On Saturday the track will celebrate 50 years of racing, memories and excitement by treating the fans to back in the day admission price of $3.  Caraway has had quite an impressive roster of driver’s over the past 50 years and in honor of our Anniversary we will honor the Top 50 drivers at the speedway Saturday.  The top 50 drivers were chosen by a panel of seven board members that have been a part of the history of the track for multiple years.  The track will also name the five inductees into the Wall Of Fame on Saturday Night, a tradition that will continue yearly moving forward.

The fans will be treated to an autograph session starting at 6pm with most of the Top 50 drivers in attendance.  Several Nascar National Series stars got their start at the track including Jimmy Hensley, Dale Earnhardt, Dennis Setzer, Bobby Labonte, Mike Skinner, Sam Ard and Justin Labonte all are top 50 honorees.  Local stars include Jay Hedgecock, Travis Swaim, Herbie Poole, Gourney Routh, Monk Tate, David Hyder, Jason York and Steve Loftin will also be honored as Top 50 Driver.

Grandstand will open at 5pm with $3 Admission with Kids 6 & under free.  Autograph session at 6pm, awards ceremonies at 7pm and the 50thAnniversary Race kicks off at 8pm featuring a 50 Lap Limited Late Model event plus many more races and a stunt man show.

Caraway’s Top-50 Drivers of All-Time

Dirt Era-1966-1972:

Archie Adams Sr.-one of the winningest drivers on dirt and won races on asphalt even in the 21st century.

Thomas(Peahead) Cox – won championship and races on dirt most notably for the wins in the Banner Shelton prepared car

Joe Gatlin- won a championship in 1969 as well as 15 races in the same year.

Red Justice- a proven race winner that was always the star of the show. still cones to races today!

Phillip Richardson- won a lot of dirt races in Harold Carmac’s car. He also run and won on asphalt.

Jimmy Scott- he along with Donald Tucker were the guys to beat. Both drove for Leroy Rumley

Donald Tucker- the winningest driver on dirt and the driver who won the last big race that lead to the strike and the end of the dirt era. Six weeks later the track opened as a asphalt track with a national championship event-won by Jimmy Hensley.

Asphalt-1 Era (1972-1983):

Sam Ard- most notably for the wins and championships in the fame Thomas Brothers Country Ham #00 that he won so many races and championships with. He not only drove the cars but was the builder as well. Also won a modified championship in 1982 driving Speedy Thomas’s #07. An accident at Rockingham in 1984 sidelined his career: however, he would return to Caraway in 1985 and compete and win 2 races in Richard Townsends’ Late Model. He later became crew chief and car owner in the Xfinity series. His health has decline to a point that he now resides in an extended care facility in South Carolina.

Dale Earnhardt Sr.-competed and won several races in the mid to late 70’s before making it to the cup Series. One of his most notable finishes is when he and Butch Lindley tangled for the win in a 1976 thriller. He was sponsored by Caraway at Charlotte(1978) in a 300 mile sportsman division event. He won a Xfinity series event in 1982 at the track beating Sam Ard. He last competed and won an event in 1985.

Jay Hedgecock-showed up as a teenager and started winning against the veterans. His first win came while driving for Bob Sweatt. He will always be remembered for the front stretch crash that removed over a 100 feet a guard rail in the tv8 sponsored car. He also became a multi-time winner in the modifieds as well. He is now known as a championship race car builder.

Jimmy Hensley – was a multi-time winner and track champion, known as the Virginia Gentleman. He won the first asphalt race and several championships in Uncle Hubert’s car #63. He could win races at any track he visited. He became the driver of the #00 car in 1985 and later drove for Sam Ard in the Xfinity series. He also raced in Nascar’s other two national series.

Joe Millikan- got his start in Level Cross working for the King. He won many races and the 1977 championship driving the 04 Dodge prepared by the Millikan brothers. In 1979, he competed with Dale Sr. for cup rookie of the year.

Gary Myers- won races and the 1973 sportsman championship. He later won modified races but is most known modified finish came when he and Jr. Miller tangled in turn 1. He now has 2 sons (Burt and Jason) that have won races at Caraway in the modified tour.

