. The rest of the family that is involved in it, they like it. Really we have no reason at this point to do it. I'm not saying it will never be done because I can't look that far down the road. Going forward, if something came along that was worth looking at it, yeah, we'd look at it. Right now, I'm not going to do it. I want to preserve the history of Martinsville Speedway and continue with the great racing we have there now and carry it on down the road." Also, Campbell says he expects to have the SAFER energy-absorbing barriers installed after the October race. TIX for SALE: Tickets remain for Martinsville's Truck race April 17 and Cup race April 18. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-877-722-3849.(Roanoke Times)(3-20-2004)
Trace Adkins To Headline Celebration 2004 at Martinsville: Speedway officials announced recently that Trace Adkins, one of the hottest artists in country music over the past two years, will be the headlining act for Celebration 2004, the annual free event scheduled for July 2. It is the sixth year for the celebration, which is staged as a way for local industry and government to say “thank you” to the citizens of Martinsville and Henry County. For the past two years, the Louisiana-born Adkins has carved out an almost permanent spot at the top of the country music charts. His latest album, “Comin’ On Strong,” was released to critical acclaim earlier this month. In two weeks it has sold over 100,000 copies and is in the top 10 of Billboard’s country album’s chart.
Celebration 2004, a free-to-the-public event, has always drawn the financial support of local government and industry. Already signed on to back this year’s event are the City of Martinsville, Henry County, Hooker Furniture, Stanley Furniture, American of Martinsville, Martinsville Speedway Children’s Foundation and Martinsville Speedway.
Last year Tracy Byrd played to an estimated crowd of 40,000 for Celebration 2003. Previous entertainers for the event include Montgomery Gentry, Charlie Daniels, Aaron Tippin and Confederate Railroad. Last’s year’s opening act, Domino, will return for a second appearance, warming up the crowd for Trace Adkins. The Independence Day Celebration will begin at 3:00pm on July 2, with an all new and improved lineup of carnival-type rides for youngsters. There will be no charge for the rides, which continue until 8:00pm. Domino will take the stage at 7:00pm followed by Adkins at 8:30pm. The grand finale of the day will be a fireworks display, set to begin around 10:00pm/et on July 2.(Martinsville Speedway PR)
(12-23-2003)
Are you still looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Are you tired of fighting mall traffic and crowds? Give a call to Martinsville Speedway, 877.RACE.TIX, or visit their website, www.martinsvillespeedway.com, and order tickets for that race fan in your life. The ticket office will be open until noon on December 23 and will be glad to help you out with that late gift.(12-18-2003)
Martinsville Speedway President Receives Award: Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell was awarded the Jack Dalton Community Service Award Monday night by the Henry County Board of Supervisors. The award is based on community service and dedication to Henry County and its residents and is considered the most prestigious award presented annually in the county. The 43-year-old Campbell was chosen by the Board from nominees presented by Henry County residents. Campbell has served as president of Martinsville Speedway since 1988, but he has been a part of the track virtually from his birth. Campbell’s grandfather, the late H. Clay Earles, founded the track in 1947 and the family has operated the facility ever since. Campbell began his full-time career at the track as a member of the maintenance staff while he was a teenager. During his tenure as president, Campbell has been the driving force behind multiple upgrades and expansions that have kept the facility at the forefront of all NASCAR tracks. Campbell also is a community leader. He and his staff play host to and help underwrite the costs of the community’s annual July 4 celebration, which is a free event that includes children’s rides, a free concert and a fireworks display. The facility also plays host to an annual Toy Drive and Souvenir Day at which toys are collected for area children. This year’s event, held last Saturday, collected more than 3,200 toys for needy children in Martinsville and Henry County. Campbell also has established the Martinsville Speedway Children’s Foundation, which assists area young people through many avenues. He is a past president of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and serves on many local boards and commissions. The award is named for the late Jack Dalton, who served on the Board of Supervisors for more than 24 years. Dalton, who represented the Collinsville District on the Board, was serving as the Board’s chairman at his death on May 24, 2000. Campbell is the third recipient of the Jack Dalton Award. Bill Adkins won the award in 2002 and Dr. Calvin Rains in 2001.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(12-17-2003)
Despite Cold Weather, Martinsville Speedway Toy Drive Has Record Day: Race car rides were a hot ticket on a cold day at Martinsville Speedway Saturday, but even they couldn’t match the heart-warming generosity of the hundreds of race fans who turned out for the 10th Annual Toy Drive and Souvenir Day. More than 2,700 toys were collected for the local Toys For Tots drive and over $7,500 raised for the Martinsville Speedway Children’s Foundation. Both totals are record numbers for the event. Fans also had the opportunity to visit the Winston Cup souvenir trailers onsite, picking up last-minute Christmas presents. There were also several show cars on hand to view, along with the opportunity to get autographs from weekly racing drivers Mullins, Jason Merriman, Timothy Peters and John Smith. The Advance Auto Parts Race Car Simulator gave fans a chance to experience a real Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. More than $1,700 was raised in a silent auction of racing-related items, including an autographed Jeff Gordon jacket and a hat autographed by Matt Kenseth, the 2003 Winston Cup champion.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(12-15-2003)
Toy Drive: Truck Series driver, Jon Wood will have the holiday spirit when he donates his time to help the kids near his hometown. Wood will sign autographs at Martinsville Speedway’s 10th Annual Toy Drive on Saturday, December 13 from 2:00-3:00pm/et.
