O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis is a multi purpose racing facility
located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is not to be confused with
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS, which is referred to as a
superspeedway, although its construction vastly predates the use of that
term. Surprisingly to some, the vast majority of motorsports events held
in Indianapolis are held at Indianapolis Raceway Park, including a
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, a NASCAR Busch Series event, drag
racing and road racing.
Sprint car races and other events suited to a shorter track are held
here. Raceway Park also traditionally stages an extensive program on the
Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend (late May), the night before the
Indianapolis 500 event at IMS, serving as something of an unofficial
preliminary event to the far more famous one.
The facility also includes a 2.5 mile, 15-turn road course used for
Sports Car Club of America "club" road racing events, featuring a 4,400
foot long drag strip that hosts the annual NHRA U.S. Nationals on Labor
Day weekend.
The track was known as Indianapolis Raceway Park until 2006, when the
naming rights were bought by O'Reilly Auto Parts.
At the .686 mile oval track, the biggest names in stock car, open car
and a variety of other autos compete in a diverse schedule from April
through September.
This historic racing facility had its beginnings as a dream on the part
of 15 racing professionals and area businessmen. It is now the site of
three world-famous race courses -- a 4,400-foot drag strip, a .686-mile
oval and a 15-turn, 2.5-mile road course -- all of which are paved with
asphalt. Indianapolis Raceway Park was host to the first-ever NASCAR
race in Indianapolis in 1982, and has been a part of the NASCAR Busch
Series Grand National Division schedule every year in series history.
Each season, Richmond International Raceway hosts two NASCAR Nextel Cup
Series races, two NASCAR Busch Series races, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series race, an IRL IndyCar Series event, the Crown Royal IROC Series, a
USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown Series event, and a USAC Valvoline
National Sprint Car Series race. The .75-mile track at Richmond
International Speedway has been reconfigured four times in its history
and has transformed from a .5-mile dirt track to the popular asphalt
track we know today.
Richmond International Raceway is the only track to hold all of its
major events under the lights. It boasts a wide surface for side-by-side
action and fast speeds. Driver skill plays an important part in races
held at Richmond International Speedway.
Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Grand National Division race at Richmond
International Speedway. Since that first race in Richmond in 1953, the
track has undergone three name changes. Lights were added to the
facility in 1991.
In 1960 The King, Richard Petty, competed in his first race at Richmond.
He finished sixth and his father, Lee Petty, won the race. Included in
the group in front of Petty were Ned Jarrett (third) and Glen Wood
(fifth). On September 9, 1968, Richard Petty won the first race on the
newly paved .625-mile track. The race was 187.5 miles (300 laps).
Richard Petty holds the record of 13 wins at Richmond International
Speedway.
