- Yeah, it was this same week in May way back in 1947 that North Wilkesboro Speedway held its first race and today's drivers ready for another crack at this old track.

The track is ready, not just for the drivers, but also for grandstands full of race fans again.

And Wilkes County is ready too for the return of NASCAR, that's long overdue.

(upbeat rock music) For almost a year now, the real race here at North Wilkesboro Speedway has been a hurry up fix up, to keep up with the momentum of last summer, when race fans packed the reopened track for the first time in decades.

- For those folks that were there, I mean, there was just an electric in the air and there was an excitement.

The crowd, I just get goosebumps talking about it now, but at that moment we realized we just, there was something special about this.

- [Jeff] Jessica Fickenscher with Speedway Motorsports says that something special for a few nights here at North Wilkesboro sure felt like the old days.

- [Commentator] This is a big day for the people of this tiny crossroad.

It's the day of the Grand National NASCAR Race.

- [Jeff] Bringing back all those NASCAR memories here at North Wilkesboro, while convincing NASCAR that there's a future here too.

- [Commentator] And we're under green at Bristol.

- [Jeff] Deciding to move this year's All-Star race from the big tracks where they race today- - [Commentator] And hard in the wall!

- [Jeff] ...to this old track where NASCAR first raced 75 years ago.

(upbeat rock music) - Just really kind of this moment where everything, all the stars aligned.

Our driver's excited about at Dale Earnhardt Jr. being a big advocate for it.

We hear a lot of the fan feedback.

Are you keeping this?

Is this still gonna be there?

So we're restoring, modernizing it, but you know, kind of keeping everything as historic and nostalgic as possible.

- [Jeff] Some changes like the new safety barriers and lighting here are necessary for the All-Star race.

But one thing they're saving and not repaving at North Wilkesboro is the racetrack itself.

- [Jessica] The driver said don't touch it, that it's got good wear for the tires.

- [Jeff] That mix of old and new surrounds the track too, like these original grandstand seats that fans on the front stretch still remember.

(car engine roaring) - [Jessica] They're sending us pictures of their old tickets when they were there.

I wanna sit in those same seats.

(gentle music) - [Jeff] On the back stretch though there are thousands of new seats in a temporary grandstand.

The concession stands are pretty much the same, but the track promises better restrooms now, and new wifi too, as Thunder in the Hills reintroduces those old Winston Cup thrills to a whole new audience.

- So it's kind of stretching across all these generations and everybody's kind of you know, finding this common love of North Wilkesboro now.

(gentle music) - Everyone's coming back and kind of reliving the past a little bit and I'm really glad to see that they're keeping a lot of those memories at the track.

So it's a reunion.

- Lee Huygens grew up in Wilkes County and manages the Wilkesboro Hampton Inn, where photos of the old track share the hotel's halls and walls with local bluegrass legends like Doc Watson.

But this week Huygens says her hotel is 99% NASCAR.

- The moment they made the announcement, our phones here just lit up all lines.

People on hold transferring.

We're sold out very, very quickly.

- All race fans for race weekend?

- Pretty much all race fans.

There may have been one or two that had reservations prior.

It was just great to welcome people back for something they hadn't been to in so long.

It's definitely good for getting heads in beds and for the tourism and economic development and all of that, but there's a different energy that comes with it.

People just being excited.

So getting back to our moonshine roots and racing roots and bluegrass roots.

(bright bluegrass music) - [Jeff] Yep, between Wilkesboro's annual MerleFest music festival which draws nearly 80,000 fans for one weekend in late April, and the return of NASCAR to North Wilkesboro, it's been a pretty busy couple of weeks for restaurants and retail stores in both towns, bringing traffic back to these old downtown storefronts.

- NASCAR's returning.

NASCAR's returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Amazing, we're coming back.

We're making a comeback.

- [Jeff] County leaders talk about that Wilkes County comeback as they sign up their first new tenant- - Dale, I believe there's a place for you to sign here.

- [Jeff] ...for this new warehouse and workspace in North Wilkesboro.

(audience applaud) - New businesses, new people, new jobs, and even some old things becoming new again.

And this has certainly been a year of dreams coming true for Wilkes County.

Yes.

(audience applaud) - It's taken us 27 years to come back alive and be strong again.

- [Jeff] Linda Cheek, President of the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce adds that saving the speedway itself, with its future plans now to host concerts and other non racing events year round, is just part of their economic comeback.

- That was history and that history no one wanted to lose.

You know, nobody ever sold that track.

- [Jeff] And NASCAR's long awaited weekend of racing back here at historic North Wilkesboro, with a huge TV audience joining those fans in the stands, watching those stars in the cars, well, it's already a win for Wilkes County.

- You know, if they like what they see, they may decide to come here.

It's job building, it's economic building, and that's what we're looking at, is those opportunities to come back here.

(gentle music) - Meanwhile, there's fresh paint at North Wilkesboro but not too fresh.

New lines and new signs, but everything still reminds us of how this historic speedway used to be.

Like the rusted chicken house tin that now welcomes you in.

North Wilkesboro's an old school jewel that just needed a little polish.

Graying, but still staying part of NASCAR's future and Wilkes County's future too.

(gentle music) And Wilkes County is hoping that this race weekend is just the beginning, not just the future NASCAR events out here at North Wilkesboro Speedway, but also of the return of race fans to Wilkes County, even when there's not a race weekend.