Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway was a name that had great significance for many drivers in NASCAR. However, as time passed by, the track fell into disuse and the expected happened—“out of sight, out of mind.” Dale Earnhardt Jr made a small attempt to change that.
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Metrolina Speedway, as the vintage track is now called, has a storied history. Similar to many other tracks in the area, it was inaugurated as a dirt track in 1960. It attracted a number of legendary dirt racers from around the area, which included Dale Earnhardt.
A young Dale Earnhardt Sr at Metrolina
What made the track special was the dirt and clay mixture that added to the difficulty of racing there. That extra bit of toil and trouble that it required attracted big-time racers and big-purse races.
However, it wasn’t a dirt track for all of its existence. For a while, it was paved and converted into an asphalt oval. It was then that Dale Earnhardt earned his credentials on the track, winning in his first start.
Sadly, from the 1990s onwards, the track began losing significance. It had a brief period of a resurgence as the Speedway Investment Group made plans to purchase the track and invest close to $50,000,000 to bring it back to the fore.
As per Racing News, “The project was set to include a 40,000 square foot building with retail space on the ground floor. The rooftop was set to have a skate park. Also inside the building would be an electric go kart track. 150 hotel rooms were also part of the plan. Additionally, they had plans to construct a new 3/8-mile asphalt oval.”
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However, it ended up being shelved. The track is now hidden by a FedEx facility.
NASCAR fans love Dale Jr’s walk down the memory lane
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Metrolina might have fallen into oblivion, but fortunately, there are still some things to smile about concerning the track. Dale Jr posted a picture of Dale Sr from his racing days at the track.
Not a ton of context other than the GOAT showing up to Metrolina Speedway to drive this car. pic.twitter.com/FzLi2Bi91B
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 13, 2023
Fans absolutely loved seeing Dale Sr in his element and thanked Junior for sharing the photograph. Many of them were impressed by Dale Sr’s car.
This is badass
— Treyten Lapcevich (@TreytenL) January 13, 2023
That is a very, very cool picture. Love the car!
— Michael Schueller (@DLMFanView) January 13, 2023
Those cars. 😍
— Dwayne Hadley (@DwayneHadley) January 13, 2023
Badass !
— Andy Gurley (@AndyGurley1) January 13, 2023
That front tire looks absolutely massive. I’m super intrigued by the clear spoiler. I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like that before.
— Jonathan Kisch (@SVTCobraJon) January 13, 2023
That is an AWESOME photo that I've never seen. Looks like a 6 cylinder semi modified. My dad was on the pit crew of the #3 Randy Kistler in those days.
There are a few pictures of that car in JJ Grice's Metrolina Speedway book.— Kyle Armstrong (@KyleArmstrong53) January 13, 2023
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Hell yeah. That thing looks mean as hell.
— JR Hildebrand (@JRHildebrand) January 13, 2023
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It is unfortunate that a track of such great relevance is no longer in use. But despite the sad state of affairs, hope still simmers among fans that the track would find itself a savior in the future.
