Nestled in the hills of Southwest Virginia is the half-mile Martinsville Speedway. A track full of history and legend, across many divisions of NASCAR racing. It’s NASCAR’s oldest track, opened in 1949, and on Thursday night it plays host to NASCAR’s oldest division, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, once again. 

Even with an 11-year hiatus, the Modifieds have been coming to Martinsville for a very long time. Current-day Modified drivers have heard all about Martinsville races of old from the racers who came before them. And there’s always been one common thing that every Modified driver says when they talk about Martinsville Speedway: They absolutely love it.

We know what makes Martinsville Speedway so special, but what makes it so much fun for Modified drivers? 

“I think we like Martinsville so much because of the history of the speedway and of Modifieds racing there,” explained six-time champion Doug Coby, but also because I think we get around there better than any of the fendered divisions that usually compete at the track, so it’s a great way to showcase the Tour Modifieds.”

Martinsville is known for its tight corners and long straightaways, giving it a shape that resembles a paperclip. It’s also known for beating, banging, and heated tempers within the fendered divisions of NASCAR like the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Camping World Truck Series, and even the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Cars that race at Martinsville every fall.

But that’s not how the track races with the lighter and lower open-wheel Modifieds on the track. Instead, it’s a high-speed race track with a lot of braking.

“You’re hard into the corner with heavy braking, and then solid on the throttle off. It’s a ton of fun to drive a Modified like that,” said defending Martinsville race winner and championship contender, Eric Goodale. 

But for each driver they have a different reason why they love it. Some, like Goodale and Coby, like it because of how the Modifieds race there. Others, like Jimmy Blewett, like Martinsville because of what it means. 

“The history is what makes it so special,” said Blewett, who won at Martinsville all the way back in 2006.

It’s hard to deny that reasoning, especially when you look at the names of drivers who have won Modified races there. Names like Charlie Jarzombek, Reggie Ruggiero, Mike McLaughlin, Tom Baldwin, Mike Stefanik, Tony Hirschman, and Ted Christopher are just a few of the greats that won NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Martinsville since 1985. 

But Modifieds have been racing at Martinsville even longer than that, with names like Ray Hendrick and Paul Radford going to victory lane at Martinsville before the Tour was even formed. 

Geoff Bodine also won Modified races at Martinsville, and won there in Xfinity and Cup competition as well. Bodine is one of the parties involved in what many consider to be the greatest finish in Martinsville Speedway history. He and Richie Evans crashed spectacularly coming to the checkered flag in 1981. Evans scored the win while wall-riding across the finish line.

Of course, Martinsville Speedway’s history with the Modifieds also has a dark side to it. The racing world lost Richie Evans, considered by many to be the greatest Modified driver ever, in a practice crash in turn three in October of 1985. Evans was 44. Just two years later, Jarzombek was killed when his throttle stuck. He was also 44 years old when he passed away.

Martinsville Speedway is a tough place to race, regardless of the division, and even tougher to win. That’s why taking the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway is so special. Every driver knows that when they win at Martinsville, they’re now part of a select group of people that get to take home that legendary grandfather clock. 

Goodale already has one clock after winning a year ago. Instead of having two clocks chiming at the same time, Goodale has other plans in mind if he wins a second one.

“I think I’ll let my parents keep this one if we win,” he said.

The same can’t be said for Coby, should he win a clock. Even though he has won just about everything he could possibly win with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, that clock has eluded him. Even still, he knows exactly where he’s putting it should he be leaving Virginia with some extra cargo on Thursday night.

“If I win that clock, it will go downstairs right alongside my six championship trophies.” 

Race fans that cannot make it to Martinsville Speedway on Thursday night to see the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 in person can catch every lap live on FloRacing.