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Martinsville – Tick Tock Run for the Clock
No track has a longer history with NASCAR than this paper clip shaped, concrete turned, half-mile oval. The “Big Boys” of NASCAR have run here every year of the “Winston Cup” existence that started in 1949 as Strictly Stock, 109 times so far. H Clay Earles built the track in 1947 and the first race ran September 7, 1947. Mr. Red Byron won the 200-lap feature for “Modified Stock Cars”. NASCAR sanctioned their first race here in 1948 on July the 4th, Fonty Flock won that one. The first Strictly Stock race, a 200 lapper won by Red Byron in a 1949 Olds, was run on September 25, 1949 the sixth race of the 8 races which made that first season. Since that day the circuit has come to call at least twice a year, in 1961 they even came three times. NASCAR late models, Busch, and Craftsman Truck races all run there still. Of course the track started as a half mile of dirt and was paved between the two races in 1955. The turns were converted to concrete in 1976, again between the two races that year. Starting out as measured one half mile, the track was re-measured to .525 miles in 1970, but in the late 80’s this was again re-measured to .526 miles. To date that measurement stands.
Dealing only with NASCAR’s fore runners to the current Winston Cup series, Strictly Stock followed by Grand National, the first pole winner at Martinsville in 1949 was Curtis Turner. The speed of that pole win is not listed in anywhere I can find. The next race, held on May 21, 1950, saw Buck Baker win the pole at 54.216 mph. Curtis Turner being unable to capture that pole decided to win the race instead. The speeds have increased a bit over the years. Tony Stewart set the current track record in 2000 at 95.371 mph. There have been 52 different pole winners in the 109 races and only three times have time trials been rained out. The names are as varied as the races, some less familiar like Perk Brown and Jimmy Hensley who the only poles of their careers here. The list of other pole winners includes some the best like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Rex White, Herb Thomas, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Fred Lorenzen, …the list goes on. (If anyone is curious, I can post all the pole winners). Those who saw him in his prime will not be surprised to find that the all time leader in poles at Martinsville is Darrell Waltrip who sat on the pole 8 times. Some may be surprised to fine the number two pole winner here is Geoff Bodine with 7. You might also be surprised to learn that among active drivers the leader is Ricky Rudd with 4 poles. Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, and Mark Martin all have 3.
Ten fewer drivers have visited Victory Lane than have won poles, 42 different winners over the years. Again some of the names you might not be looking for. Dick Rathman, Earl Ross (his only win), Frank Mundy, Morgan Shepherd have all won here. Of course the list is also a who’s who of Winston Cup racing. Isaac, Baker, Pearson, Lorenzen, Gant, Speedy Thompson, Joe Weatherly,…..they all won here (this list is available for any interested as well). You get two guesses as what driver has won the most races at Martinsville, and only one counts. Richard Petty leads all-time wins with 15 trips to Victory Lane and only one other driver is in double digits; Darrell Waltrip garnered the checkers 11 times at Martinsville. Among active drivers Rusty Wallace tops the crowd with 6 wins. A total which ties him with Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, and Fred Lorenzen for third in all time wins.
It would be an endless exercise to declare the greatest race ever run at a track with this much history. And this writing has run long already, perhaps another entire post to tell just some of the tales. So in closing it is best to turn to the man who built the place for the best story. To H. Clay Earles he could never decide the best race ever, but he could decide the best finish ever…….and it was not a Winston Cup race, it was a modified race.
In the 1981 Dogwood 500 Classic, Richie Evans and Geoff Bodine came off turn four side-by-side going for the checkered flag. They got together and Richie’s car climbed up on the retaining wall so high you could read the number on the top of his car from the infield.
Evans never let off and with his right front wheel coming off from the impact, came bouncing across the finish line to win on three wheels while Geoff slid across the finish line sideways and crashed into the inside pit wall.
Running in third place, John Blewett, Jr. avoided the melee and would have won the race had Evans not kept his foot on the gas.
Tempers were running pretty high, according to Earles and he got every police officer he could find and took them to the pits. Everyone was so excited and some of them mad. Earles said he knew he was going to have a riot.
Evans and Bodine when to the press box separately and Earles put Evans on one end of the press box and Bodine on the other for interviews.
“That Modified race between Richie and Geoff was the greatest finish of any race ever held, anywhere,” said Earles
That will do for me...........Y'all have fun!!