Martinsville is located only 30 miles from Wood’s hometown of Stuart, Va., and Wood has always considered it his home track. The
price of admission to the event is the donation of a toy to help less fortunate children in the area.
“It’s a great cause to help a bunch of kids in the area that might not find a lot of gifts under their Christmas trees. The more people that attend this event, the more toys we can collect. When the speedway asked me if I would participate I figured it was the least I could do to help the people in the community who have supported me for the years I’ve been racing.” Wood won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Martinsville Speedway in October. It was a special win for Wood since many of his family members and friends were in the grandstands cheering for him.
“This area will always be home to me, and a lot of people are going through some tough times right now with layoffs. They might not e able to afford to buy much for their kids. I’ve been lucky enough to have a great season this year and I am very blessed in many ways.
I’m looking forward to helping make the holiday season a little better for some deserving kids.”(11-20-2003)
Martinsville Speedway Family Section Tickets can be bought in advance: In an effort to make race morning a little easier for fans, Martinsville Speedway will offer advance ticket sales for its Family Section beginning with the Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on April 18. For many years, Martinsville Speedway has reserved a section of reduced-price seats in the third-turn area for families, but tickets went on sale the morning of the event. And adults purchasing tickets had to have their children present at the time of purchase. Tickets for the Family Section are $40 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. The tickets will go on sale December 15. There will be a maximum of two adults with each child’s ticket, but there is no limit to the number of children an adult can bring. On race morning, adults cannot enter the gates to the Family Section without a child accompanying them. Everyone sitting in the Family Section must enter through Gate 5. When the Family Section tickets go on sale on December 15, they may be purchased by phone (877-RACE-TIX) or by visiting Martinsville Speedway’s ticket office.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(11-26-2003)
Get The Broom Out:
1) The Martinsville sweep by #24-Jeff Gordon was the first by a driver since Rusty Wallace won both races there in 1994 and first Chevy driver since Darrell Waltrip did it in 1989.
2) The Martinsville sweep from the POLE by Jeff Gordon has only happened once before, in 1964 by Fred Lorenzen.
3) Jeff Gordon became the fourth driver to sweep two races at one track this season. He joins Kurt Busch (Bristol), Johnson (New Hampshire) and Newman (Dover).(10-20-2003)
There have been eleven winners in the last eleven races at Martinsville from the fall of 1997: Jeff Burton, Bobby Hamilton, Ricky Rudd, John Andretti, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Craven, Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch.(4-12-2003)
Jeff Gordon ended the streak at 11, it now stands at seven.(4-13-2003)
New Fall Martinsville sponsor in 2004: In 2004 the two Craftsman Truck Series races at Martinsville Speedway will carry Kroger sponsorship. They will be called the Kroger 200 and the Kroger 250. Advance Auto Parts, who had been the primary sponsor of the truck races, will step up and take on the fall Winston Cup race. It will be called the Advance Auto Parts 500.(Insider Racing News)(10-18-2003)
Jared at Martinsville; National Anthem: the Co-Grand Marshals of the Subway 500 at Martinsville will be Jared Fogle (the guy in the Subway commercials who lost all the weight eating Subway) and David Lambo (of Subway). The National Anthem will be sung buy Lori Beth Hogan. Other pre-race dignitaries include: Virginia Governor Mark Warner, Miss Virginia Nancy Redd, Mark McFarland Dodge Weekly
Racing National Champion.(10-16-2003)
Martinsville offers FREE Tickets: Martinsville Speedway officials announced that all workers who lost their jobs when the Pillowtex plant in Fieldale, VA closed earlier this year will have the opportunity to attend two events free of charge this fall at Martinsville Speedway. Displaced Pillowtex workers will have the chance to receive two tickets each to the SUBWAY 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race on October 19 and the Taco Bell 300 Late Model Stock Car race on October 5. The Fieldale [VA] Pillowtex workers will have two chances to pick up their tickets at Martinsville Speedway’s ticket office. The first pick-up date is Tuesday, September 30, and the second is Thursday, October 2. These are the only two times the tickets will be available. The ticket office is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm/et. Proof of Fieldale [VA] Pillowtex employment must be shown when tickets are picked up. A company ID is preferred, but other methods will be accepted along with a picture ID. Three of Martinsville Speedway’s sponsor partners, Advance Auto Parts, Pepsi and SUBWAY, have also stepped forward to help with the project. Each set of tickets will be accompanied with a voucher good for two Pepsi soft drink products at Martinsville Speedway concession stands during the events. Advance Auto Parts is supplying discount Coupons for items purchased at any Advance Auto Parts stores. And Chip Brunner, who owns the four local SUBWAY franchises, has supplied discount SUBWAY coupons.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(9-28-2003)
Martinsville Tix Still Available: Good seats remain for the October 19th Subway 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. For tickets call toll free at 1-877-RACE-TIX or 1-276-956-3151 or visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com for more information.(9-12-2003)
Martinsville Extends Tix Office Hours: Martinsville Speedway’s ticket office will be expanding its ticket hours on September 6 to make it easier for fans to purchase tickets heading into the SUBWAY 500 October 19. Beginning on Saturday, September 6, the ticket office will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through October 18. And beginning Monday, September 22, the speedway’s ticket office will be open an hour earlier each day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are always available 24 hours a day on the speedway’s web site, www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(9-10-2003)
Campground Stuff: Campers headed to Martinsville Speedway for the SUBWAY 500 on October 18 will notice a few changes in campground policies. The campground will open on Monday, October 13 at 8 a.m. When campers check into the campground, they will not be allowed to reserve any camping spots except the one they will be utilizing. The staging area for the campground has been moved to the bus parking lot. Signage will direct campers to the new staging area, about ¼ mile from the campground.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(9-10-2003)
