How An Iconic Dirt Track From Nascar's First Season Got A Second Life As A Walking Trail

Nature and NASCAR whitethorn look for illustration an overseas combination, since it tin beryllium difficult to bask nan awesome outdoors while 30 banal cars are blasting retired 100 to 130 decibels connected nan track. Yet erstwhile nan racing's complete — permanently — each that abstraction tin beryllium a awesome spot for enjoying a activity of caller air. That's what happened to nan Occoneechee Speedway, which opened adjacent Hillsborough, North Carolina successful 1948 and closed for racing successful 1968. The section plants and animals began reclaiming nan area soon aft nan racers left, but nan aged way wasn't forgotten.

Occoneechee held an particularly lukewarm spot successful nan hearts of NASCAR fans since it was location to nan organization's third-ever title successful its first-ever season. In fact, it's nan only ungraded way near from NASCAR's inaugural year, and that made it a fitting prime to beryllium added to nan National Register of Historic Places successful 2002. A stepping way was created a twelvemonth later for easier access. Finally, conscionable this year, nan way and 200 surrounding acres became an charismatic portion of North Carolina's Eno River State Park.

The vintage speedway is included successful nan Moonshine and Motorsport Trail as well. Created successful 2023 by nan North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, it celebrates 2 of nan state's astir celebrated pastimes that proceed to person a unsocial connection: Remember, NASCAR's All-Star trophy is simply a moonshine still.

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The speedway began life arsenic a equine track, but Bill France Sr. — NASCAR's laminitis — was flying complete nan area 1 time and decided it would make a bully mounting for a different benignant of horsepower. France sewage his hands connected nan onshore successful 1947, expanded nan way from half to a afloat mile, and hosted nan track's first NASCAR title successful June, 1949. The victor was Bob Flock, who went connected to return nan checkered emblem successful 36 NASCAR Grand National and 200 Modified events.

The way became a champion of nan NASCAR circuit, immoderate years playing location to 2 races per season. Other big-name winners location included Fireball Roberts, Lee Petty, Richard Petty, and Ned Jarrett, while location was a astonishing dash of diverseness successful nan track's early years. Wendell Scott, nan first Black driver to triumph a NASCAR Cup race, competed location a twelve times and notched 3 finishes successful nan apical 10. (It only took until 2025 for NASCAR's Bubba Wallace to go the first achromatic driver to triumph connected nan famed Indianapolis oval.) And that very first event, successful 1949, featured 2 female drivers, Sara Christian and Louise Smith.

You could opportunity that Occoneechee was a unfortunate of its ain success, though. As nan communicative goes, section clergy members weren't excessively keen connected their ain flocks attending nan Sunday races, truthful they yet sewage nan municipality to make them illegal. The unfastened day connected nan NASCAR almanac was filled by nan then-new Talladega Superspeedway that debuted in 1969.

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Occoneechee Speedway is conscionable 1 of a number of decommissioned racetracks that person gone from greenish flags to greenways complete nan years. Another successful nan United States is nan erstwhile Meadowdale International Raceway adjacent Chicago. Originally a 3.27-mile roadworthy circuit, Meadowdale was location to a wide assortment of motorsports, ranging from top-flight open-wheel racing courtesy of nan United States Auto Club — formerly nan longtime sanctioning assemblage for nan Indy 500 — to snowmobile events. Nowadays, Meadowdale is portion of nan Raceway Woods wood preserve, which includes areas for some biking and hiking.

Meadowdale was known for its high-banked Monza Wall turn, and that takes america crossed nan pond to Monza Park successful Lombardy, Italy, wherever nan sanction came from. Covering immoderate 1,730 acres, it's among nan largest enclosed parks successful each of Europe, and wrong its friends confines is nan famed Monza racetrack, some aged and new. The caller is still functioning, of course, but you tin besides hike and bicycle done not only nan parkland grounds, but besides parts of nan older track.

In addition, you tin locomotion done portion of England's aged Silverstone track, tract of galore British Grand Prixes, on pinch awesome circuits such Spa-Fancorchamps successful France — also the worldly of nightmares erstwhile scaled up for a video game — and Germany's Hockenheim ring. It's a unsocial chance to get up adjacent and individual pinch immoderate of nan astir historically important venues successful each of motorsports.