No track has a longer history with NASCAR than this paper clip shaped, concrete turned, half-mile oval. The “Big Boys” of NASCAR have run here every year of the “Winston Cup” existence that started in 1949 as Strictly Stock, 109 times so far. H Clay Earles built the track in 1947 and the first race ran September 7, 1947. Mr. Red Byron won the 200-lap feature for “Modified Stock Cars”. NASCAR sanctioned their first race here in 1948 on July the 4th, Fonty Flock won that one. The first Strictly Stock race, a 200 lapper won by Red Byron in a 1949 Olds, was run on September 25, 1949 the sixth race of the 8 races which made that first season. Since that day the circuit has come to call at least twice a year, in 1961 they even came three times. NASCAR late models, Busch, and Craftsman Truck races all run there still. Of course the track started as a half mile of dirt and was paved between the two races in 1955. The turns were converted to concrete in 1976, again between the two races that year. Starting out as measured one half mile, the track was re-measured to .525 miles in 1970, but in the late 80’s this was again re-measured to .526 miles. To date that measurement stands.
Dealing only with NASCAR’s fore runners to the current Winston Cup series, Strictly Stock followed by Grand National, the first pole winner at Martinsville in 1949 was Curtis Turner. The speed of that pole win is not listed in anywhere I can find. The next race, held on May 21, 1950, saw Buck Baker win the pole at 54.216 mph. Curtis Turner being unable to capture that pole decided to win the race instead. The speeds have increased a bit over the years. Tony Stewart set the current track record in 2000 at 95.371 mph. There have been 52 different pole winners in the 109 races and only three times have time trials been rained out. The names are as varied as the races, some less familiar like Perk Brown and Jimmy Hensley who the only poles of their careers here. The list of other pole winners includes some the best like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Rex White, Herb Thomas, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Fred Lorenzen, …the list goes on. (If anyone is curious, I can post all the pole winners). Those who saw him in his prime will not be surprised to find that the all time leader in poles at Martinsville is Darrell Waltrip who sat on the pole 8 times. Some may be surprised to fine the number two pole winner here is Geoff Bodine with 7. You might also be surprised to learn that among active drivers the leader is Ricky Rudd with 4 poles. Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, and Mark Martin all have 3.
Ten fewer drivers have visited Victory Lane than have won poles, 42 different winners over the years. Again some of the names you might not be looking for. Dick Rathman, Earl Ross (his only win), Frank Mundy, Morgan Shepherd have all won here. Of course the list is also a who’s who of Winston Cup racing. Isaac, Baker, Pearson, Lorenzen, Gant, Speedy Thompson, Joe Weatherly,…..they all won here (this list is available for any interested as well). You get two guesses as what driver has won the most races at Martinsville, and only one counts. Richard Petty leads all-time wins with 15 trips to Victory Lane and only one other driver is in double digits; Darrell Waltrip garnered the checkers 11 times at Martinsville. Among active drivers Rusty Wallace tops the crowd with 6 wins. A total which ties him with Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, and Fred Lorenzen for third in all time wins.
It would be an endless exercise to declare the greatest race ever run at a track with this much history. And this writing has run long already, perhaps another entire post to tell just some of the tales. So in closing it is best to turn to the man who built the place for the best story. To H. Clay Earles he could never decide the best race ever, but he could decide the best finish ever…….and it was not a Winston Cup race, it was a modified race.
In the 1981 Dogwood 500 Classic, Richie Evans and Geoff Bodine came off turn four side-by-side going for the checkered flag. They got together and Richie’s car climbed up on the retaining wall so high you could read the number on the top of his car from the infield.
Evans never let off and with his right front wheel coming off from the impact, came bouncing across the finish line to win on three wheels while Geoff slid across the finish line sideways and crashed into the inside pit wall.
Running in third place, John Blewett, Jr. avoided the melee and would have won the race had Evans not kept his foot on the gas.
Tempers were running pretty high, according to Earles and he got every police officer he could find and took them to the pits. Everyone was so excited and some of them mad. Earles said he knew he was going to have a riot.
Evans and Bodine when to the press box separately and Earles put Evans on one end of the press box and Bodine on the other for interviews.
“That Modified race between Richie and Geoff was the greatest finish of any race ever held, anywhere,” said Earles
That will do for me...........Y'all have fun!!
