In a rare turnaround of events, NASCAR, that’s usually at the receiving end of criticism is actually at the forefront of praise this time. But the question is, what went well this time? Well, the answer lies in the newly repaved North Wilkesboro Speedway that came to life in May this year after being closed for nearly three decades since 1996. Yes, that’s a lot of time!

As the rebuilding process concluded, the Speedway couldn’t be kept from the fans for long. So the management was left with no choice but to unveil how the million-dollar funding had been utilized, and fans’ reactions seemed unanimously positive.

How North Wilkesboro Speedway’s $18 million resurrection came about

When NASCAR set down the Speedway’s flags for the last time in 1996, the asphalt was already of the year 1981, which would have made it over 40 years old today. But what’s interesting is that when it held the Truck Series race and the NASCAR All-Star Race, back in May this year, they used the same old track surface to race and had a smooth operation. 

However, it doesn’t mean that the track need not be replenished. Thus, the decision to revamp the track for the upcoming NASCAR All-Star Race was put forth, accompanied by a whopping $18 million in funding from the North Carolina State Government.

The official X account of North Wilkesboro Speedway shared a video showcasing the beautifully reconditioned track and wrote, “MY GOODNESS. She’s gorgeous.” 

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The video garnered a plethora of approving responses from the NASCAR community as they found no reason to criticize the revamped 0.625-mile track and didn’t shy away from expressing the joy in their words.

North Wilkesboro Speedway gets unexpected praise from fans

Getting fans’ approval is something that’s not the talk of the town for NASCAR for quite some time now. However, the freshly rebuilt Speedway managed to pull off the unexpected as fans couldn’t resist expressing their opinions.

One fan couldn’t believe his eyes as he drooled over the new track and wrote, “She sure is. It’s still so hard to believe.”

Another fan went into a feeling of nostalgia and felt himself sitting in the stands of the North Wilkesboro Speedway and commented, “She is a beauty, can’t wait to hear the rumble again.”

One admiring user couldn’t believe the impressive work done and praised the efforts by commenting, “So f-ing well done!! Gorgeous facility, $ well spent. God I wish @IndyCar could race there too.”

This fan fell in love with the beauty of the oval and also put forth his desire to reinstate the Rockingham to its good old days and commented, “This is absolutely beautiful, now I wish somebody to bring Rockingham back to what it used to be!”

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After a long hiatus, NASCAR was the reason behind fans’ delight as this rework was a success. Now, it’s only a matter of time before other tracks would require the same job. Which track do you think is next in line?