The Virginia Motorsports Initiative: Gov. Mark R. Warner announced Wenesday, a program to transform the state's NASCAR venues and other motor sport centers into engines for job creation and tourism, especially in economically depressed Southside and southwest Virginia. Standing in the pit of the 88,000-seat Martinsville Speedway, Warner (D) announced the launch of the Virginia Motorsports Initiative, a public-private partnership that he said will help "grow" jobs from the state's far southwestern tip to its midsection, a region where recent unemployment rates have climbed as high as 14 percent. Warner said several state agencies will help promote popular racing locales such as Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond as magnets for engine builders, component makers, race car teams and other sectors of an industry that has grown dramatically as a spectator sport -- and even boosted the Democrat's own 2001 campaign for governor. (see full story at the Washington Post)(8-14-2003)
Advance Auto Parts To Sponsor Martinsville Speedway’s Spring NASCAR Nextel Cup Event: Martinsville Speedway and Advance Auto Parts announced this morning that Advance Auto Parts will be the title sponsor for the spring NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. The Advance Auto Parts 500 is scheduled for April 18, 2004. The companies have agreed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. Financial details were not released. While it is the first NASCAR Nextel Cup endeavor for Advance Auto Parts, the Roanoke-based company and Martinsville Speedway have enjoyed a long history together. Most recently, Advance Auto Parts has been the title sponsor for the two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Martinsville. Additional information about the company, employment opportunities, services, as well as on-line purchase of parts and accessories can be found on the company’s web site at www.advanceautoparts.com. In a 2002 poll of race fans by a major publication, Martinsville Speedway was voted as the top bargain in all of Winston Cup racing as well as the track having the best view of the action.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(8-8-2003)
Martinsville Speedway’s New Seats Go On Sale July 29: Workmen are putting the finishing touches on the new South Terrace grandstand at Martinsville Speedway, with a completion date set for July 28. And that means tickets for those new seats will go on sale July 29, in time for the SUBWAY 500 October 19 SUBWAY 500, tickets will be available to purchase at 9:00am/et on July 29, both by phone, 877.RACE.TIX, and via the track’s website, www.martinsvillespeedway.com. The new South Terrace overlooks the first and second turns at Martinsville Speedway, offering a spectacular view of the track from above the suites and press box. The seats not only overlook the first and second turn action, but also are directly above the first dozen or so pit stalls, giving fans a birds-eye view of the frontrunners’ pit action. For fans’ convenience, restrooms and concession facilities have been added directly under the new stands. Tickets for the new South Terrace are $75. Under Martinsville Speedway’s preferred seating plan, anyone purchasing a seat for the 2003 SUBWAY 500 will have the option of purchasing that seat again for the 2004 SUBWAY 500.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(7-18-2003)
Martinsville Confirms 2004 dates: Martinsville Speedway officials on Friday confirmed the dates of the short track's two Winston Cup dates for the 2004 season. The tracks two dates will be April 18 and Oct. 24. The April date is a week later than this season due to the Easter holiday. The October date is also about a week later than this season's fall date. Martinsville also continues to expand grandstands in the center of Turns 1 and 2 above the current press box and suites area.(Thatsracin.com). Added Martinsville to my Unofficial 2004 Nextel Cup Race Schedule page.(7-5-2003)
Martinsville Speedway Construction Projects Right On Target Despite a near-record rainfall of over 11 inches in the past 30 days, work on two construction projects at Martinsville Speedway is right on schedule. Both the new entrance into the speedway and a new section of high-rise seats in the first and second turn area of track will be completed in plenty of time for the Subway 500 Winston Cup race on October 19. Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell said the new section of seats should be finished by mid-July. The new entrance should be finished by September, Campbell said. The new entrance will enter speedway property from U.S. 220 at about the same spot as the present entrance, but will immediately veer to the left and cut through the track’s main public parking area. There will be four lanes for vehicular traffic and two lanes for pedestrian traffic. The construction is also giving the entrance to the track a facelift. Gone is the large “Martinsville Speedway” sign that sported a marquee and the time and temperature. It will be replaced with a new, state-of-the-art sign marking the entrance. Work on the new seats, which rise above the suites in the first and second turns, is about at the halfway mark. The new seats will not go on sale until they are completed. Tickets for the Subway 500 are on sale and may be purchased by calling 877-RACE-TIX, or by visiting the Martinsville Speedway website.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(6-13-2003)
Martinsville and Subway: Martinsville Speedway and Subway Restaurants [a Jayski favorite] announced that Subway would be the title sponsor for the October 19 Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway and the race will be known as the Subway 500. Subway Restaurants is the largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 18,000 restaurants in 72 countries and is the largest fast-food chain in the world. Subway was named the number one franchise opportunity in all categories by Entrepreneur magazine in its Annual Franchise 500 ranking for 2003 – for the 11th time in 15 years, more info at www.subway.com. Tickets for the Subway 500 are on sale and may be purchased by calling 877-RACE-TIX, or by visiting the Martinsville Speedway website, www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(5-6-2003)
