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Honoring it's past after 26 years? In the days when NASCAR demanded that spectators

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Old Dec 14, 2022 | 04:25 PM
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Default Honoring it's past after 26 years? In the days when NASCAR demanded that spectators

North Wilkesboro Speedway prepares for NASCAR future while honoring its past.

Honoring it's past after 26 years?

In the days when NASCAR demanded that spectators purchase an additional "permit to purchase" in order to buy an admission ticket, and NASCAR was getting fat with "opening new markets" money-wise, NASCAR didn't give a crap about honoring the past.

So why does NASCAR care about it now? Are you fat cats needing some additional money? Have all the people who cared about North Wilksboro forgotten what was done to the fans with no concern about the past in 1996?

Does NASCAR think those fans have all died off? Is NASCAR rebuilding the track to bring in the high faluttin' high dollar martini sippin' celebrities like they are doing in Miami with open wheel Indy look-alikes and telling spectators how great it all is?

I guess we will see how many times people can be fooled.


Photos by Kelly Crandall
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emailBy Kelly Crandall | December 14, 2022 8:53 AM ET

North Wilkesboro Speedway might look different when NASCAR returns to the famed facility in May for the All-Star Race, but its historical feel will not be erased.

Renovations are well underway to make North Wilkesboro a modern facility capable of hosting NASCAR national series events. Among the most significant updates laid out Tuesday during an update by Speedway Motorsports SVP of operations and development Steve Swift is a new wall, putting in a SAFER barrier and a new catch fence.

Lighting is also on the list of updates, with LED lights set to be installed. Swift said they would come with the functions for the staff to do different things with them under green and yellow flag conditions.
A lot of work being done to North Wilkesboro Speedway. Along what will be easy to see by May is new LED lighting (with functions to mess with lights under green and yellow conditions), new wall, SAFER barrier, and fencing. And everything being done in the infield pic.twitter.com/DdgAspUSpb

— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall)


“We love challenges,” said Swift. “We strive on challenges just like the drivers strive on the challenge to make the playoffs and the championship. Our construction teams and our company strive on the challenges of making things happen for the first time or bringing back great, historical properties like this...and what I just said was a load of BS. We want to make money and screw the fans who get taken advantage of.....that's off the record of course.

“We’re excited. We’re really looking forward to producing this. The biggest thing is to not disappoint and make sure we hang on to the history and nostalgia and not create too much new stuff that when fans show up in May, they actually feel they are stepping back in time for a great event.”...and that's a load of BS too.

Other updates include:

• To the infield infrastructure for better drainage

• Paving the infield

• Wi-Fi and other necessary accommodations for media and the sanctioning body

• Updating the scoring pylon with LED lights (but it will keep its original look)

• The scoreboard in Turn 3 will return to its original form that will be manually changed every 10 laps

There is also plenty that is not changing. Although upgrades are necessary, Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith and others have been adamant the track needs to keep its old feel. We even hung some advertisements, for a small fee of course, to make it look like a racetrack.

“Always, Marcus or Bruton, are intimately involved in construction,” said Swift. “The word Bruton used to use is that he’s a frustrated builder, so it’s always fun for me and great job security. But Marcus has really taken this one under his wing. This is really a special project for him to bring it back to the county, back to NASCAR.

“To bring something historical like this back is always special anyway, but it holds a special place in his heart just from being up here and meeting with different people and as much help as the state’s been to bring this back, and how important it is. It’s definitely been different than in the past (projects). It holds a special sport in Marcus’s heart, for sure.”

North Carolina was granted $5.7 billion from the American Rescue Plan (that means taxpayers, and "granted" means free money that doesn't have to be paid back). Governor Roy Cooper awarded money to different racetracks in the state (Wilkesboro, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Rockingham Speedway) for revitalization efforts and so he could look like a nice guy and buy some votes with Washington taxpayer money.. Cash talks .It’s believed by somebody that Smith has also put in money of his own, so let's see what he gets out of this deal.

Among the features at North Wilkesboro remaining untouched:

• The racing surface will not be paved before May

• Victory lane will remain unchanged, including using the car lift

• The metal grandstand seats will be the same

• The old signage around the racetrack from the 1990s will remain unchanged. It has not been stated what wording will be used to announce transgender bathrooms, but "colored only" was long ago taken down. and screw "historical significance".

