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FEBRUARY 11, 2010 ISSUE

Want to Learn to Drive a Racecar? Here’s Your Chance

North Wilkesboro Speedway Announces Classes, Races, Sponsorship

Story by Jason Gilmer

The Buck Baker Racing School has used the North Wilkesboro Speedway in the past for driving lessons and will be back at the historic short track this year. Classes are slated for Saturday and Sunday, February 20 and 21, and more classes are planned for the remainder of the year. Photo submitted

More Racing Scheduled

The North Wilkesboro Speedway was silent for 13 years, but more and more races are being scheduled for this year.

It was recently announced that the short-track speedway would host the Pro All-Star Series (PASS) in April.

The tentative date for the 300-lap super late-model race weekend is April 7, 8 and 9. The winner of the race will win a record-breaking $75,000.

“I’m pleased that the partners at North Wilkesboro Speedway have agreed to present this historic short track event,” said PASS president Tom Mayberry in a release.

The speedway has racing scheduled for four weekends now, including a second PASS race (a 200-lap super late-model race) on September 4.

There is a USA Racing Pro Cup Series event on October 3 and an American Speed Association event November 12 and 13.

Goodyear To Sponsor Track

The Goodyear name will become synonymous with the North Wilkesboro Speedway for the next few years.

Speedway Associates Inc., the group who is bringing racing back after a 13-year absence, announced recently that Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company will be the presenting sponsor for three years.

Not only will Goodyear be the presenting partner of the speedway, but also of the North Wilkesboro Speedway Benevolent Fund, which will be used to help drivers and drivers’ families in need.

The group will also help produce a small line of motorsports collectibles to help commemorate the speedway.

“This is big in so many ways,” said Dave Ehret, race director for Speedway Associates Inc., in a release. “The marketing partnership is old-school simple and something that people nationwide will understand. The fans get it, short track fans and racers understand and they will grow to see exactly what this partnering alliance means specifically to benefit on the short track level and beyond.”

The oldest NASCAR-style training school is coming to one of the oldest racetracks soon, as the Buck Baker Racing School begins a year of teaching potential drivers at the North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Potential drivers should mark their calendars for Saturday and Sunday, February 20 and 21, as the first weekend for the racing school. The school will run all day that Saturday and from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The school has announced that it will have dates once a month at the speedway, too, but the school’s website only lists these two dates so far.

Costs for the school range from $99 to more than $2,000, depending on the amount of time a driver wants on the track. For more information about the costs, click to www.buckbaker.com.

Baker, a legendary racer who was the first driver to win back-to-back Sprint Cup championships in 1980, started the racing school.

Graduates of the school include big-named drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, along with country music singer Travis Tritt, former NFL coach Jerry Glanville and Survivor host Jeff Probst.

“We have put a lot of thought into making Buck Baker Racing School available to all those who want the opportunity to either take a ride at speed in a Cup car or to provide enough school days for those who will want to pursue driving and longer term driver training” said Alton McBride Jr., the president and director of operations of Speedway Associates Inc., in a press release.

Speedway Associates Inc. announced last year that it would bring racing back to the North Wilkesboro Speedway after 13 years of inactivity there.

The plan was to start the school in January, but the harsh winter forced officials to push the school back to its February start.

“We have had such a cold winter which has left race fans with a major dose of cabin fever, so this date will make for the perfect opportunity for fans and enthusiasts to get on track and get their motorsports fix right after the [Daytona] 500 Race weekend,” said Jeff Boyer of the racing school in the release.

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for this Sunday, February 14.

When Speedway Associates Inc. became involved with the speedway, officials talked about helping bring short-track racing back to the area.

“This is what we are about at historical North Wilkesboro Speedway,” McBride said. “While we have to stay up with the cutting edge times and technology of our ever changing industry, we have the ultimate responsibility to preserve and rebuild short track racing health in our region.”

Class space is limited and the demand is high. Those interested in participating can sign up through contacting the racing school at 1-800-529-BUCK or going online and enrolling by clicking to www.buckbaker.com.