A couple hikes along the old dirt oval NASCAR track of Occoneechee Speedway, which closed in 1968 and re-opened as a hiking preserve in 2003
One of the birthplaces of NASCAR, the Occoneechee Speedway was part of the original racing circuit in 1949 and featured a mile long oval dirt track. Operating as a stock car track between 1948 and 1968, Oconeechee Speedway hosted many legendary names in stock car racing and was known as one of the most dangerous and thrilling tracks at the time. Along the banks of the Eno River in Hillsborough NC, drivers could literally end up in the river if they lost control. After the track closed in 1968 it became abandoned and overgrown, ultimately reclaimed by the woods. The property eventually came under control of the American Homes Preservation Trust, which manages the neighboring Ayr Mount homestead. The trust Introduced Occoneechee Speadway to the Register of Historic Places in 2002 and re-opened the land to the public in 2003 as the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail. Visitors today can hike the original oval track and visit the crumbling grandstand through a wooded hiking trail that pays homage to the tracks stock car history. Hiking the track, one can still see the curved embankments and the remnants of the grandstand and structures and inspect old stock cars.
Size: 6000px × 4000px
Location: Occoneechee Speedway Trail, Hillsborough, NC, United States
Photo credit: © D Guest Smith / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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