Martinsville Speedway

They have been racing at Martinsville Speedway since 1947, two years before NASCAR even sanctioned its first official season, and the paperclip-shaped half-mile in the Virginia foothills has not lost a single ounce of its character. It is the shortest track on the Cup schedule, the oldest, and arguably the most beloved. The flat straightaways and tight turns create a rhythm unlike anywhere else — heavy braking into corners, contact on exits, and the unmistakable sound of sheet metal grinding against sheet metal. The Grandfather Clock trophy is one of the most coveted prizes in the sport, a symbol of craftsmanship and tradition that no other winner's trophy can match. Martinsville rewards patience and aggression in equal measure, a paradox that only the best short-track racers can solve. Cautions come frequently, tempers run hot, and feuds born in the turns of this place have shaped rivalries for generations. The concrete surface was added to the turns in recent years, but the soul of this track — that beautiful, violent, intimate brand of racing — has endured since the very beginning.

Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference