There are many historic race tracks around the country and most every short track fan will have their own favorite. In the Southeast there are quite a few small race tracks that are well known just by their affiliation with the early days of NASCAR. This weekend, there will be two big races taking place at two of the most well known tracks in the Carolinas. The K&N East series will be paying their first visit of the season to Greenville-Pickens Speedway while the UARA Stars will be turning laps in anger at Hickory Motor Speedway.
Hickory goes by the name of “The Birthplace of NASCAR Stars”—and for good reason. Drivers like the Jarretts, Harry Gant, Dennis Setzer, Ralph Earnhardt, Jack Ingram and Dexter Canipe are all on the wall of the track entrance where the names of all of the champions reside. The stars of the UARA have raced at Hickory many times over the years, and some members of their ranks have used the springboard of that competition to move on to greater careers in racing. Matt McCall has won the track championship, the UARA championship and is now active in racing at the national level with Richard Childress Racing. Brennan Poole and Kyle Grissom are two more graduates of the UARA that are working their way up the ranks of professional race drivers.
This weekend, the series makes its second start of the season after opening at Southern National Motorsports Park on March 9th. Ronnie Bassett, Jr. will be going for two wins in a row after grabbing the first trophy of the season in the opener. Bassett is trying to score the elusive title that he’s chased for a couple of seasons now. He had some technical difficulties last season but has returned with a new focus in hopes of scoring the season championship in the UARA–STARS series this year. He’ll have a tough row to hoe holding off Travis Swaim, Ben Rhodes and his own brother Dillon as he tries to take the season long points battle. The UARA–STARS is a great developmental series and they fit very nicely into the Birthplace of NASCAR Stars.
Just to the southwest of Hickory lies Greenville, SC sits the legendary Greenville-Pickens Speedway. Speaking of tracks that simply ooze history, GPS is one of those tracks. The walls are red and white with the white sections reserved for the track champions. Some of the most famous names in stock car racing appear on the wall at Greenville and some of the most famous names of the future will be racing around the track in Greenville on Saturday. The K&N East series is the latest development ground for NASCAR national touring drivers. Names like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Travis Pastrana and Dylan Kwasniewski have come through the series in the last few years.
Going into Greenville, the series knows that they are ready for a wide open affair. There have been nine K&N East races at the track that hosted the first live televised NASCAR race and they have produced eight different winners. Darrell Wallace, Jr. is the only driver in the history of the series to score more than one win at the track. Brett Moffitt is the only driver who has scored more than one pole at the track and is the only previous winner scheduled to run in Saturday’s race.
If you are in the Carolinas, or anywhere close this Saturday, you’d be hard pressed to find more exciting racing than you’ll see at Hickory Motor Speedway and Greenville-Pickens Speedway. Unquestionably some of the future stars of stock car racing will be on the track at one of those venues. Take advantage of the reasonable ticket prices and see tomorrow’s stars today this weekend.
Friday 03/22/13 I-30 Speedway Little Rock AR World of Outlaw Late Models
Friday 03/22/13 Stockton 99 Dirt Track at San Joaquin Fairgrounds Tulare CA World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Friday 03/22/13 Humboldt Speedway Humboldt KS USMTS Modifieds
Friday 03/22/13 Devil’s Bowl Speedway Mesquite TX ASCS Winged Sprints
Saturday 03/23/13 Dixieland Dirt Track Cottonwood AL 4-Cylinders
Saturday 03/23/13 Dixieland Dirt Track Cottonwood AL Bombers
Saturday 03/23/13 Dixieland Dirt Track Cottonwood AL Limited Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Dixieland Dirt Track Cottonwood AL Open Wheel Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Dixieland Dirt Track Cottonwood AL Stockers
Saturday 03/23/13 Dixieland Dirt Track Cottonwood AL Vintage
Saturday 03/23/13 Montgomery Motor Speedway Montgomery AL Buzz
Saturday 03/23/13 Montgomery Motor Speedway Montgomery AL Mini Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Montgomery Motor Speedway Montgomery AL Street Stock
Saturday 03/23/13 Montgomery Motor Speedway Montgomery AL Super Stock/Truck
Saturday 03/23/13 Riverside International Speedway West Memphis AR 305 Winged Sprints
Saturday 03/23/13 Riverside International Speedway West Memphis AR 360 Winged Sprints
