From North Wilkesboro Speedway:
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. 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.
Promising news for fans of short track racing and NASCAR history. If you would have told me just a few years ago that this track would be revitalized, I’d have never believed you. As SMI’s Marcus Smith said in the press conference, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s effort to clear the track to be scanned for iRacing was the impetus for considering ways to bring racing back to the Wilkes County institution.
The track hasn’t been repaved since 1981, so after the pavement stock car races in October, the track will lay down dirt for a series of races before preparing for a repave in 2023. Hopefully, this leads to the NASCAR Trucks or ARCA to return for 2024. Regardless, the idea of a track returning to the NASCAR schedule almost thirty years after it left due to commercial pressures is absolutely fascinating.
Michael Miller 