Richmond International Raceway

Richmond International Raceway
(America's Premier Short Track)


Richmond International Raceway as seen from the stands.
Location Henrico County, Virginia, United States
Time zone Eastern Time Zone
Coordinates 37°35′30″N 77°25′15″W / 37.59169°N 77.42091°W / 37.59169; -77.42091Coordinates: 37°35′30″N 77°25′15″W / 37.59169°N 77.42091°W / 37.59169; -77.42091
Capacity 71,000[1]
Owner International Speedway Corporation
Operator International Speedway Corporation
Opened 1946
Former names Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway 1969–1988
Virginia State Fairgrounds 1964–1968
Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds 1955–1963
Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds 1946–1955
Major events NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Toyota Owners 400
Federated Auto Parts 400
NASCAR Xfinity Series
ToyotaCare 250 (spring race)
Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (fall race)
D-shaped oval (1988-present)
Surface Asphalt
Length 0.75 mi (1.2 km)
Turns 4
Banking 14° in turns
8° on frontstretch
2° on backstretch
Lap record 0:15.3197 seconds (176.244 mph) (Sam Hornish Jr., Team Penske, 2005, IndyCar)
NASCAR Cup racecars before the start on the 1/2 mile configuration in September, 1984
The pits during a 1985 NASCAR Cup race

Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, an IndyCar Series race, and two USAC sprint car races.

Until 2016, Richmond International Raceway was one of several race tracks to host all of its events at night. The track sold out 33 consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. The sellout streak ended in September 2008 partially due to the economic downturn, though the major factor in ticket sales was the impact of Tropical Storm Hanna.[2]

Richmond has hosted the final "regular-season" race, leading up to the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, each year since the concept was introduced in 2004.

In 2010, Richmond International Raceway introduced a state-of-the-art video scoring tower that boasts more LED square footage than any other in the motorsports industry. The cap features four high definition LED screens that measure 38-feet wide by 24-feet high. The screens broadcast live race action and pre-produced video and graphics. The stem shows running order and has the ability to rotate through the entire field.

History

Racing in Virginia

Racing sports has a long tradition in Virginia, dating back to colonial English times.[3] From 1898 to World War I, the Deep Run Hunt Club the Northside area of Ginter Park was the site of the club's somewhat annual steeplechase race.[4] After a decade hiatus, the annual races were moved to Curles Neck in 1928 on the south side of Richmond.[4]

World War II

Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, all auto racing was suspended due to WWII. From 1942 to 1945 no events were contested, banned by the U.S. government primarily on account of rationing.

Races resume

The 1946 AAA Championship Car season was unique in that it was the first post-war IndyCar race and because the Atlantic Rural Exposition had built a new state fairgrounds at the old Strawberry Hill Farm near Ginter Park.[5][6][7] The ½ -mile [8] dirt track would be suitable for both annual "Strawberry Hill" horse races and car races, and was known as the "Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds Track", "Strawberry Hill",[9] and "Strawberry Hill Raceway" [10] On October 12, 1946, Ted Horn gained the distinction of winning the track's first race in an open-wheel Indy-style car.[11]

Strawberry Hill Raceway joins national racing circuit

Two years later, when the NASCAR schedule was being formed, this short track joined several others on the circuit.[12] In 1953, the track began hosting the Grand National Series with Lee Petty winning that first race in Richmond.[13] The original track was paved in 1968.[14] In 1988, the track was re-designed into its present D-shaped configuration [11]

The name for the raceway complex was "Strawberry Hill" until the Virginia State Fairgrounds site was bought out in 1999 and renamed the "Richmond International Raceway". The Strawberry Hill Races, which are a series of steeplechase horse races were formerly held the third Saturday of April at the Richmond Raceway Complex. In 2001, the races were moved to Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia's first Thoroughbred racetrack.[15]

Richmond Raceway Complex

Richmond International Raceway is located at the Richmond Raceway Complex, which is an 1,000-acre (4.0 km2), multi-purpose facility.

The Richmond Raceway Complex also hosts the Intergalactic Bead Show, Virginia Golf Show, Bassarama, the Richmond Home and Garden Show, the RV and Camping Expo, the Richmond Boat Show, the Richmond Classic Sports Card Show, the East Coast Sawmill and Logging Equipment Expo, the Craftsmen Classic Spring and Christmas Shows, Bizarre Bazaar Spring and Christmas Shows and other various arts and craft events.