Martinsville Grand Marshall: In his two years as Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Jerry Kilgore has made a lasting impression in his fight to make Virginia a safer, better place to live. But he has still managed to find a little time to keep up with one of his passions – NASCAR racing. And he’ll get closer than ever to the sport this weekend when he will serve as Grand Marshal for the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. Kilgore also understands the importance of auto racing to the state of Virginia. “As a lifelong NASCAR fan and a frequent visitor to Martinsville Speedway, it is a tremendous honor to serve as grand marshal for the Virginia 500,” said Kilgore. “We have a proud racing tradition in the Commonwealth, with outstanding drivers and teams who have fans around the world. Since this region of Virginia is where the sports has its roots, Martinsville really could be called the birthplace of NASCAR.” Kilgore said he is looking forward to a few hours away from his Richmond job and performing his grand marshal duties. Kilgore is married to a former public school teacher, Marty Kilgore. She served as Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor Gilmore, and is currently Executive Director of the Tobacco Settlement Foundation. They have two children Klarke W., age nine, and Kelsey E., age six. MW Pole Day, which will feature Winston Cup qualifying for the Virginia 500, is scheduled for Friday, along with qualifying for the Advance Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. The Advance Auto Parts 250 is set for Saturday, while the Virginia 500 is scheduled for Sunday, April 13. Good seats remain for both the Virginia 500 and Advance Auto Parts 250. Virginia 500 tickets may be purchased by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Advance Auto Parts 250 tickets may be purchased by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(4-8-2003)
Traction Control to be watched at Martinsville: NASCAR will employ “special help” to monitor teams for traction control this weekend at Martinsville, where spinning the tires coming off the corners is a big concern.(Sporting News)(4-7-2003)
Martinsville Speedway Unveils New Infield Care Center: A state-of-the-art building that Martinsville Speedway officials hope to use on a very infrequent basis was unveiled Tuesday afternoon. With help from NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ricky Craven and officials of
Memorial Hospital, Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell officially opened the doors to the track's new Infield Care Center. The new 2,000-square-foot Infield Care Center, located in the first-and-second turn end of the infield, features a four-bed examination room; a two-bed trauma room; a waiting room; a family waiting room; a reception area; and a break room. The care center will be staffed and equipped by Memorial Hospital of Martinsville. Owned and operated by Province Healthcare, Memorial Hospital is a 237-licensed bed, acute care facility which received full accreditation by Joint Commission in 2002. With over 330,000 square feet, Memorial Hospital is a progressive facility that boasts various centers of excellence, including its Ambulatory Surgery, Women's Center, state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit, Sleep Lab, Hyperbaric/Wound Care Clinic, Julius Hermes Breast Care Center, and our Ravenel Oncology Center which is affiliated with both Duke University and Wake Forest.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(4-2-2003)
Martinsville Tix: Good seats remain for the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Every Spring about this time the Speedway ticket office gets calls questioning if the event is sold out. Although the Virginia 500 is normally sold out before the green flag flies, there are good seats remaining for the event. In addition to available tickets for the Virginia 500 on April 13, there are plenty of prime seats available for the Advance Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, scheduled for April 12. Ticket prices for the Virginia 500 range from $40 to $72. Tickets for the Advance Auto Parts 250 are $30 and all seats are unreserved. Speedway officials also warn potential ticket buyers to avoid unauthorized independent ticket agencies across the country who are selling tickets far above face value.These agencies have no connection with Martinsville Speedway. They have obtained tickets through over-the-phone or internet orders, without divulging their planned use for the tickets. To purchase tickets call the speedway ticket office toll free at 877-722-3849 or order online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Martinsville Speedway's ticket office is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday's from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-31-2003)
Rick Mast to be Grand Marshal at Martinsville's Truck Race: Martinsville Speedway has always been one of Rick Mast's favorite tracks, a home track of sorts for the Virginia native. On Saturday, April 12, Mast will make a special trip to Martinsville Speedway, the first visit to any race track in almost a year for the former Winston Cup driver. Mast won't be in a driver's suit though. Instead he will be the Grand Marshal for the Advance Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Mast officially retired from racing during the winter after being diagnosed with chronic carbon monoxide poisoning, but he stopped racing late last spring after symptoms of the ailment became severe. "I think it's fitting that Martinsville is the first place I show back up," said the 45-year-old Mast. "That's the track where I had a lot of my early success in the sport. It's the track that I always thought of as my home track." Mast said he didn't return to a track last year because he was still involved in medical testing that eventually led to the diagnosis. "I wasn't diagnosed until the end of the year and I didn't want to go to the track and answer questions over and over without knowing what was wrong with me," said Mast. Mast made 364 starts over a 15-year Winston Cup career. His career highlights included a pole in the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a sixth in the 1989 Daytona 500 while driving an unsponsored car. He won over $9 million in his Winston Cup career. Mast had several top-10 Winston Cup runs at Martinsville Speedway, with his best finish a fourth in the 1996 Old Dominion 500. He also has a Busch Grand National victory at Martinsville, winning a 150-lap Busch race in 1987. Mast says he has missed the camaraderie of racing, but "has kept in touch with a lot of the drivers on the phone and in letters." Mast probably won't ever fully recover from the carbon monoxide poisoning, but he understands the ailment better these days and says the trip to Martinsville shouldn't be a problem. "I'm still working on figuring exactly what exposure I can be around. I'm starting to get a handle on it and I can pretty much tell," said Mast. "Martinsville garage is not a closed-in area, but you still won't find me in there involved in a half-hour conversation with all 40 cars going." Action picks up at Martinsville on Friday, April 11 when both the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the Craftsman Truck Series qualifying during MW Windows Pole Day. The Advance Auto Parts 250 is set for Saturday, April 12, at 3 p.m. while the Virginia 500 is scheduled for Sunday, April 13, at 1 p.m. Good seats remain for both the Virginia 500 and Advance Auto Parts 250. Virginia 500 tickets may be purchased by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Advance Auto Parts 250 tickets may be purchased by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-20-2003)
