Richmond Raceway

Racing sports has a long tradition in Virginia, dating back to colonial English times.{{cite web|url=http://www.deeprunhuntclub.com/about-drhc/history|title=History}} From 1898 to the First World War, the Deep Run Hunt Club in the Northside area of Ginter Park was the site of the club's somewhat annual steeplechase race.{{cite book|author=Peter Winants|title=Steeplechasing: A Complete History of the Sport in North America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QPyAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA45|date=August 17, 2000|publisher=Derrydale Press|isbn=978-1-4617-0822-3|pages=45–}} After a decade hiatus, the annual races were moved to Curles Neck in 1928.

The 1946 AAA Championship Car season was unique in that it was the first post-war IndyCar race and because the Atlantic Rural Exposition had built a new state fairgrounds at the old Strawberry Hill Farm near Ginter Park.{{cite magazine|title=The Mitchell Touch|magazine=The Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0goEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA152|date=November 28, 1953|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=152|issn=0006-2510}}{{cite book|author=Francis Marion Bush|title=Colonial Downs and More|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yRenra9nfccC&pg=PA81|date=November 4, 2011|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-1-4620-5575-3|pages=81–}} The ½ -mile{{cite web|url=http://www.sportstravel.com/venues/richmond-international-raceway.php|title=Richmond International Raceway Packages – Track Seating Chart, Race Tickets & Hotel Travel Package to RIR}} dirt track would be suitable for both annual "Strawberry Hill" horse races and car races, and was known as the "Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds Track", "Strawberry Hill",{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JbABCwhdfhAC&q=Richmond+strawberry+hill+dirt+Raceway+1946&pg=PA641|page=641|title=Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing|author=Lew Freedman|author-link=Lew Freedman|isbn=9780313387104|date=March 14, 2013|publisher=Abc-Clio }} and "Strawberry Hill Raceway"{{cite book|author=Nigel Kinrade, Steve Casper|title=Nascar|year=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Id0bHVBYEsC&pg=PA43|publisher=MotorBooks International|isbn=978-1-61673-061-1|pages=43–}} On October 12, 1946, Ted Horn gained the distinction of winning the track's first race in an open-wheel Indy-style car.http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20150420/COLUMNISTS/304209982 "In 1988, the track was totally redesigned and banked into its present D-shaped configuration."

Two years later, when the NASCAR schedule was being formed, this short track joined several others on the circuit.{{cite web|url=http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20150420/COLUMNISTS/304209982|title=Memories from Richmond|work=The-Dispatch.com}} In 1953, the track began hosting the Grand National Series with Lee Petty winning that first race in Richmond.{{cite web|url=http://racing.ballparks.com/Richmond/index.htm|title=Richmond International Raceway}} The original track was paved in 1968. In 1988, the track underwent a major renovation into its present D-shaped configuration, with a wider surface, banking in the turns, and expansion in length to .75 of a mile.

The name for the raceway complex was "Strawberry Hill" until the Virginia State Fairgrounds site was bought out in 1999 and renamed the "Richmond International Raceway". The Strawberry Hill Races, which are a series of steeplechase horse races, were formerly held on the third Saturday of April at the Richmond Raceway Complex. In 2001, the races were moved to Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia's first Thoroughbred racetrack.[http://www.strawberryhillraces.com/2007/tradition.shtml Strawberry Hill Races Traditions]{{dead link|date=April 2016}}

Track president Dennis Bickmeier announced that RIR was renamed to "Richmond Raceway", part of a $30 million renovation of the infield known as Richmond Raceway Reimagined.{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Michael|url=http://www.richmond.com/sports/auto-racing/nascar/nascar-s-rebranded-richmond-raceway-announces-million-infield-redevelopment-project/article_2d86754c-ed67-5d65-8690-cd18b199e62f.html|title=NASCAR's rebranded Richmond Raceway announces $30 million infield redevelopment project|newspaper=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=July 11, 2017|access-date=July 11, 2017}}

In 2021, after NASCAR partner and online sports gambling company WynnBET launched a mobile betting app accessible to Virginia residents, it was announced that a sports betting lounge would be built at Richmond Raceway.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbc12.com/2021/03/16/new-sports-betting-lounge-coming-richmond-raceway/|title=New sports betting lounge coming to Richmond Raceway|work=WWBT|date=March 16, 2021}}

Image:richmondir.jpg

Richmond Raceway is home to one NASCAR race in both the Cup Series and Truck Series.