Outdoor festivals currently hosted by the Richmond Raceway Complex include the 102.1 "The X" chili cook-off, the ACCA Temple Pork Festival and concerts featuring local and national recording artists.

Outdoor festivals that have been held there included the Virginia State Fair, the Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival, the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies, the K95 Country Music Festival and the Virginia Food Festival.

NASCAR-sanctioned races

Richmond International Raceway is home to two NASCAR races in both the Sprint Cup Series and Xfinity Series.

There are a pair of spring races, usually held on the last weekend of April. The Xfinity race is currently 250 laps (187.5 miles) and is named the ToyotaCare 250.[16] The Sprint Cup race is currently 400 laps (300 miles) and is named the Toyota Owners 400.[16]

There are a pair of fall races, usually held on the second weekend of September. The 250 lap (187.5 miles) Xfinity race is currently sponsored by Virginia 529 College Savings Plan and is named the Virginia 529 College Savings 250.[17] The 400 lap (300 miles) fall Cup race is currently sponsored by Federated Auto Parts and is named the Federated Auto Parts 400.[18] Under the current schedule it is the final race before the playoff-style Chase for the Sprint Cup series of races that determine the Cup champion begins, and the last chance for drivers to earn a place in the Chase.

Until 2005, RIR was home to a fall Camping World Truck Series race. Starting with the 2006 schedule, that date was transferred to Talladega Superspeedway. Until 2009, RIR was also home to a June IndyCar Series race. In July 2009, it was announced that IndyCar would not return to RIR in 2010.

Timeline

Races and events

Current races

Previous races

Records

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records

(As of 9/10/11)

Most wins 13 Richard Petty
Most top fives 34 Richard Petty
Most top tens 41 Richard Petty
Most starts 63 Richard Petty
Most poles 8 Richard Petty, Bobby Allison
Most laps completed 21135 Richard Petty
Most laps led 5136 Richard Petty
Highest avg. start* 3.7 Bobby Isaac
Highest avg. finish* 5.0 Kyle Busch

* minimum 10 starts

References

  1. ↑ "Richmond International Raceway Track News, Records & Links". jayski.com. jayski.com. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  3. ↑ http://www.deeprunhuntclub.com/about-drhc/history
  4. 1 2 Peter Winants (17 August 2000). Steeplechasing: A Complete History of the Sport in North America. Derrydale Press. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-1-4617-0822-3.
  5. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (28 November 1953). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 1–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=yRenra9nfccC&lpg=PA81&dq=strawberry%20hill%20farm%20richmond%20Laburnum&pg=PA81#v=onepage&q=strawberry%20hill%20farm%20richmond%20Laburnum&f=false page 81 of Colonial Downs and More by Francis Marion Bush
  7. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=3QPyAAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA45&dq=Richmond%20strawberry%20hill%20Raceway%201946&pg=PA45#v=onepage&q=Richmond%20strawberry%20hill%20Raceway%201946&f=false page 45 of Steeplechasing: A Complete History of the Sport in North America By Peter Wijnants
  8. ↑ Richmond International Raceway Packages — Track Seating Chart, Race Tickets & Hotel Travel Package to RIR
  9. ↑ Lew Freedman. "Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing". p. 641.
  10. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=9Id0bHVBYEsC&lpg=PA43&dq=Richmond%20strawberry%20hill%20dirt%20Raceway%201946&pg=PA43#v=onepage&q=Richmond%20strawberry%20hill%20dirt%20Raceway%201946&f=false page 43 of "Nascar" By Nigel Kinrade, Steve Casper
  11. 1 2 http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20150420/COLUMNISTS/304209982 "In 1988, the track was totally redesigned and banked into its presence D-shaped configuration."
  12. ↑ "The original track was built by Virginia native Paul Sawyer in 1946 and was one of the first short tracks to join NASCAR's fledgling group of original tracks two years later. "
  13. ↑ "Richmond International Raceway has hosted the NASCAR Winston Cup Series since 1953. Lee Petty won the first race that year. "
  14. ↑ "The original track was paved in 1968."
  15. 1 2 Strawberry Hill Races Traditions
  16. 1 2 Toyota Sponsoring Two NASCAR Races at RIR in April 2013
  17. ↑ Announcing entitlement for Fall Nationwide race 2009 Archived July 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ↑ Virginia-Based Federated Auto Parts Unites with RIR for September 8th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Entitlement
  19. ↑ Winston Twin 200
  20. ↑ Richmond International Raceway

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