Martinsville Speedway is one of the original stock car race tracks, opened in 1947, when NASCAR was just a dream, a concept in the head of men like of Bill France, Sr. The track is, at 0.526 miles long; the shortest track used in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and is the type of track that early stock car racers sharpened their skills on. Martinsville Speedway is the only track left of the original tracks used in the first NASCAR season in 1948 and has been a charter member for well over sixty years. H. Clay Earles didn’t have a great deal of money but he had a great love of stock car racing so he built the track on a shoestring, creating a seating capacity of just 750 but on the opening day, the 4th of July, he had a crowd of over 6,000 fans turn up.
The track configuration hasn’t changed at all since it was built and still retains its original unique shape, (it is likened to a paperclip - with two long straights and four flat narrow turns). There is no banking on the straights and just 12 degree of banking on the turns, making for hard braking going into the turns and smooth acceleration exiting an absolute necessity. The challenging layout constantly produces some of the most extreme racing each season. The facility has grown enormously since the inaugural event in 1947; today the facility has a seating capacity of over 60,000 seats reaching up from the edge of the racing surface, topped by VIP Suites and a state-of-the-art press box. The garage that the teams work and service their cars in is one of the best in the sport. There is a top-flight care centre at one end of the infield and a modern media centre in the middle of the infield. A pedestrian tunnel was added beneath the fourth turn and outside of the fourth turn there is a large, paved area for the sports' many displays and souvenir rigs. Part of H. Clay Earles’ original philosophy was to consistently improve the facility and this is still carried out today by his grandson, W. Clay Campbell, who has been the track’s president since 1988. “The secret to success in our business is giving the customer what he wants,” Earles said before his death in 2000. “When a man plunks down his money, he deserves the best. You try to make him comfortable, give him a great show and make sure he gets his money’s worth. And we’ve always tried to do just that. “Your customers are your greatest assets and that will never change. You actually sell the customer a memory as much as a race. If their memories are good, they’ll keep coming back.” A philosophy that appears to be working well as the Speedway continues into its seventh successful decade. Martinsville Speedway is situated at 340 Speedway Road, Ridgeway, Virginia 24148.
Tickets
Ticket office: 877-722-3849 or Online: Buy tickets. Pit passes: Not available.
Fan hospitality and special packages:
Call the track ticket office for details or visit the Web site.
Carry-In Items:
Coolers: Allowed (one only - limit of 6"x6"x12"; one clear, plastic bag limit of 18"x18"x4"; plastic bags may not contain ice). Glass containers: Not allowed. Alcoholic beverages: Allowed. Cameras/binoculars: Allowed.
Souvenirs and Displays
Merchandise: Driver and NASCAR merchandise haulers on-site. Scanners: Scanners available for rent on-site.
Autographs
Check local newspapers and TV; drivers rarely available on race day.
Pit Area Guidelines
Pit passes not available.
Camping
Reserved: Available. Non-reserved: Available. Call the track ticket office for more information.
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References:
What do you expect when you go to Las Vegas? Glitz, glamour, razzmatazz and dazzle! Well you won’t be disappointed. Here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway you will have it all. Casinos, live entertainment, hotels and best of all NACAR racing! Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the most spectacular and complete racing complexes in the world consisting of road courses, a three-eight mile oval, a dirt track and a state of the art drag racing facility. It has all the glitz, glamour and dazzle that you would expect from a speedway in Las Vegas. It is also the home of the 1.5 mile track that hosts the Las Vegas 400 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series each season. Following the closure of the Stardust International Raceway in 1970 plans were made to develop a new drag strip and road course in the north of Las Vegas and this was later to become part of the new complex. The tracks were refurbished in 1995 and reopened in 1996 including a new superspeedway. Originally the complex was to have a seating capacity for more than 100,000 fans but in 1998 plans were announced to include a further 22,000 seats in the Dale Earnhardt Tower overlooking the front straightway. The tickets were quickly taken up and in 2006 construction began again to build the Richard Petty Terrace in Turn one, creating a further 14,000 seats for fans bringing the complex’s capacity to 140,000. The complex is host to the prestigious NACAR S Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series along with the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The Tri-Oval Superspeedway has an asphalt surface and was reconfigured in 2006 giving the turns banking of 20 degrees; the front stretch banking of 9 degrees and the back stretch banking of 9 degrees allowing Sprint Cup Series drivers to reach unofficial records of more than 185 mph. The address is 7000 Las Vegas Boulevard. North Las Vegas, NV 89115.
Tickets
From the Ticket office: 800-644-4444 or Online: Buy tickets (Note: Tickets are available for the entire race weekend, starting at $99 for three-day passes.)
Pit passes
Available by purchasing a Neon Garage pass. Fan hospitality: Call the track ticket office for further information. Note that the speedway has a new feature for fans called the Neon Garage, which includes a sports bar (with big screens to watch the on-track action), concession stands and continuous entertainment acts that represent Las Vegas' best shows. As an added bonus, the speedway's Winner's Circle is located in the Neon Garage. Entry cost is $99 per day. Special packages: Call the track ticket office for further information.
Carry-In Items
Coolers: Not allowed. Glass containers: Not allowed. Alcoholic beverages: Not allowed. Cameras/recording devices: Allowed. (Note: Smoking is not allowed in the grandstands, but is permitted in the general concourse and midway areas.)
Souvenirs and Displays
Merchandise: Driver and NASCAR merchandise haulers on-site.
Scanners
Scanners available for rent on-site. Gift shop: Located at the speedway.
Autographs
Check local newspapers and TV; drivers rarely available on race day.
Pit Area Guidelines
Pit passes are available with a Neon Garage pass. (Note: Pit road moved 275 feet closer to grandstands for 2007 season.)
Camping
Reserved: Available; call the track ticket office for further information.
Associated Driving Schools
Mario Andretti Racing School, 877-Andretti, Web site
Richard Petty Driving Experience: 800-BE-PETTY, Web site
Address: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV, Spojené státy americké
Getting There: The speedway is about 12 miles north of downtown Las Vegas.
From Las Vegas and the Strip: Follow I-15 North to exit 54 (Speedway Boulevard).
From Utah and areas north: Follow I-15 South to exit 54 (Speedway Boulevard).
Alternate Route: Take I-15 South to the 215 Beltway south of Mandalay Bay. Take the 215 Beltway west and follow this to the 15 North. Take exit 54 (Speedway Boulevard).(This route adds a few miles, but it is the least travelled to the raceway.)
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