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Concord Speedway

Concord Speedway was a motorsports facility located in the town of Midland, North Carolina, southeast of Concord, North Carolina. The complex featured a 12-mile asphalt tri-oval and a 14-mile asphalt oval.

Concord Speedway
World's Fastest Half-Mile Tri-Oval
The Track Where Grassroots Racing Lives
LocationMidland, North Carolina
Time zoneGMT-5
Capacity8,500
Opened1982 (1982)
Closed2019 (2019)
Former namesConcord Motorsports Park (1997–2008)
Major eventsPASS South Super Late Models
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
CARS Super Late Model Tour
CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour
Half-mile oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.500 miles (0.804 km)
Turns3
Banking8° (front straight)
14° (turn 1)
10° (dogleg)
11° (back straight)
14° (turn 3)
Quarter-mile oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.250 miles
Turns4
Banking5° (straightaways)
8° (turns)

The complex was built in 1982 by Henry Furr, originally with the big track as a dirt 410-mile oval. The track was later paved, and then reconfigured in 1991 as a 12-mile tri-oval. The primary divisions for the half-mile shifted between Super Late Models, and Late Model Stock Cars.

The small track was built first as a 15-mile layout for go-kart racing in the mid to late 1980s, the track was reconfigured to add a 1/4-mile asphalt oval layout in the mid '90s – the bigger layout featured was loosely egg shaped around the 15-mile oval – this layout traditionally hosted INEX Legends & INEX Bandoleros as the primary weekly division.

The half-mile track was especially known for the Big 10 Series for Super Late Models, and the North-South Shootout event (featuring multiple divisions – the marquee being a 125-lap Tour-type Modified race).

The track closed in July 2019, and was sold to Copart.

History

Precursor

In total, there were 3 tracks under the Concord Speedway name, this facility being the third.

The first track to use the Concord Speedway moniker was built in the 1950s and was built off of Poplar Tent Rd. – located at the end of Old Speedway Dr. NW, this track held seven NASCAR Grand National (now known as the NASCAR Cup Series) events between 1956 and 1959. The track was left abandoned after the closure.

The second track was also built off of Poplar Tent Rd. (located near Eva Drive & Channing Circle) – also in the 1950s. This track was a 12-mile dirt oval, and also was named Harris Speedway, Concord International Speedway & New Concord Speedway throughout its history. NASCAR held five Grand National races between 1962 and 1964. This track ran throughout the 1970s, it hosted the debut season of the National Dirt Racing Association – which was won by Rodney Combs on May 26, 1979. The NDRA race was also the final race at the Eva Dr. facility.[1]

Both properties of the first 2 tracks are now housing developments.

However, it wasn't the first track to be built in Concord or Cabarrus County. The first track in Concord was called the Concord Fairgrounds, and was located off of Highway 29 at the former Cabarrus District Fairgrounds. This half mile dirt oval facility was originally built for horse racing, and was first used for auto racing in 1925. The track ran until 1934 & also hosted 2 AAA Contest Board Sprint Car races (1931 & 1934).[2] Other notable tracks in the county include famed Charlotte Motor Speedway complex, the Midland Dustbowl - which held racing from 1948 to the 1950s,[3] Twin City Speedway (in Kannapolis) - which held stock car racing on a 1/4 mile dirt oval up to 1964 [4] and Two Flags Speedway (off of Gold Hill Rd.) - which hosted Micro Sprints & Go-Kart racing from 1976 to 1997.[5]

Results

Fairgrounds (1924–1932)

AAA Sprint Cars

Poplar Tent Road location (1949–1959)

NASCAR Grand National NASCAR held 7 Grand National races on the original dirt half mile located on Old Speedway Drive (near Poplar Tent Road) in Concord.[6]

NASCAR Convertible Series NASCAR held one Convertible Series race on the original dirt half mile.[6]

Eva Drive location (1949–1979)

NASCAR Grand National - NASCAR held 5 Grand National races on the second dirt half mile track located off of Eva Drive (near Popular Tent Road) in Concord. The main entrance driveway for the track is now called Speedway Drive, and is a part of a housing complex.[6]

USAC Stock Car United States Auto Club held two stock car races at the second facility in 1961 and 1963. Both races were 200 lap affairs.

National Dirt Racing Association - NDRA held a single race on the second dirt 1/2 mile track in 1979.

A new beginning

The current track was built by race promoter Henry Furr in 1982, Furr was looking to build a track following the sale of the previous 1/2 mile dirt track that he promoted. The track was originally a four-tenths of a mile oval, it hosted 3 races for the NDRA dirt late model touring series in 1983 - including the season finale, those were won by Larry Moore (July 4), dirt modified ace Kenny Brightbill (September 3) & Mike Duvall (October 8th).[7] The first few years, the track featured no walls on the outside corners, those were added in by 1984 or 1985.

Pavement era

Furr paved the track in August 1986, the track was reconfigured in 1991, adding a true dog-leg to the backstretch. The track now is a half-mile with three unique turns, all with unique banking. The shape of the new layout was similar to Pocono Raceway, and Sanair Super Speedway. Pit road entrance is located in the tri-oval prior to turn three, grandstand seating held over 12,000 fans.

The track started the Big 10 Series for Super Late Models in 1987, Jack Sprague won the first series title. The series became very popular with the fans, as it was highly competitive.

David Laton purchased the track following the 1996 season. The Big 10 Series didn't return in 1997 for the first season under new ownership & Late Model Stock Cars became the main weekly championship of the half-mile. Laton made several capital improvements to the facility including a repave (done in 1999), replaced barriers & fencing, a Hubbell lighting system & several fan amenities. Grandstand seating was also downsized, as most of the Alan Kulwicki Grandstand became a dirt berm, with only the portion near the turn 1 gate staying intact - being replaced with metal bleachers.

