VIDEO NEWS RELEASE: Hermle North America names their Martinsville Speedway clock after H. Clay Earles
Click here to download video of Martinsville Speedway’s visit to Hermle North America
Martinsville Speedway visited their new Grandfather Clock manufacturer, Hermle North America, today in Amherst, Va., as the famed short track prepares for the upcoming spring NASCAR race weekend, where they’ll award winning drivers the newest version of the iconic Martinsville trophy.
During the tour, Hermle North America announced the Martinsville Speedway model of their grandfather clocks will be officially known as the H. Clay Earles Grandfather Clock, honoring the man who began that tradition all those years ago. Martinsville Speedway’s tradition of handing out a Grandfather Clock to the winning driver began 62 years ago, when the track’s founder, H. Clay Earles, awarded Fred Lorenzen that first clock.
The H. Clay Earles Grandfather Clock is made completely of cherry wood with expert metal craftsmanship in the design. Hermle’s North American facility is located just down the road from Martinsville Speedway and a family-owned business. The Hermle family began manufacturting clocks over 100 years ago in Germany, with their North American facility opening in 1976.
Video highlights include:
- Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell discussing the history of the Martinsville Speedway Grandfather Clock Trophy and the partnership between the track and the Virginia-based clock company, Hermle North America.
- Clay Campbell discussing the prestige of the Martinsville Grandfather Clock Trophy, what it means for drivers to win, and a special conversation about the newest clock partner he had with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Chad Eby (Ee-bee), President of Hermle North America, discussing the dedication to H. Clay Earles, the history of Hermle, the craftsmanship of each clock and excitement for the upcoming race weekend.
- B-Roll of employees at Hermle North America exercising their craftsmanship behind the scenes. Hermle North America President Chad Eby inspects each clock himself before it exits the facility.
- Workers crafting each H. Clay Earles Grandfather Clock at the Hermle facility. Around 20 hours of manual labor go into making each clock.
Drivers in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and the Cup Series will have a chance to win a coveted H. Clay Earles Grandfather Clock trophy in the upcoming NASCAR spring race weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
The racing action kicks off on Friday, March 27, with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour under the lights, followed by Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series NFPA 250. The weekend culminates on Sunday, March 29, when drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series will battle it out around the historic short track in the Cook Out 400.
Tickets for the upcoming race weekend are available for purchase via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
Fans can stay connected to Martinsville Speedway on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the NASCAR Tracks App.