Gurney Routh- won races on both dirt and asphalt. He has several track championships to his credit in the black and gold #00. His career started in the 60’s on dirt in a hobby car and ended in the 90’s running late model.

Monk Tate- won races as a car owner and driver on both dirt and asphalt. He was most notable for his runs in the #88 sponsored by Thomas Bros. Country Ham. He still has race cars today. Donald “Satch” Worley- was the 1983 modified track champion driving Speedy’s #07. He won several modified races before and after the ’83 season. He was one of the first southern guys to compete successfully north of the Mason-Dixon line in a modified.

Billy Biscoe- was the car to beat for a couple of seasons in the #38 ford. He would also help the speedway in many ways. He was a car owner for tv sports anchor Rich Brenner in the late ‘70’s. Later, he became crew chief for Ritchie Petty. His passion is now restoring old race cars.

Asphalt 2 era (1984-1998):

Donnie Apple- was the 1996 track champion and winner of several races. He became known as a guy who could find great sponsors. He also won the Martinsville 300.

Penn Crim Jr.-won several championships and races in the purple #24 from the mid “80’s to the late “90’s. He was always a fan favorite with a army of team shirts.

Steven Grimes- known as the “Grimey One”. He was a multiple track champion starting in mini-stocks with a pinto to late model sporting the pink #39. He also won for other owners as well as at other tracks.

David Hyder- known to be a winner in whoever’s car he entered. He was the guy that could outrun the Orange Blossom Special of Dennis Setzer. He was a driver that could drive as well as build the cars that he piloted. He gave up driving to become a cup series crew chief. Today he works at Stewart-Hass Racing as a R&D specialist.

Gene Kepely- a second generation racer that got his start in the late “70’s. He is not only a multi-race winner in several divisions but also a track champion. Gene still races today in both late models and trucks.

Bobby Labonte- first raced at caraway in 1981 in a race that Dale Sr. won. He was the track champion in 1987 after a fierce battle with Setzer for the title. He had double digit victories that season. He became a cup series champion in 2000.

Tommy Lewis-drove the fame #81 yellow race car to several victories as well as championships. Tommy was a “take no prisoner” type of racer that had a good career in the “80’s that lead to many laps lead around the speedway.

Greg Marlowe-was a multi-time track champion. On his way to several victories, he was involved in several exciting battles that Marlowe normally came out as the winner. He was named “Martinsville Marlowe” after winning the Martinsville 300 by Caraway announcer Ken Rooke.

Jr. Miller- is known as the “king of southern modifieds”. He competed in races from the “70’s to the 2000’s. He was the leading victory taker on the modified tour for several years.

Dan Moore- is a multi track champion that started his career in enduros. He started racing in the mid “90’s and continued to the present. He was named “Doctor Dan” by announcer Larry Tomar for his procedural driving skills in major late model victories.

Herbie Poole- won lots of victories on both dirt and asphalt. His last championship came in the late models in 1991. Known for having “bus loads” of fans, Herb was a fan thriller that didn’t mind rubbing fenders in his fame #28. He retired from racing at the end of the ’94 season.

Dennis Setzer- a three time track champion(88’89’90) that became a household word for caraway fans from 1985-1993. He drove the Orange Blossom Special Ford to numerous victories before getting a ride with Dwight Huffman’s purple #5. In the #5 car, he was runner-up to Barry Beggarly for the 1993 Nascar Winston Racing Series Championship. After the “93 season, he had several rides in the 3 national series of Nascar. Today, he spends his time on son Brandon’s racing career.

Mike Skinner- was a hard core driver that raced every lap as hard as he could. He won lots of races and the 1993 track championship. He won the inaugural Nascar Truck series title and had several quality rides in the 3 national series.

Lowe Smith-was a racer that did it all himself on a small budget. He won several races dating back to the “70’s in the 6cyl division. He continued to run late model till early 2000.