The track brought back the Super Late Models for the Big 10 Series in 2003, the championship lasted until 2005. Freddie Query is the track's all-time leader in wins and claimed the Big 10 series championship in 2004 and 2005.

Late Model Stock Cars returned as the main track championship, until 2009 when the track added Pro Late Models to the weekly card.

One of the track's more popular events, the North South Shootout was started in 2003 at the half-mile tri-oval. The event featured a 125-lap race for Tour-type Modifieds, along with several other marquee divisions such as Supermodifieds & the ARCA/CRA Super Series. The event stayed at Concord until 2010, it was originally going to move to Myrtle Beach Speedway for 2011 - however Caraway Speedway hosted the annual event following the death of original race promoter Charles Kepley.[8]

Half Mile uncertainty & revival

The track stopped weekly racing on the half-mile tri-oval in 2012, only the quarter-mile oval has hosted weekly racing since. The quarter-mile weekly program features INEX Legends, INEX Bandoleros, along with Davis Mini Cups, go-karts, and quarter midgets on select nights. The quarter-mile traditionally featured racing from March to May, and August to early October – with a 2-month break in June and July. Previously, this layout also featured USAC Speed2 Eastern Midgets during the summer months (2008–2010).

In 2015, racing returned to the half-mile tri-oval after not hosting any touring series for the past 2 years, the opening event featured the PASS South Super Late Models and Koma Unwind Modified Madness Series running on Memorial Day weekend.

That season also saw the return of the North-South Shootout event in November. Alongside the John Blewett III Memorial 125 for the Tour-type Modifieds, other touring series such as the PASS South Super Late Models were a part of the event. CARS Tour also returned that year – now in the dual series format for Super Late Models & Late Model Stock Cars. CARS Tour ran for 3 seasons until the end of 2017.

On May 5, 2018, the track hosted the Minimizer Bandit Big Rig Series. Defending series champion Ricky Rude got the lead on lap #6 & won the A-main feature.[9]

Closure

On January 9, 2019, North-South Shootout promoter Darren Hacket announced that the event would move away from the facility to Hickory Motor Speedway due to the uncertain future of the Concord Speedway complex.[10]

The track would continue to host the INEX Legend Cars & INEX Bandoleros on the quarter-mile track.

On July 2, 2019, it was announced that the track would be sold, and that leaders in each of the weekly series point standings would be awarded championship trophies for the year. The buyer was later reported to be Copart.[11]

Notable competitors

Winners and competitors at the track include Greg Pope, Freddy Query, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jack Sprague, Ernie Irvan, Bobby Labonte, Denny Bennet, Justin Labonte, Clay Rogers, Jimmy Simpson, Bobby Gill, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Bobby Measmer Jr., Ryan Preece, Buster Bennet, Jeff Melton, Sonny Schoffen, Kenny Brooks, Shane Huffman and Josh Hogan

Statistics

The park consists of two tracks: a 12-mile tri-oval and a 14-mile oval. Originally the 14-mile oval was a 15-mile oval and the 14-mile was added later. The 15-mile is still there but only used for Davis Mini Cups and quarter midgets. The tri-oval seats 8,500 fans with room for 28 RVs, while the 1/4 mile track seats 2,050. Additionally, the track has several air-conditioned suites located behind the main grandstand.

The track is active as a site for the filming of several television commercials, television shows, movies, and music videos.

Events

Former touring series & events (half-mile)

Former touring series & special events (quarter-mile)

Former weekly divisions (half-mile)

  • Late Model Stock Cars (−2012)
  • Street Stock (2012)
  • Fast & Furious 4's (2007–2012)
  • Vintage Sportsman (2012)
  • Sportsman (2012)
  • Pure Stock (2003–2011)
  • Pro Late Model (2009 & 2010)
  • Thunderstox (2010)
  • INEX Thunder Roadsters (2009)
  • Limited Late Models (2004–2008)
  • Super Late Models (1987–1996, 2003–2005)
  • Mini Stocks (–2005)
  • Hornets (–2005)
  • Limited Stock Cars (–2003)
  • Pro Trucks (–2003)
  • X-Cars (2001–2002)
  • Road Hawgs
  • Super Stocks

Former weekly divisions (quarter mile)

Note: data only goes back to 2001

Results

North South Shootout

the North South Shootout was held 12 times at Concord, with the marquee race being the Tour-type Modified - John Blewett III Memorial 125 in memory of Charles Kepley. Other divisions of the event included: ARCA/CRA Super Series, PASS South Super Late Models, Supermodifieds, SK Modifieds, Vintage cars & other regional divisions from the east coast.

Tour-type Modifieds

Season Date Winning Driver Laps
100 lap event
2003 November 8 John Blewett, III 100
2004 November 6 Donny Lia 128
2005 November 5 John Blewett, III 100
2006 November 4 Matt Hirschman 100
2007 November 2 Matt Hirschman 100
125 lap event
2008 November 8 Burt Myers 125
2009 November 7 Burt Myers 125
2010 November 6 Matt Hirschman 125
2015 November 8 Justin Bonsignore 125
2016 November 5 Andy Seuss 125
2017 November 4 Matt Hirschman 125
2018 November 10 Jon McKennedy 125

Super Late Models

Season Date Winning Driver Laps
CRA Super Series - Southern Division
2010 November 6 Colt James 125
PASS South Super Late Models
2015 November 8 Dave Garbo Jr. 100
2016 November 5 Dalton Sargeant 125
2017 November 4 Matt Craig 125

ASA National Tour

ASA held two ASA National Tour races on the paved half mile.

