NASCAR announced today that it has acquired Winston-Salem Speedway, Inc., the lessee of the historic Bowman Gray Stadium. Under this agreement, NASCAR will take over racing operations in collaboration with the City of Winston-Salem, with a contract extending until December 2050.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy, expressed his gratitude to the Hawkins family for their legacy in managing this significant circuit. Bowman Gray Stadium's history as NASCAR's first weekly track gives it a special place in the organization. With the acquisition, NASCAR commits to preserving the history and legacy of the track for new generations of fans and racers.
The mayor of Winston-Salem, Allen Joines, highlighted the importance of Bowman Gray Racing in the local community, mentioning that some attribute the beginnings of NASCAR to racing at this stadium. Joines was pleased with the continuity of weekly races at the stadium, a popular gathering point for citizens and visitors.
Austin Shuford has been named the new general manager of racing operations for Bowman Gray Stadium. With experience in event promotion and management at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and other circuits in the southern and midwestern United States since 2020, Shuford, a Western Carolina University graduate, expressed his honor in taking on this new role. He commits to learning from the Garrison, Pinilis, and Hawkins families to extend the stadium's greatness and thanks NASCAR for this opportunity.
Built in 1937, Bowman Gray Stadium is a quarter-mile short track, notable in NASCAR history as the longest-running weekly track. It was NASCAR's first weekly and first paved circuit, thanks to the efforts of Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins in 1949. The stadium has hosted NASCAR legends like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, and David Pearson, among others. Petty won his 100th Grand National race at the 1969 Myers Brothers 250 at this track.
In recent years, the stadium hosted several East Series races between 2011 and 2015, with notable victories such as that of Ben Kennedy, great-grandson of Bill France Sr., in 2013.
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