Hickory Motor Speedway

Steeped in NASCAR history, Hickory Motor Speedway is a legendary 0.363-mile paved oval in Hickory, North Carolina. Opened in 1951 as a half-mile dirt track, it earned the nickname "The Birthplace of NASCAR Stars" as a proving ground for numerous legends of the sport. Track champions from its early dirt era include NASCAR Hall of Famers Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, and Ralph Earnhardt. The track was paved in 1967 and hosted 35 NASCAR Cup Series races between 1953 and 1971, with winners like Richard Petty and David Pearson gracing its victory lane. While no longer on the premier series schedule, Hickory remains a vital part of the grassroots racing ecosystem as a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track, hosting weekly Late Model Stock Car racing and major events like the Fall Brawl.