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RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL
SPEEDWAY
Known for its easy-to-reach location, having ample space for free parking, Richmond Raceway Complex is organizing various public or private shows on regular basis. The Richmond raceway Complex has all the reason to boast of the flexibility of its facilities, comprising a various set of Exhibit Halls of different sizes, meeting and conference rooms with peaceful environment, a state of the art amphitheatre and the huge outdoor areas for multiple purposes. By hosting a diverse range of events like The State Fair of Virginia, The Richmond Home and Garden Show, Bizarre and many other exciting events, the Richmond Raceway Complex has successfully carried on its prestigious Virginia traditions. HISTORY OF RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Richmond
International Raceway (RIR) has undergone various renovations with three name
changes. The Raceway came into the limelight, when Ted Horn won the open wheel
Champ Car on ½ mile dirt track on October 12, 1946. After seven year of NASCAR
establishment in 1948, Lee Petty emerged as the winner of first NASCAR race at
“Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds” on April 19, 1953. Today after 50
years, known as Richmond International Raceway is hosting some of the best
racing in the country. Richmond International Raceway has been through many development and name changes. The ½-mile dirt track came into existence in 1953 and later it was resurfaced as the concrete one in 1968 with the total distance of .625-mile. In April of 1969, the Speedway was rebuilt three times over an 11-month period. Initially the length was settled on .5625-mile track, then again on ½-mile and at last on .542-mile track. In 1998, the track was transformed into .75 mile oval. Presently, Richmond
International Raceway has become one of the most popular Speedway for all races
or series. Richmond International Raceway is one of the best places to race and
to see a race at night. The Raceway
will organize seven premier motor sports events for night racing in three
weekends, this year, featuring a couple of NASCAR Winston Cup Series races, two
NASCAR Busch Series events and one Indy Racing League, NACAR Craftsman Truck
Series and USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown Championship Series. This year
Richmond International Raceway is hosting 50th NASCAR races at its facility. HISTORICAL TIMELINE
v October
12, 1946: Ted Horn emerged as the winner of first race at “Strawberry Hill
Speedway” over a ½-mile track. v 1953:
The Speedway was re-named as “Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds”. v April
19, 1953: Lee Petty won the first NASCAR race with an average of 45.535 mph in
two hour, eleven minute, 46-second race. Buck Baker came first in an Oldsmobile
at a speed of 48.465 mph. Petty received $1,000 for his victory, while
last-place finisher Coleman Lawrence collected $25. v 1955:
The property was owned by Paul Sawyer and the legendary Joe Weatherly. v June
5, 1960: “The King” Richard Petty won his first race at Richmond. He finishes
6th. Included in the group in front of Petty was Ned Jarrett (third), Glen Wood
(fifth) and his father, Lee, who finished first. v April
23, 1961: Richard Petty became the winner of 13 races at Richmond when his
father was recovering from injuries sustained at Daytona. v September
9, 1962: Weatherly became the winner of two consecutive races at Richmond
International Raceway. He won each race by “1 lap plus”, where around 15,000
people witnessed his victory. v 1965:
Track renamed as “Virginia State Fairgrounds Raceway. v September
9, 1968: Track was paved and re-measured at.625-mile. v April
13, 1969: Track is re-measured at .5625-mile. v September
7, 1969: Track is re-measured at ½-mile. v 1970:
Track became “Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway.” v March
1, 1970: Track is re-measured at .542-mile. v March
1, 1970: Richard Petty became the winner of the first of seven consecutive and
nine out of 10 races at Richmond. v November
13, 1971: Bobby Allison won the first of six consecutive pole positions. Both
Allison and Richard Petty would go on to capture an all-time track record of
eight poles. Finishing 20th in his first Richmond race was Richard Childress. v February
24, 1980: Richmond received $100,000 for the first time. Darrell Waltrip won
the race in his famous Gatorade Chevrolet and got $17,800. Brett Bodine, who
finished last in the 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 with the Looney Tunes,
collected $34,349. v February
20, 1982: The inaugural “Late Model Sportsman Division” race at Richmond was
won by Tommy Houston. The series was named as the Busch Series, Grand National
Division in 1984. v September
12, 1987: Mark Martin won the first of a record five NASCAR Busch Series races.
v 1988:
Track was renamed as “Richmond International Raceway.” v February
21, 1988: The track was reconfigured to .75-mile and the seating capacity was
expanded to 50,000. Bulldozers, including one driven by Richard Petty, begin
work on the project immediately following the completion of the Pontiac
Excitement 400. v March
26, 1989: Rusty Wallace won the first of a record six races at Richmond on the
.75-mile configuration. v April
8, 1990: Rick Fuller emerged as the winner of the first NASCAR Featherlite
Modified Series race at Richmond. v September
7, 1991: Harry Gant won the first race “under the lights” at Richmond. v September
7, 1995: Terry Labonte won the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at
Richmond. v September
11, 1999: Tony Stewart won his first race-“under the lights” at Richmond. v December
1, 1999: International Speedway Corporation bought the Richmond International
Raceway and the surrounding 650-acre property from Paul Sawyer. v June
29, 2001: Jacque Lazier won the pole for the inaugural SunTrust Indy Challenge
at a blistering speed of 160.417 mph (16.831 seconds). It is the Indy Racing
League’s first appearance on a track shorter than one mile. v May
3, 2002: Ward Burton sets new Winston Cup track record with 128.388 mph in
21.194 seconds. v October
2002: Seating capacity is expanded to 105,000. TRACK INFORMATION
The ¾-mile tri-oval
Richmond International Speedway has 14-degree banking. The Speedway was first
host to the dirt auto races in the 1940s, which was built on the site of a
half-mile. The original track was resurfaced into the paved one in 1968. The
RIR was renovated in 1988 between the spring and fall races. Recent
reconstructions have made it one of the most modern speedways. The present facility
was built on the site of a half-mile track that first hosted dirt auto races in
the 1940s. The original track was paved in 1968. RIR was redesigned in 1988
between the spring and fall races. Recent renovations have made it one of the
most modern speedways on the tour. SEATING
ARRANGEMENTS AND DETAILING
Source: Richmond International Speedway, Official Website. NASCAR 2003 This map is demonstrating the important features of Richmond International Raceway. First Aid, Handicap seating, ATMs, Concessions, Gate numbers, Telephones and Restrooms are all clearly visible on this map. Name and locations of the grandstands are also mentioned on this map. You can easily locate each color-coded grandstand. Each section within the grandstand is also labeled. PRICING INFORMATION AND REGULATION
Tickets orders will
be are immediately processed within 24 hours in weekdays. Call us at
(804-345-7223 RACE), for special delivery arrangement of the race with 72
hours. There is also a choice to purchase or cancel the orders, if the Richmond
Speedway tickets are not available. No
cancellation is provided, once the order is processed. |
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 © 2003 K & J Productions |