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NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 straps on his helmet before the Cars Tour LMSC 125 on Aug 31, 2022, at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, NC. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire AUTO: AUG 31 Cars Tour LMSC 125 Icon220831015
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NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 straps on his helmet before the Cars Tour LMSC 125 on Aug 31, 2022, at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, NC. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire AUTO: AUG 31 Cars Tour LMSC 125 Icon220831015
Without a doubt, a big reason why North Wilkesboro Speedway was not only revived back from its limbo but also made the spot to host so many notable races, including the NASCAR All-Star race, is Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Hall of Famer worked relentlessly in cleaning up the racetrack, along with educating and advocating the fans and the concerned people.
And now, it’s on the brink of hosting some of the biggest races of the year.
But one wonders as we come closer and closer to that, just how much money is being spent on the facility to make it ready for that week in the summer.
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Well, Marcus Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, has an answer. Kind of.
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April 25, 2022, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States of America: North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short oval racetrack located on U.S. Route 421, about five miles east of the town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, It measures 0.625 miles and features a unique uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch. It has previously held races in NASCAR, Motorsport, USA s top three series, including 93 Winston Cup Series races. The track operated from 1949, NASCAR s inception, until the track s original closure in 1996. NASCAR Cup Series 2022: North Wilkesboro Speedway PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY – ZUMAa161 20220425_zaa_a161_002 Copyright: xWalterxG.xArcexSr.x
Marcus Smith on the money SMI is spending on North Wilkesboro Speedway
In a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Smith revealed how much they’re spending on North Wilkesboro Speedway to get it ready for not just the All-Star weekend, but other races around that timeframe too.
“Oh goodness, it’s tens of millions,” Smith said. “Oh my gosh, we’re spending A LOT to make the traffic better.”
He then took the opportunity to make a request to the fans and whoever will come to the historic racetrack. “Buddy up, you don’t have to be one or two people a car. Most cars have four seats, it will make a huge difference,” Smith said.
“The reason I’m saying that is the average car that comes to one of our events has two people in it. So if we just get four people, we’ll cut traffic in half.”
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Dale Earnhardt Jr may not be running in the All-Star race, but he will race at NWS
Even though Junior may not be racing in the All Star race at NWS, he is still going to be racing on that track around that time. This is because he announced he’d be competing in the CARS Tour race scheduled for May 17th, roughly a week before the million dollar race in NASCAR.
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“We’re back at North Wilkesboro. 🤩 I appreciate everything @SunDrop has done for me over the years and for hearing me out last year. It’s special to work with a company that is authentic to who I am,” he tweeted.
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NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – AUGUST 31: Dale Earnhardt Jrs 3 name placed on his Sun Drop car during the Cars Tour LMSC 125 on Aug 31, 2022, at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, NC. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire AUTO: AUG 31 Cars Tour LMSC 125 Icon220831007
With that said, are you excited to see Earnhardt running in the CARS Tour race at NWS? Or would you rather have wanted to see him in the All Star race?
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Let us know in the comments below.
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