I just ran across this website today and have been looking through all of the old pictures, as well as the current pictures of the track. Any NASCAR fan who knows anything, knows that this is the founding place of NASCAR. How sad it is to see the current condition of this place.

I hope these guys are successful. Maybe one day we'll see racing there again. If I had the money, I'd buy the place and go for it. Maybe the guy that bought Rockingham could someday save this place..

http://www.savethespeedway.net/

 

Didn't know it was still around. Saw it maybe five years ago on my way up to Boone. Real sad. I remember the days of watching Neil Bonnett race there. The wife had some family near there and her parents talked about listening to them run through the woods. That had to be cool. Back when Nascar was a real redneck thing without so many rules. Not the flashy mess it is today. No offense.

Chris

 

Yep, its like a Ghost Town. The birth place of NASCAR, slowly dying off.

 

I was there about 7-8 months ago. Driving from east bend to boone I saw it off the side of the road so we turned around and went over and the care taker let us in to walk around and check it all out. Real sad. I remember watching racing there as a kid and man to see it today is real sad. I got some pictures somewhere and try to get them up.

 

I remember feeling that same way about the Rock. Back in 1998, I was working at a company who did some of the in car camera stuff back then. I got to go to the race for free, and had access to anywhere I wanted to go. A few years later, I went again as a spectator, then the track closed. I was BUMMED about that, and felt the same way about the Rock as I do North Wilksboro right now.

The Rock is back open, and maybe even someday they can host a NASCAR date again. You never know but either way, the track is on it's way to being a pretty big deal again up there.

I can only hope that one day North Wilksboro will come back alive again. I hate to see it just die and go away, especially with so many race fans in that area. It wouldn't be as big of a deal to me but the thing is, Wilksboro is the BIRTHPLACE for NASCAR. They should have done something to preserve it!

 

Sorry to say it but I doubt NASCAR will be back at either track. They are a business that is more about growing and profits than history of the sport. I've been to a few tracks, some as a spectator and others working there. They saturated the southern market many years ago and had to move races in order to keep growing. They will continue to move more races from the traditional tracks to open new markets whenever they feel it is the right time.

With that said, I personally ignore the races at most tracks outside of the traditional tracks because I beleive in the history of NASCAR.

 

I hear what you're saying. The sad part is that I rarely watch the races anymore except when they're in places like Richmond, Charlotte or Bristol. Oh well. I guess that is what "progress" is all about. It's a multi-billion dollar business now, and will never be the same.

 

Jack, you ever go to the Wake County Speedway? Back when the early Simpkins crowd ran it as a dirt track (I don't know who owns/runs it now)?

 

Bump. Went by twice today on my trip to Johnson City, TN. It looked to have a few new banners hanging from the bleachers next to the highway. The bleachers looked to be newer or refurbished as well. The website isn't updated any to this but it is holding a movie premiere there at the end of an all day festival sometime this year.

 

It is sad, noone seems to care abt tradition anymore

While we're on the topic, I just moved down this way from Ohio where dirt track racing is pretty big...any dirt tracks around n.e. north carolina/s.e. virginia?

 

This is from Wikipedia.... Interesting....

On October 31, 2009, Jayski.com announced that the USAR ProCup Series would host an event at North Wilkesboro Speedway on October 3, 2010
Also in 2010, the track will also host the ASA Late Model Series for the King's Ranson 300 and the PASS Late Models.
On January 7,2010, the track announced that a PASS Super Late Model's will also race on April 7-9,2011(tentative dates, official dates will be set after the release of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule)in a 300 lap race for 153,000 dollars in race winnings.They also announced that the Buck Baker Driving School will be the official driving school of NWS. The track also has sponsorship from Goodyear.

 

http://www.historicnws.com/index

 

That's alot of good news. Thanks Boss.

 

Pretty interesting.

 

That's why I don't watch NASCAR anymore. The same can be said about many corporations in the US today. Once they have you, they don't give a rip about you or care to keep your business. They are always looking for the new people and completely forget about the folks that help got them where they are.