NASCAR series is paying off beyond the track for Wilkes County
Visitors to North Wilkesboro ahead of the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race check out merchandise at a booth. A study found that visitors spent almost $29 million at the event last year. PAUL GARBER/WFDD File
The North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race for the third straight year last weekend.
The 2023 All-Star race had a direct economic impact of more than $43 million, according to an analysis by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. That event drew about 39,000 fans.
Now with three races in the books, its effects are becoming more evident, says Thomas Salley, executive director of the Wilkes County Tourism Development Authority.
He says that the races have raised awareness of what Wilkes County has to offer — exposure that could encourage return visits. More than 85 percent of 2023 attendees came from outside the county.
“Once they get here, they see, oh, wow, Wilkes County has wineries, or we have distilleries, or we have state parks,” Salley says. “ When we have this opportunity to host tens of thousands of people, we want to expose them to all the different things that Wilkes County has to offer so that we can appeal to those other interests.”
Salley says improvements to the water system and U.S. 421 to accommodate fans could open the door to housing and business opportunities.
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