After yearslong revitalization process, NASCAR isn’t returning to NC racetrack

kAmp?5 E96 G6?F6’D AC:>2CJ C246 @C82?:K6C :D[ F?56CDE2?523=J[ “5:D2AA@:?E65]”k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^DA@CED^?2D42C\2FE@\C24:?8^2CE:4=6b_bfe_`b`]9E>=Q C6=lQu@==@HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm%C24< t?E6CAC:D6Dk^2m[ E96 AC@>:?6?E >@E@CDA@CED AC@>@E:@? 4@>A2?J E92E 92D AFE @? E96 DF446DD7F= }p$rp# 6G6?ED 2E %96 #@4< :? a_ad 2?5 a_ae[ 2??@F?465 @? uC:52J E92E :? a_af :E H:== ?@E 9@DE 2?J }p$rp#\D2?4E:@?65 4@>A6E:E:@? 2E E96 9:DE@C:4 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 C246EC24<]k^Am

kAm%96 564:D:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 C6=62D6[ “4@>6D 2>:5 @G6C2== F?46CE2:?EJ 2E E96 724:=:EJ]” %96 C6=62D6 8@6D @? E@ D2J E92E %C24< t?E6CAC:D6D C6>2:?D “4@>>:EE65 E@ 6IA=@C:?8 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E92E 4@F=5 3C:?8 C24:?8 324< E@ %96 #@4< :? 7FEFC6 D62D@?D]”k^Am

kAm“%96 C6DA@?D6 7C@> E96 72?D @G6C E96 A2DE EH@ J62CD 92D 366? ?@E9:?8 D9@CE @7 :?4C65:3=6[” %C24< t?E6CAC:D6D AC6D:56?E q@3 $2C86?E HC@E6 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] “qC:?8:?8 }p$rp# 324< E@ #@4<:?892> H2D 2 DA64:2= @AA@CEF?:EJ[ 2?5 E96 DFAA@CE H6 C646:G65 7C@> C246 72?D[ 4@>A6E:E@CD[ DA@?D@CD[ =@42= @77:4:2=D 2?5 E96 6?E:C6 4@>>F?:EJ 6I466565 6G6CJ 6IA64E2E:@?]k^Am

kAm“(9:=6 H6’C6 5:D2AA@:?E65 E92E }p$rp# H@?’E 36 C24:?8 2E #@4<:?892> :? a_af[ H6 C6>2:? @AE:>:DE:4 23@FE E96 7FEFC6 2?5 =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ 6IA=@C:?8 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ 3C:?8 C24:?8 324< :? E96 7FEFC6]”k^Am

kAm%9@F89 E96C6 H2D ?@ 5:D4=@DFC6 @7 H92E “F?46CE2:?E:6D” 2C6 A=28F:?8 E96 724:=:EJ[ A6C92AD D@>6 @7 :E :D 6IA=2:?65 3J D@>6 C646?E ?6HD :?G@=G:?8 E96 C246EC24<’D @H?6Ci %96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= w@E #@5 pDD@4:2E:@? Wxw#pX]k^Am

kAmxw#p[ 962565 3J s2CCJ= rFEE6==[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^DA@CED^?7=^42C@=:?2\A2?E96CD^2CE:4=6b`c`__eff]9E>=Q C6=lQu@==@HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmAFC492D65 E96 C246EC24< 7C@> s2? {@G6?96:> :? s646>36Ck^2m] xw#p 92D 42?46=65 E96 C6DE @7 :ED a_ae D62D@? :? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 C24:?8 5:G:D:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 :ED DE@4< 42C 5:G:D:@?[ H9:49 H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 92G6 2 C246 2E #@4<:?892> =2E6C E9:D J62C]k^Am

kAm%96 564:D:@? E@ 42?46= E96 xw#p $E@4< r2C $6C:6D 7@C E96 C6DE @7 a_ae “H2D ?@E >256 =:89E=J[” 2 ?6HD C6=62D6 @? E96 D6C:6D’ D@4:2= >65:2 A286 DE2E65 :? yF=J]k^Am

kAm%96 DE2E6>6?E 4@?E:?F65i “p7E6C 2 E9@C@F89 C6G:6H @7 @FC @A6C2E:@?D[ C6D@FC46D 2?5 =@?8\E6C> @3;64E:G6D[ xw#p 36=:6G6D E96 C6DA@?D:3=6 4@FCD6 @7 24E:@? :D E@ A2FD6 E96 D6C:6D 2?5 565:42E6 @FC 7F== 2EE6?E:@? E@ 3F:=5:?8 2 DEC@?86C[ >@C6 DFDE2:?23=6 $E@4< r2C AC@8C2> 7@C a_af]”k^Am

k9a 4=2DDlQ9aQm#@4<:?892> $A665H2J’D 9:DE@CJk^9am

kAm%96 ?6HD :D 2 DFCAC:D:?8 2?5 F?7@CEF?2E6 3=@H E@ @?6 @7 }p$rp#’D @=56DE G6?F6D]k^Am

