"Abandoned for 26 years, North Wilkesboro Speedway came roaring back in 2022 — and in 2026 the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the first time since 1996."
Location: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina Track Type: Paved short oval Length: 0.625 miles Surface: Asphalt Banking: 13° (turns) / 3° (straights) Opened: 1947 (built by Enoch Staley) Closed: 1996 · Revived: 2022
Overview
North Wilkesboro Speedway is a 0.625-mile paved oval tucked into the foothills of the North Carolina mountains, an hour northwest of Charlotte. It is one of the founding tracks of NASCAR, operating from 1947 until 1996, when a dispute between co-owners led to it being shuttered and left to decay. Weeds crept through the asphalt. The grandstands sat silent for 26 years.
Then, in 2022, Speedway Motorsports and a coalition led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcus Smith brought it back — first as a grassroots "Racetrack Revival," then as the host of the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, and now as a permanent fixture on the NASCAR calendar. In 2026, the Cup Series returns for the first time since 1996, and the CARS Tour runs a points race on the same weekend — pairing the sport's grassroots stars with its biggest names on one historic oval.
History
Enoch Staley built the track in 1947 with an accidental signature: the front stretch runs slightly downhill and the back stretch runs uphill, an artifact of running out of construction funds mid-project. The asymmetry gives North Wilkesboro its distinctive visual character — the track doesn't look level because it isn't.
The speedway hosted NASCAR Grand National and Cup Series events from 1949 through 1996, becoming one of the circuit's essential short tracks. Richard Petty won 15 times here, the most of any driver in track history. Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, and Tim Flock all left their mark on the North Carolina asphalt.
The closure came after co-owners Bob Bahre and Speedway Motorsports Inc. transferred the race dates to expand their other facilities. North Wilkesboro held its final Cup race on September 29, 1996 — won by Jeff Gordon. Then the gates closed.
The revival began in August 2022, when XR Events staged the "Racetrack Revival," a grassroots short-track festival that sold out and proved the demand was still there. The CARS Tour headlined the event. Carson Kvapil won the LMSC race — the first major victory at the revived track. In May 2023, North Wilkesboro hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race, returning network television and Cup Series stars to a track that had been silent for 27 years.
Key Drivers
Richard Petty — 15 Cup wins, the all-time record at North Wilkesboro. No driver dominated this track like The King.
Jeff Gordon — Won the final Cup race at the track on September 29, 1996, before the 26-year silence began.
Carson Kvapil — Won the inaugural CARS Tour LMSC race at the revived North Wilkesboro in 2022. Two-time CARS Tour champion (2022–23), now racing full-time in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Caden Kvapil — Won the 2025 CARS Tour season-ending race at North Wilkesboro driving the JR Motorsports No. 88, sealing a dominant second half of the season. The 2026 LMSC points leader.
Landen Lewis — Won at North Wilkesboro en route to the 2025 CARS Tour LMSC championship — the most dominant season the series has seen in recent years.
Conner Jones — A CARS Tour LMSC winner at North Wilkesboro and one of the series' most consistent front-runners.
2026 at North Wilkesboro
North Wilkesboro hosts its biggest weekend in 30 years in July 2026:
NASCAR Cup Series — Window World 400 (July 17–19): The Cup Series returns for points racing for the first time since 1996. The event marks the completion of North Wilkesboro's transformation from abandoned ruin to full NASCAR calendar fixture.
CARS Tour (July 17): Race 8 of the 2026 LMSC season runs alongside the Cup weekend — the CARS Tour's grassroots stars sharing a historic stage with the sport's biggest names. This is the kind of weekend that makes short-track racing matter.