Pete Stewart- started his career on dirt and still races today. He will probably finish in the top 5 in track points this season. He is a multi-time race winner and champion. He is currently the car chief on Nathan Buttke’s late model–current points leader.

Charles Sweatt-is a 9 time track champion in multiple divisions. He is all-time race and championship winner. He started his career in 1980 in a pure stock and retired in late model trucks in the early 2000’s. Charles knew how to get wins but also knew how to race for points.

Richard Townsend- was the 1985 track champion. During that season, a bounty was placed on him for all the wins he was wrapping up. The final race of the season, he defeated Mike Skinner in a last lap thriller that left fans wanting some more. The bounty was not collected so Townsend received it

Asphalt 3 era (1999-present);

Archie Adams Jr.- a second generation driver who won several championships and races. He and his father are the only father/son combo to make the top 50. He started his career in the late “90’s and continues today.

Buddy Allred- started his career in 1987 in a pure stock. He has won races in every division that he has competed in. He has won lots of races and a championship. He is the current points leader in trucks for 2015.

Randy Benson- started his career in the “90’s and continues today. He has won several races and a two time late model track champion. “Rocking” Randy is one for the ages because he can not only drive but can build cars and engines.

Brad Brinkley-has won championships and races in more than one division at the track. His last championship came in 2011 while piloting his fame #24. He currently is a consultant for many late model teams.

George Brunnhoelzl III- originally from West Babylon N.Y., he has made his home in the Nascar Whelen Southern Modified Tour. He is the leading winner at caraway for the tour. Winning is no stranger to this family, as his father was a huge winner in Long Island N.Y. He is a multi-time champion on the tour.

Gary Causey-a local hard charging racer that won many races and championships. He was able to win the Nascar Exide Shorttrack Series in the late “90’s in the limited division. He moved to late models and scored victories as well. He has a son that has won races as well.

Rusty Harpe –not only a race winner but a great ambassador for the sport and track. He won a track championship and many wins in the limited division before moving to late models in which he also captured many victories. His career came to a halt when he lost his life in a farm accident. Every year, the track host the Rusty Harpe Memorial presented by Daggett Shuler Attorneys at Law in his memory.

Justin Labonte- is the son of 2 time cup champion Terry Labonte. Justin competed in a couple of seasons in the late model division. During that time he captured lots of victories and a track championship. He made the move to the Xfinity series and won races as well. He now competes in a dirt late model.

Gary Ledbetter Sr.- started his career out in the enduros. He moved to other divisions in which he not only won races but championships as well. Gary is one of those drivers that wins races in every type of car he drives.

Mack Little III- has won races and championships in several different divisions. In 2012, he finally accomplished his goal by winning the late model championship. If Mack is in the field, you know he is one of the competitors that will be battling for the win.

Steve Loftin –was a champion gokart racer that moved to stock cars. He won 3 championships in late models during his career at the track. From Thomasville, he was known as the “Chair City Charger”- a name he well lived up to.

Jimmy Mullins- competed at the track in the #75 late model. Although he didn’t win the championship, he was competitive driver that won many races. He was known as “ Mr. Excitement” and he thrilled the fans with his driving style.

Travis Swaim- is the only four time NASCAR Late Model Champion. His driving style is very smooth but produces many victories. He is a second generation driver that has carried the family tradition of winning races to the next level, including winning the NC State Nascar Whelen All American Series State Championship.

Jimmy Wallace-is an old school hard charging competitor that has won lots of races. He has also won 4 track championships in the late model truck division. Jimmy has become as good of an engine builder as he is a racer. He has carried on the racing endeavor that he and brother-in-law Rusty Harpe so enjoyed with much success.

Ryan Wilson- is the youngest driver to make the top 50 drivers list. He moved from go karts to stock cars 10 years ago. He has won several races and the 2013 Track championship in the Nascar Late Model division. He carries on the family tradition of racing that his grandfather started 50 years ago when the track opened.

Jason York- received the racing name “Reidsville Rocket” for the winning ways he competed on the track. He won the late model championship 3 times as well as lots of victories. He also won many other major late model events in the #18 including the Martinsville 300.