2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Richmond Raceway

Track Profile: Getting To Know Virginia's Richmond Raceway

Track Profile: Getting To Know Virginia's Richmond Raceway

Get to know Virginia's Richmond Raceway, the site of Friday night's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 150.

Mar 31, 2022 by NASCAR Roots
Track Profile: Getting To Know Virginia's Richmond Raceway

Known as America’s Premier Short Track, Richmond Raceway has played host to NASCAR racing since 1953, when Lee Petty drove a Dodge to victory on what was then a half-mile dirt track located at the Richmond Fairgrounds.

A lot has changed since then, and the track is now a 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval that has played host to more than 100 NASCAR Cup Series races.

Located just outside the Richmond, Virginia, city limits, the track is among the most popular on the NASCAR circuit due to the traditionally tight racing that takes place at the historic facility.

In addition to the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visit the facility on a regular basis. As if that wasn’t enough, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour also returned to the track in 2021 after a nearly 20-year hiatus.

Below is everything to know about Richmond Raceway.

Richmond Raceway

Track Profile

TrackRichmond Raceway
LocationRichmond, Virginia
Opened1953
Length0.75 miles
SurfaceAsphalt

Originally known as Strawberry Hill due to the farm previously located on the site, what is now known as Richmond Raceway began life as a half-mile dirt track shortly after World War II. The track’s first race was held in 1946, with legendary open-wheel racer Ted Horn the winner.

While the track hosted NASCAR-sanctioned racing in the late 1940s, the first NASCAR Cup Series race at the track didn’t take place until 1953. The series returned to the facility two years later in 1955, and it has been a staple in Richmond, Virginia, ever since.

The track has been through several redesigns, including paving the former dirt track in 1968. The track became a 0.542-mile oval, but prior to the 1988 season, it was reconfigured into the current 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval.

Today, Richmond Raceway continues to welcome the NASCAR Cup Series twice every year. The NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour also regularly visit the historic facility, which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary.

While Lee Petty may have won the inaugural race on the half-mile dirt oval in 1953, countless other NASCAR legends have also visited Victory Lane at the track. They include Speedy Thompson, Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, just to name a few.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series first visited Richmond Raceway in 1982, when Tommy Houston drove a Pontiac to victory ahead of Bubba Nissen. The track has since hosted the series 75 times.

Terry Labonte holds the distinction of winning the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway in 1995. Starting from the pole in a Chevrolet owned by Rick Hendrick, Labonte defeated Geoffrey Bodine by a margin of .006 seconds. After a 15-year break, Richmond Raceway welcomed the Truck Series back in 2020, with Grant Enfinger driving to victory lane in a Ford for ThorSport Racing.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour made its debut in Richmond, Virginia, in 1990. Driving a car owned by Curt Chase, Rick Fuller became the first Modified Tour winner in Richmond Raceway history. Legendary drivers like Ted Christopher, Mike Stefanik and Reggie Ruggiero are among the Modified Tour winners at the track.

Below are the all-time results from those series’ visits to Richmond Raceway dating back to the 1950s.

NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway

Year-Race No.DateWinner
1953-064/19/53Lee Petty
1955-165/22/55Tim Flock
1956-124/29/56Buck Baker
1957-165/5/57Paul Goldsmith
1958-469/14/58Speedy Thompson
1959-236/21/59Tom Pistone
1959-389/13/59Cotton Owens
1960-196/5/60Lee Petty
1960-4310/23/60Speedy Thompson
1961-174/23/61Richard Petty
1961-449/10/61Joe Weatherly
1962-104/1/62Rex White
1962-479/9/62Joe Weatherly
1963-154/7/63Joe Weatherly
1963-479/8/63Ned Jarrett
1964-093/10/64David Pearson
1964-539/14/64Cotton Owens
1965-073/7/65Junior Johnson
1965-499/18/65David Pearson
1966-195/15/66David Pearson
1966-449/11/66David Pearson
1967-164/30/67Richard Petty
1967-429/10/67Richard Petty
1968-063/24/68David Pearson
1968-419/8/68Richard Petty
1969-144/13/69David Pearson
1969-439/7/69Bobby Allison
1970-053/1/70James Hylton
1970-409/13/70Richard Petty
1971-063/7/71Richard Petty
1971-4611/14/71Richard Petty
1972-032/27/72Richard Petty
1972-259/10/72Richard Petty
1973-032/25/73Richard Petty
1973-239/9/73Richard Petty
1974-032/24/74Bobby Allison
1974-249/8/74Richard Petty
1975-032/23/75Richard Petty
1975-2610/12/75Darrell Waltrip
1976-043/7/76Dave Marcis
1976-239/12/76Cale Yarborough
1977-032/27/77Cale Yarborough
1977-239/11/77Neil Bonnett
1978-032/26/78Benny Parsons
1978-239/10/78Darrell Waltrip
1979-043/11/79Cale Yarborough
1979-249/9/79Bobby Allison
1980-032/24/80Darrell Waltrip
1980-249/7/80Bobby Allison
1981-032/22/81Darrell Waltrip
1981-249/13/81Benny Parsons
1982-022/21/82Dave Marcis
1982-239/12/82Bobby Allison
1983-022/27/83Bobby Allison
1983-239/11/83Bobby Allison
1984-022/26/84Ricky Rudd
1984-239/9/84Darrell Waltrip
1985-022/24/85Dale Earnhardt
1985-219/8/85Darrell Waltrip
1986-022/23/86Kyle Petty
1986-229/7/86Tim Richmond
1987-033/8/87Dale Earnhardt
1987-229/13/87Dale Earnhardt
1988-022/21/88Neil Bonnett
1988-229/11/88Davey Allison
1989-043/26/89Rusty Wallace
1989-229/10/89Rusty Wallace
1990-022/25/90Mark Martin
1990-229/9/90Dale Earnhardt
1991-022/24/91Dale Earnhardt
1991-229/7/91Harry Gant
1992-033/8/92Bill Elliott
1992-229/12/92Rusty Wallace
1993-033/7/93Davey Allison
1993-239/11/93Rusty Wallace
1994-033/6/94Ernie Irvan
1994-249/10/94Terry Labonte
1995-033/5/95Terry Labonte
1995-249/9/95Rusty Wallace
1996-033/3/96Jeff Gordon
1996-249/7/96Ernie Irvan
1997-033/2/97Rusty Wallace
1997-249/6/97Dale Jarrett
1998-136/6/98Terry Labonte
1998-259/12/98Jeff Burton
1999-115/15/99Dale Jarrett
1999-259/11/99Tony Stewart
2000-115/6/00Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2000-259/9/00Jeff Gordon
2001-115/5/01Tony Stewart
2001-269/8/01Ricky Rudd
2002-115/5/02Tony Stewart
2002-269/7/02Matt Kenseth
2003-115/3/03Joe Nemechek
2003-269/6/03Ryan Newman
2004-115/15/04Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2004-269/11/04Jeremy Mayfield
2005-115/14/05Kasey Kahne
2005-269/10/05Kurt Busch
2006-105/6/06Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2006-269/9/06Kevin Harvick
2007-105/6/07Jimmie Johnson
2007-269/8/07Jimmie Johnson
2008-105/3/08Clint Bowyer
2008-269/7/08Jimmie Johnson
2009-105/2/09Kyle Busch
2009-269/12/09Denny Hamlin
2010-105/1/10Kyle Busch
2010-269/11/10Denny Hamlin
2011-094/30/11Kyle Busch
2011-269/10/11Kevin Harvick
2012-094/28/12Kyle Busch
2012-269/8/12Clint Bowyer
2013-094/27/13Kevin Harvick
2013-269/7/13Carl Edwards
2014-094/26/14Joey Logano
2014-269/6/14Brad Keselowski
2015-094/26/15Kurt Busch
2015-269/12/15Matt Kenseth
2016-094/24/16Carl Edwards
2016-269/10/16Denny Hamlin
2017-094/30/17Joey Logano
2017-269/9/17Kyle Larson
2018-094/21/18Kyle Busch
2018-289/22/18Kyle Busch
2019-094/13/19Martin Truex, Jr.
2019-289/21/19Martin Truex, Jr.
2020-289/12/20Brad Keselowski
2021-094/18/21Alex Bowman
2021-289/11/21Martin Truex, Jr.

NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Richmond Raceway

Year-Race No.DateWinner
1982-022/20/82Tommy Houston
1982-095/2/82Butch Lindley
1982-259/11/82Butch Lindley
1983-022/26/83Sam Ard
1983-289/10/83Morgan Shepherd
1984-022/25/84Sam Ard
1984-249/8/84Tommy Ellis
1985-219/7/85Tommy Ellis
1986-259/6/86Dale Earnhardt
1987-229/12/87Mark Martin
1988-259/10/88Harry Gant
1989-249/9/89Bobby Hamilton
1990-022/24/90Michael Waltrip
1990-259/8/90Rick Mast
1991-022/23/91Harry Gant
1991-269/6/91Harry Gant
1992-033/7/92Harry Gant
1992-269/11/92Robert Pressley
1993-033/6/93Mark Martin
1993-219/10/93Mark Martin
1994-033/5/94Joe Nemechek
1994-249/9/94Kenny Wallace
1995-033/4/95Kenny Wallace
1995-229/8/95Dale Jarrett
1996-033/2/96Jeff Purvis
1996-229/8/96Kenny Wallace
1997-033/1/97Mark Martin
1997-259/5/97Steve Park
1998-146/5/98Jeff Burton
1998-259/11/98Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
1999-125/14/99Mark Martin
1999-269/10/99Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2000-115/5/00Jeff Green
2000-269/8/00Jeff Burton
2001-115/4/01Jimmy Spencer
2001-269/7/01Jimmy Spencer
2002-105/3/02Jason Keller
2002-269/6/02Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2003-105/2/03Kevin Harvick
2003-269/5/03Johnny Sauter
2004-115/14/04Kyle Busch
2004-269/10/04Robby Gordon
2005-125/13/05Carl Edwards
2005-289/9/05Kevin Harvick
2006-115/5/06Kevin Harvick
2006-289/8/06Kevin Harvick
2007-115/4/07Clint Bowyer
2007-289/7/07Kyle Busch
2008-115/2/08Denny Hamlin
2008-289/7/08Carl Edwards
2009-095/1/09Kyle Busch
2009-279/11/09Carl Edwards
2010-094/30/10Brad Keselowski
2010-279/10/10Kevin Harvick
2011-094/29/11Denny Hamlin
2011-279/9/11Kyle Busch
2012-074/27/12Kurt Busch
2012-259/7/12Kevin Harvick
2013-074/26/13Brad Keselowski
2013-259/6/13Brad Keselowski
2014-084/25/14Kevin Harvick
2014-259/5/14Kyle Busch
2015-084/24/15Denny Hamlin
2015-259/11/15Chase Elliott
2016-084/23/16Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2016-259/9/16Kyle Busch
2017-084/29/17Kyle Larson
2017-259/8/17Brad Keselowski
2018-084/20/18Christopher Bell
2018-279/21/18Christopher Bell
2019-084/12/19Cole Custer
2019-279/20/19Christopher Bell
2020-249/11/20Justin Allgaier
2020-259/12/20Justin Allgaier
2021-259/11/21Noah Gragson

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Richmond Raceway

Year-Race No.DateWinner
1995-159/7/95Terry Labonte
1996-179/5/96Mike Skinner
1997-209/4/97Bob Keselowski
1998-209/10/98Jack Sprague
1999-219/9/99Greg Biffle
2000-219/7/00Rick Carelli
2001-199/6/01Jack Sprague
2002-169/5/02Tony Stewart
2003-179/4/03Tony Stewart
2004-179/9/04Ted Musgrave
2005-189/8/05Mike Skinner
2020-169/10/20Grant Enfinger
2021-064/17/21John Hunter Nemechek

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Richmond Raceway

Year-Race No.DateWinner
1990-034/8/90Rick Fuller
1991-023/24/91Mike Stefanik
1991-168/3/91Reggie Ruggiero
1992-034/5/92Doug Heveron
1993-014/3/93Mike Stefanik
1997-2311/1/97Mike Stefanik
1999-045/13/99Ted Christopher
2000-025/4/00Reggie Ruggiero
2001-096/29/01Tony Hirschman
2002-076/28/02Todd Szegedy
2021-129/10/21Ryan Preece