north wilkesboro speedway

On thescene for North Wilkesboro Speedway’s biggest weekend in 27 years (1:00); DJ’s reaction to returning to Wilkesboro, a track where he had limited success (3:30); should a repave be in the track’s future? (7:30); what was the vibe like at track’s most recent Cup points race in 1996? (10:00); how NASCAR got from leaving Wilkesboro for Fontana, Texas, Vegas, Chicagoland and then returning in the past 27 years (13:00); a suggestion for NASCAR in continuing work on optimizing the short-track package (17:00); the greatness of Kyle Larson adapting and running a completely different line to whip the field (22:00); an anecdote about DJ’s 1996 Coca-Cola 600 victory (26:00); and what Dale Earnhardt thought about it (28:00); another 75th anniversary moment for DJ as the grand marshal at Charlotte (29:30); Coca-Cola 600 preview (32:00); Indy 500 prediction (34:30).

Visit www.nbcsports.com/nascar and www.nbcsports.com/motors for more NASCAR and motorsports coverage from NBC Sports.

In this episode, we invited Seth Cohn, owner of Dooley's Restaurant, Two Boros Brewery, and Two Boros Performance Shop. Seth highlights his family's story of their Wilkes County home and how they help preserve and protect it for future generations. He also talks about how he got into the food industry as well as his passion for car racing which lead to team ownership. 

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Jeffrey Elmore who has, since 2013, served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 94th district which is made up of the population centers of Wilkes County and Alexander County. Outside of serving in Raleigh, Jeffrey is a public school teacher who has had the opportunity to teach visual arts, with a focus on painting and sculpture, to every grade level since 2001.

Today, Jeffrey discusses his involvement in the revival of the North Wilkesboro Speedway, in which he played a key role in securing the funds. He talks about the process behind his being the go-ahead and his conversations with key people on their vision for the new speedway.

He explains his justification for the appropriation of these funds for this specific project and why, despite some concerns regarding the potential knock-on effects of the appropriation, he sees nothing but long-term economic growth in the local community from the revival of the speedway. In fact, Jeffrey makes the point that “the worst thing that happens with local appropriation is that they don’t use the money.”

With its new multipurpose event space, The revived North Wilkesboro Speedway aims to elevate its visitors’ appreciation for the local history as well as North Wilkesboro itself as a tourist destination. Aside from essentially serving as a museum for the community, the speedway will embrace its heritage with displays of living history via car shows, performances, and more.

“It’s a wonderful blend of the past moving into the future,” says Jeffrey. “You don’t see that a lot.”

Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith shared his vision for the future of North Wilkesboro Speedway during the Wilkes County Chamber of Commerce 75th Membership Celebration recently.

Earmarked within the North Carolina state budget that was passed in November was $18 million toward infrastructure improvements at the historic 0.625-mile facility. That money, Smith said, will go a long way toward modernizing the iconic venue to bring motorsports, concerts and other entertainment options to the Wilkes County region.

“The future of North Wilkesboro Speedway is bright,” Smith told a group of 250 people gathered for the event. “There is a great opportunity to revive this fantastic venue to be, not just a race track, but a place that can host lots of events, a place that people will come to from far away and enjoy the community, enjoy the region and enjoy special events.”

Thanks to the efforts of local volunteer groups, cleanup around the 75-year-old race track began several months ago and attention can now turn to prioritizing the necessary upgrades and refurbishment projects to reopen North Wilkesboro Speedway. Smith highlighted his vision for the property through a series of renderings that showcased not only a return to racing, but also alternative uses like serving as a concert venue.

In this episode of the show, we sit down to talk with Terri Parsons, wife of late NASCAR legend and Hall of Fame inductee Benny Parsons.

Visit https://www.northwilkesborospeedway.com/ for more information and to find out how to get involved. 

This program is sponsored by Wilkes EDC. Situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Wilkes County serves as the pivotal hub connecting businesses, communities, and opportunities throughout the region. Visit https://wilkesedc.com/ for more info or to connect.

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