Richmond Raceway, Oval

Richmond Raceway is a three-quarter-mile, D-shaped oval on the northern edge of Richmond, Virginia, widely billed as "America's premier short track." Its origins reach back to 1946, when racing began on a half-mile dirt oval at the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, also known as Strawberry Hill. The venue gained its first NASCAR event in 1953 and, under owners Paul Sawyer and driver Joe Weatherly, became a regular Grand National fixture, even pioneering night racing under temporary lights in 1964. The original track was paved in 1968 and remeasured at 0.542 miles before it closed in early 1988. Sawyer then enlarged the facility into the current 0.75-mile D-shaped oval, which reopened in September 1988 under the new name Richmond International Raceway. Permanent lighting arrived in 1991, and from 1999 both NASCAR Cup events ran under the lights. International Speedway Corporation, now part of NASCAR, acquired the complex around the turn of the millennium and continued investing in it. In 2017 the track dropped "International" from its name to become simply Richmond Raceway and launched a thirty-million-dollar "Reimagined" project that modernised the infield, added garage viewing areas and post-race inspection stations, and brought victory lane closer to the grandstands. The current configuration carries 14 degrees of banking in the corners, with 8 degrees on the frontstretch and 2 degrees on the backstretch. Its short length combined with relatively generous racing room produces close, action-filled stock car events. The oval sits within the wider Richmond Raceway Complex, which hosts a broad calendar of shows and festivals throughout the year.

Operated by: NASCAR (International Speedway Corporation)