Perhaps if you combined all of the above, it would adequately describe the founder of Martinsville Speedway. And one thing is certain: he was one of a kind.
Earles built and opened Martinsville Speedway in Earles seen the sons, and even grandsons, of great drivers grow up to compete here. His name was Fred Lorenzen. Earles, who died November 16, as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the speedway, spans racing's rough and tumble birth to its current mega-bucks attraction. Today, Martinsville Speedway covers over acres.
Earles has turned the track into a multi-million dollar facility. It has foot straights, short, tight turns banked at only 12 degrees and has been called "two drag strips with short turns.
Despite the fact that there were no fences and some 3, fans were able to watch the race without paying, the initial effort was a financial, if not artistic, success. Robert N. He wore a special stirrup on his left leg, which was smashed by flak in World War II, and the injury necessitated the use of a special clutch pedal. Earles always insisted on beautification, excellent concessions and attended restrooms at the track.
Racing appeals to all ages and many of our most avid fans are young folks and ladies. The track has 26 corporate suites, a chalet village for tent entertainment, a seat press box, high-rise grandstands, a fully-staffed medical Infield Care Center, and a helicopter for quick evacuation of any seriously injured person. Improvements continue to change the face of the facility each year, and it has evolved from a nightmare to a dream. But the track itself and the battles that go on there are little different from when Red Byron won the first race.
Martinsville is a driver's track where exchanging paint is commonplace and no car completes laps without body damage. But, with its long straight-aways and short, tight turns, such is expected. The winners at Martinsville compose a "Who's Who"" among drivers. The King, retired driver Richard Petty, still leads all modern era Winston Cup winners with 15 victories although his last victory came in the spring of But the slow speeds hardly equate to a lack of excitement.
Outside passes are a rarity and very difficult. The inside line is key on restarts. Fans will see a lot of positioning on pit road, perhaps more than at any other track, with the intent of coming out on that inside line.
Nope, not talking about the famous hot dogs but those too. While the straights are paved with asphalt, the corners are concrete. Big racing slicks were proving too damaging, and in addition, winters in the Virginia mountains are hard on asphalt. Water freezes and expands underneath, and that weakens the surface. The concrete corners are less susceptible to excessive wear.
A lot of that can be attributed to the design of the Modifieds at the time, and changes did come afterward. Evans won his ninth title in , having already clinched the honor before the practice crash that claimed his life, and with eight of those titles coming in a row, he sets the gold standard for NASCAR titles sorry Jimmie Johnson.
Evidently the marketing ploy worked, as more than 6, paying fans showed up for the race, many dressed in their Sunday best, with another 3, able to watch without shelling out for the privilege. The Earles and the Frances made a small profit on the event and Earles soon set about beautifying the facility, adding seating for up to 5, and ensuring the ancillary amenities were up to scratch.
The dust didn't prove too much of a deterrent to the fans either and, by , France had gone on to found the NASCAR championship with Martinsville was awarded the sixth round of the series. As stock car racing's star began to rise, so did Martinsville's. A steady stream of improvements came over the years, with Earles always keen to ensure that customers always went away with positive memories.
In , the dust bowl gave way to an asphalt surface for the first time, with two foot straights joined together by short, tight and almost flat turns with just 12 degrees of banking. The compact nature of the track required pit facilities on both straights in order to accommodate a full race field. An unusual tradition was started in , when Earles began awarding the winners of the main NASCAR evens with grandfather clocks instead of trophies, a nod to Martinsville's famous furniture industry.
Into the s, the rising speed of NASCAR events meant the old asphalt surface was struggling to hold up to the rigours of high-traction slick tyres. In , the course was completely repaved, this time with a concrete surface in each of the turns quite an innovative concept for the times. Despite the change of surface, the racing remained as before — frenetic and action-packed. Few, if any, winners ever emerged without the battle scars to show for it.
0コメント