Nascar returns to North Wilkesboro in the virtual sense for today’s finale of the eNascar iRacing Invitational. For the uninitiated, here’s some info about the track Nascar forgot, but fans still remember:
—After opening in 1947, North Wilkesboro Speedway held its first Nascar “Strictly Stock” Series (forerunner of today’s Cup Series) race in 1949. When the green flag dropped at the second Nascar race there in 1950, fans immediately began complaining that racing at North Wilkesboro wasn’t as good as it used to be.
—The track was paved in 1957, holding two premiere series races from that point on. North Wilkesboro was an early trendsetter for holding two Cup Series races, thus paving the way for Nascar to inexplicably go to Delaware twice a year.
—As early as the 1960’s the track earned a reputation as not keeping up with renovations and lagging behind newer, more-modern tracks in amenities and purses. Some people will read this and magically decline to comprehend it since it would actually explain the reason why Nascar abandoned the track, but so be it.
—In 1979 North Wilkesboro signed a race sponsor for the first time, introducing the Holly Farms 400. Yeah, Holly Farms was a meat processor, but I prefer to think of it as a farm that grows people named Holly.
—1989 saw the infamous on-track (and nearly off-track) battle between Dale Earnhardt and Ricky Rudd. Then 1990 saw the infamous on-track AND off-track battle between Brett Bodine and math.
—1996 would see the final year of Nascar racing at the track as the facility was purchased for its valuable Cup racing dates, split between New Hampshire and Texas. While there’s been a handful of lower non-Nascar series attempts at running the slowly crumbling track, nothing’s come close to the glory days of the past. Oh well—at least it gives fans something to whine about.