CARS Tour

CARS Tour held races on the paved half mile with the CARS Pro Cup Series (then USAR Pro Cup) between 1998 & 2011, and the current dual series format for Super Late Models & Late Model Stock Cars between 2015 & 2017.

Season Date Winning Driver Manufacturer Laps
USAR Hooters Pro Cup
1998 May 23 Chad Chaffin Ford 250
July 24 Michael Ritch Chevrolet 250
1999 May 29 Mario Gosselin Chevrolet 250
2000 October 28 Clay Rogers Ford 250
USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series - Championship Series
2001 October 27 Hal Goodson Ford 250
USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series - Southern Division
2002 September 14 Bobby Gill Ford 222
2003 May 10 Clay Rogers Ford 251
2004 April 24 Bobby Gill Ford 250
2005 April 23 Bobby Gill Ford 250
2006 April 29 Shane Huffman Chevrolet 250
2007 April 28 Chase Pistone Chevrolet 254
2008 April 26 Michael Ritch Ford 205
USAR Pro Cup Series
2009 April 4 Trevor Bayne Chevrolet 250
September 5 Clay Rogers Chevrolet 254
2010 August 28 Jeff Agnew Ford 250
2011 August 13 Brad Rogers Ford 200

NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour

NASCAR held two Whelen Southern Modified Tour races on the paved half mile, and the SMART Modified Tour (precursor to the Whelen Southern Modified Tour) also held 6 races at the track.

Season Date Winning Driver Laps
SMART Modified Tour (1988–2004)
1991 April 13 Gary Myers
1998 July 2 Jay Hedgecock
1999 July 1 Jay Hedgecock
2002 October 5 Junior Miller
2003 October 4 Jay Hedgecock 150
2004 October 9 Ted Christopher 154
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour (2005–2016)
2008 March 21 Ted Christopher 150
2016 April 2 George Brunnhozlel III 150

PASS South Super Late Models

PASS held 10 races at Concord between 2007 & 2017.

Season Date Event Winning Driver Laps
2007 November 17 Mason Dixon Meltdown Ben Rowe 200
2010 May 29 Old Glory 150 Andy Loden 150
2011 November 26 Mason Dixon Meltdown Colt James 200
2012 May 26 CV Products 125 Kyle Grissom 125
2012 November 24 Mason Dixon Meltdown Preston Peltier 200
2015 November 8 North South Shootout Dave Garbo Jr. 100
2016 May 27 Old Glory Twin 125's Ryan Moore 125
2016 November 5 Mason Dixon Meltdown Dalton Sargeant 125
2017 November 4 North South Shootout Matt Craig 125
2018 May 25 Old Glory 125 Matt Wallace 125

UARA STARS

UARA STARS Late Model Series held 9 races at the half-mile track from 2007 to 2012.

Season Date Winning Driver Laps
2007 March 31 Matt DiBenedetto 152
2007 October 20 Ross Furr 150
2008 March 29 Ross Furr 150
2008 October 25 Chad Mullis 150
2009 April 25 Paddy Rodenbeck 150
2009 November 14 Coleman Pressley 150
2010 August 7 Garrett Campbell 150
2011 October 29 Steve Wallace 150
2012 August 4 Brandon Jones 155

Track Champions

Half Mile Track

Big 10 Series (Super Late Models)

  • 1987 - Jack Sprague
  • 1988 - Larry Raines
  • 1989 - Jack Sprague
  • 1990 - Robbie Faggart
  • 1991 - Rich Bickle
  • 1992 - Rich Bickle
  • 1993 - Freddie Query
  • 1994 - Freddie Query
  • 1995 - Mike Thomas
  • 1996 - Eddie Massengill
  • 2003 - Eddie Massengill
  • 2004 - Freddie Query
  • 2005 - Freddie Query [12]

Pro Late Models

  • 2009 - Cooper Faassen
  • 2010 - Colt James

Late Model Stock Cars

  • 1988 - Freddie Query
  • 1989 - Jack Sprague
  • 1990 - Freddie Query
  • 1991 - Freddie Query
  • 1992 - Freddie Query
  • 1993 - Greg Pope
  • 1994 - Jack Sprague
  • 1995 - Greg Pope
  • 1996 - Lance Moss
  • 1997 - Mike Herman Jr.
  • 1998 - Mike Herman Jr.
  • 1999 - Kevin Love
  • 2000 - Kevin Love
  • 2001 - Kevin Love
  • 2002 - Chris Beach
  • 2003 - Shaun Mangum
  • 2004 - Todd Bardburry
  • 2005 - Travis Sharpe
  • 2006 - Shane Brafford
  • 2007 - Chuck Crump
  • 2008 - Kevin Love
  • 2009 - Steve Ackerly
  • 2010 - Jay Payne
  • 2011 - Bobby Measmer Jr.
  • 2012 - Kenny Brooks

Late Model Sportsman

  • 1997 - Terry Brooks

Limited Late Models

  • 2004 - Terry Brooks Jr.
  • 2005 - Terry Hoggard
  • 2006 - Ben Hinson
  • 2007 - Bobby Measmer Jr.
  • 2008 - Mike Terry

Pro Truck

  • 2000 - Jeremy Moore
  • 2001 - Roger Lee Newton
  • 2002 - Terry Brooks Jr.
  • 2003 - Terry Brooks Jr.

