RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Raceway is expanding its NASCAR Weekend festivities beyond the track with a full slate of community events designed to connect fans, local businesses and the Richmond region ahead of the Aug. 14-15 race weekend.
The track’s NASCAR Race Week presented by Who’s Your Driver will feature a variety of free and ticketed activities leading into the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and NASCAR Cup Series races, giving fans multiple opportunities to celebrate racing throughout the city before race day arrives.
Race week begins Aug. 8 with REEL FAST… NASCAR at The Byrd Theatre, featuring screenings of Cars and a special 20th-anniversary showing of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. The event includes pace car displays, giveaways and fan experiences tied to the upcoming NASCAR weekend.
Among the week’s highlights is Crowd + Culture, a marketing-focused panel discussion hosted in partnership with the American Marketing Association Richmond. Industry leaders from NASCAR, race teams and corporate partners will discuss fan engagement, content creation and experiential marketing strategies.
Fans will also have a rare chance to walk the historic three-quarter-mile oval during a Fan Track Walk on Aug. 12, just days before NASCAR’s stars arrive for competition under the lights.
Race weekend itself will showcase Richmond’s local culture through attractions such as the NASC’Art Art Exhibit & Car Show, featuring racing-inspired artwork, vintage stock cars and Richmond Raceway’s 80 Years of Racing exhibit. The nearby Richmond Row activation will spotlight local businesses, artists and community organizations.
Additional fan activities include cornhole tournaments, the Virginia-themed Toast 250 celebration, and the new Hell Yeah Tailgate Party before Saturday’s Cook Out 400. The pre-race event will feature live entertainment, food trucks, games and giveaways.
Music will play a major role in the festivities as well, highlighted by a performance from the legendary Backyard Band as part of the Richmond Takeover celebration.
Following Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race, fans can stay at the track for a Drive-Out Movie showing of Days of Thunder, with audio broadcast directly through vehicle radios during post-race traffic egress.
Richmond Raceway will also host the NASCAR Youth Series, allowing fans to watch quarter-midget racers ages 5 to 16 compete throughout the weekend and providing a glimpse of the sport’s future stars.
The community celebration culminates with the Black’s Tire 250 presented by BTS Rewards NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on Friday, Aug. 14, followed by the Cook Out 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Richmond Raceway President Lori Waran said the goal is to make race week an event for the entire region, whether fans attend a community activity, a race or both.