Back in 1946, there was a half-mile dirt track by the name of Strawberry Hill Speedway and Ted Horn won the first ever race there.

No one would have guessed that more than 60 years later, that little track would be one of the most famous and beloved tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

NASCAR’s premier division makes two stops at Richmond International Raceway each year and both events are run under the lights. Since the Chase for the Sprint Cup was implemented back in 2004, the September race in Richmond has been the most anticipated, yet feared race on the schedule.

From its dirt days to the .75-mile asphalt, doglegged oval of today, RIR is rich in NASCAR history.

Just a few short years after Strawberry Hill opened, the facility’s name was changed to Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds and the first NASCAR Grand National Series event was held. Legendary driver Lee Petty took the checkered flag.

In 1955, the track was purchased by NASCAR driver Joe Weatherly and Paul Sawyer, and in 1959 NASCAR decided to give the little dirt track a second date on its schedule.

Over the years, under Sawyer’s management, the track was renamed multiple times and was constantly improved and upgraded. In 1968, the track decided to make its biggest change of late. David Pearson took the checkers in the last race on the dirt surface.

The track was paved and expanded to a .625-mile surface in time for Richard Petty to win the September event on the new surface.

The following year, the track changed its name yet again; it became Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway and within the next twenty years the track was re-measured a handful of times.

The facility was renamed yet again in 1988, to Richmond International Raceway, and the racing surface was overhauled and expanded to the current .75-mile length.

Lights were added in 1991 and Sawyer finally sold the facility to International Speedway Corporation in 1999. Sawyer’s 40 plus year career is one of the longest and most notable in NASCAR history. He passed away after battling lung cancer and diabetes in 2005 at the age of 88.

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will stop at RIR for the final regular season race. 11 drivers will be vying for the final eight spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup under the lights. It will be just one more race added to the long, notorious list of memorable NASCAR events at Richmond International Raceway.

 MORE NASCAR NEWS