As part of Richmond Raceway‘s 75th anniversary, the track unveiled year-long branding to commemorate the historic 2021 NASCAR season. As one of the most legacy-rich tracks in all of motorsports, America‘s Premier Short Track will celebrate its storied history from half-mile dirt to today‘s iconic ¾-mile D-shaped oval. 75th Anniversary season tickets are on sale now.
“From the first race on a half-mile dirt track in 1946 to its modernization into a ¾-mile D-shaped oval in 1988 and infield redevelopment in 2018, Richmond Raceway is a venue with a 75-year legacy of action-packed short track competition,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “As host to some of the most memorable races in motorsports history, America‘s Premier Short Track will play host to a year-long celebration on the track, off the track, and virtually for all fans to participate.”
To download Richmond‘s 75th anniversary brand mark, click here.
On Oct. 12, 1946, an open-wheel race was held on the half-mile dirt track at what was then known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds. It was the first major auto race after World War II and more than two years before NASCAR was formed on Feb. 21, 1948. The first race was won by Ted Horn.
Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Cup Series race hosted at Richmond on April 19, 1953. Paul Sawyer and future NASCAR of Famer Joe Weatherly, already race-promoting partners, purchased the fairgrounds racing operation, a half-mile dirt track. The Cup series returned that same year on May 22, 1955 with Tim Flock taking the checkered flag.
The iconic track, which has gone by numerous names, including Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway and Richmond International Raceway, has hosted a Cup race every year since 1955. Sawyer would buy Weatherly‘s interest in 1956 to take full ownership. The track was first paved in 1968.
NASCAR history is rich at Richmond. Richard Petty won seven consecutive Cup races between the fall of 1970 to fall of 1973 and remains the all-time track wins leader with 13. In 1984, Ricky Rudd won in his home state at Richmond one week after flipping his race car in a pre-DAYTONA 500 race and taping his eyes open to compete in “The Great American Race.” In a 1986 race remembered for Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt colliding and crashing with two laps to go, Kyle Petty got his first career Cup series victory.
On Feb. 21, 1988, Neil Bonnett won the final race on the half-mile configuration at Richmond. Bulldozers, the first one driven by Richard Petty, begin digging up the track immediately following the race. Richmond was ready to host its first race on the new configuration on Sept. 11, 1988. “I‘ve dreamed of this day, giving our great Virginia fans a track like this. They‘re the best,” said Sawyer on Richmond‘s opening day 1988.
Three years later, America‘s Premier Short Track would put on its first race under the lights. On Sept. 7, 1991, Harry Gant, wrote his name in the track‘s record books, winning the first Cup Series night race in Richmond history.
On Sept. 11, 1999, future three-time Cup champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Tony Stewart captured the first of his 49 Cup victories. Through the years, Stewart has praised the track saying, “It just doesn‘t get any better than Richmond Raceway. It‘s the ultimate in short-track racing, and doesn‘t get any more exciting than that. This is where my first victory came. Richmond is always going to be special for me.”
Richmond‘s modern history is known for its competitive chaos on and off the track. On May 3, 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch had late-race contact leading to Clint Bowyer winning his first race at the track. The fiery post-race interview by the most popular driver in the sport, Earnhardt, led this race to be remembered for generations of race fans. Ten years later, the drivers united to discuss the race in an oral history by Jeff Gluck.
Virginia native Denny Hamlin visited victory lane at his home track for the first time in the Cup Series on Sept. 12, 2009. The moment resonated throughout the region as the hometown boy lived out a dream that started as a child watching the heroes he now raced from the Richmond grandstands. Hamlin won Richmond races again in 2010 and 2016.
With the sun shining on the Cup series return to Sunday racing at America‘s Premier Short Track on April 24, 2016, Carl Edwards moved his teammate Kyle Busch coming out of turn 4 to take the checkered flag. The moment was truly memorable as two of the sport‘s best raced to an unforgettable finish that became one of the biggest stories of the season.
As Richmond celebrates its 75th anniversary season, America‘s Premier Short Track will recognize its legacy in the history of motorsports with future announcements and events throughout the year.
For more information on Richmond‘s 75th anniversary, visit richmondraceway.com/75th.
2021 NASCAR Season
As part of Richmond‘s 75th anniversary celebration, Richmond will host its 66th annual spring NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 18, 2021. The spring Cup Series race at Richmond has been held in the month of April since 2011. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will compete for the second consecutive season on Saturday, April 17, 2021.
The 2021 fall NASCAR Playoff Weekend at Richmond will include three races over two days starting with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Friday, Sept. 10. America‘s Premier Short Track will host a day-night doubleheader with the NASCAR Xfinity Series race and a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. This will be the 30th anniversary of the fall Cup race being held under the lights at Richmond.
Start times and television networks for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be announced at a later date.
2021 NASCAR season and individual race tickets are available for purchase today via phone at 866-455-7223 or online at richmondraceway.com. Fans can view the full 2021 NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedules and purchase tickets at nascar.com/tickets.
Stay connected to Richmond Raceway on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation‘s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Seriesu2122, NASCAR Xfinity Seriesu2122, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Seriesu2122), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Associationu2122 (IMSAu00ae) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championshipu2122, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR‘).
About Richmond Raceway
Richmond Raceway is America‘s Premier Short Track annually hosting two NASCAR race weekends, featuring the NASCAR Cup Series and either NASCAR Xfinity Series or NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, on the iconic ¾-mile D-shaped oval. Richmond Raceway is a regional leader for events including sports, live music and consumer trade shows. The Richmond Raceway Complex‘s 1,100 plus acre multipurpose facility hosts more than 200 live events over 280 event days annually including concerts with top national recording artists at Virginia Credit Union LIVE!, the region‘s only covered amphitheater. For more information, visit richmondraceway.com, richmondracewaycomplex.com, or vaculive.com.