Martinsville Tix on Sale: Tickets for the Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway went on sale
Wednesday, March 5th. The Old Dominion 500 is scheduled for Sunday, October 19. Tickets for the 2003 fall race are $40-$72 each and can be purchased by calling the ticket office toll free at (877) 722-3849 or by visiting the Martinsville Speedway website: www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Good seats
also remain for the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, April 13 and the Advance Auto Parts
250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday, April 12.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-6-2003)
Martinsville to increase hours: Beginning this week, you’ll be able to purchase your tickets to the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway as effective this Saturday, March 1, Martinsville Speedway’s ticket office will be open on Saturdays from 9:00am to 3:00pm/et through the Virginia 500 race weekend on April 11-13. And beginning Monday, March 17, the ticket office will extend its daily hours to 8:00am to 5:00pm. And tickets are always available 24 hours a day via “tickets.com” on the speedway’s web site, www.martinsvillespeedway.com or by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(2-26-2003)
Martinsville Speedway Unveils Plans To Add Seats, Move Railroad Tracks And Construct New Entrance: Martinsville Speedway officials announced Friday the largest one-year capital expenditures project in the 56-year history of the track. Speedway president Clay Campbell unveiled plans that included construction of a new, six-lane entrance to the facility, moving the railroad tracks that parallel the speedway’s back stretch to allow for future expansion, and the addition of 2,000 high-rise seats. Work on the new entrance and seats will begin immediately after the running of the Virginia 500 on April 13. Those two projects should be completed in time for the Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race on October 19. A start-up date on the railroad shift has not been set, but the venture should be completed within a year. The new entrance will be six lanes wide with four lanes for vehicular traffic and two for pedestrian traffic. It will begin at the site of the present entrance, then veer to the left and proceed through the middle of the large parking area on the left side of Speedway Road. The new road will intersect with Speedway Road near the souvenir and display area. The 2,000 new seats will be added in the first-and-second turn end of the track, and will be positioned above the suites in that area. When that section of suites was built in 2000, they were constructed with features to allow for seating expansion. The 2,000 new seats will increase the track’s seating capacity to 88,000. The Norfolk Southern railroad line along the backstretch has prevented growth in that direction, but the speedway and Norfolk Southern completed an engineering study of the project three years ago. Norfolk Southern gave the OK to move the tracks 350 feet back from their present location at the completion of the study. The project will move ahead as soon as the cost estimates included in that study are brought up to date. Martinsville Speedway will fund the cost of relocation project. Two projects are already underway at the Speedway, including the construction of a new state-of-the-art, 2,000-square foot infield care center. The old care center is being converted into a public relations workroom.(Martinewsville Speedway Newsletter)(1-31-2003)
Construction Underway On New Infield Care Center At Martinsville Speedway: The infield area at Martinsville Speedway will have a new look when the NASCAR Winston Cup tour makes its spring visit for the Virginia 500. A new Infield Care Center and Victory Lane are being constructed in the first-and-second turn end of the infield. The area that formerly housed the Infield Care Center is being converted into a work area for team public relations representatives. That area will also have two radio production and transmission booths. The project will be completed in time for the running of the Virginia 500 on Sunday, April 13. The interior of the new Infield Care Center will be approximately 2,000 square feet and will include a four-bed examination area, a two-bed trauma area, a waiting room, a family waiting room, a lounge and a reception area. The new Victory Lane will be constructed adjacent to the Infield Care Center and will face the front stretch. The old Infield Care Center, located in the complex of buildings in the middle of the infield, is undergoing a total facelift to accommodate team public relations reps and radio broadcasters. A countertop will circle more than half of the 450 square foot room, giving the public relations representatives a work area to set up. Each workspace will include electrical outlets and phone jacks. There will also be two, soundproof radio booths in the area to provide the many radio outlets covering Martinsville Speedway events an area to produce and file stories. These rooms will also include a countertop workstation, electrical outlets and phone jacks.(Martinsville Speedway)(1-8-2003)
Lots of Toys: Over 1,000 toys were collected Saturday in the Ninth Annual Toy Drive and Souvenir Day at Martinsville Speedway. Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell presented the 1,026 toys to Toys For Tots at the end of the day. Another $4,000 was raised for the Martinsville Speedway Childrens Foundation through the souvenir vendors on hand for the day. People meandered in and out of the pits all day, most bringing a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the toy drive. About a dozen Winston Cup souvenir trailers were lined up along pit road when the gates opened at 9:00am offering an opportunity for last-minute shopping for race fans. Early in the afternoon pace-car rides began, and at 1:00pm the first of two Allison Legacy Series races took the green flag. The Allison Legacy Series is a touring series for scaled-down cars. At 2:00pm Santa Claus arrived at the start-finish line via the pace car and a little later, pace-car rides started again. For most of the day the souvenir vendors did a brisk business, as did the hot-dog stand, operated by the Henry County Baptist Association. The Baptist Association raised more than $400 for the toy drive at the hot-dog stand. The Baptist Association also gave away coffee and hot chocolate all day.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(12-15-2002)
