Trump’s Tariffs Are Killing The NASCAR Martinsville Grandfather Clock Company

Time may be running out for the Martinsville grandfather clock.

The owner of the Ridgeway Clocks company that has provided grandfather clocks to winners of the NASCAR races at Martinsville Speedway since 1964 is set to close this year.

The Michigan-based Howard Miller furniture company that purchased Ridgeway Clocks in 2004, told Wood TV that increasing costs and a struggling housing market have made the business unsustainable.

“Our business has been directly impacted by tariffs that have increased the cost of essential components unavailable domestically and driven specialty suppliers out of business, making it unsustainable for us to continue our operations,” President and CEO Howard J. Miller said.

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Miller said the company is still entertaining buyout offers, but it doesn’t yet have any deals that would keep it or Ridgeway Clocks in business.

The clock trophy was initiated as a way to promote the once thriving furniture industry in the Martinsville, Va., area. It is one of the most prized awards in NASCAR, both for its uniqueness and the fact that it represents a win at the legendary track.

NASCAR currently visits Martinsville twice a year and Denny Hamlin was the winner of the last race in March. The Virginia native has six wins at the track, while Richard Petty holds the record at 15, with three of those coming before the clock was introduced.

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Martinsville Speedway hasn’t announced any plans to replace the Ridgeway Clocks trophy yet, but Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose one win at the track came in 2014, posted some colorful advice on X for any company that takes up the challenge.

“Whomever makes the next version better make them exactly like the previous versions. Don’t get cute and **** this up,” he said.