kAm~C:8:?2==J @A6?65 :? `hed[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^DA@CED^?2D42C\2FE@\C24:?8^2CE:4=6b_ahbcfhh]9E>=Q C6=lQu@==@HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm#@4<:?892> $A665H2J 92D =@?8 366? 2 C:E6 @7 A2DD286k^2m :? E96 DA@CE @7 C24:?8[ 2D H6== 2D 2? 64@?@>:4 2?5 4F=EFC2= 3@@? :? #:49>@?5 r@F?EJ] %96 ;FDE\23@FE\2\>:=6 2DA92=E @G2= D2H =686?52CJ 32EE=6D @G6C E96 J62CD] xE D2H 492>A:@?D9:AD 4=:?4965 3J y677 v@C5@? 2?5 |2EE z6?D6E9] xE D2H #:492C5 “%96 z:?8” !6EEJ H:? #@4<:?892> rFA C246D 2 D6C:6D\>@DE `` E:>6D] %96 C246EC24< H2D 2=D@ 9@>6 E@ E96 7:CDE C246 27E6C E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^DA@CED^?2D42C\2FE@\C24:?8^2CE:4=6b_bcfbbfe]9E>=Q C6=lQu@==@HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmEC28:4 562E9 @7 s2=6 t2C?92C5E $C]k^2m :? u63CF2CJ a__`]k^Am

kAmx? a__c[ E9@F89[ }p$rp# =67E E96 G6?F6 2D A2CE @7 2 EC6?5 E96 DA@CE H2D 8@:?8 E9C@F89 2E E96 E:>6 — 2D :E H2D EC2?D:E:@?:?8 7C@> 2 C68:@?2= 6?E6CAC:D6 :?E@ 2 ?2E:@?2= @?6] %96 DA665H2J :? #:49>@?5 r@F?EJ[ 7@C E96 36EE6C A2CE @7 a_ J62CD[ D2E :? 232?5@?65 5:DC6A2:C]k^Am

kAm%96 EC24< H2D AFC492D65 3J {@G6?96:> :? pF8FDE a_`g[ E9@F89[ 2?5 :ED C6G:G2= D=@H=J 3682?] |:==:@?D :? r~'xs\`h DE:>F=FD A24<286 >@?6J A=FD {@G6?96:>’D A6CD@?2= 7F?5:?8 — k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^DA@CED^?2D42C\2FE@\C24:?8^2CE:4=6b_b``ehhh]9E>=Q C6=lQu@==@HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmS`d >:==:@? :? E@E2=[ {@G6?96:> E@=5 %96 r92C=@EE6 ~3D6CG6Ck^2m — 3C@F89E E96 C246EC24< 324< FA E@ D?F77]k^Am

kAm}p$rp# C6EFC?65 :? a_ad[ 2?5 :E H2D 3J 2== 244@F?ED 2 D>2D9 9:E] %96 ~’#6:==J C246 :? a_ad H2D ?@E @?=J 2 D6==@FE[ 3FE 86?6C2E65 `]_d >:==:@? %' G:6H6CD :? E96 DAC:?8] }p$rp# @77:4:2=D 42==65 E92E 7:CDE C246 H66<6?5 “F?36=:6G23=6” 2?5 9:?E65 2E :ED A@E6?E:2= 7FEFC6 :? E96 rFA $6C:6D]k^Am

kAm{@G6?96:> 6G6?EF2==J AFE E96 C246EC24< 324< @? E96 >2C<6E :? E96 DF>>6C @7 a_ad 2?5 D@=5 :E :? s646>36C E@ xw#p] p?@E96C DF446DD7F= C246 H66<6?5 :? pAC:= a_ae 7@==@H65]k^Am

kAmqFE E96?[ @? uC:52J[ E96 ?6HD 42>6 E92E E96 C24:?8 H@F=5?’E 4@>6 324< :? a_af]k^Am

k9a 4=2DDlQ9aQmp?@E96C }r C246EC24< 6?5FC:?8 }p$rp# 492?86k^9am

kAm#@4<:?892> :D?’E E96 @?=J }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 C246EC24< E92E H:== 92G6 2 5:776C6?E DA@E :? E96 D4965F=6 :? a_af]k^Am

kAmt2C=:6C E9:D DF>>6C[ E96 D2?4E:@?:?8 3@5J 2??@F?465 E92E }p$rp# H@F=5 ?@E @A6? :ED D62D@? H:E9 :ED 2??F2= 6I9:3:E:@? C246 — “%96 r=2D9” — 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7C@?EDEC6E49]4@>^a_ae^_g^`b^EC24<D\=:<6=J\36:?8\=67E\@FE\?2D42C\a_af\D4965F=6^Q C6=lQu@==@HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmq@H>2? vC2J $E25:F> :? (:?DE@?\$2=6>k^2m] %96 r=2D9 H:== CF? 2E s2JE@?2 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $A665H2J]k^Am

kAm%96 D2?4E:@?:?8 3@5J 2=D@ 2??@F?465 62C=:6C E9:D H66< E92E }@CE9 (:=<6D3@C@ $A665H2J[ 27E6C AFEE:?8 @? :ED 7:CDE rFA C246 :? b_ J62CD[ H:== 8@ 324< E@ 9@DE:?8 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^DA@CED^?2D42C\2FE@\C24:?8^2CE:4=6b`egdbh_a]9E>=Q C6=lQu@==@HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm}p$rp# p==\$E2C #246 :? a_afk^2m] %96 G6?F6 H:== 2=D@ 9@DE 2 %CF4< $6C:6D C246 2?5 2? ~’#6:==J C246 E92E D2>6 H66<6?5]k^Am