North Wilkesboro to be bought and reopened?
Quote selected text Published September 28th, 2007 in NASCAR News
This weekend 11 years ago, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series visited North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina for the last time. The then 50-year-old track was sold to other racetrack owners, who mothballed the facility after the 1996 racing season. Time has stood still at North Wilkesboro Speedway since that chilly September day. Banners still hang and tables are still set, and the track office is still filled with old ticket stubs and brochures. It’s like the world locked the door to the track behind them that evening, and tomorrow never came. But rebirth for the speedway could be right around the corner if a land developer gets his way.
Worth Mitchell, 33, says he’s got a plan in place to buy the track within six months. After talking quietly for seven months with the track’s realtor, Andy Stancil, Mitchell stands ready to revive the 61-year-old track.
“This isn’t the biggest deal I’ve put together, but this is a lot more than a deal,” Mitchell said. “This is about reviving a town.” The small towns of Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro lost millions of dollars to its local economy when the track closed. Since then, residents have watched many individuals and groups come in and try to reopen the racetrack, but none have been successful. But Mitchell has what the others didn’t: money.
“I know this track isn’t going to be given away,” Mitchell said of North Wilkesboro Speedway’s $12 million price tag. “But it has all the potential in the world.” Stancil says he’s confident Mitchell can strike a deal with the track’s owners, Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre. Smith and Bahre own several racetracks that NASCAR currently races on and bought North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996 to take the track’s dates away to bigger facilities - Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway. The track went on the real estate market late last year. Mitchell says he’s still looking for a few partners and ideas on what to do with the track. He said he would like to open up a neighboring hotel and retail center and host local concerts and festivals at the track as well as racing.
Bookmark to:
- Smith now 100% owner of North Wilkesboro
- NASCAR this week on ESPN and ABC
- Sources: Bruton Smith to move New Hampshire race to Vegas-UPDATE 2
- Mike Bliss, Barry Dodson reunite at Key Motorsports
- Rockingham will sell to highest bidder Tuesday
This man will be my hero if this happens.
I would love to see North Wilkesboro reopened. I would hope a Nextel date returns to the track as well.
I doubt a cup race would return there, but you’d have to think some type of racing could be done there. Hard to see a track go from the pinnacle of motorsports to being abandoned.
god i hope this succeeds and maybe cup goes back there… just take one of the california races away… that would be the greatest thing ever
Ok, I would love to see Wilkesboro to come back, but its not going to happen unless their is a serious facitility overhaul.Plus,you all need to get over the California Speedway thing…fans out here love having 2 races…those are the only in state races that southern califorina has..so get over it
if you love it so much howcome its only 3/4 full
i would love to see an old track reopened i dont remember much of 1996 bc i was only 7 at the time but playing games and looking at the track layout and videos of races i would like to see this reopened but i think it would be more of a truck race bc short tracks are what make truck racing fun
I was pretty young when the track closed too so I dont remember it really. Take away a Cali or Pocono race and move it here if they can fix it up. Nobody goes to Cali races Charter. If you combined the crowds from both races you might fill the place. Pocono is just horribly boring.
I would love to see it open,again. Maybe the trucks,Hooter Pro Cup,ARCA,Or even local Sat,nite racing would be g
I doubt it would ever get another cup race. ARCA, Truck, and a driver school. I talked with the Realtor who listed it and
he has flown to nashvile TN, several times. He has put a plan together that would promote concerts and fairs. He thinks it will make alot more money with a diversified development.
Yeah Californians love that track so much they are beating down the dang doors to get in. The track is boring and offers nothing, N. Wilkesboro had EXCELLENT racing and offered excitement.
For Gods sake PLEASE take away 1 of the Fontana dates. The races suck, the grandstands are half full at best and they still want a second date? Give me a break! Fontana is great for open-wheel racing. Thats about it. Get rid of its second date until it starts selling out again. With all the great California born drivers, its hard to believe that they cant give away tickets.
Bring racing back to racing country and throw out the tracks out West.
North Wilksboro is Racing……………………… Not Calif……………., Not Texas,
But Money is the God of Racing, Not Racing………….. So we shall see………………………..
And the France Family is Blinded Money and Power……
They could also host Busch Series races there as well. Theres only 35 races in a Busch Series year why not even it out like cup and have 36 dates. I mean hosting Busch, Craftsman and Arca there would be more then enough seats and no major renovations would need to be done, just some touching up and little expansion.
I agree they should take 1 of californias races,I loved wilkesboro but I dont see cup racing there again maybe busch or trucks or a late model series.
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Who cares? We go and watch the races and enjoy it.
Sold out doesn’t mean anything. We love our track.
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Keep saying that until 3/4 full isnt good enough and you lose a date. Just likes N. Wilkesboro and Darlington and Rockingham.
they need to take away one of the Loudon dates and give it to North Wilkesboro, i think that
Loudon is one of the most boring tracks i have ever watched.