Behind the scenes: Martinsville Speedway in photos

Founded in 1947 by the late H. Clay Earles, Martinsville Speedway is the only track that has hosted NASCAR Cup Series races every year since the division’s inception in 1949.

Martinsville Speedway is only 0.526 miles in length and features tight corners and a unique shape – described most often as a paperclip.

The track has two 800-foot straightaways hooked together by short, tight and almost flat turns with just 11 degrees of banking.

More than 60,000 seats reach skyward from the edge of the racing surface, topped by VIP Suites and a state-of-the-art press box. There is a top-flight care center at one end of the infield and a modern media center in the middle of the infield. Oh, and you can't forget about the famous hot dog stand.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour made its first visit to Martinsville in 1985. Charlie Jarzombek won the first two Tour races at the track that year, with Johnny Bryant winning the third race that year that also served as the season finale.

In the years that have followed, many legendary names have visited Victory Lane at Martinsville with the Modified Tour, including Reggie Ruggiero, Mike McLaughlin, Tom Baldwin, Tony Hirschman, Mike Stefanik, Mike Ewanitsko and Ted Christopher, among others.

The Tour took a more than decade break from Martinsville following the 2010 season but returned in 2021. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events at Martinsville annually draw one of the best fields of the season.