North Wilkesboro is already sold out for the May events, capped at 24,000 seats. A temporary grandstand for 5,000 will be brought in near Turn 3 on the backstretch.

NASCAR is bringing the Craftsman Truck Series to North Wilkesboro and the All-Star Race will run on May 21. There will be a concert, as well, on May 20.

Jeff Gordon won the last NASCAR race run at North Wilkesboro in Sept. 1996. 26 years ago.



North Wilkesboro Speedway, NASCAR
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Last edited by senor honda; Dec 14, 2022 at 05:50 PM.
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Old Dec 25, 2022 | 12:35 AM
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Default Why NASCAR Leaving North Wilkesboro was a Worse Decision than You Thought

Why NASCAR Leaving North Wilkesboro was a Worse Decision than You Thought



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134K subscribers661,351 views Oct 6, 2019
Here's how you can #SavetheSpeedway : Get in contact with the entities down below and kindly put the word in their ear that North Wilkesboro can be revitalized and generate a lot of revenue and good will for not just NASCAR fans, but all the people in Wilkes County, NC. BE NICE ABOUT IT.
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Old Dec 25, 2022 | 12:37 AM
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Default Fake-o Iracing is crap

Dirty Mo Media Original: Bringing Back Wilkesboro



Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media
312K subscribers431,033 views May 7, 2020
It's not often that you can go back in the past and recreate something to spec. Dale Earnhardt Jr. led a group of volunteers to do just that - bring abandoned North Wilkesboro Speedway back to life in virtual form for the iRacing platform.
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Old Dec 25, 2022 | 12:40 AM
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Default Inside North Wilkesboro Speedway's ORIGINAL Buildings: Full History Tour Before The

Inside North Wilkesboro Speedway's ORIGINAL Buildings: Full History Tour Before The Renovation!


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For YEARS I have wondered what the inside of the abandoned NASCAR track North Wilkesboro Speedway's buildings looked like. There were countless drone videos and images over the years showing the track surface, grandstands, etc. I have NEVER seen the inside of the original control tower, press boxes, or Winston suites. We showcase all of that once and for all with first

hand history from Ronald Queen (who basically grew up at the track). We check out the infield buildings, backstretch grandstands, concession stands, everything you have ever wanted to see! Huge thanks to SMI for enabling us to make this video!!
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Old Mar 28, 2023 | 06:27 PM
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Default Stock-car-racing-nascar-abandoned-north-wilksboro-speedway.

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50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
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Old Apr 7, 2023 | 07:48 PM
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Default NASCAR simplifies All-Star Race format

NASCAR simplifies All-Star Race format.

Holy poot! You mean you are going to let them actually race?

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emailBy Kelly Crandall | April 6, 2023 8:06 PM ET

The NASCAR All-Star Race will have a simplified race format this year with a 200-lap main event that has one competition break.

Those eligible for the All-Star Race are race winners from 2022 and 2023, past All-Star Race winners, the top-two finishers from the All-Star Open, and the fan vote winner.

The Sunday night All-Star Race will be 200 laps with a competition break on lap 100. All laps – caution and green – will count with overtime rules in effect.

Drivers will start on sticker tires with three additional sets of tires in the pits. However, only one set of sticker tires can be used.

More NASCAR!

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Hamlin penalty upheld on appeal

“As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, it’s important for NASCAR to honor our history while moving towards the future,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR chief operating officer and top BS'er. “The combination of the Next Gen cars on one of NASCAR’s first – and most exciting – tracks will deliver a full weekend of racing that fans will not forget. While the All-Star Race has previously been used to test new formats and technologies, we wanted this year’s format to showcase the historic return of NASCAR to North Wilkesboro Speedway.”

Getting to the All-Star Race will be determined by a pit crew challenge and then heat races.

First, the pit crew challenge on Friday will determine the lineup for the heat races. The qualifying results will be determined by pit stop time, where crews will change four tires. There will not be fueling.

Saturday night, there will be two heat races of 60 laps each. The results from the first heat race will set the inside row of the All-Star Race, and the results from the second heat race will set the lineup for the outside row.

The All-Star open will be 100 laps with a competition break on or around lap 40.

