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 Oval (1947–present) | |
| Location | 381 Speedway Lane, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, 28659 |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC−5 / UTC−4 (DST) |
| Coordinates | 36°8′32″N 81°4′21″W / 36.14222°N 81.07250°W |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports (2007–present) Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre (1995–2007) Staley and Combs families (1953–1995) Enoch Staley and the Mastin brothers (1947–1953) |
| Opened | Initial: 18 May 1947 Second: 5 September 2010 Third: 2 August 2022 |
| Closed | First: 1 January 1997 Second: 10 May 2011 |
| Construction cost | US$3,000 |
| Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR All-Star Race (2023–present) First Union 400 (1951–1996) Tyson Holly Farms 400 (1949–1955, 1957–1996) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Wright Brand 250 (1995–1996, 2023–present) NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (2023–present) Former: NASCAR Busch Series (1983–1985) |
| Website | www |
| Oval (1947–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.625 miles (1.006 km) |
| Turns | 2 |
| Banking | Turns: 14° Straights: 3° |
| Race lap record | 0:18.362 ( Kyle Larson, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 2024, NASCAR Cup) |
North Wilkesboro Speedway is a 0.625 mi (1.006 km) paved oval short track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1947; primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. It has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 2007 with Ronald Queen serving as director of operations. North Wilkesboro Speedway is served by U.S. Route 421.
The track has a capacity of 25,000 as of 2023. NWS retains a vintage aesthetic from the 1990s as part of an effort to preserve the historical value of the track. As a result, the facility retains some of its original buildings built before the track's first closure in 1996, including buildings featuring Winston Cigarettes sponsorship and suites built in the 1980s. Developers in recent years have also added other amenities as part of a revival effort that started in 2022.
In the mid-1940s, local Carolinian Enoch Staley built a track near the Brushy Mountains with help from Lawson Curry, John Mastin, and the Combs family. NWS was propped up with NASCAR Cup Series races soon after with help from NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Until the 1990s, the track was owned by the Staley and Combs families with each controlling half-interest, in the process becoming ubiquitous for its connection to NASCAR's roots relating to moonshine runners. After Enoch died in 1995 amongst an explosion of popularity for NASCAR in the 1990s, Speedway Motorsports (SMI) owner Bruton Smith and businessman Bob Bahre each bought out half interest from the families. Due to a strained relationship between the two along with the facility's reputation of lacking amenities, NWS was left desolated by 1997 to extreme local uproar. SMI later bought full control of the track in 2007. After two decades of failed attempts to revive the track by various groups, Bruton's successor, Marcus Smith, led a successful campaign to reinvigorate the track after increasing pressure from drivers and North Wilkesboro locals in the early 2020s.