MARTINSVILLE, Va. (July 18, 2023) — Martinsville Speedway has partnered with the YMCA to host a Holiday Run Festival on Saturday, Dec. 2, the same day as the annual Christmas Toy Drive, the track announced today.
The Holiday Run Festival will feature the Southside 10K and the Youth in Motion 5K, with 100% of each entry fee going directly towards the toy drive‘s fundraising efforts, benefiting both the Martinsville-Henry County YMCA and Grace Network of Martinsville and Henry County. This will be the 29th year Martinsville Speedway has hosted the toy drive giving fans the opportunity to drive around the historic half-mile by donating to the cause.
“The Annual Christmas Toy Drive is one of our favorite events here at Martinsville Speedway, bringing the community together to support those in need during the holiday season,” said Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President. “We‘re thankful for our partners at YMCA for helping us expand those efforts by introducing the first ever Holiday Run Festival.”
Those in the greater Martinsville region can start their morning with the Youth in Motion 5K, beginning at 9 a.m., or the Southside 10K, beginning at 10 a.m., then trade their running shoes for tires during the track laps event at the speedway from 6 p.m. — 8 p.m. Community members can donate an unwrapped toy or $25 for the opportunity to drive laps around the iconic Virginia track in their personal vehicles.
For laps around the track, drivers must sign waivers and be 18 years of age or older with a valid state-issued driver‘s license. All participants must adhere to Virginia state laws regarding the usage of seat belts and child safety restraints.
“The team at Miles in Martinsville is very excited to partner with Martinsville Speedway to present the 2023 Holiday Run Festival,” said Joe Philpott, an official of Miles of Martinsville. “We have historically run a December 5K for the benefit of our local Youth in Motion program. The program is designed to develop fitness and self-esteem in young people through the use of mentors and running. This partnership will allow us to add a 10K competition and create a true festival atmosphere. We think that the opportunity to run at the Speedway will be attractive and exciting to runners of all ages.”
The donated toys and monetary donations will be distributed to area children through Grace Network of Martinsville and Henry County, which is a faith-based, first-stop center for resources for families in crisis. The organization supports those in the community who need support to keep a roof over their heads, homes warm and lighted, and food on the table with short-term assistance and long-term solutions. To learn more about the Grace Network of Martinsville and Henry County, visit gracenetworkmhc.org.
Martinsville Speedway will also host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season finale on Thursday, Oct. 26, and penultimate races of the Xfinity Series in the Dead On Tools 250 on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. and the Cup Series in the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 2:00 p.m. In an intense short track battle that can only happen at Martinsville, the races will set the field for the respective series for the NASCAR Championships the following week at Phoenix Raceway.
The ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the nation‘s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race, will also return for an evening of intense competition on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets to the NASCAR Playoff weekend and the Valley Start Credit Union 300 are available for purchase via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com.
Stay connected to Martinsville Speedway on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the NASCAR Tracks App.
About Martinsville Speedway
Founded by H. Clay Earles in 1947, Martinsville Speedway is the only NASCAR track to host NASCAR Cup Series races every year since its inception in 1949. At .526 miles in length, the track annually hosts two NASCAR race weekends featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, along with NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races in the fall. Martinsville Speedway also annually hosts the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the nation‘s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race. For more information about Martinsville Speedway, visit martinsvillespeedway.com.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation‘s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Seriesu2122, NASCAR Xfinity Seriesu2122, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Seriesu2122), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty‘s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Associationu2122 (IMSAu00ae) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championshipu2122, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit http://www.nascar.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR‘).