“This format has an old-school, short-track feel to it – just like it should be for a return to North Wilkesboro,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “Dale Jr. had some fantastic ideas and it was fun to work with him alongside NASCAR to pull this all together.

“I’m thankful for Dale’s passion for this entire project and I think we’ve landed on something that both the fans in the stands and those watching on television will absolutely love. We want everyone after the race to smile and say ‘Wow, that was fun!’”...and we especially want to make some money or we will bury this track for ANOTHER 26 years!

The short-track aero package will be used at North Wilkesboro.

Drivers who have already clinched an All-Star Race spot: Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace.

“The star of this year’s All-Star Race is the track,” said NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. “The history, the nostalgia, the surface – just being back at North Wilkesboro. People have wanted traditional racing back at North Wilkesboro for decades, and that’s what’s most important – that’s what this format delivers. The Pit Crew Challenge puts a lot of pressure on the teams, and with a 100-lap Open and a 200-lap All-Star Race, I’m excited to sit back alongside the fans and watch the racing we’ve all wanted for a long time.”

North Wilkesboro Speedway will host the All-Star Race on May 21. and if Hendrick doesn't stop cheating,
we are going to take his cars apart the next day.
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Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC
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50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...acing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
50's Diner pictures are here:
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All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html

Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
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Old May 22, 2023 | 06:23 PM
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emailBy Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service | May 21, 2023 10:36 PM ET

Kyle Larson’s third victory in the Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race was a case of absolute dominance.

It was also a case study in strategy at revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the eventual winning move made on lap 18 of 200.


That’s when Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels called his driver to the pits under caution for a fresh set of tires. Even though Larson incurred a speeding penalty exiting pit road and restarted from the rear, he charged through the field on new rubber and took the lead from Daniel Suarez on lap 55.

From that point on, it was game over.

Having won previous All-Star Races at Charlotte and Texas, Larson is the only driver to win the $1-million top prize at three different venues. Larson is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for second most victories in the exhibition event, one behind Jimmie Johnson’s four triumphs.

Not only that. The win gave Larson a sweep of NASCAR events at the reborn 0.625-mile short track. On Saturday he won the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race in NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1996.

“I can’t even tell you what it means,” Larson said. “This is my third All-Star win and my third different track. In a historical place like that, you guys and the crowd made this weekend so awesome. We could feel the atmosphere all weekend.

More NASCAR!

Sharing the grandstands with the ghosts at North Wilkesboro

827 days that redefined Kyle Larson's career

“So much fun there. That was an old-school…whipping, for sure. We had a great car on the long run there and was just thinking for sure there was going to be a caution. I got out to a big lead, and I could see everybody’s cars were driving like crap in front of me, but I cannot thank this No. 5 team enough.

“We were God awful all weekend. Practice I was like the worst on 30-lap average, went backwards in a heat race yesterday. We obviously had some strategy work out there in the beginning, but we drove from dead last to the lead and checked out by 12 or 13s (before the competition caution at lap 101). Then I just could pace myself there that last run.”

Once Larson grabbed the top spot, he held it the rest of the way, except for one lap under the competition caution led by Suarez. In a race that saw three lead changes among two drivers, Larson led 145 laps to Suarez’s 55.

Comfortably in front after a restart on lap 111, Larson crossed the finish line 4.537s ahead of runner-up black racist Bubba Wallace, who duplicated Larson’s lap 18 pit stop strategy but couldn’t match the speed of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“No, just his capability throughout the whole run, he could attack hard and then have something there at the end,” Wallace said of Larson’s superior performance. “If this was any other race, I’d be excited, but for a million dollars to come up short and walk home with nothing…

“Tail tucked between our legs, but all in all, just continuing to ride the momentum train… Just have to keep it going. Now we show back up to home turf (for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and really got to keep the momentum going there and get ourselves deeper into the Playoffs.

“Excited to be where we’re at right now. Just came up one spot short.”