Limited Stock

  • 2001 - Kenneth Cook
  • 2002 - Jeff Melton
  • 2003 - David Kepley

Pure Stock

  • 2003 - Mark Harris
  • 2004 - Luke Nickels
  • 2005 - Brian Love
  • 2006 - Steve Irvin
  • 2007 - Ben Smith
  • 2008 - Charles Hutto
  • 2009 - Jeff Melton
  • 2010 - Jeff Melton

Street Stock

  • 1997 - Dave Berry
  • 1999 - Mike Glover

Fast & Furious Fours

  • 2007 - Tracy Mullis
  • 2008 - Chad Miller
  • 2009 - Wayne Harrington
  • 2010 - Chad Miller

Mini Stocks

  • 1997 - David Pennell. 1998- Randy Freeze
  • 2001 - Jeff Whitley
  • 2002 - Roy Maness
  • 2003 - Randy Freeze
  • 2004 - Adam Beaver
  • 2005 - David Pennell

Hornets

  • 2002 - Mark Harris
  • 2003 - Mark Harris
  • 2004 - Chad Miller
  • 2005 - Bobby Measmer Jr.

Thunderstox

  • 2010 - Rusty Drye

INEX Thunder Roadsters

  • 2004 - Matt Lassiter
  • 2005 - Kyle Beattie
  • 2009 - Adam Welch

X-Carz

  • 2001 - Guy Bacelo
  • 2002 - Junior Cress

In popular culture

Concord was noted for being used as a filming & production location, especially within the racing industry given the close proximity to most NASCAR teams.

Some of the notable movies & shows filmed at the facility included: 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story & Shaq Vs. (as the opening show of season 2 where Shaquille O'Neal held a match race with NASCAR star & former Concord regular Dale Earnhardt Jr.)

Many commercials were filmed at Concord as well, among the companies & brands that used the track included: Allstate, AAA Insurance, Blimpie, Coors Light, ESPN, Gilette, National Guard, Mountain Dew, Pizza Hut, TBS (promotion featuring country music duo Brooks & Dunn for the Coca-Cola 600 in 1998) & Wrangler Jeans.

Among video games, Concord was included in several video games. Most notably of those is iRacing.com - which was one of their first tracks that the group laser scanned in 2005. The track is currently a part of iRacing's base content package. It was also featured in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup game by Infogrames (released in 2002 for the PC).

Among modding circles for various PC racing games, it was also recreated for several Papyrus NASCAR games such as NASCAR Racing 2003 Season, and also for NASCAR Heat.

Concord was also used for some inspiration for a fictional track in several NASCAR console games by EA Sports. The fictional track - called Levi Strauss Signature Speedway debuted in NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup

References

  1. ^ . Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  2. ^ http://www.autoracingrecords.com/tracks.php?lid=27311
  3. ^ http://www.autoracingrecords.com/tracks.php?lid=27347
  4. ^ . www.webprosolutions.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-24.
  5. ^ http://www.autoracingrecords.com/tracks.php?lid=27247
  6. ^ a b c "NASCAR results". Racing Reference. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  7. ^ "Dirt on Dirt - History".
  8. ^ http://51archive2011.homestead.com/2011_Stories/Mods_Other/NSS_to_Caraway_8_18.html
  9. ^ "Bandit live stream - Concord Speedway 5/5/18". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05.
  10. ^ https://speed51.com/north-south-shootout-moving-to-new-track-in-2019/
  11. ^ Evans, Zach. "Imminent Sale of Historic North Carolina Track Announced". Speed51. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  12. ^ https://speed51.com/concord-speedway-a-track-built-for-super-late-models/
  • Plemmons, Mark (July/August 2009) Cabarrus Living Magazine, p. 12.

