WHEREAS, in 2022, Martinsville Speedway celebrates its 75th anniversary of providing one of the most competitive and traditional stock car racing experiences for both fans and drivers; and, 

WHEREAS, Martinsville Speedway was founded by Virginia native H. Clay Earles in 1947 as a half-mile dirt track built near the Norfolk Southern Railway in Martinsville in Henry County, and the first race at the racetrack hosted 9,013 fans with 750 seats ready on September 7, 1947; and, 

WHEREAS, H.Clay Earles’ grandson, William Clay Campbell of Martinsville, was named the Martinsville Speedway president in 1988 and remains the longest serving track president in NASCAR to this day; and, 

WHEREAS, Martinsville Speedway hosted the first National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Strictly Stock Series race, which was the precursor to the NASCAR Grand National Series and present day NASCAR Cup Series, in Virginia on September 25, 1949, when future NASCAR Hall of Famer Red Byron led 97 of 200 laps to win the race; and, 

WHEREAS, today, Martinsville Speedway is the only NASCAR racetrack to host NASCAR Cup Series races every year since its inception in 1949; and, 

WHEREAS, Bill France, Sr., NASCAR founder and inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class member, joined H. Clay Earles as a 50 percent partner of Martinsville Speedway in the early 1950s; and, 

WHEREAS, racing fans have attended Martinsville Speedway for its twice-yearly NASCAR race weekends since 1959; the track, known for its distinctive paperclip shape, was paved in 1955 and remains the shortest racetrack on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule at 0.526 miles and a width of 55 feet, with 800-feet asphalt straights and tight 588-foot concrete turns, banked at 12 degrees; and, 

WHEREAS, Martinsville Speedway events attract millions of fans viewing on broadcast television and thousands of spectators to the Commonwealth year after year, many of whom stay on-site or in hotels throughout Southwest Virginia to be part of the excitement, camaraderie, and world-class racing experience; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize the 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.