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Hickory Motor Speedway AI simulator
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Hickory Motor Speedway
Hickory Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Hickory Speedway from 1952 to 1988) is a 0.363 mi (0.584 km) oval short track in Newton, North Carolina. The track primarily holds NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season, CARS Tour and SMART Modified Tour races. It also formerly held top-tier NASCAR Cup Series and second-tier NASCAR Busch Series races. Hickory Motor Speedway is owned by Benny Yonnt and led by track promoter Kevin Piercy.
Built in 1952 by Charlie Combs as a dirt track, the facility held its first races in the same year running NASCAR-sanctioned races. The track changed hands in ownership numerous times in its early years. After it was purchased by Bill Edwards and Ed Griffin, the track was paved with asphalt in 1967. After the paving, ownership was again frequently changed until Benny Yount purchased the track in 1986. Under Yount's ownership, periodical renovations to fan amenities and the track itself were made to the facility. In 1999, all NASCAR national touring series left the track following the 1998 season. The track remains for local racing and the NASCAR Weekly Series.
Hickory Motor Speedway (HMS) in its current form is measured at 0.363 miles (0.584 km), with 14° of banking in the first two turns, 12° of banking in the last two turns, and 8° of banking on the track's straightaways.
Hickory Motor Speedway is located in Newton, North Carolina, served by Interstate 40, and has a physical address alongside U.S. Route 70. The facility has a seating capacity of 9,600 and a standing capacity of 3,600 according to The Charlotte Observer however, according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, the seating capacity is a high figure based if spectators were "packed in pretty tight".
On December 21, 1951, The News & Observer reported the formation of a new racetrack corporation by the name of Hickory Speedway, Inc., with Charlie Combs, Marshall McKee, and Clara Burgess announced as principal stockholders for the corporation. A week later, Combs announced as manager of the speedway detailed plans for the speedway in the Hickory Daily Record, stating plans to build a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) dirt track near U.S. Route 70. Combs additionally announced that groundbreaking on the facility had started a day prior on December 27. Planning for the track was simple; according to Combs' wife, Goldie, when planning the track's layout, "Charlie just looked out and marked it on the ground."
In the following months, plans for night racing and seating capacity of approximately 4,000 were announced. Hickory Speedway held its first race on May 18, 1952, with Gwyn Staley winning a NASCAR-sanctioned race amidst a crowd of 4,500. Lights for night racing were installed two months later, with Staley winning the first night race at the track. The first NASCAR Grand National Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series) was held the following year, with Tim Flock winning the event on May 16. In 1956, Hickory Speedway's length was shortened to 0.4 mi (0.64 km) after a remeasuring of the track.
In 1959, Combs sold his controlling interest of the speedway to Grafton Burgess, with Burgress being appointed as Combs' replacement as general manager. A year later, the track was reconfigured to make the turns steeper. In 1962 and 1965, two separate renovations were made, including upgrades to fan amenities, an air-conditioned media center, concrete walls for the outside retaining wall and pit wall, and guardrails for the inside retaining wall. Burgress sold the speedway in 1967 to Charlotte real estate developers Bill Edwards and Ed Griffin for nearly $144,000 (adjusted for inflation, $1,390,419), with Burgress resigning as general manager shortly after. Burgress was replaced by racing driver Ned Jarrett a month after Burgress' resignation.
On July 18, 1967, Edwards and Griffin announced plans to pave the track alongside other renovations, including the construction of a pit guardrail and a concrete wall in the track's third turn. The track paving was completed in early August, with the first paved races occurring on August 12. In 1970, the track was again remeasured and shortened, this time to 0.363 mi (0.584 km). A year later, the track ran its final NASCAR Cup Series race, with NASCAR removing any race under 250 mi (400 km) starting in 1972. In 1976, Jarrett resigned from his position as general manager in September, with motorsports broadcaster Hal Hamrick taking over the position in November. On August 14, 1977, the track experienced its first fatality after driver Bobby Isaac suffered a heart attack during a race due to heat exhaustion. Additional lights for better visibility in the pit area were installed the following year in April.
