Richmond

Racing actually began in Richmond in 1946, when Ted Horn drove a Champ Car to victory over a .5-mile dirt track at Strawberry Hill Speedway.

NASCAR was founded in 1948, and five years later the sanctioning body staged a race in its Grand National Division at Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds on April 19, 1953.

In 1971, the racing division became known as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and is now known as the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

Since that first race in Richmond in 1953, the track has undergone three name changes, four configuration changes and one surface change, from dirt to asphalt.

Lights were also added to the facility in 1991. RIR is the only track to hold all of its major events under the lights.

Richmond's unique, .75-mile layout produces tremendous side-by-side racing, yet drivers obtain high enough speeds to give it a superspeedway feel. That rare combination still allows for the beating and banging that fans love, with the drivers' skill playing a major role.

The track's fall date is now the final race leading up to the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup.