Martinsville Speedway grandstands and the flat half-mile short track on race day

Martinsville Speedway Fan Guide: Cooler Policy, Bag Policy and What to Bring (2026)

July 21, 2026

Logo: Martinsville Speedway, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Martinsville Speedway Fan Guide: Cooler Policy, Bag Policy and What to Bring (2026)

Part of the Happy Hour Racing Track Fan Guides - the plain-English rundown of what you can and cannot bring, so you get through the gate at Martinsville with no surprises.

The Short Version

Cooler: One soft-sided cooler per person, no bigger than 14 x 14 x 14 inches. No hard or foam coolers of any size.
Bags: Up to two bags per person, each no bigger than 18 x 18 x 14 inches. No clear-bag rule at Martinsville.
Food and drink: Yes. Bring your own pre-packaged, sealed food and drinks, including alcohol, as long as there is no glass.
Leave home: Umbrellas, collapsible chairs, wagons, glass containers, and hard coolers are all prohibited.

Martinsville Speedway is the oldest track on the NASCAR schedule and one of the best short-track shows in the sport. The half-mile "paperclip" packs the grandstands close to the action, so a race-day trip here is about being comfortable for a few hours in a tight, loud, old-school setting. The good news for fans is that Martinsville has a generous cooler and food policy - you can pack your own. Below is exactly what makes it through the gate for 2026, straight from the track's official policies.

Cooler Policy at Martinsville Speedway

You can bring one cooler per person, and it must be soft-sided. The limit is 14 x 14 x 14 inches. That is a roomy cooler for one fan - enough for a day's worth of drinks, sandwiches, and ice.

What does not work: foam or hard-sided coolers of any size are prohibited. That rule has no size exception, so leave the hard cooler in the car and pack a soft one. Ice is allowed, so you can pack your soft cooler cold. Dry ice is not permitted.

Bag Policy at Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville allows a maximum of two bags per person through the admission gates. Backpacks, diaper bags, clutch bags, and fanny packs are all fine as long as each one does not exceed 18 x 18 x 14 inches. There is no clear-bag rule here, so a normal backpack is welcome.

You can carry a combination of the allowed items - a bag plus a soft cooler, for example - but the soft cooler is limited to one per guest. Insulated cups are allowed up to a maximum of 64 ounces.

Prohibited Items at Martinsville Speedway

Here is the full list of what you cannot bring through the gates, per the track's official policy:

Foam or hard-sided coolers, regardless of size
Any firearm
Knives longer than 3 inches closed, or longer than 6 inches open
Utility or multi-purpose tools with a knife blade longer than 3 inches
Glass or ceramic containers of any kind
Dry ice
Umbrellas
Collapsible chairs
Wagons
Seat cushions with metal components
Fireworks
Laser pointers
Noise makers and air horns
Aerosol cans, except sunscreen, sunblock, hand sanitizer, and bug spray
Selfie sticks, tripods, and monopods
Drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles
Frisbees, balloons, beach balls, or any other projectile
Skateboards, hoverboards, roller skates, bicycles, and electric bicycles
Illegal substances of any kind
Displays of the confederate flag
Obscene or indecent clothing

What You Can Bring to Martinsville Speedway

The permitted list is long, which is what makes Martinsville such an easy short track to plan for:

Pre-packaged and sealed food and drinks in a clear bag or soft-sided cooler, including alcoholic beverages, as long as there is no glass
Ice, and insulated cups up to 64 ounces
Sunscreen, sunblock, hand sanitizer, and bug spray in aerosol, gel, or liquid form
Cameras, binoculars, scanners, and headsets worn over the neck or belt, or carried in a clear bag
iPads, tablets, and laptop computers
Seat cushions without metal components
Cigarettes and lighters
Service animals
Nationality flags on a pencil-sized wooden stick, as long as they do not block another fan's view

Grandstands, Seating and Track Layout

Martinsville is shaped like a paperclip - two long, flat straightaways connected by two tight, low-banked turns. At just over half a mile, there is not a bad seat in the house, and the grandstands sit right on top of the racing. The main towers include the Richard Petty tower on the frontstretch and the Old Dominion and Bill France towers, which also hold the accessible seating with companion seats.

