A Long, Detailed Article on the Evolution of NASCAR.

Yep, great read! Maybe someone can add the rest of the story.

There have been several "attempts" to return racing to that track.

I think it was in 2010 I drove down for the first night race at NW. It may have been the ASA Late Model Series for the King's Ranson 300.
Can someone with a better memory please help me out?

I arrived early, as I like to do, spent time walking around, making pictures and daydreaming. I also found a good seat, had lunch and carefully assessed their night lighting.
They had rented construction lights with generators and placed them all around the track.
Very ingenious, I think.

Not much happened until a severe thunderstorm rolled in! The voice on the PA system suggested the spectators should seek shelter in their cars and tune in to the track radio station for updates.

After a while the announcement came, "The race had been postponed until tomorrow. Save your tickets for entry into the track.".

The next day, the weather looked good as I puttered around the house killing time before my departure to the night race.
While eating lunch I called the track to make sure they weren't being plagued with localized thunderstorms.

I was told "Racing is underway and it will all be over by the time you get here.".

The original owner, Enoch Staley has been blamed by many people as the reason for the track closure but it is a fact he always had the fans interests at heart, and his reluctance to raise prices or charge fees to make track improvements was his downfall.

Eboch never postponed a race then changed the start times but told no one (The gate had already been collected so they apparently did not care if anyone showed up).
This sounds more like the pre-NASCAR days when track promoters would scam drivers and fans then skip town.

I am afraid North Wilkesboro racetrack is a fading memory, a story to be told only by old TV announcers, old drivers and old fans.
And one day, maybe sooner than we think, old fans and old drivers will be remembering NASCAR.
 
I downloaded it to read. It is an 83 page thesis written in 2005. It looks at the evolution of NASCAR but it concentrates on how NASCAR affected North Wilkesboro. I've only read the introduction which covers a short history how NASCAR started. It was mentioned that stock cars were eliminated from the Indy 500 in 1919 and those faster, race only Indy cars became popular near large cities.

The thesis identified three waves of expansion. In 1960 there were 44 NASCAR races with 28 of them in North and South Carolina and about 3/4 of the drivers were from the Carolinas. When Winston sponsored the series they wanted to expand beyond the SE region. About that time sponsors changed from local car dealers, liquor stores, and garages to national corporations. France Jr. wanted continue the national expansion but also wanted to maintain a southern connection so he had country music singers sing the national Anthem.

The thesis also pointed out that NASCAR had 17 of the top 20 most attended sports or entertainment events in the world. NASCAR is second to football in network television ratings.

It looks like it will be a good read (even with all the references - it is a thesis).
 
More from the paper:

The North Wilkesboro track was built in 1946. They ran out of money so the front stretch went downhill and the back stretch went uphill. It was recognized as the fastest 5/8 mile dirt track. The first race was all bootlegger cars; the track had 3000 seats but 10,000 showed up. They sold out every year.

The early meetings to formulate NASCAR were in North Wilkesboro. The speedway was operated as a hobby by the owner Enoch Staley (who attended the meetings with Bill France), as long as ticket sales covered the maintenance of the track he was happy.

The paper mentioned a number of close finishes. One was Ricky Rudd and Dale Earnhardt started a rivalry when they wrecked each other in two races at the speedway over two years. “A whole lot of bumping and banging” characterized the track, the only way to pass was to move someone out of the way. Richard Petty recalled a fight in the infield that got so rough they had to call a caution so they could get a guy out of the track.

Staley wanted to keep tickets affordable, in 1996 a ticket cost $20 (compared to the cheapest Brickyard 400 ticket at $45), plus onsite parking and camping was free. On race weekends the entire town became a party with sing-alongs in restaurants, tailgate parties at motels, and a good chance to see drivers visit fans.
 
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