Five Reasons to be Excited About the Reopening North Wilkesboro Speedway

Photo Courtesy Wilkes Journal Patriot

Five Reasons to be Excited About the North Wilkesboro Speedway

For months, “We Want You Back: North Wilkesboro Speedway” signs dotted yards and businesses around Wilkes County and surrounding counties. The campaign culminated in success when North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper signed a bill that included $18 million for renovations. Anyone who sat in the concrete stands of the front stretch watching stock car legends speed around the track can tell you the excitement the speedway brought to the Wilkes County area. And while it’s unlikely the NASCAR Cup Series will return to this site, the idea of revitalizing the speedway brings dreams of racing to the diehard fans still living in and around Wilkes County, along with the prospect of much more activity for the area.

Here are a few reasons why we’re excited about Save the Speedway:

1. Racing. NASCAR Cup Series races might be asking a little too much of this speedway, but that doesn’t mean a restored track can’t host plenty of races. Once it’s running again, the North Wilkesboro Speedway could play host to races as part of the Southern Super Series, Camping World truck series and a litany of other racing events.

2. Concerts, movies, festivals, bike races … These days, venues like speedways can’t exist through races alone. Even larger places like Charlotte Motor Speedway host other events throughout the years, everything from flea markets to car shows. “The North Wilkesboro Speedway is a perfect size for all types of fun events, such as music and craft festivals, concerts and go kart racing,” says Steven Wilson, co-founder of Save the Speedway. Terry Parsons, Benny Parsons’ widow, has already been hard at work in one creative use -- bringing filming opportunities to the speedway. The Wilkes County landmark has served as a set for Andrew Zimmerman’s “Bizarre Foods” episode on the Food Network and a motorcycle commercial for Husqvarna.

3. Economic Boom. It’s estimated that Merlefest brings about $10 million in business and tourism revenue each year. Everything from people buying gas at local gas stations and staying in local hotels to grabbing a coffee at Talia’s on their way to the festival in the morning. What if there were events bringing in thousands of people more than once a year? Once restored, the North Wilkesboro Speedway could become a vital cog of the local economy.

4. Tourist Attraction. A speedway full of activity not only provides an economic boon for the area, it also brings exposure and tourism to Wilkes County. Marketing of the events will get North Wilkesboro in front of people far and wide, and once here for events the visitors will find many things worth coming back for, from local distilleries and wineries to hiking, biking and a plethora of outdoor activities.

5. Keeping History Alive. Going to the racetrack on Sunday afternoons was a family tradition for many people all over North Carolina, but the history goes back even further in Wilkes County. Stock car racing and NASCAR have their roots in the bootleggers of the moonshine era, where fast cars and smart driving were paramount in outrunning the authorities. North Wilkesboro Speedway is a tie to that local history through its location and also the names that built that track, including racing greats Junior Johnson, Lee Petty and Fireball Roberts. Over the years the track saw many more NASCAR legends, as Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip and Ricky Rudd sped around the fast track, setting records and wowing crowds. Today the speedway honors those that paved the way for a bright future in Wilkes County.