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Curator's Corner / Artifacts

Martinsville Speedway Pennant

Accession Number: 2019.11

Donor: Keith Hill

Photo by Kevin Larrabee.

Description:

In existence for over 75 years, Martinsville Speedway has a storied history of Modified and Sportsman Division Racing. This pennant (from the early 1970s) is from the Cardinal/Dogwood 500, an annual event in which each division raced in a 250-lap race on the same day. The massively popular doubleheader attracted many of the nation’s best drivers and NASCAR Hall of Famers, such as Richie Evans (2012), Jack Ingram (2014), Jerry Cook (2016), and Red Farmer (2021) during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Significance:

H. Clay Earles, the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR recipient, owned and operated Martinsville Speedway for over half a century. His grandson, Clay Campbell, is president of the track. This pennant is a unique artifact, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame is delighted with this addition to its permanent collection and is now on display.

This article was updated on 4/4/2024. Plan your visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets by visiting nascarhall.com/tickets.

Daniel J. Simone, Ph.D.

Daniel J. Simone, Ph.D.

Daniel is a former Curator for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2009.