Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today the signing of a resolution to declare the month of April as Racing Virginia Month. This recognition honors the storied history of racing in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which dates back over 70 years. The NASCAR weekends at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway showcase the only major professional sport to annually visit The Commonwealth.
“Few states have such a strong connection with motor racing and NASCAR as Virginia,” said Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. “We’re proud of our history with the sport and its continued positive impact on our economy. I look forward to welcoming thousands of fans to our great Commonwealth for these exciting events.”
April is the month when racing comes alive in Virginia. Racing Virginia Month waves the green flag with NASCAR at Martinsville on April 1 and 2 and concludes with Richmond’s spring race weekend on April 28, 29, and 30. In addition to these tracks launching their 2017 NASCAR seasons, many racing facilities around the Commonwealth will return to action during April. The weekly shows at these tracks and dragways are the proving ground for racing’s future stars.
“It’s an honor to have Governor Terry McAuliffe recognize April as Racing Virginia Month,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “We take pride in our deep-rooted history within the sport in Virginia. We celebrate the entire sport of racing, and are thankful for the local short tracks who develop motor racing at the grassroots level and help drive the passion for racing overall.”
“The history of NASCAR can’t be told without mentioning Virginia,” Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said. “Martinsville Speedway was on the original schedule and is the only track that remains on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Schedule today. For the Governor McAuliffe to not only recognize a month as Racing Virginia Month, but the month of April, which starts in Martinsville and ends in Richmond is quite an honor.”
To read the full text of the Governor’s resolution declaring the month of April as Racing Virginia Month, click on the attached file.
As part of the celebration around Racing Virginia, Richmond has partnered with tracks around the Commonwealth to launch RacingVirginia.com. The site is intended to centralize information regarding all the racing action that happens in The Commonwealth. With original content from writers like Joe Moore and Randy Hallman paired with general information about each track, the Racing Virginia website will be a resource for all racing fans in the state. The site launches on Monday, April 3.
Racing returns to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. This year the historic track celebrates its 70th anniversary. The weekend starts on Friday with Virginia Lottery Pole Day and continues on Saturday with the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be in action on Sunday with the running of the STP 500. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com.
NASCAR racing returns to the Capital of the Commonwealth on April 28, 29 and 30. The action starts with Pole Day on April 28, followed by the ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash4Cash race on Saturday, April 29 at 1 p.m. Kids 12 and younger are free in general admission seating areas for all NASCAR XFINITY Series races. Richmond’s spring weekend concludes with NASCAR’s best in the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m.
Richmond’s fall race weekend, presented by Who’s Your Driver, will crown the inaugural Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season champion over Fan Appreciation Weekend on September 8-9. Witness history in the Federated Auto Parts 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday, September 9 as a regular season champion will be crowned. On Friday, September 8, the rising stars of tomorrow will compete in the Virginia529 College Savings 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race.
Tickets are on sale now. Visit rir.com or call 866-455-7223 to purchase.
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