A glance at H. Clay Earles, the Founder of Martinsville Speedway

Never in his wildest desires did Axton, Virginia's H. Clay Earles imagine his racetrack could be such a large section of NASCAR history. Born in 1913, Earles founded Martinsville Speedway in 1947 after first noticing the crowds at local racing activities. During the time, he had previously had a as the owner of a hall that went bust as well as a drive-in owner and a couple of filling stations as well. For the very first race, Earles joined with Bill France to advertise the big event. Fans were told that the affair was going to be dust-free as a result of the gas and other products spread onto the course. Over 6,000 supporters showed up dressed in their Sunday most readily useful, even though there have been only 750 chairs at the facility.AAs it proved, the function was a dirty affair which was acquired by Red Byron. Earles is acknowledged as a master of the sport, a guy who was continually reinventing and improving his ability. Earles considered in giving the customer his money's worth, as they were the greatest advantage. Martinsville has long been considered a unique racetrack, due to the style and the fact that it transcends the record of NASCARA( the only course on the present routine that was an integral part of the inaugural NASCAR year). Therefore, Earles thought that it had been just right to give the winners a distinctive prize following a gain, so in 1964 he began awarding a clock to the victor. Richard Petty holds the most wins at Martinsville with 15, but only holds 12 grandmother clocks as a result of the fact that the practice is predated by three of the wins. Earles passed away in 1999 at age 86. Besides his contributions to the game, he also gave right back by building an Automotive Technology grant at Patrick Henry Community College. Several awards were also received by him for his efforts, like the Myers Brothers Memorial Award, the American Spirit award which was first received by Bob Hope, and the GM Goodwrench/L.G. Dewitt Entire life Award in 1994 for his efforts to NASCAR. A nominee for the 2012 and 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame classes, look for Earles to be inducted soon.

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