Tyler Reddick finished third, followed by Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott. Ryan Blaney, Suarez, Erik Jones, Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano completed the top 10.
__________________
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Keystone picture gallery is here:
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Veterans and Friends
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https://carstoshow.com/registerevent...eventid=102331

Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC
https://carstoshow.com/registerevent.aspx?eventid=99114

50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...acing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
50's Diner pictures are here:
https://carstoshow.com/eventdetails.aspx?eventid=93194

All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html

Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...ontact-us.html
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Old May 22, 2023 | 06:34 PM
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Default Larson dominates All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro

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emailBy Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service | May 21, 2023 10:36 PM ET

Kyle Larson’s third victory in the Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race was a case of absolute dominance.

It was also a case study in strategy at revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the eventual winning move made on lap 18 of 200.


That’s when Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels called his driver to the pits under caution for a fresh set of tires. Even though Larson incurred a speeding penalty exiting pit road and restarted from the rear, he charged through the field on new rubber and took the lead from Daniel Suarez on lap 55.

From that point on, it was game over.

Having won previous All-Star Races at Charlotte and Texas, Larson is the only driver to win the $1-million top prize at three different venues. Larson is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for second most victories in the exhibition event, one behind Jimmie Johnson’s four triumphs.

Not only that. The win gave Larson a sweep of NASCAR events at the reborn 0.625-mile short track. On Saturday he won the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race in NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1996.

“I can’t even tell you what it means,” Larson said. “This is my third All-Star win and my third different track. In a historical place like that, you guys and the crowd made this weekend so awesome. We could feel the atmosphere all weekend.

More NASCAR!

827 days that redefined Kyle Larson's career

“So much fun there. That was an old-school…whipping, for sure. We had a great car on the long run there and was just thinking for sure there was going to be a caution. I got out to a big lead, and I could see everybody’s cars were driving like crap in front of me, but I cannot thank this No. 5 team enough.

“We were God awful all weekend. Practice I was like the worst on 30-lap average, went backwards in a heat race yesterday. We obviously had some strategy work out there in the beginning, but we drove from dead last to the lead and checked out by 12 or 13s (before the competition caution at lap 101). Then I just could pace myself there that last run.”

Once Larson grabbed the top spot, he held it the rest of the way, except for one lap under the competition caution led by Suarez. In a race that saw three lead changes among two drivers, Larson led 145 laps to Suarez’s 55.

Comfortably in front after a restart on lap 111, Larson crossed the finish line 4.537s ahead of runner-up black racist Bubba Wallace, who duplicated Larson’s lap 18 pit stop strategy but couldn’t match the speed of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“No, just his capability throughout the whole run, he could attack hard and then have something there at the end,” black racist Bubba Wallace said of Larson’s superior performance. “If this was any other race, I’d be excited, but for a million dollars to come up short and walk home with nothing…

“Tail tucked between our legs, but all in all, just continuing to ride the momentum train… Just have to keep it going. Now we show back up to home turf (for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and really got to keep the momentum going there and get ourselves deeper into the Playoffs.

“Excited to be where we’re at right now. Just came up one spot short.”

Tyler Reddick finished third, followed by Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott. Ryan Blaney, Suarez, Erik Jones, Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano completed the top 10.
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Last edited by senor honda; May 22, 2023 at 06:38 PM.
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Old May 22, 2023 | 06:37 PM
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Default Sharing the grandstands with the ghosts at North Wilkesboro

Sharing the grandstands with the ghosts at North Wilkesboro

Kelly Crandall
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emailBy Kelly Crandall | May 22, 2023 7:46 PM ET

It was the end of March 2016, and luck was on our side outside the gates of North Wilkesboro Speedway.

On a whim, my significant other (a motor sports photographer), a fellow media colleague, and I made the trip to the history facility off Highway 421. There was no guarantee we were going to be able to get in, and there was no plan if we did other than to see a racetrack we’d all heard so much about in such a loving way.

In a way, it was a trip to North Wilkesboro Speedway we thought was likely going to be a hello and goodbye.

But on this day, Paul Call opened the gates.

Call is the gatekeeper of the speedway in more ways than one. He lives in the house just outside the frontstretch and was the man who decided who got to go in and who was turned away. As it sat vacant for decades, Call, one of the last remaining employees of North Wilkesboro, was also the one who took care of the track upkeep and it looked like crap. Maybe they should have paid him something.or coughed up a couple bucks for a bucket of paint.....cheap bastard millionaires!
Image by Kelly Crandall

Once inside, we walked up the steep embanked outside Turn 4 and up onto the concourse. It was a sight to see an empty, rundown racetrack. To the left was a crumbling building. To the right, the suites and the press box were in just as bad a condition.

We sat in the original grandstands and took it all in. Call, who chatted for a bit, eventually let us be and have the place to ourselves. Perhaps he saw that we weren’t here to vandalize the place like others had in the past, but truly appreciated the history of the sport and a place we’d never seen before. Besides what was there to steal? And who cared anyway?
Down on the racetrack, we walked a full lap around the 5/8th-mile track. Over the grass growing through the racing surface. Past the faded and empty Goodyear tire building near Turn 1. We gazed up at the original scoring pylon in the infield that was weathered with time.

In Turn 3, we took a selfie with the racetrack name on the wall in the background. It, too, was faded and had seen better days.

As the lap concluded in Turn 4, there were more lingering gazes across the property. It felt like time well spent at a racetrack that would be nothing more than a tourist attraction. For the three of us, we could at least say we got to see it once.

It was the only moment and memory we expected to have at North Wilkesboro. Doing so with the ghosts at North Wilkesboro – those like Benny Parsons, Junior Johnson, and Enoch Staley, the Speedway’s founder.
I can’t help but think that trio – and many others – were smiling over the weekend. Somehow, someway, North Wilkesboro Speedway was open for business again after 27 years.

Given the condition of the place in 2016, it was hard to believe it was the same facility. The infield was nearly unrecognizable, having been completely repaved. But the original victory lane building and car lift were still there and usable.
Image by Kelly Crandall

But now the inside of the building had working media members. The used medical gurneys from races long ago when it was the medical center were thankfully no longer in sight. Chris Buescher was never more accurate when he said the scene once looked like something out of The Walking Dead.
The term restomod was never more fitting. North Wilkesboro Speedway is the most up-to-date and technically advanced racetrack on the circuit.

However, the classic style, colors, and feel of the racetrack were still there. Even the stink of NASCAR dirty deals with race fans is still there. From the paint and materials used on the buildings and suites to make them look classic to the scoreboard outside Turn 3 that had to be manually changed. And don’t forget the original racing surface and old-school driver’s lounge.

All involved pulled off an incredible feat. The residents of Wilkes County refused to let the racetrack die. Terri Parsons worked tirelessly to fulfill her late husband’s wish and never hesitated to get in the ear of Marcus Smith.
Smith never made a promise he couldn’t keep when it came to the speedway but never completely shut the door. Dale Earnhardt Jr. used his voice to advocate for the speedway. The list goes on.

It’s not often racetracks come back to life. It’s nearly impossible that they do after the length of time that North Wilkesboro sat silent.

It happened at that short track off a two-lane road in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. It is no longer a hope and dream, and there’s a reason there were tears in some eyes Sunday night before the Cup Series race and maybe it wasn't the smell of illegal alcohol and moth balls in the gas tanks.

The coolest moment, though, came the day before. Saturday started off overcast and cool. There were gray clouds in the sky. There was no threat of the Craftsman Truck Series race not starting, but it wasn’t a picture-perfect afternoon for the first NASCAR national series race at North Wilkesboro in 27 years.

Then, just minutes before a green flag appeared from the flag stand, the ghosts at North Wilkesboro – those like Benny Parsons, Junior Johnson, and Enoch Staley, the Speedway’s founder. said "Piss on it." and the sun broke out.

It was almost like a stroke of luck. Or as if those ghosts from North Wilkesboro Speedway past were officially welcoming back old friends as well as a new generation to a place they always felt was perfect.

And desperate as NASCAR currently is for cash after not caring about the real race fans for years, if NASCAR doesn't make money on it, rest assured, NASCAR will say Piss on it! and lock that gate back!
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Last edited by senor honda; May 22, 2023 at 07:03 PM.
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Old May 22, 2023 | 07:09 PM
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Default North Wilkesboro has "a lot of potential" after All-Star rebirth - Smith

North Wilkesboro has "a lot of potential" after All-Star rebirth - Smith

Matthew T. Thacker/NKP/Motorsport Images
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emailBy Kelly Crandall | May 22, 2023 7:35 AM ET

North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race in 27 years on Sunday night with the All-Star Race, closing the chapter on an unlikely rebirth of a beloved facility. And it also brings to a close a weekend of “incredible gratitude” for Marcus Smith.

