Bopper, they died a horrible death in 1982, the day NASCAR turned the LMS division into a "Tour." All of the Virginia tracks had already dropped the NASCAR mods several years before that and 95% of the cars were coming from the northeast except the Bowman-Gray contingent.
Martinsville has tried diligently to run a big Late Model Stock Car event, but it never drew like the old Dogwood 500 and Cardinal 500 races. NASCAR kept the Grand National/Winston Cup calendar open on those two weekends so the top talent in the country could be there and there was no competition for fans. MRN Radio used to broadcast both halves of both events. The very first Cardinal 500 was a 500-lap Modified only affair, won by Richmond's Ray Hendrick, but then the format changed to twin 250-lap LMS & Modified shows. Probably the very best racing I ever saw anywhere, anytime. The crowds rivaled the GN crowds at Martinsville.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"