There are a pair of fall races, usually held on the second or third weekend of August. The 250-lap (187.5 miles) Craftsman Truck Series race is currently sponsored by WWEX and is named the Worldwide Express 250.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090721094326/http://www.rir.com/554938.html Announcing entitlement for Fall Nationwide race 2009] The 400 lap (300 miles) fall Cup race is currently sponsored by Cook Out and is named the Cook Out 400.{{cite web|url=http://www.richmondraceway.com/Articles/2012/05/Federated-Auto-Parts.aspx|title=Federated Auto Parts 400 – Richmond Raceway}}

Until 2005, Richmond was home to a fall Craftsman Truck Series race. Starting with the 2006 schedule, that date was transferred to Talladega Superspeedway, and the series did not return to Richmond until 2020.{{cite news|last=Pearrell|first=Tim|url=https://www.richmond.com/sports/professional/nascar-truck-series-returning-to-richmond-in/article_2f1d26bb-e377-5a3c-8697-02e2792c93e7.html|title=NASCAR Truck Series returning to Richmond in 2020|newspaper=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=April 3, 2019|access-date=January 6, 2020}}

Until 2024, there were a pair of spring races, usually held on the first weekend of April. The Xfinity race was 250 laps (187.5 miles) and was named the ToyotaCare 250.{{cite web|url=http://www.rir.com/Articles/2012/12/Toyota-Entitlements.aspx|title=Toyota to Sponsor Two NASCAR Races at RIR in April 2013 – Richmond International Raceway}} The NASCAR Cup Series race was 400 laps (300 miles) and was named the Toyota Owners 400. The Cup Series date was moved to Mexico City for the 2025 season. With no Cup race to anchor a weekend, the Xfinity race was removed from the schedule.

File:2019 Toyota Owners 400 from frontstretch.jpeg

• NASCAR Cup Series
• Cook Out 400 (August)
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
• Worldwide Express 250 (August)

• AAA Sprint Cars (1946–1948, 1952–1953)
• AAA Stock Car (1952)
• ARDC midgets (1946–1948)
• Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown (2011–2013)
• IndyCar Series
• Indy Richmond 300 (2001–2009)
• International Race of Champions (2004–2005)
• NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
• UNOH 100 (2011–2015)
• NASCAR Convertible Division (1957–1959)
• NASCAR Grand American (1968–1970)
• NASCAR Goody's Dash Series (1975, 1976, 1979–1981)
• NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series (1991)
• NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 (1953–2019, 2021–2024)
• NASCAR Sportsman Series (1990){{cite web|url=http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=16744|title=Winston Twin 200}}
• NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250 (1982-1984, 1990-2020, 2022-2024)
• NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (1990–1993, 1997, 1999–2002)
• URC sprint cars (1956, 1960){{cite web|url=http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist3.php?trackid=169|title=Richmond International Raceway}}
• USAC Silver Crown Series
• USAC Honda National Midget Championship

• NASCAR Cup Series qualifying: Jeff Gordon, 20.674 sec. (130.599 mph, 210.180 km/h); 2013
• NASCAR Cup Series race: Dale Jarrett, 2 hrs. 45 min. 4 sec. (109.047 mph, 175.494 km/h); 1997
• NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying: Kyle Busch, 20.874 sec. (129.348 mph 208.165 km/h); 2004
• NASCAR Xfinity Series race: Dale Jarrett, 1 hr. 47 min. 13 sec. (104.928 mph, 168.685 km/h); 1995
• IndyCar Series qualifying: Sam Hornish Jr., 15.3197 sec. (176.244 mph, 283.637 km/h); 2005
• Rusty Wallace Race Experience Fastest Non Professional Driver: Paul Delagrange, 20.894 sec. (129.412 mph): 2020

{{unreferenced section|date=March 2024}}

(As of 9/10/11)

| Most top fives

| Most top tens

| Most starts

| Most poles

| Most laps completed

| Most laps led

| Highest avg. start*

| Highest avg. finish*

* minimum 10 starts {{Cite web |last=Staff Report |date=April 2, 2023 |title=Top 10 lap leaders at Richmond Raceway |url=https://www.nascar.com/gallery/top-10-lap-leaders-at-richmond-raceway/ |access-date=April 9, 2025 |website=National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing}}

As of September 2020, the fastest official race lap records at Richmond Raceway (formerly Richmond International Raceway) are listed as:

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Richmond International Raceway}}

• [http://www.racingcircuits.info/north-america/usa/richmond.html Map and circuit history at RacingCircuits.info]
• {{Racing-Reference track|Richmond_International_Raceway}}
• [http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/rir/index.html Richmond International Raceway Page] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20130103015138/http://www.nascar.com/ NASCAR.com]
• [http://jayski.com/pages/tracks/richmond.htm Jayski's Richmond International Raceway Page] – Current and Past RIR News
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050514153022/http://www.rir.com/uploads/assets/fans/rir_05guestguide.pdf RIR visitor's guide]
• [http://www.richmondracewaycomplex.com/ Richmond Raceway Complex website]
• [http://seatingchartview.com/richmond-international-raceway/ Richmond International Raceway Seating Charts]

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Category:IndyCar Series tracks

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Category:Buildings and structures in Henrico County, Virginia

Category:Sports venues in Richmond, Virginia

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Category:Tourist attractions in Henrico County, Virginia

Category:Sports venues completed in 1946

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