[media-credit name=”martinsvillespeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 27, 2012) – Sixty-five years after the first Jesse Jones wiener was served at Martinsville Speedway it has an official partner with the historic Virginia track.
Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell announced today that the track and Jesse Jones, LLC had partnered to bring official status to the wiener just in time for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 weekend.
“We have obviously been partners for many years, ever since my grandfather H. Clay Earles made the first Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog™, but this makes it official,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell.
“Our hot dog is the most iconic concession item in all of racing, and the key reason for that is the Jesse Jones wiener. We have our special, secret way of dressing it, but the dog is at the heart of it all.”
If stretched end-to-end, the hot dogs sold during this weekend’s events at Martinsville Speedway would wrap around the half-mile track more than nine times.
“We at Jesse Jones are proud and excited to carry on the historical relationship between Jesse Jones and Martinsville Speedway,” said Leigh Smithson, executive vice-president of the Fredricksburg-based company. “This is a proud tradition that has been carried on for 65 years and Jesse Jones looks forward to coming back every year.”
The Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog™ has achieved rock-star status in racing over the years. Team members battle to see who can get in line first when the infield concession stands open on race Friday; hundreds of stories have been written about the hot dog over the years, and it even has its own Twitter account.
“When my grandfather first started selling Jesse Jones products, he just wanted to sell the best hot dog possible,” said Campbell. “He accomplished that and so much more because he was working with such a great product.”
Good tickets remain for all of this weekend’s events at Martinsville Speedway, including the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 on Sunday, the Kroger 250 on Saturday and NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck series practice on Friday. Tickets may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.