External links

  • Official Website
  • Concord Speedway archive at Racing-Reference

Coordinates: 35°18′31″N 80°31′17″W / 35.30861°N 80.52139°W / 35.30861; -80.52139

concord, speedway, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, full, citations, ensure, article, remains, verifiable, maintains, consistent, citation, style, several, templates, tools, available,. This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as Reflinks documentation reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation June 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Concord Speedway was a motorsports facility located in the town of Midland North Carolina southeast of Concord North Carolina The complex featured a 1 2 mile asphalt tri oval and a 1 4 mile asphalt oval Concord SpeedwayWorld s Fastest Half Mile Tri OvalThe Track Where Grassroots Racing LivesLocationMidland North CarolinaTime zoneGMT 5Capacity8 500Opened1982 1982 Closed2019 2019 Former namesConcord Motorsports Park 1997 2008 Major eventsPASS South Super Late ModelsNASCAR Whelen Southern Modified TourCARS Super Late Model TourCARS Late Model Stock Car TourHalf mile ovalSurfaceAsphaltLength0 500 miles 0 804 km Turns3Banking8 front straight 14 turn 1 10 dogleg 11 back straight 14 turn 3 Quarter mile ovalSurfaceAsphaltLength0 250 milesTurns4Banking5 straightaways 8 turns The complex was built in 1982 by Henry Furr originally with the big track as a dirt 4 10 mile oval The track was later paved and then reconfigured in 1991 as a 1 2 mile tri oval The primary divisions for the half mile shifted between Super Late Models and Late Model Stock Cars The small track was built first as a 1 5 mile layout for go kart racing in the mid to late 1980s the track was reconfigured to add a 1 4 mile asphalt oval layout in the mid 90s the bigger layout featured was loosely egg shaped around the 1 5 mile oval this layout traditionally hosted INEX Legends amp INEX Bandoleros as the primary weekly division The half mile track was especially known for the Big 10 Series for Super Late Models and the North South Shootout event featuring multiple divisions the marquee being a 125 lap Tour type Modified race The track closed in July 2019 and was sold to Copart Contents 1 History 1 1 Precursor 1 1 1 Results 1 2 A new beginning 1 3 Pavement era 1 4 Half Mile uncertainty amp revival 1 5 Closure 2 Notable competitors 3 Statistics 4 Events 4 1 Former touring series amp events half mile 4 2 Former touring series amp special events quarter mile 4 3 Former weekly divisions half mile 4 4 Former weekly divisions quarter mile 5 Results 5 1 North South Shootout 5 1 1 Tour type Modifieds 5 1 2 Super Late Models 5 2 ASA National Tour 5 3 CARS Tour 5 4 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour 5 5 PASS South Super Late Models 5 6 UARA STARS 6 Track Champions 6 1 Half Mile Track 6 1 1 Big 10 Series Super Late Models 6 1 2 Pro Late Models 6 1 3 Late Model Stock Cars 6 1 4 Late Model Sportsman 6 1 5 Limited Late Models 6 1 6 Pro Truck 6 1 7 Limited Stock 6 1 8 Pure Stock 6 1 9 Street Stock 6 1 10 Fast amp Furious Fours 6 1 11 Mini Stocks 6 1 12 Hornets 6 1 13 Thunderstox 6 1 14 INEX Thunder Roadsters 6 1 15 X Carz 7 In popular culture 8 References 9 External linksHistory EditPrecursor Edit In total there were 3 tracks under the Concord Speedway name this facility being the third The first track to use the Concord Speedway moniker was built in the 1950s and was built off of Poplar Tent Rd located at the end of Old Speedway Dr NW this track held seven NASCAR Grand National now known as the NASCAR Cup Series events between 1956 and 1959 The track was left abandoned after the closure The second track was also built off of Poplar Tent Rd located near Eva Drive amp Channing Circle also in the 1950s This track was a 1 2 mile dirt oval and also was named Harris Speedway Concord International Speedway amp New Concord Speedway throughout its history NASCAR held five Grand National races between 1962 and 1964 This track ran throughout the 1970s it hosted the debut season of the National Dirt Racing Association which was won by Rodney Combs on May 26 1979 The NDRA race was also the final race at the Eva Dr facility 1 Both properties of the first 2 tracks are now housing developments However it wasn t the first track to be built in Concord or Cabarrus County The first track in Concord was called the Concord Fairgrounds and was located off of Highway 29 at the former Cabarrus District Fairgrounds This half mile dirt oval facility was originally built for horse racing and was first used for auto racing in 1925 The track ran until 1934 amp also hosted 2 AAA Contest Board Sprint Car races 1931 amp 1934 2 Other notable tracks in the county include famed Charlotte Motor Speedway complex the Midland Dustbowl which held racing from 1948 to the 1950s 3 Twin City Speedway in Kannapolis which held stock car racing on a 1 4 mile dirt oval up to 1964 4 and Two Flags Speedway off of Gold Hill Rd which hosted Micro Sprints amp Go Kart racing from 1976 to 1997 5 Results Edit Fairgrounds 1924 1932 AAA Sprint Cars 1932 Johnny Sawyer 1934 Floyd DavisPoplar Tent Road location 1949 1959 NASCAR Grand National NASCAR held 7 Grand National races on the original dirt half mile located on Old Speedway Drive near Poplar Tent Road in Concord 6 1956 Speedy Thompson 1957 race 2 Marvin Panch 1957 race 5 Jack Smith 1957 race 51 Fireball Roberts 1958 Lee Petty 1959 race 5 Curtis Turner 1959 race 44 Jack SmithNASCAR Convertible Series NASCAR held one Convertible Series race on the original dirt half mile 6 1957 Curtis TurnerEva Drive location 1949 1979 NASCAR Grand National NASCAR held 5 Grand National races on the second dirt half mile track located off of Eva Drive near Popular Tent Road in Concord The main entrance driveway for the track is now called Speedway Drive and is a part of a housing complex 6 1962 race 1 Jack Smith 1962 race 6 Joe Weatherly 1962 race 20 Joe Weatherly 1964 race 1 Ned Jarrett 1964 race 29 Richard