Ninth Annual Souvenir Day And Toy Drive at Martinsville: the Ninth Annual Souvenir Day and Toy Drive is scheduled for Saturday, December 14 at Martinsville Speedway. The Souvenir Day and Toy Drive offers gifts galore and a chance to help out the less fortunate on Christmas morning. A dozen or so NASCAR Winston Cup souvenir trailers will be set up in the infield of Martinsville Speedway when the gates swing open at 9:00am on December 14 and they all will offer great year-ending bargains on race souvenirs. At 1:00pm there will be a 25-lap Legacy Allison Series race, and at 2:00pm Santa will arrive in victory lane. Also at 2:00pm there will be pace car rides around the track for a monetary donation. Admission to the event is free, but everyone is urged to bring at least one new, unwrapped toy. All toys go to Toys For Tots and will be distributed in the Martinsville and Henry County area. Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart’s souvenir trailer will be on hand along with the trailers of Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace and others. Also, Martinsville Speedway’s souvenir trailers will be open for business.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(12-10-2002)
Toy Drive at Martinsville: the Ninth Annual Souvenir Day/Toy Drive at Martinsville Speedway is set for Saturday, December 14 in the infield area of Martinsville Speedway. The Souvenir Day/Toy Drive offers race fans a chance to help make sure needy children in our area have a special Christmas while browsing for a racing souvenir. The event will run from 9:00am to 5:00pm on December 14. Souvenir trailers for a dozen or so of the top Winston Cup drivers will be on hand, offering end-of-year sales on most all of their merchandise. Admission is free, but shoppers can help the area’s needy youngsters by bringing a new, unwrapped toy. All of the donated toys will go to Toys For Tots to be distributed in the Martinsville-Henry County area. Monetary donations will go to the Martinsville Speedway Children’s Foundation. Santa Claus will arrive at the track at 2:00pm and will be set up in Victory Lane to listen to the wishes of youngsters. Also at 2:00pm, pace-car rides around the track will be available for a donation. The Allison Legacy cars will run a 30-lap race at 1 p.m. The Allison cars are approximately three-quarter scale and look similar to Winston Cup cars.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(11-24-2002)
Martinsville 2nd CTS race gets sponsor: Advance Auto Parts, which has sponsored the spring CTS race at Martinsville Speedway for the past two seasons, has stepped up to sponsor the new fall race. The fall event, scheduled for October 18 in 2003, will be the Advance Auto Parts 200. The spring truck race at Martinsville, set for April 12 in 2003, will remain the Advance Auto Parts 250.. Action returns to Martinsville Speedway the weekend of April 11-13, 2003. MW Windows Pole Day is scheduled for Friday, April 11, while the Advance Auto Parts 250 is set for Saturday, April 12. The weekend culminates with the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on Sunday, April 13. Tickets for the Virginia 500 are on sale, and may be purchased by calling 1-877-RACE-TIX or visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(11-19-2002)
2nd CTS Race at Martinsville? A NASCAR official confirmed there have been talks with Martinsville Speedway officials about running a second Craftsman Truck Series race here next season but would not say if those talks have been completed. A report in Winston Cup Scene stated that truck series teams had received a partial schedule from NASCAR and that the series would race twice at Martinsville next season. Both races, the report stated, would be run on the same weekend as the Cup events. Next season's truck schedule has not been released.(Roanoke Times)(10-20-2002)
Sold Out: Martinsville Speedway officials announced Wednesday afternoon that Sunday’s Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race is a sellout. “We are accustomed to sellouts here at Martinsville. Most every Winston Cup event is a sellout,” said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. “But this is the first time since we expanded to our present seating capacity (86,000) that we have sold out before race weekend. We just want to thank all of the Winston Cup fans who have been so loyal to Martinsville Speedway for so many years.” The only tickets remaining for Sunday’s race are in the Family Section. The Family Section tickets go on sale at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Tickets in this area are $40 for adults; children 6-12 are $5; and children under six are free. Each child may have no more than two adults purchasing tickets in this section which a fairly small section of stands in the third-turn area. Tickets do remain for Saturday’s NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour race, the Advance Auto Parts 200. Tickets for Saturday’s events, which include two Winston Cup practice session, are $30 for adults; $5 for children 6-12; and children under six get in free. Also, tickets are on sale for the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race, set for April 13, 2003. They can be purchased by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com or by call 877-RACE-TIX.(10-16-2002)
Martinsville Corner's Ground Down: The Martinsville Speedway owners have ground the cement corners of the 0.526-mile track that will host next week’s Winston Cup event. The change has resulted in a tire chewing mess that has clipped lap times by more than a second. #28-Ricky Rudd went to the track on Monday to test for the upcoming event but got only 15 laps in before loading the car up and heading for home. It was readily apparent that something had changed when the hauler pulled in and the team saw the cemented corners appearing as though a machine that grinds the highways prior to the application of asphalt had prepared them. The cement was described as being deeply grooved with a wavy pattern that ran parallel with the racing groove. Making matters worse for the #28 car was the fact that the track hadn’t been cleaned prior to the practice session. The team tried a few work-arounds but soon decided to give up on the session. The tires on Rudd’s Ford looked in worse shape after just 12 laps than a pair of left tires that the team used in a race several years ago did after 225 laps. Rudd wasn’t able to get within three seconds of a normal lap time in the 15 laps run. Several other teams tested Tuesday and Wednesday, but had similar problems. The best effort during those tests could only close to within a second of a normal lap time at the Virginia track.(Ford Racing)(10-12-2002)
