North Wilkesboro Speedway was a staple of the NASCAR Cup Series circuit from the inaugural season in 1949 to 1996, and has mostly laid dormant in the two decades since. While not a NASCAR national series, racing will finally return to the track in August and October as Speedway Motorsports announced Saturday the launch of Racetrack Revival.
Led by XR Events and SMI, the programme will consist of grassroots events on the pavement in August before the track is covered in dirt for more races in October. Much like SMI’s Bristol Motor Speedway which is having a NASCAR dirt weekend, the dirt layout will only be temporary before a full repave of the racing surface takes place the following year.
“In the midst of revitalizing historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, Speedway Motorsports will bring grassroots racing back to the famed .625-mile short track in August and October of 2022, officials announced today at a press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway,” reads a statement from the track. “Produced by XR Events, Racetrack Revival will be a multi-week grassroots racing event featuring multiple series on the current North Wilkesboro asphalt in August. Then, following removal of the pavement, Racetrack Revival will return for several weeks in October on dirt before a repave takes place in 2023.”
Tentatively, asphalt classes are the Hornets on 2–3 August, Super Late Models (12–13 August), Street Stocks (16–17 August), Pro Late Models (19–20 August), Limited Late Models (19–20 August), Limited Late Models (23–24 August), Open-Wheel Modifieds (26–27 August), and Late Model Stocks (30–31 August). Hitting the dirt two months later will be the Hornets (4–5 October), Super Late Models and Street Stocks (7–8 October), 602 Crate Late Models (11–12 October), Open Wheel Modifieds (14–15 October), 604 Crate Late Models (18–19 October), 410 Sprint Cars and Big Block Modifieds (21–22 October), Stock Cars (25–26 October), and Super Late Models (28–29).
Located in Wilkes County, North Carolina, the .625-mile (1.006-km) oval has been the target of many restoration aspirations since its closing. In 2010, the track was reopened for late model stock car series before closing again a year later. As interest in the historic venue flared again, as the 2010s progressed, the track was scanned into iRacing and “hosted” the final round of the 2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
Steps towards a real-life return took place in November 2021 when North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper allotted $40 million for North Wilkesboro as well as Charlotte Motor Speedway (SMI’s flagship track) and Rockingham Speedway, the latter of which has also been called upon by fans to return to the NASCAR schedule. A revitalisation project is also led by SMI for the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Tennessee.
While it is unlikely that the Cup Series or the second-tier Xfinity Series race at North Wilkesboro due to a lack of proper infrastructure, the Camping World Truck Series could be a possibility. The Superstar Racing Experience has also long teased a date there.