North Wilkesboro Speedway opened May 18, 1947 when Enoch Staley, Lawson Curry, and the Combs family built the facility on Wilkes County farmland. Fonty Flock won the inaugural race before 10,000 spectators on the original dirt surface. Funding shortfalls during construction created the track’s distinctive asymmetrical 0.625-mile layout with a downhill frontstretch and uphill backstretch.
The speedway was paved in September 1957. NASCAR’s first Cup Series season finale crowned Red Byron as champion on October 16, 1949. The track hosted 93 Cup Series races from 1951 to 1996, nicknamed “The House that Junior Built” honoring Junior Johnson. Richard Petty dominated with 15 wins. After Enoch Staley’s death in 1995, ownership transferred to Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre. Jeff Gordon won the final race in September 1996 before the closure. Speedway Motorsports acquired full ownership in 2007.
Located in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina near U.S. Route 421, the 0.625-mile oval features 13 degrees of banking in turns and 3 degrees on straights. The facility has a capacity of 25,000 as of 2023.
After $18 million in North Carolina state funding, the track revived in 2023, hosting the NASCAR All-Star Race. The speedway hosts NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, zMAX CARS Tour, and the 2026 Window World 400 marks the first regular-season Cup race since 1996.
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