NASCAR, or those involved with it, seem to be continuing a bit of a trend of putting some well deserved attention on the grass roots of racing.

Last year (2013) we saw the Camping World Series Trucks race on a dirt track. The Eldora Speedway owned by Tony Stewart hosted the race and it was immensely successful. Bringing some of the “television” stardom to a smaller facility highlights the racing and the tracks that spawn the future stars.

This week we’ll see some of that attention focused yet again on one of those racetracks that have seen so many “future” stars of NASCAR rub their first fenders and get their first wins.

South Boston Speedway in Virginia is hosting the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. It is on the eve of Nationwide and Sprint Cup racing at Richmond International Raceway. For the past few years, this race was held as part of the events at RIR. This year, organizers and Hamlin have put the race at South Boston. It is a track that has seen so many, including Hamlin, race to some of their earliest successes.

This race benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation and funding for research into cystic fibrosis. With Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth have signed in to race alongside some other drivers that have ties to South Boston and NASCAR racing series. Timothy Peters, Jeb Burton, Elliott and Hermie Sadler are climbing in. Current late model racers familiar with weekend races at South Boston will be testing their skills with the stars of NASCAR.

It’s a fun race. It’s a good cause. It’s a way for fans to see some of the Big Guns up close and a way for “weekend warrior” drivers to see how they measure up.

It is Thursday, April 24th, at South Boston Speedway. It is yet another Virginia highlight for racing. Bristol and Martinsville have run their Spring schedules and this race comes just before NASCAR returns to Richmond. Nationwide and Sprint Cup run at RIR the 25th and 26th.

For Virginia race fans, this brings the show home once again. Go racing.

Click for South Boston Speedway.

Click for Richmond International Raceway.