WILKESBORO, N.C. (WGHP) – North Wilkesboro Speedway will host racing again according to Speedway Motorsports, the company that owns the track.
With the passing of the North Carolina budget and the allocation of $40 Million from the American Rescue Plan to support motorsports in the state, Speedway Motorsports is putting into action a plan to refurbish the track and have races there again.
“The allocation toward North Wilkesboro provides the starting capital needed to rebuild the infrastructure of the historic facility. With state budget amounts now finalized, we can zero in on project priorities and determine work schedules. The goal will be to modernize the property so that it can host racing and special events again in the future,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith, in a news release.
NASCAR racing left the Speedway after the 1996 season. Even though a handful of local and regional series tried to revive racing at the track, it hasn’t held a race of any kind since 2010 and has sat quiet and empty since.
A grassroots movement called “Save The Speedway” has been pushing for years for Speedway Motorsports to bring racing back to North Wilkesboro Speedway.
More recently, the movement has gained support from high profile people like NASCAR Superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr., Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis and NASCAR Hall of Famers Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham.
Stewart and Evernham have indicated they’d like to bring their SRX Racing Series to the short track.
That series is a summer racing short track series that runs a made-for-TV format and was very popular in its first season.
Lemonis is pushing for NASCAR to bring the Camping World Truck Series to the track, and he has said he will also spend money at the track on branded opportunities.
Speedway Motorsports has recently updated the Speedway’s website for North Wilkesboro where people can read about its history, browse historical pictures and sign up for future ticket buying opportunities.
