North Wilkesboro Speedway 1947 Tank Top

North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short oval racetrack located on Route 421, 80 miles north of Charlotte. The speedway opened its doors on May 18, 1947, as a dirt track with the first official event promoted as a modified race, including heat races and a feature event. While an attendance of about 3,000 people was expected, a crowd in excess of 10,000 showed up to see one of the famous Flock brothers compete (and ultimately win the race). The track is just 5/8 of a mile around and features a unique uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch that played into it's reputation as one of the fastest short-tracks of the '40s and '50s. The original dirt oval was paved in 1957 and continued to operate until the track's closure in 1996.