North Wilkesboro - Again

[muggle not]

http://www.catchfence.com/2009/other...onship-series/

North Wilkesboro Speedway Reopens With Coveted Date In USARacing Pro Cup Championship Series
October 31, 2009 – 1:35 pm SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (October 31, 2009) – North Wilkesboro N.C.]

Speedway, a cornerstone in stock car racing’s foundation and a track that occupies a special place in grassroots racing fans’ hearts, will reopen next year with a coveted date in the USARacing Pro Cup Championship Series, it was announced Saturday during the drivers meeting prior to the series season finale Strutmasters.com 250 at South Boston Speedway.

Scheduled for Oct. 3, 2010, the race will be on the traditional fall weekend that for many years hosted NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series from NASCAR’s inception in 1949 until the track closed after its fall race in 1996. Its two Cup dates were then moved to New Hampshire and Texas. But with the dawn of the 2010 racing season, the 0.625-mile track will again assume its rightful place in the stock car racing community.

“We are extremely pleased to be the first national touring racing series to return to the true roots of stock car racing,” USARacing Managing Partner Larry Camp said. “We know the people of Wilkes County and the surrounding area of North Carolina have missed stock car racing on this storied track.

“All of us at the USARacing Pro Cup Series are proud to be a part of this rebirth. Personally, I know the Staley family, Junior Johnson and the many stock car racing purists will mark Oct. 3, 2010, as a red letter day in the sport. I know Benny Parsons would be extremely proud of (his wife) Terri for helping return stock car racing to the county that he and his family so dearly loved.”

In addition to Mrs. Parsons, the new ownership group consists of Alton McBride Sr., Alton McBride Jr., Dave Ehret, John Burwell and Bosco Lowe.

[mountainstar]

Well that is good news after it being such a sham N. Wilkesboro being caught up in politics and ended up an abandoned race track. I'm glad it's been saved and racing can return.

[fieldodreams79]

FINALLY.

Fantastic to see some good news about an old track opening up instead of closing their doors.

[johntt]

Great news

[FIRE]

The ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts announced that the ‘King’s Ransom 300’ has found a new home at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. The event will once again be televised and draw the top short track drivers from around the country to compete. “After talking with the new ownership group at North Wilkesboro Speedway, I know that we share the same vision of reviving short track racing”, stated Ron Varney ASA Late Model Series President. “North Wilkesboro Speedway has a long history of short track racing and we are very excited to be able to carry on that tradition”, finished Varney.
“On behalf of the Speedway Associates Team and North Wilkesboro Speedway, we are incredibly honored to have the ASA Late Model Series bring it's famed Kings Ransom 300 to our historic speedway. We commend everyone with ASALMS for working so very hard to continue the mission in saving short track racing abroad”, stated Alton McBride Jr. President & Director of Operations SAI (North Wilkesboro Speedway).
...

www.jayski.com

[ss_collins]

blatant plug alert

http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/product...up=Motorsport&

I met Ron Varney and he struck me as a good chap - I wonder if an ELMS drivers will make the trip, the ASALMS runs to the same rule book.

[muggle not]

North Wilkesboro now has 3 races lined up.

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/nov/10/fans-turn-out-celebrate-speedways-new-life/sports-professional-auto-racing/
Fans turn out to celebrate speedway's new life

Published: November 10, 2009

NORTH WILKESBORO
Junior Johnson was there, and Bobby Allison and Ned Jarrett and other former drivers, and race engines revved and firetrucks wound their sirens and people leaving the infield garage took up the offer to drive a lap around North Wilkesboro Speedway.

About 200 people turned out in a steady rain Tuesday to hear about plans to revive racing at the historic 0.625-mile oval that closed in 1996. Speedway Associates Inc., the group that has a three-year lease on the track, had already announced that a USA Racing Pro Cup race (the former Hooters Cup series) will be held here Oct. 3, 2010.

Alton McBride Jr., president of SAI, announced that two more series are coming. The American Speed Association Late Model Series will bring its 300-lap Kings Ransom televised finale here sometime in November 2010, he said. Also coming is the Pro All Star Series (PASS) late model touring series. Both dates are still be finalized.

McBride also said they want to host a fair at the speedway, and have letters of intent from two major festivals he didn't name.

There weren't a lot of new details announced at the event, which lasted more than an hour. But it was a festive atmosphere, like a pep rally, with people talking of fond memories and hopes for the future.

Wilkes County resident Terri Parsons, the widow of Winston Cup champion Benny Parsons, pulled people together to make the deals happen. As she faced the crowd Tuesday, she asked former drivers to stand, then race team owners and volunteers and past spectators, and so on, until nearly everyone there was standing and applauding when she introduced McBride.

"After all that I feel like I should have a cape on," McBride said.

[MJ_N_09]

I wouldn't be surprised if ARCA went there in the future.