Roots and history. Two things that everyone and everything has. Your roots are what ground you. They link you to who you were, who you are, and who you are going to be. Your history reminds you of what you have accomplished and the events that have shaped you. Your roots and history are essentially who you are.
Richmond International Raceway is no different. Our history is deeply rooted. From names, changes in track surface, and reconfiguration, RIR has seen it all. But, to fully understand and appreciate how RIR got to where it is today you have to go back to before the track was even built.
Racing was very popular in the Richmond area prior to the track being built in 1946. A small track, where The Diamond is located today, was used for horse racing and was called the Fairgrounds. Fans were packing in the place, so the promoters decided to buy the land where RIR is today and build a track for strictly motor racing.
The first race at RIR was on October 12, 1946. RIR was dirt, only a ½-mile configuration, named Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds. Ted Horn won the race in an open wheel car in front of a standing room only crowd. No one at the time realized this was the beginning of what would be a Richmond tradition.
“Many people believe that the first NASCAR race at RIR was in 1953. Little do they know there was a NASCAR modified race here in 1948,” explained Joe Kelly, local RIR and NASCAR historian. “The race was to be held at Martinsville Speedway, but it rained. Bill France, Sr. came to RIR and rented the track for $200. The race, held on May 16, 1948, was the first NASCAR sanctioned race in the state of Virginia. A World War II Congressional Medal of Honor winner by the name of Red Byron won the race. Byron was actually held in a concentration camp and lost usage of his left leg, but he was still able to wheel a car. On that day, France realized that Richmond was a hot spot for NASCAR and they needed to return soon.”
France did return to Richmond in 1953 with what is known today as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was April 19, 1953, and it was a muggy, rainy day. The track was still dirt at the time, and the conditions created a WILD race. “The track was slick and mud from the track was filling the radiators of the cars,” continued Kelly. “Lee Petty’s pit crew, which consisted of Richard Petty and his brother Maurice, was cleaning the mud from the car with a stick.” Petty would go on to win that race in 1953, and this was the start of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing at RIR.
April 19, 1953 started it all, but there is a lot of history after that day that has made RIR what it is. Here are a few fast facts about our track:
- 1955: Paul Sawyer and legendary racer Joe Weatherly buy the property. Track is known as “Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds.”
- 1959: The track begins hosting two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events each season and has continued to do so since.
- March 10, 1964: Many think the first Richmond night race was contested in September 1991; however, this race was run on a Tuesday night with temporary lights after a Saturday night rain-out.
- 1967: Track becomes known as “Virginia State Fairgrounds.”
- March 24, 1968: David Pearson wins the final race on dirt at the facility. Pearson won six career races at Richmond.
- September 8, 1968: Richard Petty wins the first race on the newly paved .625-mile track. The race is 187.5 miles (300 laps).
- 1969: Track becomes known as “Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway.”
- April 13, 1969: Track is re-measured at ½-mile. Race length is 250 miles (500 laps).
- September 7, 1969: Track is re-measured at .542-mile, a distance that would remain constant until the track was rebuilt to its current ¾-mile configuration in 1988. Race length is 462 laps.
- March 7, 1976: Race is shortened to 216.8 miles (400 laps). The 400-lap distance has remained through today, even when the track was reconfigured to ¾-mile in 1988.
- February 20, 1982: Tommy Houston wins the inaugural “Late Model Sportsman Division” race at Richmond. The series would become known as the Busch Series, Grand National Division in 1984.
- 1988: Track becomes known as “Richmond International Raceway.”
- February 21, 1988: A massive reconstruction begins, as the track is reconfigured to ¾-mile and the seating capacity is expanded to 50,000. Bulldozers, including one driven by Richard Petty, begin work on the project immediately following completion of the Pontiac Excitement 400.
- September 7, 1991: Harry Gant wins the first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race under permanent lights at Richmond.
- December 1, 1999: International Speedway Corporation purchases Richmond International Raceway and the surrounding property from Paul Sawyer.
- May 6, 2007: Richmond International Raceway hosts its 31st consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sellout, which coincides with the all-new Commonwealth Tower and TORQUE Club.
- Summer 2012: Richmond celebrates its 60th year hosting NASCAR.
- 2016: RIR celebrates 70 years of history.
With 70 years of history, there’s been many memorable moments and events that have shaped RIR. We’ve become more than a track; we’re a staple in racing.
Stay tuned for an upcoming article outlining some of the most memorable races in RIR’s history!
RIR PR
