A North Carolina complex that hosted the Big 10 Series and the North-South Shootout, then passed to Copart after its 2019 closure.
Concord Speedway operated in Midland, North Carolina, from 1982 until July 2019. Its two ovals hosted the Big 10 Series and the North-South Shootout, and the site was sold to Copart after the track closed. The complex sat close to many NASCAR teams and was later used for filming and games.
Concord Speedway was a motorsports complex in Midland, North Carolina, that ran a half-mile tri-oval and a quarter-mile oval from 1982 until it closed in July 2019. The big track hosted the Big 10 Series for Super Late Models and the North-South Shootout, while the smaller oval carried a weekly card of entry-level classes. Ownership changes, a shift in weekly racing and a final sale shaped its later years.
Where was Concord Speedway?
Concord Speedway stood in Midland, North Carolina, a town southeast of the city of Concord. The complex held two asphalt ovals, a 1/2-mile tri-oval and a 1/4-mile oval. Its position put it close to many NASCAR teams, which made it a regular stop for drivers based in the region.
The site was the third track to carry the Concord Speedway name. Earlier venues in the area included the Concord Fairgrounds, where auto racing began in 1925, and two dirt ovals that hosted NASCAR Grand National races in the 1950s and 1960s.
A half-mile tri-oval that carried touring stars and weekly regulars until its 2019 sale.
How did the track develop after 1982?
Henry Furr built the speedway in 1982 as a 4/10-mile dirt oval. It was paved in August 1986, and a 1991 reconfiguration gave the big track its tri-oval shape with a dog-leg on the backstretch. The quarter-mile oval followed in the mid-1990s.
The complex had earlier roots too. A 1/5-mile go-kart layout was built during the mid to late 1980s, and it was later reconfigured to add the larger oval. That smaller circuit is still in place and is used for mini cups and quarter midgets.
Ownership changed again after the 1996 season, when David Laton bought the track. He repaved the surface in 1999, installed a Hubbell lighting system and improved fan amenities. Most of the Alan Kulwicki Grandstand was turned into a dirt berm, leaving a section near the turn 1 gate with metal bleachers.
What tracks came before the Concord Speedway name?
Concord has had three tracks under the Concord Speedway name, and the 1982 complex was the third. The first two sites, off Poplar Tent Road and Eva Drive, are now housing developments. Auto racing in the area began earlier, at the Concord Fairgrounds, which ran from 1925 until 1934.
The first Poplar Tent Road track hosted seven NASCAR Grand National races between 1956 and 1959. The Eva Drive track, a half-mile dirt oval known at various times as Harris Speedway, held five Grand National races between 1962 and 1964 and ran throughout the 1970s.
The National Dirt Racing Association's debut season ended at the Eva Drive facility. Rodney Combs won that race on May 26, 1979, and it was the final event held there.
The Concord Fairgrounds track was originally built for horse racing, and its half-mile dirt oval hosted two AAA Contest Board sprint car races, in 1931 and 1934. Other early venues in the county included the Midland Dustbowl, which held racing from 1948 into the 1950s, and Twin City Speedway in Kannapolis, a quarter-mile dirt oval that ran stock car racing up to 1964. Two Flags Speedway off Gold Hill Road hosted micro sprints and go-karts from 1976 to 1997.
Which racing series ran on the half-mile?
The half-mile tri-oval was best known for the Big 10 Series for Super Late Models, which began in 1987 and produced its first champion, Jack Sprague. Late Model Stock Cars later became the main weekly division, while touring series brought regional drivers and different car types to the facility.
The Big 10 Series ran from 1987 to 1996 and returned from 2003 to 2005. Freddie Query took the title in 2004 and 2005, having already won it in 1993 and 1994. Pro Late Models joined the weekly card in 2009, and Cooper Faassen and Colt James won that division in 2009 and 2010.
Other series raced on the half-mile over the years. ASA National Tour events were held in 2001 and 2003, NASCAR's Whelen Southern Modified Tour ran two races, and the UARA STARS Late Model Series held nine races between 2007 and 2012. PASS South ran ten races at Concord between 2007 and 2017.
Which weekly divisions ran at Concord?
Late Model Stock Cars carried the half-mile's weekly program until weekly racing there stopped in 2012. Pure Stock, Fast and Furious Fours, Mini Stocks and Limited Late Models each ran for several seasons with their own champions. On the quarter-mile, INEX Legends and INEX Bandoleros were the mainstays until the 2019 closure.
The Pure Stock class ran from 2003 to 2011. Mark Harris took the first title in 2003, followed by Luke Nickels, Brian Love, Steve Irvin, Ben Smith and Charles Hutto. Jeff Melton won the class in both 2009 and 2010.
