Since it was built in 1947,
North Wilkesboro Speedway had been the backbone of Wilkes County, giving it an international identity.
Beyond the fence...
nothing!
Part of the history of racin'
began in 1949
when NASCAR went to a short eight-race Strictly Stock Division,
which became Grand National,
which became Winston Cup.
The eight races that first year of Winston Cup
were at Charlotte, Daytona, Occoneechee Speedway at Hillsboro, N.C.,
Hamburg, N.Y., Heidelberg Speedway in Pittsburgh, Pa.,
Langhorne, Pa., Martinsville, Va. and North Wilkesboro, N.C.
73 feature races in 57 years were ran at North Wilkesboro,
seeing some of the greatest names in NASCAR history...
from Johnson in the early years,
to Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty in the 70s and 80s,
to Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt
in the years before it closed down.
North Wilkesboro Speedway
was a .625-mile low-banked oval
loved by drivers and fans
for its rough racing and close finishes.
Get that left front off this track
and you were history down the embankment...
In the old days rows of corn were in the infield!
On Sept. 29, 1996, Jeff Gordon
won the last Winston Cup race in the history of North Wilkesboro.
Today North Wilkesboro sits decaying
grass growing through the cracks in the track...
brought down by greed and big business
but forever remembered in the hearts
of racin' fans.
Back to Old Time Racin'
Daytona
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