"I never thought I would see the day" - NASCAR drivers react to North Wilkesboro's return to the 2023 calendar

NASCAR's 2023 season schedule is underway, and though the entire schedule is not yet confirmed, the association has confirmed some of the new venues that they will be visiting in 2023. Apart from the highly awaited Chicago Street course, they recently announced their return to North Wilkesboro Speedway, a 0.625-mile oval track with banking of 14-degree turns and 3-degree straights. The track is located in the eastern town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Following the announcement, NASCAR Cup Series drivers have expressed their excitement and they can’t wait to hit this historic track that was last raced by veteran racers like Richard Petty. Ross Chastain, the driver of the #1 AdventHealth Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, is one of the drivers thrilled by NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2023.

In a media interview, Ross Chastain cited that he has watched a lot of old videos on the tracks but it never occurred to him that he will one day race at the track. He said:

“I love it. I never thought I would see the day. I’ve driven by the track, but I’ve never stopped and never seen it. I’ve watched a lot of old videos over the years of races there and I’ve done some iRacing on it”

The track officially opened in 1947 but NASCAR inaugurated its first race at the track in 1949 adding it to the list of short tracks at the time. NASCAR held its third series of events at the track for almost five decades before the track closed its doors in 1996. After two and a half decades, the track has now been renovated and NASCAR has officially confirmed that the 2023 All-Star Race will head to North Wilkesboro in May 2023.

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Reactions to NASCAR drivers on North Wilkesboro's return to 2023 calendar

NASCAR drivers also reacted to North Wilkesboro's return to the 2023 calendar. Chase Briscoe was among the drivers who expressed his thoughts on the transformation of the track where he stated that he was excited to visit the track. In his statement, Briscoe said:

“It is wild as much as how that place has gotten. A lot of action in the last few months. To be having an all-star race on the cup side. It is pretty crazy a year ago it had weeds on it. Now we are going to have our all-star race there. I am excited I think it is going to be a great venue for us.”

While Kevin Harvick had a different opinion on the matter, the Stewart-Haas driver spoke to NBC Sports, saying it was ludicrous for one to think the track was going to withstand the late models, modified, and Saturday night shows. Harvick said:

“There’s something about those old nostalgic facilities that you go back to and kind of go back in time, I don’t know why you’d go through all that work and not having something like that (a major NASCAR race) there. It’s ludicrous to think that the track is going to survive off late models and modified and Saturday night shows. No way.”

The track renovation process began in 2021 after the track was allocated $18 million for renovations through the North Carolina state budget that was approved by Governor Roy Cooper in November 2021. In 2010, the track had briefly opened and held numerous stock car races but crossed in 2011. After a facelift in 2021, the track re-opened again in 2022 for grassroots racing.

In April 2022, it was confirmed that the track will hold a series of races by the name of Racetrack Revival, one of the events that was held last month where former NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Newman won.

Another event at the Racetrack Revival is scheduled for October. Additionally, on 31st August, the track held a CARS Tour that ran the Window World 125 late model stock race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s participation on North Wilkesboro track

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was among the drivers who participated in this competition, but Carson Kvapil emerged as the winner of the competition. Earnhardt Jr. visited the track while he was young and even got an opportunity to race at the track in 1993 before its closure in 1996.

Speaking to the media during the press conference for the opening of the track, he said:

“Some of my best memories as a little boy were going to North Wilkesboro. And it got even better when I raced there as a teenager. I never thought I’d see that place full again, and then I got to race there this summer in a late model before a full house. There’s just something special about it.”

The semi-retired driver has been on the frontline in advocating the re-opening of the track and eventually, his efforts have paid off. During the All-Star Race announcement on 8th September 2022, Earnhardt Jr. said that some of his best childhood memories were in North Wilkesboro and that he was excited that the place was back to full again.