Fast and Furious Fours were listed from 2007 to 2012, and Tracy Mullis, Chad Miller, Wayne Harrington and Chad Miller again took the division's titles. Limited Late Models ran from 2004 to 2008 with Terry Brooks Jr., Terry Hoggard, Ben Hinson, Bobby Measmer Jr. and Mike Terry as champions.
Mini Stocks ran until 2005, with David Pennell taking the title in 1997 and again in 2005, and Randy Freeze winning in 1998 and 2003. Adam Beaver took the 2004 crown. On the quarter-mile, Davis Mini Cups, go-karts and quarter midgets ran alongside the INEX classes.
Why did the speedway close in 2019?
Weekly racing on the half-mile had stopped in 2012, and the complex faced an uncertain future after that. In January 2019 the North-South Shootout was announced to leave for Hickory Motor Speedway, and in July 2019 the track was announced for sale.
The North-South Shootout's promoter cited the uncertain future of the Concord complex when he announced the move. The quarter-mile kept its weekly program of INEX Legends and INEX Bandoleros to the end.
The final season ended with a gesture to its regulars. Leaders in each weekly series point standings were awarded championship trophies for the year. Copart was later reported as the purchaser, and the facility left motorsports use.
What were the track layouts?
The complex had two main layouts in its later years. The 1/2-mile tri-oval had three turns with unique banking and seated 8,500 fans. The 1/4-mile oval seated 2,050, and a 1/5-mile circuit remained for mini cups and quarter midgets.
The tri-oval's shape drew comparisons with Pocono Raceway and Sanair Super Speedway. Its pit road entrance sat inside the tri-oval before turn three, and a grandstand held more than 12,000 fans in its earlier form. Several air-conditioned suites were built behind the main grandstand.
| Layout | Length | Seating | Use in later years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half-mile tri-oval | 1/2-mile | 8,500 fans | Touring and special events; weekly racing ended in 2012 |
| Quarter-mile oval | 1/4-mile | 2,050 fans | Weekly INEX Legends and INEX Bandoleros |
| Small circuit | 1/5-mile | Not listed | Davis Mini Cups and quarter midgets |
| Original dirt oval | 4/10-mile | Not listed | Opening configuration in 1982 |
Which champions stand out at Concord?
Freddie Query holds the track's all-time record for wins. He won the Big 10 Series title in 1993, 1994, 2004 and 2005, and he took Late Model Stock Car championships in 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1992. His record stands as the benchmark for the half-mile.
Jack Sprague won the first Big 10 Series title in 1987 and again in 1989. Greg Pope won the Late Model Stock Car championship in 1993 and 1995, and Kevin Love took the division title in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2008. Kenny Brooks won the 2012 title, the last one in the division's listed history.
Notable names who raced at the speedway include Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ernie Irvan, Bobby Labonte and Ryan Preece.
Where did the North-South Shootout fit in?
The North-South Shootout was a multi-division event that began in 2003 on the half-mile. Its marquee race was a 125-lap contest for Tour-type Modifieds, and the event ran at Concord until 2010 before returning from 2015 to 2018. It was held 12 times at the complex in total.
The main race was named the John Blewett III Memorial 125, in memory of Charles Kepley. Other divisions on the card included ARCA/CRA Super Series cars, PASS South Super Late Models and Supermodifieds. Its move to Hickory, announced in January 2019, came months before the sale. The last Shootout held at Concord came in 2018.
How did Concord appear on screen and in games?
Concord became a regular filming location because of its closeness to NASCAR teams. It appeared in films and television, including 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, and it was used for commercials for brands such as Allstate, AAA, ESPN, Coors Light and Mountain Dew. The track was also recreated in racing games.
The season 2 opener of the television show Shaq Vs. featured a match race between Shaquille O'Neal and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the speedway. iRacing laser scanned the track in 2005, one of its first tracks to be scanned, and it is now part of the iRacing base content package.
Other digital versions followed. Infogrames released USAR Hooters Pro Cup for PC in 2002 with the track included, and modders recreated it for the Papyrus Design Group NASCAR games, including NASCAR Racing 2003 Season and NASCAR Heat. EA Sports also drew on the track for a fictional venue, Levi Strauss Signature Speedway, which debuted in NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup.
How did safety and facilities change?
Under David Laton, the speedway replaced barriers and fencing, installed a Hubbell lighting system and reshaped its grandstand. Seating was cut back, and only the section near the turn 1 gate was kept, with metal bleachers replacing the old structure there.
These changes sat alongside the 1991 reconfiguration and the 1999 repave, which together defined the half-mile as it stood when racing ended in 2019.
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