PettyUSAC Stock Car United States Auto Club held two stock car races at the second facility in 1961 and 1963 Both races were 200 lap affairs 1961 Don White 1963 Bill CheesbourgNational Dirt Racing Association NDRA held a single race on the second dirt 1 2 mile track in 1979 1979 May 26 Rodney CombsA new beginning Edit The current track was built by race promoter Henry Furr in 1982 Furr was looking to build a track following the sale of the previous 1 2 mile dirt track that he promoted The track was originally a four tenths of a mile oval it hosted 3 races for the NDRA dirt late model touring series in 1983 including the season finale those were won by Larry Moore July 4 dirt modified ace Kenny Brightbill September 3 amp Mike Duvall October 8th 7 The first few years the track featured no walls on the outside corners those were added in by 1984 or 1985 Pavement era Edit Furr paved the track in August 1986 the track was reconfigured in 1991 adding a true dog leg to the backstretch The track now is a half mile with three unique turns all with unique banking The shape of the new layout was similar to Pocono Raceway and Sanair Super Speedway Pit road entrance is located in the tri oval prior to turn three grandstand seating held over 12 000 fans The track started the Big 10 Series for Super Late Models in 1987 Jack Sprague won the first series title The series became very popular with the fans as it was highly competitive David Laton purchased the track following the 1996 season The Big 10 Series didn t return in 1997 for the first season under new ownership amp Late Model Stock Cars became the main weekly championship of the half mile Laton made several capital improvements to the facility including a repave done in 1999 replaced barriers amp fencing a Hubbell lighting system amp several fan amenities Grandstand seating was also downsized as most of the Alan Kulwicki Grandstand became a dirt berm with only the portion near the turn 1 gate staying intact being replaced with metal bleachers The track brought back the Super Late Models for the Big 10 Series in 2003 the championship lasted until 2005 Freddie Query is the track s all time leader in wins and claimed the Big 10 series championship in 2004 and 2005 Late Model Stock Cars returned as the main track championship until 2009 when the track added Pro Late Models to the weekly card One of the track s more popular events the North South Shootout was started in 2003 at the half mile tri oval The event featured a 125 lap race for Tour type Modifieds along with several other marquee divisions such as Supermodifieds amp the ARCA CRA Super Series The event stayed at Concord until 2010 it was originally going to move to Myrtle Beach Speedway for 2011 however Caraway Speedway hosted the annual event following the death of original race promoter Charles Kepley 8 Half Mile uncertainty amp revival Edit The track stopped weekly racing on the half mile tri oval in 2012 only the quarter mile oval has hosted weekly racing since The quarter mile weekly program features INEX Legends INEX Bandoleros along with Davis Mini Cups go karts and quarter midgets on select nights The quarter mile traditionally featured racing from March to May and August to early October with a 2 month break in June and July Previously this layout also featured USAC Speed2 Eastern Midgets during the summer months 2008 2010 In 2015 racing returned to the half mile tri oval after not hosting any touring series for the past 2 years the opening event featured the PASS South Super Late Models and Koma Unwind Modified Madness Series running on Memorial Day weekend That season also saw the return of the North South Shootout event in November Alongside the John Blewett III Memorial 125 for the Tour type Modifieds other touring series such as the PASS South Super Late Models were a part of the event CARS Tour also returned that year now in the dual series format for Super Late Models amp Late Model Stock Cars CARS Tour ran for 3 seasons until the end of 2017 On May 5 2018 the track hosted the Minimizer Bandit Big Rig Series Defending series champion Ricky Rude got the lead on lap 6 amp won the A main feature 9 Closure Edit On January 9 2019 North South Shootout promoter Darren Hacket announced that the event would move away from the facility to Hickory Motor Speedway due to the uncertain future of the Concord Speedway complex 10 The track would continue to host the INEX Legend Cars amp INEX Bandoleros on the quarter mile track On July 2 2019 it was announced that the track would be sold and that leaders in each of the weekly series point standings would be awarded championship trophies for the year The buyer was later reported to be Copart 11 Notable competitors EditWinners and competitors at the track include Greg Pope Freddy Query Dale Earnhardt Jr Jack Sprague Ernie Irvan Bobby Labonte Denny Bennet Justin Labonte Clay Rogers Jimmy Simpson Bobby Gill Dale Earnhardt Sr Bobby Measmer Jr Ryan Preece Buster Bennet Jeff Melton Sonny Schoffen Kenny Brooks Shane Huffman and Josh HoganStatistics EditThe park consists of two tracks a 1 2 mile tri oval and a 1 4 mile oval Originally the 1 4 mile oval was a 1 5 mile oval and the 1 4 mile was added later The 1 5 mile is still there but only used for Davis Mini Cups and quarter midgets The tri oval seats 8 500 fans with room for 28 RVs while the 1 4 mile track seats 2 050 Additionally the track has several air conditioned suites located behind the main grandstand The track is active as a site for the filming of several television commercials television shows movies and music videos Events EditFormer touring series amp events half mile Edit ALL PRO Super Series 1987 Allison Legacy Race Series 1997 2004 2006 2008 2010 11 2017 18 ARCA CRA Super Series Southern Division 2010 ASA National Tour 2001 2003 ASA Late Model Series Southern Division 2008 09 Hooters Pro Cup Series 1998 2008 CARS Late Model Stock Tour 2015 2017 CARS Super Late Model Tour 2015 2017 CARS Pro Cup Series 1998 2000 