A Fresh Look at North Wilkesboro
The description says it all: “Many NASCAR drivers did their thing here. Now time is doing her thing.”
A “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” video posted on Bob Asbury’s YouTube page shows the demise of North Wilkesboro (NC) Speedway, the 5/8 mile oval in Wilkes County. The Sky Sprinter Aerial Photography video was shot on Saturday.
North Wilkesboro Speedway was a staple of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (then called Winston Cup) from its first season (1949) until 1996. On September 29, then defending champion Jeff Gordon won his tenth race of the season. The track was purchased by Bob Bahre and Bruton Smith in favor of moving the dates to the new Texas Motor Speedway and a second race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (then called New Hampshire International Speedway).
The track has hosted testing and eventually returning to competitive racing in 2010. The revival was short-lived as it was shuttered again one year later. Chris Eggleston won “The Race,” a $75,000 to win Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model race, in April 2011.
Here is 1970 footage of Richard Petty winning by a lap over Bobby Isaac. Isaac won the fall race over Petty, the only 2 cars on lead lap. Isaac went on to claim the championship in Nord Krauskopf’s No. 71 with Crew Chief Harry Hyde. He had 11 wins, 32 top fives and 38 top 10s in 47 starts.
Of local interest, Isaac won the Thompson 200 from the pole on July 9 over Richard Petty and Benny Parsons. 8,000 attended the last series race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, the first asphalt oval in the country. It was the last series race in New England until 1993, when New Hampshire joined the circuit.
Sky Sprinter Aerial Photography and Video is located at 3512 Armitage Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269. For more information, call (704) 968-4262 or visit their web site and Facebook page.
Asbury has additional interesting videos from the old Metrolina Speedway, and Piedmont Dragway.
Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com