Introduction: It's quite amazing to think about how a tiny little track in the hills of southern Virginia has remained both relevant and beloved to race fans over 78 years. The track was initially opened in 1947 as a dirt surfaced oval, and then began to host Cup races in 1947 after attracting the attention of the France family who purchased it from founder, Henry Clay Earls.  The track was initially paved with asphalt, but after years of heavy wear and constant repaving, the corners were rebuilt out of concrete. The track changed hands a few times over the years. It was purchased by ISC (International Speedway Corporation) in 2004, but then was acquired by NASCAR in 2019 when NASCAR bought ISC.  Martinsville Speedway is one of the best tracks on the circuit because of the way it allows fans to connect so closely with many aspects of the sport, the Fan Zone, grand stands, garage area, pit stalls, and even victory lane (which is situated on the start finish line) provides the most up close and personal experience of any facility in Nascar. With the recent addition of lights, and an enlarged video board, attending a race here is one of the most enjoyable and exciting places to catch a Nascar event. Known as 'The Paperclip' for its long straights and short turns, as well as being the home of the famous Hot Dog stand, Martinsville is a Nascar icon of speed, excitement, and fun. My experience this last weekend was all of that and more.  Fan Zone: Getting things started in the Fan Zone is the only proper way to begin a day at the races. The amount of activation and merchandise that was available to fans this fall was some of the best I've seen. Located in the parking lot just outside of turn 3, the Fan Zone at Martinsville provides some slight views of the track, and a very walkable and accessible space for fans who are looking for fun, food, entertainment, and racing fanfare of all kinds.  The Fan Zone funnels spectators towards the event's main stage titled 'The Nascar Experience.' The stage plays host to several interviews throughout the weekend. We stopped to listen to Noah Gragson talk about racing at Martinsville and he did a predictably great job of pumping up the people who came to listen to him speak. Shortly after his time on stage, Gragson jumped in a nearby simulator to set a virtual lap time for fans to try and beat themselves.  A few other the other highlights of the Fan Zone were several driver meet and greets, the Toxic Waste Candy activation, and the Grizzly Nicotine Pouches pavilion, all shown below. There were many other fan engagement areas and shops that I did not get a photograph of.  Above: Ryan Preece prepares to sign autographs at the Ford Performance merchandise hauler.   Diecast Selection: One of my personal favorite things to do in the Fan Zone is to shop for the latest diecast. Each team hauler was stocked with lots of 1/24 scale and 1/64 scale offerings. It was also evident that the end of the 2025 season was drawing near. Some merchandise haulers had a lower selection than they typically do mid-season. The Trackhouse Racing hauler that distributes team merchandise for Daniel Suarez was clearing out their stock as Suarez is scheduled to be leaving Trackhouse after this season, and he'll be moving to Spire Motorsports in 2026.   It was cool to see so many cars representing Noah Gragson and the Front Row Motorsports No. 4 team. Smaller teams like FRM don't typically get the same representation or exposure as the primary OEM affiliated teams. There were some leftover Kevin Harvick Busch Apple cars, and even a bunch of pre-signed 1/24s for both Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece.  The cars available for Chevy fans were abundant. From lots of JR Motorsports cars, to late model stock cars at the JRM hauler, to lots of colorful paint schemes for William Byron and Kyle Larson, it was a treasure-trove of brand new diecast race cars.   The selection at the Toyota hauler was pretty good too. I would love to have an excuse to add the Martin Truex Jr. 1/24 scale replica from MTJ's Daytona 500 attempt. Unfortunately, they were out of the Denny Hamlin Progressive raced version from his win at Martinsville in the spring, a car I was hoping to find.  Diecast Haul: Out of all of the diecast for sale, I settled on five 1/64 scale cars, and one 1/24 scale car. The No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy I picked up for $70 USD and had Daniel autograph in person. That was certainly the main prize of the day. I was also really excited to Kyle Larson's Darlington throwback so I had to pick up one of those.  Racing Views and Action: I spent the majority of the day in the Fan Zone, but made it to the grandstands to check out Cup practice and qualifying before the main event of the night, the Xfinity Ritchie Bros. 250. We took a seat about 20 rows up from the track in the section just past the start/finish line and flag stand.  When we entered into the grandstand, Cup practice was well underway. They evenly divided the field in half, and each group had approximately 30 minutes to practice. After both sessions, Chase Elliott ran the fastest during practice, but it would be eventual race winner, William Byron who would earn the pole for the Xfinity 500.  Once the Cup cars cleared the pit lane, the Xfinity teams set up their cars and pit boxes in preparation for the night's main event. Harrison Burton driver of the No. 25 Ford Mustang brought the 38 car field to the green flag.  The night was filled with great racing and several cautions, nine to be exact. There were twelve lead changes in all, but Taylor Gray, driver of the JGR No. 54 Supra, led the last lap on his way to the first win of his career. The victory lane celebration was epic and a drone show lit up the sky at the No. 54 JGR Team celebrated. 
Sources:
-Martinsvillespeedway.com -Nascar.com -Nascarhall.com -racing-reference.info
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SynopsisAttending race tracks around the country and the experiences at each one are unlike anything else. From attending races and special events, to touring race shops, read more here. Archives
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