2002 2011 ISMA Supermodifieds 1993 ISCARS Dash Touring Series 2010 KOMA Unwind Modified Madness Series 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League Mid Atlantic Limited Late Model Series 2016 Mid Atlantic Street Stock Championship 2015 2016 2018 Minimizer Bandit Big Rig Series 2018 NASCAR NASCAR Goodys Dash Series 1989 1990 1997 1998 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southeast Series 1997 1998 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour 2009 2016 NDRA Stroh s Pro National Series 1983 Pro All Stars Series PASS South Super Late Model Series 2007 2012 2015 2017 PASS Pro Late Model Series 2015 PASS Super Limited Late Models 2012 PRA Tours 602 Modified Tour 2017 602 Super Limiteds Tour 2017 amp 2018 Southern Modified Racing Series 2016 2018 Rolling Thunder Modifieds 2007 2010 SMART Modified Tour 1991 1998 1999 2002 2004 Southern All Star Asphalt Series 1998 Southern Outlaw Street Stock Tour 2016 UARA STARS Late Model Series 2007 2012 USAC Racing USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship 2006 USAC NOS Energy National Midgets 2006 USAC Speed2 Eastern Midgets 2006 USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour 2001 2002 2005 Virginia Mini Cups 2002 2005 BIG 10 Super Late Model Series 1987 1996 2003 2005 North South Shootout 2003 2010 2015 2018 Tour type Modifieds John Blewett III Memorial 125 in memory of Charles Kepley 2003 2010 2015 2018 PRA 602 Super Limited Tour 2018 PRA 602 Modified Tour 2018 Street Stocks 2008 2015 2016 2018 Mini Stocks 2015 2018 PASS South Super Late Models 2015 2017 SK Modifieds 2005 2010 2015 2017 Limited Late Models 2015 2017 Chargers 2017 Mid Atlantic Limited Late Model Series 2016 Southeastern Super Trucks 2015 Vintage Modifieds Sportsman Flatheads 2003 2010 2015 2016 CRA Super Series Southern Division 2010 USA Modifieds 2010 TBARA Sprint Cars 2009 Supermodifieds 2007 2008 SK Light Crate Modifieds 2006 2007 Four Cylinders 2006 2007 Pro 4 Modifieds 2006 Late Model Stock Cars 2004 INEX Thunder Roadsters 2004 2005 Pro Trucks 2003 Former touring series amp special events quarter mile Edit USAC Racing USAC Speed2 Eastern Midgets 2008 2012 USAC Speed2 Eastern Midgets Young Guns 2010 amp 2011 Carolina Asphalt Racing Kart Series 2006 North South Shootout 2006 USAC Speed2 Eastern Midgets Mini Stocks INEX LegendsFormer weekly divisions half mile Edit Late Model Stock Cars 2012 Street Stock 2012 Fast amp Furious 4 s 2007 2012 Vintage Sportsman 2012 Sportsman 2012 Pure Stock 2003 2011 Pro Late Model 2009 amp 2010 Thunderstox 2010 INEX Thunder Roadsters 2009 Limited Late Models 2004 2008 Super Late Models 1987 1996 2003 2005 Mini Stocks 2005 Hornets 2005 Limited Stock Cars 2003 Pro Trucks 2003 X Cars 2001 2002 Road Hawgs Super StocksFormer weekly divisions quarter mile Edit INEX WIX Filters Legends Cars 2019 Young Lions Semi Pro Pro Masters INEX Bandoleros 2019 Beginners Bandits Bandits Outlaws Davis Mini Cups Go karts Quarter midgetsNote data only goes back to 2001Results EditNorth South Shootout Edit the North South Shootout was held 12 times at Concord with the marquee race being the Tour type Modified John Blewett III Memorial 125 in memory of Charles Kepley Other divisions of the event included ARCA CRA Super Series PASS South Super Late Models Supermodifieds SK Modifieds Vintage cars amp other regional divisions from the east coast Tour type Modifieds Edit Season Date Winning Driver Laps100 lap event2003 November 8 John Blewett III 1002004 November 6 Donny Lia 1282005 November 5 John Blewett III 1002006 November 4 Matt Hirschman 1002007 November 2 Matt Hirschman 100125 lap event2008 November 8 Burt Myers 1252009 November 7 Burt Myers 1252010 November 6 Matt Hirschman 1252015 November 8 Justin Bonsignore 1252016 November 5 Andy Seuss 1252017 November 4 Matt Hirschman 1252018 November 10 Jon McKennedy 125Super Late Models Edit Season Date Winning Driver LapsCRA Super Series Southern Division2010 November 6 Colt James 125PASS South Super Late Models2015 November 8 Dave Garbo Jr 1002016 November 5 Dalton Sargeant 1252017 November 4 Matt Craig 125ASA National Tour Edit ASA held two ASA National Tour races on the paved half mile 2001 Johnny Sauter 2003 Davin ScitesCARS Tour Edit CARS Tour held races on the paved half mile with the CARS Pro Cup Series then USAR Pro Cup between 1998 amp 2011 and the current dual series format for Super Late Models amp Late Model Stock Cars between 2015 amp 2017 Season Date Winning Driver Manufacturer LapsUSAR Hooters Pro Cup1998 May 23 Chad Chaffin Ford 250July 24 Michael Ritch Chevrolet 2501999 May 29 Mario Gosselin Chevrolet 2502000 October 28 Clay Rogers Ford 250USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Championship Series2001 October 27 Hal Goodson Ford 250USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Southern Division2002 September 14 Bobby Gill Ford 2222003 May 10 Clay Rogers Ford 2512004 April 24 Bobby Gill Ford 2502005 April 23 Bobby Gill Ford 2502006 April 29 Shane Huffman Chevrolet 2502007 April 28 Chase Pistone Chevrolet 2542008 April 26 Michael Ritch Ford 205USAR Pro Cup Series2009 April 4 Trevor Bayne Chevrolet 250September 5 Clay Rogers Chevrolet 2542010 August 28 Jeff Agnew Ford 2502011 August 13 Brad Rogers Ford 200Season Date Winning Driver Manufacturer LapsCARS Late Model Stock Tour2015 August 29 Bradley McCaskill Toyota 1002016 August 27 Josh Berry Chevrolet 1002017 March 11 Josh Berry Chevrolet 1002017 August 26 Josh Berry Chevrolet 125 Season Date Winning Driver Manufacturer LapsCARS Super Late Model Tour2015 August 29 Steve Wallace Ford 1002016 August 27 Raphael Lessard Toyota 1002017 March 11 Harrison Burton Toyota 1002017 August 26 Cole Rouse Toyota 125 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Edit NASCAR held two Whelen Southern Modified Tour races on the paved half mile and the SMART Modified Tour precursor to the Whelen Southern Modified Tour also held 6 races at the track Season Date Winning Driver LapsSMART Modified Tour 1988 2004 1991 