Saturday 03/23/13 Riverside International Speedway West Memphis AR Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Riverside International Speedway West Memphis AR Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Riverside International Speedway West Memphis AR Stock Cars
Saturday 03/23/13 Central Arizona Raceway Casa Grande AZ Dwarf Cars
Saturday 03/23/13 Central Arizona Raceway Casa Grande AZ Pure Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Central Arizona Raceway Casa Grande AZ Southwest Mod Lites
Saturday 03/23/13 Central Arizona Raceway Casa Grande AZ USAC Non-Wing Sprint Cars
Saturday 03/23/13 Central Arizona Raceway Casa Grande AZ USAC Southwest Sprint Cars
Saturday 03/23/13 Mohave Valley Raceway Mohave Valley AZ USAC Western Dirt Ignite Midgets
Saturday 03/23/13 Tucson International Raceway Tucson AZ Factory Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Tucson International Raceway Tucson AZ Hornets
Saturday 03/23/13 Tucson International Raceway Tucson AZ Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Tucson International Raceway Tucson AZ USRA Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Bakersfield Speedway Bakersfield CA American Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Bakersfield Speedway Bakersfield CA Hobby Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Bakersfield Speedway Bakersfield CA Sprint Cars
Saturday 03/23/13 Bakersfield Speedway Bakersfield CA USAC West Coast Sprints
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA 4-Cylinders
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA Hobby Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA Mini Cup
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA MST
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA Super Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA Toyota Sedans
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA USAC Western States Midgets
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA USAC/BCRA Midgets
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA Valley Sportsman
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA Vintage Super Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Madera Speedway Madera CA Winged Sprints
Saturday 03/23/13 Silver Dollar Speedway Chico CA World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Saturday 03/23/13 Belle-Clair Speedway Belleville IL POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets
Saturday 03/23/13 Belle-Clair Speedway Belleville IL POWRi Speedway Motors 600 Outlaw Micro Sprints
Saturday 03/23/13 Highland Speedway Highland IL Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Highland Speedway Highland IL Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Highland Speedway Highland IL Sport Mods
Saturday 03/23/13 Highland Speedway Highland IL Street Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Brownstown Speedway Brownstown IN Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Humboldt Speedway Humboldt KS USMTS Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Whynot Motorsports Park Whynot MS World of Outlaw Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Caraway Speedway Asheboro NC Late Model Super Trucks
Saturday 03/23/13 Caraway Speedway Asheboro NC Mini Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Caraway Speedway Asheboro NC Street Stocks
Saturday 03/23/13 Caraway Speedway Asheboro NC Legends
Saturday 03/23/13 Caraway Speedway Asheboro NC Hornets
Saturday 03/23/13 Caraway Speedway Asheboro NC U-Cars
Saturday 03/23/13 County Line Raceway Elm City NC Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 County Line Raceway Elm City NC Thunder & Lightning
Saturday 03/23/13 County Line Raceway Elm City NC Topless Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Hickory Motor Speedway Newton NC UARA-Stars Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Southern National Motorsports Park Kenly NC Whelen Southern Modifieds
Saturday 03/23/13 Greenville-Pickens Speedway Greenville SC K&N Pro Series East
Saturday 03/23/13 Smoky Mountain Speedway Maryville TN Southern All Stars Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 Devil’s Bowl Speedway Mesquite TX ASCS Winged Sprints
Saturday 03/23/13 South Boston Speedway South Boston VA Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 South Boston Speedway South Boston VA Limited Late Models
Saturday 03/23/13 South Boston Speedway South Boston VA Pure Stock
Sunday 03/24/13 Duck River Raceway Park Wheel TN World of Outlaw Late Models
Sunday 03/24/13 Smoky Mountain Speedway Maryville TN Crate Late Models
Monday 03/25/13 Smoky Mountain Speedway Maryville TN Street Stocks
Wednesday 03/27/13 Millbridge Speedway Salisbury NC 125 Mini Outlaw
Wednesday 03/27/13 Millbridge Speedway Salisbury NC Beginner Box Stock Mini Outlaw
Wednesday 03/27/13 Millbridge Speedway Salisbury NC Box Stock Mini Outlaw
Wednesday 03/27/13 Millbridge Speedway Salisbury NC NBA Clone Go-Karts
Wednesday 03/27/13 Millbridge Speedway Salisbury NC Open Mini Outlaw
