MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The NASCAR Hall of Fame unveiled Martinsville’s 75th-anniversary exhibit Tuesday.
It features some key artifacts, like the Jesse Jones hot dog — if you’re familiar with the Speedway you’ve definitely had one of those.
Founder Clay Earles’ historic license plate is also on display.
His grandson, Track President Clay Campbell said today that this exhibit surpassed all of his expectations.
“My grandfather put his heart and soul into that place,” Campbell said. “All the hard work he put into it, we learned from that, and continued to do the same thing, by the philosophy that he always had, and it’s paying off.”
NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley said while race fans may be familiar with the history of Martinsville, the goal was to make it appealing to those on the outside looking in.
“Our exhibit manager, who has only been around the sports for 3 or 4 years, after she helped put it together, and stepped back and looked at it, she said ‘I now understand why Martinsville is so important to this sport, and the community of Martinsville.”
The historic grandfather clock also graced the showcase, and someone will be taking on their own home on Saturday.