Martinsville and MW Windows Reup: MW Windows and Martinsville Speedway have partnered for just one race, but that was enough for all parties concerned to know it was a winning combination. Less than a year ago the two companies announced that MW Windows would sponsor pole day for the track’s two Winston Cup races in 2002. MW Windows and Martinsville Speedway announced they have agreed to continue that relationship through the 2004 season. MW Windows, a manufacturer of windows and door products for the residential construction industry, sponsored pole day for the first time last spring in the Virginia 500. The Old Dominion 500 MW Windows Pole Day is scheduled for Friday, October 18.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(10-10-2002)
Martinsville Extends Hours: Martinsville Speedway will be expanding its ticket office hours leading up to the Old Dominion
500 beginning this Saturday, September 14. Beginning this Saturday, the ticket office will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
leading up to the October 20th Old Dominion 500 And beginning Monday, September 23, the speedway’s ticket office will be open an hour earlier each day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are always available 24 hours a day on the speedway’s web site, www.martinsvillespeedway.com. To purchase tickets call the speedway ticket office toll free at 877-722-3849 or visit online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(9-11-2002)
Martinsville Announces Two 2003 Cup dates: Martinsville Speedway officials announced Friday morning that the track would again host two Cup races in 2003. The Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race will be held on Sunday, April 13. The date for the 2003 Old Dominion 500 will be released later this summer. The 2003 fall Winston Cup date would be announced as soon as
NASCAR completed all of its sanctioning agreements for next year. Martinsville Speedway has been hosting Winston Cup races since 1949, the year of the division’s inception. Tickets for the 2003 Virginia 500 are already on sale while tickets for the 2003 Old Dominion 500 will go on sale March 5, 2003. The 47th annual Old Dominion 500 Cup race is scheduled for Sunday, October 20. There still are excellent reserved seats available for the Old Dominion 500 in the towers from $40-$70. Tickets may be ordered by calling toll free at 1-877-722-3849 or (276) 956-3151. Tickets for the Old Dominion 500 also may be ordered online at the (Martinsville Speedway Site)(8-16-2002)
Martinsville helps out police: Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell helped the Henry County Sheriff’s Office take a giant step toward fulfilling a major goal Thursday morning. Campbell presented Henry County Sheriff Frank Cassell a check for $17,000, which will cover the cost of four in-car video systems for the sheriff’s office. Cassell said his office has set a goal of 40 in-car video systems, or one for each of the department’s patrol cars. The speedway’s donation will fund the first four systems. The video system features a small, color camera mounted on the windshield, which is used to video officers and others during traffic stops. The system also uses highly sensitive microphones to record conversations in and out of the car. Perhaps the most important plus of the in-car cameras, though, is officer safety. The fund-raising campaign will kick off in earnest next week, and Campbell and Cassell both said they were hopeful other local companies and private citizens will contribute to the effort.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(7-25-2002)
Sad News: Clarence Preston, a fixture at Martinsville Speedway for more than 40 years, died early Monday morning. He was 85 years old. Preston began working for Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles in the late 1950s on a part-time basis. The two forged a friendship that lasted for five decades until Earles passed away in 1999. Preston’s most visible role was in the Martinsville Speedway press box, which he maintained on race weekends. And while no one is exactly sure when he worked his first race at Martinsville Speedway, he was on hand for the last April’s Virginia 500, working as hard as ever. Several generations of racing writers were befriended by Preston during his decades of work in the press box. Although few outside of the press box knew of his involvement with Martinsville Speedway, journalists from all corners of the country were on a first-name basis with him. Preston’s funeral is scheduled for noon Friday at Hairston Funeral Home in Martinsville. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Friday, also at Hairston Funeral Home.(Martinsville Speedway Newsletter)(6-24-2002)
Virginia 500 Grand Marshall: Kerrie Keeler, Sales Branch Manager for the Atlanta Branch of the John Deere Company, will be the Grand Marshal for the Virginia 500 Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, April 14. “I’ve been to about 10 races, but I’m not like an avid fan,” said Keeler. “But I’m really excited about coming to Martinsville and having a chance to be in the pits and see what goes on behind the scenes. I think racing is interesting. To the lay person, those drivers just make it look so easy and then when you hear the commentators talk about the complexities, it makes it really interesting.” John Deere is the official tractor of Martinsville Speedway.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(4-13-2002)
Gordon wins MW Windows Pole Award and Windows: MW Windows will be the first pole day award winners to give a house full of doors and windows. Shortly after MW Windows announced its sponsorship of Pole Day for the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway, officials with the company decided they wanted to do more than that, though. So in addition to presenting a trophy to the Virginia 500 pole winner, MW will give a house full of windows and doors in the pole-winner’s name to a local Habitat for Humanity chapter during pre-race ceremonies for the Virginia 500 on April 14. And it’s not a one-race effort either. The manufacturer of windows and door products for the residential construction industry will donate doors and windows to Habitat for Humanity chapters twice a year. One donation will come after MW Pole Day for the Virginia 500 and the other after MW Pole Day for the Old Dominion 500. The Martinsville-Henry County and Franklin County chapters of Habitat for Humanity will be the recipients each year.(Martinsville Speedway PR), Jeff Gordon won the pole and got the award.(4-13-2002)
Tix still available for Martinsville: Plenty of good seats remain available for the Virginia 500 Cup race at Martinsville Speedway because good seats do remain although the Virginia 500 is normally sold out before the green flag flies. In addition to available tickets for the Virginia 500 on April 14, there are plenty of prime seats available for the Advance Auto Parts 250 CTS race, scheduled for April 13. Ticket prices for the Virginia 500 range from $40 to $70. Martinsville Speedway is also offering a limited amount of family unreserved seating that allows parents to bring children ages six to 12 to the Virginia 500 for $5 per child. Adult tickets in the family
