NASCAR s Most Memorable Moments at Martinsville Speedway The Short Track is the only venue that remains from the original 1948 schedule. Apr 7, 2021 Sarah CrabillGetty Images
Only one track from the original 1949 NASCAR Cup Series schedule remains there today, and Martinsville Speedway isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Virginia businessman H. Clay Earles carved a paperclip-shaped half-mile oval out of Henry County clay in 1947 with NASCAR founders Jim and Bill France serving as partners. In exchange for a quarter of the revenue from the first race, the Frances promised to delivered cars and advertising. It’s been on the schedule ever since. The track was paved in 1955 and has survived a series a series of national expansions that came at the expense of countless other short tracks that were on the initial schedules, including North Wilkesboro Speedway. While the track has undergone several modernization projects, Martinsville Speedway is revered due to its thr