Virginia

All-Time Favorite Virginia Track:

Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville

Current lifetime trackchasing state rank: 7

Best Memories:

I often say that “People vote with their feet”. It really doesn’t matter what people TELL you they will do it matters what they REALLY do. That’s how I know that the Martinsville Speedway is my favorite track in Virginia. Even though I live nearly 3,000 miles from the track I’ve seen nearly ten races at Martinsville. With free parking, tickets for $20 or often less, two-dollar “Martinsville” hot dogs and cheap Virginia gas how could I NOT show up in Martinsville frequently?

The Capital City Speedway is an excellent little go-kart track with huge fields. The new Dominion Raceway is a mini-Irwindale and that’s a compliment. The Franklin County Speedway was an old-time asphalt track that I had never heard of but had been doing its thing for years and years. I first met Mike Knappenberger at the Hampton Coliseum. It took a while but I finally talked him into submitting his track list. I tried to get to the King George Speedway for their senior champ kart racing for years and when I did I met the famous track announcer Steve Minson.

The Motor Mile Speedway was a mini-Bristol. My buddy George Robertson joined me at the Oak Level Speedway not too far from where he grew up. The Providence Raceway attracted 209 entries during my visit. I was at the Richmond Raceway (pictured with my stepfather Bill Virt and Jim Sabo) for the first-ever sold-out night race. One of the most down-home announcers entertained us all at the Rolling Thunder Speedway. The brand new Shenandoah Speedway offered automatic flush toilets…that was a long way from my experience at both the Lincoln Speedway and Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania.

I met and talked with Fox Sports announcer Mike Joy (above left…I’ve also met DW and Larry Mac) at the Virginia Motor Speedway. The Wythe Raceway was built down in a bowl-like Beckley and had one of the very steepest pitched grandstands like Butler in Michigan. I’ve seen some very decent asphalt oval racing and figure 8 racing in Virginia. The Virginia International Raceway is really nice too.

If you see a track link in the above list simply click on it to be transferred to my Trackchaser Report. Here you will be able to read about my adventure at this particular track. Not only will you learn about my time at the track but you’ll hear about all of the interesting people, places and things I encountered during the entire trip, coming and going, to that speedway. Most of my Trackchaser Reports will also include a photo album and YouTube video. Check it all out. Don’t be afraid to use the “search” box in the upper right corner of my website’s home page. Just type in the track name or whatever and you’ll be directed to the place you want to be.

Below is a key to surface types and track configurations so you can understand the above list just a little bit easier.

Surface types:  D-dirt; P-paved; M-mixed

Configuration types:  O-oval; RC-road course; F8-figure 8 track