unreserved area will be $40. Children under age six get in free to the Family Section. Tickets for the Family Section go on sale race morning at 7:30. Parents must have their children with them when purchasing these tickets. To purchase tickets call the speedway ticket
office toll free at 877-722-3849 or order online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(3-24-2002)
Martinsville Tix - TODAY: Tickets for the Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway will go on sale Wednesday, March 6 at 9:00am/et. The Old Dominion 500 is scheduled for Sunday, October 20. Tickets for the 2002 fall race are $40-$70 each and can be purchased by calling the ticket office toll free at (877) 722-3849 or by calling (276) 956-3151. Tickets may also be purchased online by visiting the speedway’s website. “Buyer beware” is one of the most popular phrases used by consumer protection groups. “Race fans beware” should be added to that list. Winston Cup racing has perhaps the most fervent and loyal fan base of all sports. But that loyalty has created a new industry among the greedy – ticket gouging. Ticket prices for the April 14th Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway range from $40 to $70 and plenty good seats are still available. But independent ticket agencies across the country are selling those tickets for up to $175 apiece. These agencies have no connection with Martinsville Speedway. They have obtained tickets through over-the-phone or Internet orders, without divulging their planned use for the tickets.(Martinsville Speedway site/PR)(3-3-2002)
Martinsville pole day sponsor: Martinsville Speedway and MW Windows & Doors recently announced that the manufacturer of window and door products for the residential construction industry will sponsor pole day for both the Virginia 500 and the Old Dominion 500 Winston Cup races in 2002. The first MW Windows Pole Day will be Friday, April 12 when Winston Cup drivers will attempt to qualify for the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race, set for Sunday, April 14 at Martinsville Speedway. The second MW Windows Pole Day of 2002 will be Friday, October 18 to set the field for the Old Dominion 500, scheduled for Sunday, October 20.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(1-31-2002)
Martinsville Toy Drive: Martinsville Speedway’s Eighth Annual Souvenir Day and Toy Drive is scheduled for Saturday, December 8 at the Martinsville Speedway and all donated toys will be contributed to the Salvation Army. The Souvenir Day and Toy Drive begins at 9:00am on December 8 and will run until 5:00pm. Souvenir trailers for a dozen or so of the top Winston Cup drivers will be on hand, offering end-of-year sales on most all of their merchandise. Admission is free, but shoppers can help the area’s needy youngsters by bringing a new, unwrapped toy, which will be turned over to the Salvation Army. There will also be a special guest: Santa Claus. Santa will arrive at the track at 2:00pm and will set up shop in Victory Lane(Martinsville PR)(11-27-2001)
Campbell wins again: Clay Campbell, the president of Martinsville Speedway, proved again Saturday his track championship isn’t a fluke. Campbell started on the pole and led every lap of the Limited Late Model feature at Caraway Speedway Saturday evening. His fifth win of the season came two weeks after he had clinched the Limited Late Model championship at the Asheboro, NC, track.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(11-1-2001)
Tix Remain for Martinsville: Tickets Remain For Old Dominion 500 At Martinsville Speedway scheduled for Sunday, October 14 at the .526-mile oval. Martinsville Speedway is also offering family unreserved seating that allows parents to bring children ages six to 12 to the Old Dominion 500 for $5 per child. Adult tickets in the family unreserved area will be $40. Children under age six get in free to the Family Section. Tickets for the Family Section go on sale race morning at 7:30am/et. For more info, see the Martinsville Speedway site(10-8-2001)
Coolers at Martinsville? UPDATE yes: hearing Martinsville Speedway has decided to allow coolers and other items in the track as normal but every item will be searched(9-25-2001) UPDATE: Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell announced late Monday afternoon that coolers and other carry-in items would be allowed at events the speedway hosts this fall. But all coolers will be searched and all other items, including backpacks
and camera bags, will be subject to search. The decision was made after speedway officials met with local, state and federal law enforcement officials Monday afternoon. Campbell said the security force at Martinsville Speedway will be increased by 25 percent for the Taco Bell 300 Late Model Stock Car race this weekend and the Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race weekend October 12-14. Campbell said security personnel would work back through the lines at entrances, checking items before fans get to the ticket takers, to
help speed up the process. Other, new safety regulations have also been put into place. Once items are searched, they will be tagged with a sticker. Anyone leaving with a stickered item before the end of the race will not be allowed to re-enter. No vehicular traffic will be allowed under the grandstands during race weekend. If canned beverages are brought into the track in the case they were purchased, they will be taken out of the case during inspection at the gate(Martinsville Speedway PR)(9-25-2001)
Martinsville Tix Hours: Beginning Saturday, September 8, the ticket office at Martinsville Speedway will be open every
Saturday from 9:00am to 3:00pm/et leading up to the October 14th Old Dominion 500 And then, starting Monday, September 17, the speedway’s ticket office will be open an hour earlier each day, from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. And tickets are always available 24 hours a day via “tickets.com” on the speedway’s web site, www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway)(9-9-2001)
Martinsville Tunnel: Martinsville Speedway officials unveiled plans this morning for a 160-foot pedestrian tunnel under the racing surface in the fourth turn of the .526-mile oval. Work has already begun on the project, which is expected to be completed in
two weeks. The addition of the tunnel will allow pedestrian traffic in and out of the infield regardless of what is happening on the racing surface. The tunnel will consist of 26 precast reinforced concrete boxes that are eight feet wide and eight feet high. The 160-foot long tunnel will
