Martinsville Speedway, Oval

Martinsville Speedway is the shortest oval on the NASCAR Cup schedule and the only original venue to have hosted a race in every season of the championship. Located in south-central Virginia near the town of Martinsville, its 0.526-mile layout resembles two drag strips joined by tight, almost flat hairpin turns, a shape that has earned it the nickname 'the paperclip'. It was founded by local businessman H. Clay Earles in partnership with Jim and Bill France, opening in 1947 as a dirt track and drawing more than 6,000 fans to its first race despite choking dust. The surface was paved in asphalt in 1955, giving two 800-foot straights linked by corners banked at just 12 degrees, with concrete added in the turns in 1976. The track's small size and tight geometry produce some of the closest, most strategic racing in the sport, where guile and patience often beat raw horsepower. Since 1964 race winners have been awarded grandfather clocks rather than trophies, a nod to the area's furniture industry, with Richard Petty the all-time clock leader. The Frances' International Speedway Corporation took full ownership in 2004, the same year the worn concrete was completely resurfaced and SAFER barriers installed. Now owned by NASCAR, Martinsville stages major race weekends across the national series each year, with seating for around 61,000 spectators.

Operated by: NASCAR (Speedway Motorsports LLC)