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Crews are working to preserve the North Wilkesboro Speedway ahead of 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race

Crews are working to preserve the North Wilkesboro Speedway ahead of 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race
THE MONTH OF APRIL. WE’RE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AWAY FROM THE NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE COMING TO NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY. TODAY, WXII 12 JOSHUA DAVIS GOT AN UPDATE FROM SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS ABOUT HOW THE MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT NECESSARY TO HOST THIS HUGE EVENT. ARE COMING ALONG. CREWS HERE AT NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY SAY THEY’RE FEELING CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. AND THEY SAY THEY’RE GOING TO GIVE FANS EXACT WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR DURING ALL-STAR WEEKEND. SO CONCERNS ON THAT SIDE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. IT’S REALLY JUST GETTING ALL THE PLANS AROUND THE EVENT AND GETTING THE EVENT PLANNING. STEVE SWIFT OF SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS SAYS CONSTRUCTION AND NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. A BIG FOCUS WHEN REBUILDING HAS BEEN KEEPING THE ORIGINAL ATMOSPHERE OF THE HISTORIC TRACK CAN GO TO THE TALLADEGA OF THE WORLD OR THE DAYTONA OR THE BRISTOL’S. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE GREAT FACILITIES AND IT WAS REALLY FUN TO BUILD BRISTOL. BUT THIS ONE IS JUST A UNIQUE UNIQUENESS THAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE IN ANY OTHER RACETRACK. ONE THING WHICH WILL BE DIFFERENT IS PARKING. FANS WHO WENT TO THE LAST RACE AT THE SPEEDWAY IN AUGUST SAT IN TRAFFIC AROUND THE SPEEDWAY FOR HOURS. AND PARKING LOTS FILLED UP QUICKLY. ORGANIZERS WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY DON’T HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE IN MAY. WE’RE TAKING THE BEST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE AT OUR SPEEDWAYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THEY’RE COMING IN AND HELPING US CREATE A PLAN. SO IT’S VERY COLLABORATIVE. EVERYBODY’S HANDS ON. NORTH WILKESBORO NATIVE SAY REBUILDING THE SPEEDWAY IS ALSO REBUILDING WILKES COUNTY. AND PEOPLE LIKE DEAN COMBS, WHO’S ACTUALLY RACED ON THIS TRACK. SAYS RACING FANS ARE IN FOR A TREAT. TELL ME WHEN A GREAT SHOWS TIME IS EVER AT WILL BE COMING UP FOR THIS RACE OF ALL STAR RACE. NASCAR ALL-STAR WEEKEND BEGINS FRIDAY, MAY 19TH, AND THE ALL STAR RACE IS SUNDAY, MAY 21ST IN NORTH WILKESBORO. JOSHUA DAVIS WXII 12 NEWS. GOOD STUFF. THANK YOU, JOSHUA. WE’LL HAVE CONTINUING COVERAGE OF ALL THINGS LEADING UP TO THE ALL STAR RACE AND THE IMPACT IT’S HAVING ON NORTH CAROLINA. NORTH WILKESBORO PRO AND THE PIEDMONT TRY IT AS A WHOLE. YOU CAN FIND THOSE STORIES RIGHT HERE ON AIR AS WELL AS WXII 12 DOT COM
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Crews are working to preserve the North Wilkesboro Speedway ahead of 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race
We're about three months away from the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and construction crews say they’re feeling confident and comfortable with the construction progress.Top Stories Fire damages workshop at Betty's Outdoors, Walnut Cove fire department investigatingThree teenagers on the loose after setting a box on fire inside a Walmart store, officers sayWhich Tuesday Morning stores are closing?Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereSteve Swift, the senior vice president of operations and development, says they say they want to make sure that they give fans exactly what they’re looking for during all-star weekend. Right now, they're working ahead of schedule.Dierks Bentley to perform at NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway"Concerns on that site are in good shape," he said. "It's really just getting all the plans around the event and getting the event planning." He says a big focus when rebuilding has been keeping the original atmosphere of the historic track, while upgrading amenities to modern-day standards. Swift says it’d be relatively easy to make everything top to bottom shiny and new, but Speedway Motorsports and the Smith family, who own the track, were adamant about holding on to that nostalgia. "You can go to the Talladegas all over the world, or the Daytonas or the Bristols. Those are great facilities and it was really fun to build Bristol, But this one is just a unique uniqueness that you can't experience in any other racetrack," Swift said. One thing which will be different this time is parking. Fans who went to the last race at the speedway in August sat in traffic around the speedway for hours, and parking lots filled up quickly.Jessica Fickensher, the excecutive director for the NASCAR All-Star Race, wants to make sure they don’t have the same experience in May. "We're taking the best of the people that we have at our speedways across the country," she said. "They're coming in and helping us create a plan. So it's very collaborative, and everybody's hands-on."North Wilkesboro reaction to racetrack revival North Wilkesboro natives say rebuilding the speedway is also rebuilding Wilkes County. People like Dean Comes, who actually raced on the track, said racing fans are in for a treat. "It's gonna be one of the greatest shows that Wilkes County's ever had," he said. NASCAR All-Star Weekend begins Friday, May 19. The All-Star Race is Sunday, May 21.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We LoveTRENDING STORIESKeep up with local news, weather, and current events with the WXII app here

We're about three months away from the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and construction crews say they’re feeling confident and comfortable with the construction progress.

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Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here

Steve Swift, the senior vice president of operations and development, says they say they want to make sure that they give fans exactly what they’re looking for during all-star weekend. Right now, they're working ahead of schedule.

Dierks Bentley to perform at NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway

"Concerns on that site are in good shape," he said. "It's really just getting all the plans around the event and getting the event planning."

He says a big focus when rebuilding has been keeping the original atmosphere of the historic track, while upgrading amenities to modern-day standards. Swift says it’d be relatively easy to make everything top to bottom shiny and new, but Speedway Motorsports and the Smith family, who own the track, were adamant about holding on to that nostalgia.

"You can go to the Talladegas all over the world, or the Daytonas or the Bristols. Those are great facilities and it was really fun to build Bristol, But this one is just a unique uniqueness that you can't experience in any other racetrack," Swift said.

One thing which will be different this time is parking. Fans who went to the last race at the speedway in August sat in traffic around the speedway for hours, and parking lots filled up quickly.

Jessica Fickensher, the excecutive director for the NASCAR All-Star Race, wants to make sure they don’t have the same experience in May.

"We're taking the best of the people that we have at our speedways across the country," she said. "They're coming in and helping us create a plan. So it's very collaborative, and everybody's hands-on."

North Wilkesboro reaction to racetrack revival

North Wilkesboro natives say rebuilding the speedway is also rebuilding Wilkes County. People like Dean Comes, who actually raced on the track, said racing fans are in for a treat.

"It's gonna be one of the greatest shows that Wilkes County's ever had," he said.

NASCAR All-Star Weekend begins Friday, May 19. The All-Star Race is Sunday, May 21.

Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love

TRENDING STORIES

Keep up with local news, weather, and current events with the WXII app here