April 13 Gary Myers1998 July 2 Jay Hedgecock1999 July 1 Jay Hedgecock2002 October 5 Junior Miller2003 October 4 Jay Hedgecock 1502004 October 9 Ted Christopher 154NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour 2005 2016 2008 March 21 Ted Christopher 1502016 April 2 George Brunnhozlel III 150PASS South Super Late Models Edit PASS held 10 races at Concord between 2007 amp 2017 Season Date Event Winning Driver Laps2007 November 17 Mason Dixon Meltdown Ben Rowe 2002010 May 29 Old Glory 150 Andy Loden 1502011 November 26 Mason Dixon Meltdown Colt James 2002012 May 26 CV Products 125 Kyle Grissom 1252012 November 24 Mason Dixon Meltdown Preston Peltier 2002015 November 8 North South Shootout Dave Garbo Jr 1002016 May 27 Old Glory Twin 125 s Ryan Moore 1252016 November 5 Mason Dixon Meltdown Dalton Sargeant 1252017 November 4 North South Shootout Matt Craig 1252018 May 25 Old Glory 125 Matt Wallace 125UARA STARS Edit UARA STARS Late Model Series held 9 races at the half mile track from 2007 to 2012 Season Date Winning Driver Laps2007 March 31 Matt DiBenedetto 1522007 October 20 Ross Furr 1502008 March 29 Ross Furr 1502008 October 25 Chad Mullis 1502009 April 25 Paddy Rodenbeck 1502009 November 14 Coleman Pressley 1502010 August 7 Garrett Campbell 1502011 October 29 Steve Wallace 1502012 August 4 Brandon Jones 155Track Champions EditHalf Mile Track Edit Big 10 Series Super Late Models Edit 1987 Jack Sprague 1988 Larry Raines 1989 Jack Sprague 1990 Robbie Faggart 1991 Rich Bickle 1992 Rich Bickle 1993 Freddie Query 1994 Freddie Query 1995 Mike Thomas 1996 Eddie Massengill 2003 Eddie Massengill 2004 Freddie Query 2005 Freddie Query 12 Pro Late Models Edit 2009 Cooper Faassen 2010 Colt JamesLate Model Stock Cars Edit 1988 Freddie Query 1989 Jack Sprague 1990 Freddie Query 1991 Freddie Query 1992 Freddie Query 1993 Greg Pope 1994 Jack Sprague 1995 Greg Pope 1996 Lance Moss 1997 Mike Herman Jr 1998 Mike Herman Jr 1999 Kevin Love 2000 Kevin Love 2001 Kevin Love 2002 Chris Beach 2003 Shaun Mangum 2004 Todd Bardburry 2005 Travis Sharpe 2006 Shane Brafford 2007 Chuck Crump 2008 Kevin Love 2009 Steve Ackerly 2010 Jay Payne 2011 Bobby Measmer Jr 2012 Kenny BrooksLate Model Sportsman Edit 1997 Terry BrooksLimited Late Models Edit 2004 Terry Brooks Jr 2005 Terry Hoggard 2006 Ben Hinson 2007 Bobby Measmer Jr 2008 Mike TerryPro Truck Edit 2000 Jeremy Moore 2001 Roger Lee Newton 2002 Terry Brooks Jr 2003 Terry Brooks Jr Limited Stock Edit 2001 Kenneth Cook 2002 Jeff Melton 2003 David KepleyPure Stock Edit 2003 Mark Harris 2004 Luke Nickels 2005 Brian Love 2006 Steve Irvin 2007 Ben Smith 2008 Charles Hutto 2009 Jeff Melton 2010 Jeff MeltonStreet Stock Edit 1997 Dave Berry 1999 Mike GloverFast amp Furious Fours Edit 2007 Tracy Mullis 2008 Chad Miller 2009 Wayne Harrington 2010 Chad MillerMini Stocks Edit 1997 David Pennell 1998 Randy Freeze 2001 Jeff Whitley 2002 Roy Maness 2003 Randy Freeze 2004 Adam Beaver 2005 David PennellHornets Edit 2002 Mark Harris 2003 Mark Harris 2004 Chad Miller 2005 Bobby Measmer Jr Thunderstox Edit 2010 Rusty DryeINEX Thunder Roadsters Edit 2004 Matt Lassiter 2005 Kyle Beattie 2009 Adam WelchX Carz Edit 2001 Guy Bacelo 2002 Junior CressIn popular culture EditConcord was noted for being used as a filming amp production location especially within the racing industry given the close proximity to most NASCAR teams Some of the notable movies amp shows filmed at the facility included 3 The Dale Earnhardt Story amp Shaq Vs as the opening show of season 2 where Shaquille O Neal held a match race with NASCAR star amp former Concord regular Dale Earnhardt Jr Many commercials were filmed at Concord as well among the companies amp brands that used the track included Allstate AAA Insurance Blimpie Coors Light ESPN Gilette National Guard Mountain Dew Pizza Hut TBS promotion featuring country music duo Brooks amp Dunn for the Coca Cola 600 in 1998 amp Wrangler Jeans Among video games Concord was included in several video games Most notably of those is iRacing com which was one of their first tracks that the group laser scanned in 2005 The track is currently a part of iRacing s base content package It was also featured in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup game by Infogrames released in 2002 for the PC Among modding circles for various PC racing games it was also recreated for several Papyrus NASCAR games such as NASCAR Racing 2003 Season and also for NASCAR Heat Concord was also used for some inspiration for a fictional track in several NASCAR console games by EA Sports The fictional track called Levi Strauss Signature Speedway debuted in NASCAR 2005 Chase for the CupReferences Edit User Comments Concord Speedway Archived from the original on 2021 09 25 Retrieved 2019 07 05 http www autoracingrecords com tracks php lid 27311 http www autoracingrecords com tracks php lid 27347 Ghosts of Southern Dirt Tracks Past www webprosolutions com Archived from the original on 2016 02 24 http www autoracingrecords com tracks php lid 27247 a b c NASCAR results Racing Reference Retrieved April 8 2011 Dirt on Dirt History http 51archive2011 homestead com 2011 Stories Mods Other NSS to Caraway 8 18 html Bandit live stream Concord Speedway 5 5 18 YouTube Archived from the original on 2021 12 05 https speed51 com north south shootout moving to new track in 2019 Evans Zach Imminent Sale of Historic North Carolina Track Announced Speed51 Retrieved 3 July 2019 https speed51 com concord speedway a track built for super late models Plemmons Mark July August 2009 Family friendly grassroots racing is going on all summer long at Concord Speedway Cabarrus Living Magazine p 12 External links EditOfficial Website Concord Speedway archive at Racing Reference Coordinates 35 18 31 N 80 31 17 W 35 30861 N 80 52139 W 35 30861 80 52139 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Concord Speedway amp oldid 1129894703, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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