Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 as the oldest continuously operating venue on the Cup Series schedule. The 0.526-mile flat oval in Martinsville, Virginia, is also the shortest track in the Cup Series and produces the slowest average speeds: typical Cup races at Martinsville run laps in the low-20-second range. The track's tight turns and minimal banking force drivers to brake heavily into each corner, producing a unique style of stock-car racing where contact, fender-rubbing, and short-track tempers regularly decide the outcome. Martinsville traditionally awards a grandfather clock to its race winners, a tradition unique to the venue, and the spring and fall Cup races often serve as critical playoff cutoff events. Martinsville is one of NASCAR's last truly old-school short tracks.