North Wilkesboro Speedway
Wilkes County, Wilkes County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
North Wilkesboro Speedway. Pioneer NASCAR dirt track. Built 1946; paved in 1958. Hosted sanctioned events, 1949-96. 5/8 mile oval 3 mi. W.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
Carved out of the Wilkes County foothills, North Wilkesboro Speedway opened in 1946 as a dirt track and was paved in 1958, becoming one of stock-car racing's founding venues. It hosted sanctioned events from 1949 until 1996, spanning nearly the entire early history of NASCAR, a sport born in this region from the fast cars of Prohibition-era moonshine runners. The 5/8-mile oval was famous for its unusual layout, with one straightaway running uphill and the other down.
Why it matters
The speedway is a birthplace landmark of American stock-car racing, tying the Appalachian bootlegging tradition to what became one of the nation's most popular spectator sports.
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