Inside the famous race track, which was deserted for decades but will once again host NASCAR races after the $22 million revival
AFTER decades of dormancy, racing has returned at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The popular facility was originally a dirt track that opened in 1947 and has seen a slew of NASCAR legends over its 75-year history.
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The racing series first took place in the small North Carolina town in 1949, when Bob Flock crossed the checkered flag in an Oldsmobile that same year.
Eventually, the .625-mile oval was paved in 1957 and has continued to establish itself as a staple of the Cup Series calendar.
North Wilkesboro eventually hosted 93 Cup Series races, including Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip, who all used the circuit to make their way to the winning streak on multiple occasions.
Out of touch
But as the decades passed and expectations grew, the circuit struggled to keep up with the times.
Ultimately, 1996 was the curtain call for the Oval, following the passing of founder Enoch Staley the year before.
The rights to the track were subsequently bought by Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre, who moved the races to their other tracks – Texas Motor Speedway and New Hamshire Motor Speedway, respectively.
In a recent video on the track for NASCAR on FOXMike Joy said after the sales, “Bruton Smith said of Wilkesboro, ‘Just let it go down. Just let it wither and die.’”
SAVING NORTH WILKESBORO
Various efforts were made over the next two decades to bring racing back to North Wilkesboro as fans tried to breathe new life into it, but none failed apart from a number of one off races/events.
The venue fell into a state of disrepair, with grass growing through cracks in the asphalt and trees growing in the stands while the buildings began to crumble.
But its presence on screens around the world never entirely disappeared.
In 2010, the BBC program Top Gear visited the circuit with presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May driving three supercars around the derelict track.
A decade later, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. led an attempt to virtually immortalize the track by and other volunteers clearing vegetation on the surface to be scanned and digitized for iRacing, as documented in his photo Youtube channel.
He also dedicated an episode of his Lost Speedways series about Peacock to North Wilkesboro that same year.
NASCAR returns
Fast forward to November 2021, and the circuit finally saw light at the end of the tunnel when funding for its renovation was approved, along with the Rockingham and Charlotte Motor Speedway Joe Bruno of the WSOC.
A total of $22 million went to North Wilkesboro, with $18 million from the American Rescue Plan and the remainder from state grants FOX Sports.
Among other things, the track surface was repaired, the infield was paved, structures were either repaired or replaced, and new lighting was installed.
The track is now ready to race in time for NASCAR’s 75th season and is scheduled to host the May 21st All-Star race, with a $1 million prize at stake for the winner.
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