Martinsville Classics

After the success of a 300 lap modified race in 1966 (won by James Hayes of NC), Martinsville Speedway created two major NASCAR sanctioned modified races to bookend the racing season: The Dogwood, which would be held in March, and the Cardinal, which would be held in late October. They attracted the premiere modified racers east of the Mississippi river, including many New Englanders and NEAR Hall of Famers. Both were marquee events during the Golden Age of Modified racing in 1970’s.

Both events evolved over time, starting out as 300 lap races (1967-1968) and then increased to 500 laps for two years (1969-1970). In 1971, the 500 laps were split into a 250 lap race for the Modifieds and a companion 250 lap race for Late Model Sportsman. When the NASCAR Modified Tour was created in 1985, the 250 lap races for both the Dogwood & Cardinal Classics were reduced to 200 laps each and became part of the tour schedule. Additionally in 1985, the Late Model Sportsman race was reduced to 100 laps and a Busch Grand National (now Xfinity) Series 200 lap race was added to account for the “500” laps. This lasted through the 1992 season before both events were dissolved.

DOGWOOD CLASSIC WINNERS

Bugsy Stevens won the modified portion of the Dogwood Classic a record 4 times, once driving for Lenny Boehler (1968) and 3 times in Sonny Koszela‘s #15 modified. NASCAR Hall of Famers Richie Evans and Jerry Cook each won the modified race 3 times. Other New Englanders to the Dogwood Modified race were Reggie Ruggiero in 1990 driving Mario Fiore‘s#44 and Jeff Fuller.

Ray Hendrick, Paul Radford and Geoff Bodine have each won the modified race & the late model race at the Dogwood Classic during their careers, with Radford doing it in the same season (1977).

Ray Hendrick, the legendary Virginia-based racer who earned the nickname “Mr. Modified” in part from his success at these Martinsville events, has 5 total Dogwood wins, 2 modified and 3 late model. His 1970 win was one of the 500 lap modified races.

One of the more memorable moments in Dogwood Classic history came in the 1981 race when Richie Evans stayed on leader Geoff Bodine‘s bumper for a majority of the race, culminating in Richie taking the lead in turn 3 as they were coming to the white flag. As they came back around to turn 3 on the last lap, Bodine made contact with leader Evans and the two got out of shape. Coming out of turn 4 they made contact again, with Evans launching over Bodine‘s front end and towards the wall. On two wheels with the driver side down, Evans rode the front stretch wall to the checkered flag, while Bodine limped home in second barely beating a fast closing John Blewett Jr who finished third. It is widely considered the wildest finish from the Golden Era of modified racing

DATE	EVENT	LAPS	MODIFIED	LAPS	LATE MODEL
1967	Dogwood 300	300	RAY HENDRICK		n/a
1968	Dogwood 300	300	BUGSY STEVENS		n/a
1969	Dogwood 500	500	JERRY COOK		n/a
1970	Dogwood 500	500	RAY HENDRICK		n/a
1971	Dogwood Classic	250	BERNIE MILLER	250	RAY HENDRICK
1972	Dogwood Classic	250	BUGSY STEVENS	250	SONNY HUTCHINS
1973	Dogwood Classic	250	JERRY COOK	250	RAY HENDRICK
1974	Dogwood Classic	250	BUGSY STEVENS	250	JIMMY HENSLEY
1975	Dogwood Classic	250	BUGSY STEVENS	250	RAY HENDRICK
1976	Dogwood Classic	250	JERRY COOK	250	L.D. OTTINGER
1977	Dogwood Classic	250	PAUL RADFORD	250	PAUL RADFORD
1978	Dogwood Classic	250	RICHIE EVANS	250	SONNY HUTCHINS
1979	Dogwood Classic	250	GEORGE KENT	250	BUTCH LINDLEY
1980	Dogwood Classic	250	GEOFF BODINE	250	MIKE PORTER
1981	Dogwood Classic	250	RICHIE EVANS	250	GEOFF BODINE
1982	Dogwood Classic	250	GREG SACKS	250	SAM ARD
1983	Miller Time 500	250	RICHIE EVANS	250	SAM ARD
1984	Miller Time 500	250	MIKE McLAUGHLIN	250	JACK INGRAM
1985	Miller Time 500	200	CHARLIE JARZOMBEK	100	CURTIS MARKHAM
1986	Miller 500 Classic	200	BRETT BODINE	100	ELTON SAWYER
1987	Miller 500 Classic	200	REGGIE RUGGIERO	100	CURTIS MARKHAM
1988	Miller 500 Classic	200	MIKE McLAUGHLIN	100	WAYNE PATTERSON
1989	Miller 500 Classic	200	MIKE EWANITSKO	100	RONNIE THOMAS
1990	Miller 500 Classic	200	REGGIE RUGGIERO	100	DAVID BLANKENSHIP
1991	Miller 500 Classic	200	JEFF FULLER	100	JAY FOGLEMAN
1992	Miller 500 Classic	200	SATCH WORLEY	100	DENNIS SETZER

