Richmond Int'l Raceway
Richmond International Raceway: It's Racing Perfection "Under the Lights"
One of the most historic tracks in racing is also one of the most popular among drivers, fans and the media. Year after year, Richmond International Raceway puts on the best short track show, and arguably the best racing anywhere. Why? Richmond's unique, ¾-mile layout produces tremendous side-by-side racing, yet drivers obtain high enough speeds to give it a superspeedway feel. That rare combination still allows for the beating and banging that fans love, with the drivers’ skill playing a major role in winning. In the words of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series icon Rusty Wallace, those characteristics help make racing at the track and the experience fans have while visiting, simply "perfect."
With 32 straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sellouts and tremendous crowds each season for its NASCAR Nationwide Series and IndyCar® Series races, Richmond International Raceway is a fixture on NASCAR’s and IndyCar’s schedules.
The arrival and popularity of the IndyCar Series at Richmond International Raceway in 2001 has been an added bonus for race fans in the Mid-Atlantic Region. With speeds nearly 50 mph faster than their NASCAR counterparts, the IndyCar Series plays host to increasing, enthusiastic crowds at Richmond.
Each season, Richmond International Raceway hosts two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, two NASCAR Nationwide Series races, an IndyCar Series event, a USAC Silver Crown Series event and a USAC National Sprint Car Series race.
Since the first NASCAR race in Richmond in 1953, the track has undergone three name changes, five configuration changes and one surface change, from dirt to asphalt. Lights were also added to the facility in 1991. During the 2006-2007 off season, Richmond International Raceway added nearly 5,000 seats, bringing its total capacity to 112,029.
Additionally, Richmond International Raceway is the only track to hold all of its major events “under the lights.”
