kelloggs5TLfan
Team Owner
http://jayski.com/pages/tracks/misc.htm#NW
Racetrack website gaining momentum to getting back on track: The doors may have been closed for nearly a decade, but conversation about the legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway has never stopped. The overall facility is currently owned by multi-track owner Bruton Smith and New Hampshire Speedway owner Bob Bahre. After being badgered by several interests, the most serious conversations concerning purchase are coming from a group determined to resurrect the race track to a weekly competitive facility. Forty-thousand seats may not be enough to keep up with Cup standards, but ample for many other purposes. The .625-mile paved track and its surroundings has been surprising well-kept and used on occasion by NASCAR teams for testing, most recently by Jack Roush in an effort to land next year's truck drivers in his 'Gong Show'. Since May 2005, the Help Save North Wilkesboro Speedway website has amassed more than 3,500 petitioners eager to see the track brought back to life.
Kenny Wallace is among the many signatures with demographics showing those interested coming from almost all 50 states and as far away as Canada with more than 20,000 hits to their credit. The group putting their heads and wallets together is spearheaded by Robert Marsden, Mike Kuver, Steven Wilson, Jerry Sink, and Todd Knaperek.
If successful, racing for next year is quite possible after several track and facility improvements are made. No. 1 on the list of 'things to do' will include grandstand repairs and a complete resurfacing of the track. Local county officials have recently expressed an interest in hooking up public utilities, namely water and sewer concerns.
Major sponsors also appear very interested in reviving the historic facility. Area residents and more importantly, area business' would welcome with open arms a chance to recapture some economic improvements since the track closed in 1996. Besides being a racing facility, other plans for the 110-acre site include area concerts, swap meets, shows of various kinds, driver education and high-performance driving schools, police and military training site along with private team testing. Those interested in supporting the idea of North Wilkesboro Speedway returning to action can punch up www.savethespeedway.net. If all of the careful plans by organizers fall into place, we might be hearing "Gentleman, start your engines." by late Spring 2006.(10-6-2005)
Racetrack website gaining momentum to getting back on track: The doors may have been closed for nearly a decade, but conversation about the legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway has never stopped. The overall facility is currently owned by multi-track owner Bruton Smith and New Hampshire Speedway owner Bob Bahre. After being badgered by several interests, the most serious conversations concerning purchase are coming from a group determined to resurrect the race track to a weekly competitive facility. Forty-thousand seats may not be enough to keep up with Cup standards, but ample for many other purposes. The .625-mile paved track and its surroundings has been surprising well-kept and used on occasion by NASCAR teams for testing, most recently by Jack Roush in an effort to land next year's truck drivers in his 'Gong Show'. Since May 2005, the Help Save North Wilkesboro Speedway website has amassed more than 3,500 petitioners eager to see the track brought back to life.
Kenny Wallace is among the many signatures with demographics showing those interested coming from almost all 50 states and as far away as Canada with more than 20,000 hits to their credit. The group putting their heads and wallets together is spearheaded by Robert Marsden, Mike Kuver, Steven Wilson, Jerry Sink, and Todd Knaperek.
If successful, racing for next year is quite possible after several track and facility improvements are made. No. 1 on the list of 'things to do' will include grandstand repairs and a complete resurfacing of the track. Local county officials have recently expressed an interest in hooking up public utilities, namely water and sewer concerns.
Major sponsors also appear very interested in reviving the historic facility. Area residents and more importantly, area business' would welcome with open arms a chance to recapture some economic improvements since the track closed in 1996. Besides being a racing facility, other plans for the 110-acre site include area concerts, swap meets, shows of various kinds, driver education and high-performance driving schools, police and military training site along with private team testing. Those interested in supporting the idea of North Wilkesboro Speedway returning to action can punch up www.savethespeedway.net. If all of the careful plans by organizers fall into place, we might be hearing "Gentleman, start your engines." by late Spring 2006.(10-6-2005)
One thing that is different since the last race is the road in and out of the track. I don't mean Speedway Blvd, but US 421 has been widened all the way so it's now a four lane divided highway. We went past the track a couple of weeks ago on our way to the mountains and it always brings back great memories.