Wide view of the Martinsville Speedway layout showing the flat paperclip oval and grandstands — A wide look at the Martinsville layout - the flat straightaways and tight turns that make the paperclip so hard to pass on. (Photo: GalaxyTrooper, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

For the exact section and row you are sitting in, use the track's official smart map and seating tool before you go. Because the seats are close to the track, seat cushions without metal are a smart, allowed add for a few hours on aluminum.

Getting There and Race-Day Tips

The track address for your GPS is 340 Speedway Road, Ridgeway, VA 24148. A few things worth knowing before you leave:

Parking is free. General parking on Speedway property does not cost anything.
It is a cashless facility. All concessions and the ticket office take cards only, including all major credit cards. Bring a card, not just cash.
First aid stations and ambulances are located under the frontstretch grandstand.
Need help during the race? Martinsville runs a fan text service. Text 627227, start your message with MVSFAN, then your issue and location. It runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Cup weekend.
Guest Services can be reached at 877.722.3849 for anything you want to confirm ahead of time.

Fan Tips

Martinsville is a spring and fall race, so weather is the big variable. Umbrellas are prohibited, so pack a poncho instead of an umbrella if rain is in the forecast. The fall race is a NASCAR Playoffs elimination event, so the tension in the stands is a different animal - get there early for the pre-race. Pack your soft cooler with sealed drinks and sandwiches to skip the concession lines, bring a metal-free seat cushion, and remember your scanner or a headset if you want to hear the drivers. Sunscreen is allowed in any form, so bring it either way.

Common questions about Martinsville Speedway

What size cooler can you bring to Martinsville Speedway?

One soft-sided cooler per person, no larger than 14 x 14 x 14 inches. Foam and hard-sided coolers are not allowed at any size.

What is the bag policy at Martinsville Speedway?

You can bring up to two bags per person. Backpacks, diaper bags, clutch bags, and fanny packs are allowed as long as each is no bigger than 18 x 18 x 14 inches. There is no clear-bag requirement.

Can you bring food and drinks into Martinsville Speedway?

Yes. Pre-packaged, sealed food and drinks are allowed in a clear bag or soft-sided cooler, including alcoholic beverages, as long as there are no glass containers.

Are umbrellas allowed at Martinsville Speedway?

No. Umbrellas are on the prohibited list. If rain is in the forecast, bring a poncho or rain jacket instead.

Are chairs or seat cushions allowed at Martinsville Speedway?

Seat cushions without metal components are allowed. Collapsible chairs and seat cushions with metal components are prohibited.

Is Martinsville Speedway cashless?

Yes. All concessions and the ticket office are cashless and accept all major credit cards, so bring a card.

What items are prohibited at Martinsville Speedway?

The main ones are hard or foam coolers, glass containers, umbrellas, collapsible chairs, wagons, weapons, drones, selfie sticks, tripods, laser pointers, and air horns. See the full list above.

Is parking free at Martinsville Speedway?

Yes. General parking on Speedway property is free.

The Bottom Line

Martinsville makes it easy: pack a soft cooler under 14 inches, keep your bag under 18 x 18 x 14, bring sealed food and drinks with no glass, and leave the umbrella, hard cooler, and folding chair at home. Do that and you will breeze through the gate for one of the best short-track shows in NASCAR.

Policies change from season to season. Always confirm the current rules on the official Martinsville Speedway policy page before you travel: martinsvillespeedway.com/policies. Questions can go to Guest Services at 877.722.3849.

Gear Up for Martinsville

Heading to the paperclip or just love the short track? Happy Hour Racing has official gear tied to the drivers who have taken the grandfather clock. Here is in-stock gear built around Martinsville winners: