GREENSBORO, N.C. — A historic track, getting a jolt of life.
NASCAR announced it will take over racing operations at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. The track has deep roots in NASCAR's history and the city's history. WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman got reaction to the move.
Bowman Gray Stadium isn't just a monument in the world of racing, "this is the track of where weekly racing started back in 1949 at Bowman Gray Stadium. This is the track where Richard Petty won his 100th race," Public Relations Director with Bowman Gray Stadium, Loren Pinilis said.
It's also home to the memories made there, "I grew up less than a mile from Bowman Gray Stadium, I walked there, I rode my bike there, I got my mom to carry me there. It has always been a very important part of my life," Former NASCAR Gasman for Dale Earnhardt, Danny 'Chocolate' Myers said.
Owned by the city of Winston-Salem, the racetrack will now be managed by NASCAR. This comes after NASCAR acquired Winston-Salem Speedway Inc., the company that previously managed the racetrack, a track that has a reputation for rough and tough racing.
"It's labeled the madhouse for a reason," Assistant City Manager for the City of Winston-Salem, Ben Rowe said.
An aspect that NASCAR doesn't aim to change, according to Pinilis.
"That's the reason why NASCAR is here because they love what happens here, they don't want to change it, they want to preserve it, they want to improve it, they want to keep it going for decades and decades to come and they're gonna have the ability to do that," Pinilis.
He said NASCAR plans to keep a lot of things the way they are, including the price of tickets.
Rowe believes this move makes an investment made a few years back, all worth while, "we want to show the stadium off. City council approved an investment of $9 million dollars [towards Bowman Gray Stadium] that we finished about two years ago, and so we feel like this stadium has a lot to offer and we really want to show it off."
Myers said that because of the history there, Bowman Gray Stadium is a destination spot for racing fans, "they want to go to Daytona, they want to go to Charlotte, and they also want to go to Bowman Gray Stadium, so I think for the folks in Winston-Salem, I think that's quite the compliment."
A legacy he believes has an even brighter future due to this decision.