Hickory Motor Speedway
Hickory Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Hickory Speedway from 1952 to 1988) is a 0.363 mi (0.584 km) oval short track in Newton, North Carolina. The track primarily holds NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season, CARS Tour and SMART Modified Tour races. It also formerly held top-tier NASCAR Cup Series and second-tier NASCAR Busch Series races. Hickory Motor Speedway is owned by Benny Yonnt and led by track promoter Kevin Piercy.
Built in 1952 by Charlie Combs as a dirt track, the facility held its first races in the same year running NASCAR-sanctioned races. The track changed hands in ownership numerous times in its early years. After it was purchased by Bill Edwards and Ed Griffin, the track was paved with asphalt in 1967. After the paving, ownership was again frequently changed until Benny Yount purchased the track in 1986. Under Yount's ownership, periodical renovations to fan amenities and the track itself were made to the facility. In 1999, all NASCAR national touring series left the track following the 1998 season. The track remains for local racing and the NASCAR Weekly Series.
Hickory Motor Speedway (HMS) in its current form is measured at 0.363 miles (0.584 km), with 14° of banking in the first two turns, 12° of banking in the last two turns, and 8° of banking on the track's straightaways.
Hickory Motor Speedway is located in Newton, North Carolina, served by Interstate 40, and has a physical address alongside U.S. Route 70. The facility has a seating capacity of 9,600 and a standing capacity of 3,600 according to The Charlotte Observer however, according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, the seating capacity is a high figure based if spectators were "packed in pretty tight".
On December 21, 1951, The News & Observer reported the formation of a new racetrack corporation by the name of Hickory Speedway, Inc., with Charlie Combs, Marshall McKee, and Clara Burgess announced as principal stockholders for the corporation. A week later, Combs announced as manager of the speedway detailed plans for the speedway in the Hickory Daily Record, stating plans to build a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) dirt track near U.S. Route 70. Combs additionally announced that groundbreaking on the facility had started a day prior on December 27. Planning for the track was simple; according to Combs' wife, Goldie, when planning the track's layout, "Charlie just looked out and marked it on the ground."
In the following months, plans for night racing and seating capacity of approximately 4,000 were announced. Hickory Speedway held its first race on May 18, 1952, with Gwyn Staley winning a NASCAR-sanctioned race amidst a crowd of 4,500. Lights for night racing were installed two months later, with Staley winning the first night race at the track. The first NASCAR Grand National Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series) was held the following year, with Tim Flock winning the event on May 16. In 1956, Hickory Speedway's length was shortened to 0.4 mi (0.64 km) after a remeasuring of the track.
In 1959, Combs sold his controlling interest of the speedway to Grafton Burgess, with Burgress being appointed as Combs' replacement as general manager. A year later, the track was reconfigured to make the turns steeper. In 1962 and 1965, two separate renovations were made, including upgrades to fan amenities, an air-conditioned media center, concrete walls for the outside retaining wall and pit wall, and guardrails for the inside retaining wall. Burgress sold the speedway in 1967 to Charlotte real estate developers Bill Edwards and Ed Griffin for nearly $144,000 (adjusted for inflation, $1,390,419), with Burgress resigning as general manager shortly after. Burgress was replaced by racing driver Ned Jarrett a month after Burgress' resignation.
On July 18, 1967, Edwards and Griffin announced plans to pave the track alongside other renovations, including the construction of a pit guardrail and a concrete wall in the track's third turn. The track paving was completed in early August, with the first paved races occurring on August 12. In 1970, the track was again remeasured and shortened, this time to 0.363 mi (0.584 km). A year later, the track ran its final NASCAR Cup Series race, with NASCAR removing any race under 250 mi (400 km) starting in 1972. In 1976, Jarrett resigned from his position as general manager in September, with motorsports broadcaster Hal Hamrick taking over the position in November. On August 14, 1977, the track experienced its first fatality after driver Bobby Isaac suffered a heart attack during a race due to heat exhaustion. Additional lights for better visibility in the pit area were installed the following year in April.