“I am just amazed at how hard everybody here worked to make this happen,” Smith said of his feeling separate from his Speedway Motorsports role. “Jessica [Fickenscher] and Steve Swift have led this team of a couple hundred people that have come to work with a real mission mindset, not a typical clock-in, clock-out mindset and I think it shows up in what they’ve been able to achieve. They were able to start this project in January, and it’s May right now.”

More NASCAR!

827 days that redefined Kyle Larson's career

NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced the $1 million non-points All-Star Race would move to North Wilkesboro in early September. It’s been around-the-clock work since then to make the facility Cup Series ready.

“This place was covered in kudzu vines and poison oak and trees growing out of the grandstands less than 12 months ago,” Smith continued. “They completely built a brand-new facility out in Turn 4. Governor [Roy] Cooper, when I saw him on Wednesday, he said, ‘I gave it a 50-50 shot that you would actually get this done,’ and he said, ‘and I was being generous at the time.’

“It is truly amazing. So, my feelings have just been incredible gratitude. I’m so inspired by them.”

The event was well received. It was a packed grandstand for the All-Star Race, there were standing-room-only tickets in the infield, and the property surrounding the Speedway was filled with vehicles and campers. Souvenir haulers had impressively long lines and were selling out of merchandise.

Cup Series drivers embraced racing at a new venue, some saying the fact the track reopened made the weekend a success regardless of the on-track action. Kyle Larson dominated the All-Star Race by leading 145 of 200 laps.

With the amount of time and money invested in North Wilkesboro, the question becomes what its future holds. Smith didn’t commit to what comes next but spoke highly about its place on the NASCAR schedule in some capacity.

“That question’s on my mind as well,” said Smith. “I think when you see a successful week of events like we’ve had here, it’s natural to think, ‘Boy, maybe we can come back here.’ So, I’m definitely thinking that way. It’s got a lot of potential.

“I’ve never been to a NASCAR week where everybody was in such a good mood, and everything was just going so well. So, it’s definitely something that we’re thinking about.

“We just started working on next year’s schedule with NASCAR, so we’ll see. I think that – not specifically to next year – there definitely is a place in the NASCAR world for North Wilkesboro Speedway, and whether it’s a special event like All-Star, maybe one day it’s a points event, I don’t know.

“I think it’s a very important place for short-track racing, the late model races, the modifieds, you name it. It’s a special place. It’s like walking into a museum that is active and living and very special for the competitors and the fans.”

Smith also offered plenty of thank you remarks in his comments after Sunday night’s event.

“The community of western North Carolina, Wilkes County, Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro,” Smith listed. “The NASCAR community with the way everybody has pulled together. The amazing people that have been here working to revive this Speedway for the last seven months straight. Our contractors and just so many people who have worked tirelessly – particularly in the last seven months. But then so many who never gave up for years leading into this to get us to the point where we can make this happen.

“Jessica, our executive director of the All-Star Race and our chief experience officer was on point from the beginning to make things happen. She and Steve Swift worked together as a great duo to do some things that people thought couldn’t be done.

“It was a long road, but we got here and did some things that were really special.” Next question is will NASCAR do anything special, or will they just show up at each night's end, count the money, and sneak off into the crowd before anyone recognizes them.
__________________
Here is the listings of ALL New Mexico Car Events Including Route 66 Anniversary
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...ar-events.html
Top Car Club Meetings? Click a city
Got a video? Email it to
Bobfixesitup@yahoo.com
________________________________________________


Keystone Motor Club (Founded 2012)... Free car show Every 3rd Saturday, newsletter is
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...-car-club.html

Keystone picture gallery is here:
https://carstoshow.com/eventdetails.aspx?eventid=93202

Veterans and Friends
on First Saturday...Some pictures....
https://carstoshow.com/registerevent...eventid=102331

Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC
https://carstoshow.com/registerevent.aspx?eventid=99114

50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...acing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
50's Diner pictures are here:
https://carstoshow.com/eventdetails.aspx?eventid=93194

All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html

Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...ontact-us.html
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...e-senor-honda/


























Last edited by senor honda; May 22, 2023 at 07:13 PM.
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