Professional Sports

Heartbeat of NASCAR

Anyone who has ever attended a NASCAR Nextel Cup racing event has witnessed and participated in the ceremony of a culture. Thousands of people follow the NASCAR Nextel Cup race circuit as vendors and dedicated race fans. Regardless of the venue, fans still stand to wave their drivers around to the next turn; they arrive en masse to share thoughts and opinions about the weekend's upcoming events. It is a welcoming culture, open to all who enjoy talking, laughing, lounging and racing.

Twice a year the NASCAR Nextel Cup race teams and race fans arrive at the Martinsville Speedway for a fun-filled weekend of cheering and racing. More than 86,000 fans have traveled near and far to be able to participate in America's fastest growing spectator sport, NASCAR Nextel Cup racing. The Speedway also hosts a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, a NASCAR Featherlite Tour Modified race and a NASCAR Late Model Stock race.

Martinsville Speedway is particularly popular among race fans because it is a "short track," measuring .526 mile, with tight turns and long straightaways. The track provides dynamic and action-packed races. The grandfather of NASCAR tracks - the oldest on the Nextel Cup tour - the Speedway has seen its share of drivers, cars, trucks, and speed in its 54 years.

The late H. Clay Earles founded the track more than half a century ago when he took a look at a brush and bramble-covered field and envisioned all he could build. The gates swung open at the Speedway Sept. 7, 1947, for the first-ever race held at the grounds. There were 6,013 fans -- a sellout at the time -- packed into stands. They braved the flying red dust from the track to watch that first event. A year later NASCAR was formed, and a partnership that has lived for 54 years was born between the sanctioning body and Martinsville Speedway. As of April 2001, the Speedway hosted more than 86,000 thousand fans in its stands and several million more via radio and television.

Race fans� start your engines! Join the fun at the Martinsville Speedway.

For ticket information call 1-877-RACETIX. To receive additional information on the Martinsville Speedway visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Colonial Downs

Martinsville residents and visitors can enjoy top of the line horse racing from around the country at Colonial Downs' state of the art Martinsville Off Track Betting Center (OTB). The Martinsville OTB shows horse races from up to 23 tracks a day on 132 television screens. Visitors can enjoy the great sport of horse racing while taking advantage of daily food and beverage specials and betting the ponies for as little as ten cents. The Martinsville OTB is open every Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 am to midnight.

Colonal Downs - Martinsville, Va
3951 Greensboro Road
Ridgeway, VA 24148
(276) 632-0187
Fax (276) 632-2879

Dirt Track Racing:  The Backbone of American Motor Sports

Fork Mountain Raceway is a 3/8 mile clay tri-oval race track. Races are held on Saturday night beginning at 7:00. There are currently seven different classes for show and features shows are rotated between the classes. The racing is action packed and the drivers put on an excellent show. Come out and join us - hope to see you there!