DOGWOOD CLASSIC PHOTO ALBUM

CARDINAL CLASSIC WINNERS

Ray Hendrick was also a 6-time Cardinal Classic winner, 3 times each in the modifieds and late models. In the modifieds, he won 3 straight races from 1968-1970, the first two of which were 500 lap races. NEAR Hall of Famer Geoff Bodine won the 250 lap modified race 4 times. New Englanders who won the modified portion include Fred DeSarro (1971), Bobby Santos (1972), Ron Bouchard (1974), Bugsy Stevens (1977), Jeff Fuller (1989) and Mike Stefanik (1991-1992).

DATE	EVENT NAME	LAPS	NASCAR MODIFIED	LAPS	LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN
1966	Modified 300	300	JAMES HAYNES		n/a
1967	Cardinal 300	300	DONNIE ALLISON		n/a
1968	Cardinal 500	500	RAY HENDRICK		n/a
1969	Cardinal 500	500	RAY HENDRICK		n/a
1970	Cardinal Classic	250	RAY HENDRICK	250	RAY HENDRICK
1971	Cardinal Classic	250	FRED DeSARRO	250	SONNY HUTCHINS
1972	Cardinal Classic	250	BOBBY SANTOS	250	JIMMY HENSLEY
1973	Cardinal Classic	250	JERRY COOK	250	RAY HENDRICK
1974	Cardinal Classic	250	RON BOUCHARD	250	RAY HENDRICK
1975	Cardinal Classic	250	GEOFF BODINE	250	MONK TATE
1976	Cardinal Classic	250	GEOFF BODINE	250	JACK BLAND
1977	Cardinal Classic	250	BUGSY STEVENS	250	MORGAN SHEPHERD
1978	Cardinal Classic	250	GEOFF BODINE	250	SAM ARD
1979	Cardinal Classic	250	JERRY COOK	250	MORGAN SHEPHERD
1980	Cardinal Classic	250	RICHIE EVANS	250	SAM ARD
1981	Cardinal Classic	250	GEOFF BODINE	250	SAM ARD
1982	Winn-Dixie 500	250	GEORGE KENT	250	BUTCH LINDLEY
1983	Winn-Dixie 500	250	JAMIE TOMAINO	250	SAM ARD
1984	Winn-Dixie 500	250	TONY SISCONE	250	MORGAN SHEPHERD
1985	Winn-Dixie 500	200	JOHNNY BRYANT	100	BARRY BEGGARLY
1986	Winn-Dixie 500	200	CHARLIE JARZOMBEK	100	EDDIE JOHNSON
1987	Winston Classic	200	GEORGE KENT	100	MARK MARTIN
1988	Winston Classic	200	TOM BALDWIN	100	PHIL WARREN
1989	Winston Classic	200	JEFF FULLER	100	CURTIS MARKHAM
1990	Winston Classic	200	TONY HIRSCHMAN JR	100	WAYNE PATTERSON
1991	Winston Classic	200	MIKE STEFANIK	100	CURTIS MARKHAM
1992	Winston Classic	200	MIKE STEFANIK	100	JOE GAITA

New Jersey’s Tony Siscone and Ray Evernham were involved in a fiery wreck at the 1982 Cardinal Winn-Dixie 500. Siscone’s hands were badly burned in the incident but he and Evernham were able to escape. Siscone won the race two years later, memorably saying in a post-race interview “This place bit me hard, and today I bit it right back!”

Sadly, the Martinsville Classics were also the events where 2 legendary modified racers lost their lives. During practice for the 1985 Winn-Dixie 500, Richie Evans was killed from injuries sustained during an early practice session. He had already clinched his 9th and final NASCAR Modified Championship.

18 months later during the 1987 Miller 500 Classic in March, Charlie Jarzombek lost his life from injuries in a lap 5 accident. Less than 5 months earlier he had won the previous race for the modifieds at Martinsville, 1986 Winn-Dixie 500.