Did You Know? | All-Star Race host North Wilkesboro Speedway and NASCAR go way back

NASCAR’s All Star race goes green Sunday at revamped and revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway in Wilkes County, N.C.

It’s the second straight year at North Wilkesboro for a race that ran at Charlotte Motor Speedway for 34 of its first 39 years. A lot has changed over the years, from venues to formats to the actual name of the race.

Let’s trot out a little “Did You Know?” for the race and its host track for 2024 …

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∎ Of the five years the All Star Race wasn’t run at Charlotte, one was raced at Atlanta, two at Texas, and now two straight at North Wilkesboro.

The name of the race has changed more often: 1985-93: The Winston; 1994-96: The Winston Select; 1997-2003: The Winston (again); 2004-07: Nextel All-Star Challenge; 2008-16: Sprint All-Star Race; 2017-19: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race; 2020-24: NASCAR All-Star Race.

∎ North Wilkesboro has just over 4,000 residents but is actually the largest community in Wilkes County. It’s not the county seat, however. That distinction goes to plain ol’ Wilkesboro, to the south, with its population of just under 4,000.

∎ North Wilkesboro isn’t just one of NASCAR’s earliest playgrounds, but it’s also the birthplace of Lowe’s Home Improvement. Lucius Lowe opened North Wilkesboro Hardware in 1921.

∎ The speedway, which opened almost exactly 77 years ago today, in 1947, is just under two-thirds of a mile (0.625) and the corners are banked at 13 degrees.

∎ Its first NASCAR race came in October, 1949, a 200-lapper won by Bob Flock, who led the final 20 laps to win the first-place check of $1,500. The official margin of victory over runner-up Lee Petty is listed as “100 yards.”

∎ North Wilkesboro Speedway remained a NASCAR fixture through 1996, and after that was turned over to dust, cobwebs and weeds. It was cleaned up and brought back to race-ready status a couple times over the years, but went to weeds again until about five years ago, when the wheels started turning on a permanent (hopefully) return to racing trim.

∎ Several million dollars from the 2021-22 state budget was a major catalyst, but the effort was further boosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr., the track’s biggest cheerleader and an important voice within NASCAR.