Richmond Raceway

Richmond Raceway is a 0.75-mile D-shaped oval that has been one of the most important short tracks in NASCAR since the Cup Series first visited in 1953. The current configuration — resurfaced, reconfigured, and modernized over the decades — produces racing that blends short-track intensity with intermediate-track strategy. The progressive banking allows for multiple racing lines, and the three-quarter-mile length gives just enough room for drivers to execute passes without requiring contact. Richmond has historically been one of the most pivotal races on the schedule, serving as a regular-season cutoff race during the playoff era, where bubble drivers fought tooth and nail for the final qualifying positions. The track under the lights on a Saturday night in September creates an atmosphere that captures everything that makes NASCAR compelling — the drama of championship implications, the intensity of short-track racing, and the spectacle of 40 cars circulating under the Virginia sky.

Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference