What is the only track that has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race in every year since the series began in 1949?

The only track to host a NASCAR Cup Series race every year since the series began in 1949 is Martinsville Speedway.

Located in Ridgeway, Virginia, Martinsville opened in 1947 and held its first Cup Series race on September 25, 1949. Red Byron won that inaugural event. The track has remained on the premier NASCAR schedule ever since, despite major changes elsewhere in the calendar.

Martinsville is famous for its compact, paperclip-shaped layout. It is 0.526 miles long, with tight, concrete-banked turns connected by short asphalt straights. The surface changed from dirt to asphalt in 1955, but the basic configuration has remained remarkably consistent.

A common mix-up is confusing Martinsville's longevity with the Daytona 500's importance. Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, while Martinsville predates it by more than a decade. Martinsville is also known for awarding a handcrafted grandfather clock to race winners, a tradition introduced in 1964.