MARTINSVILLE, Va. – When the crowd at Martinsville Speedway roars, it becomes more than a race.
Brian Blankenship has come down from Franklin County to watch races here for years.
“I’ve been coming down here since I was 8 years old,” said Blankenship, a Rocky Mount resident. “I’ll be 33 this year, and I haven’t missed a race yet.”
Blankenship was among a crowd of 40,000 who made it to the STP 500.
Henry Van de Glind made a grueling, 16-hour drive from Canada to attend.
“I’m excited like crazy,” he said. “It’s just an amazing experience. Anybody that ever gets the chance should definitely put it on their bucket list.”
That’s why so many parents brought their kids.
Blankenship brought 8-year-old Braylon Gray to his first race.
“The experience is going to be great for him,” he said. “It’s almost a tearjerker.”
There’s no experience quite like watching these cars go fast.