​For decades, North Wilkesboro Speedway represented everything NASCAR’s early years stood for.The short track tucked into the foothills of North Carolina hosted legends like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson, then sat abandoned for more than 25 years after losing its Cup Series dates in 1996. Grandstands crumbled, weeds grew through the racing surface and many believed NASCAR would never return.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementInstead, North Wilkesboro completed one of the greatest revival stories in American motorsports. Today, the historic oval is once again one of NASCAR’s signature destinations, hosting the NASCAR All-Star Race after an extraordinary restoration effort that united fans, drivers, politicians and Speedway Motorsports.Here’s everything you need to know about one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks.North Wilkesboro Speedway is located in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, about 80 miles northwest of Charlotte in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.The 0.625-mile asphalt oval officially opened in 1947 and quickly became one of NASCAR’s cornerstone venues. Along with Charlotte Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, it became one of the sport’s longest-running and most recognizable tracks.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIts uphill frontstretch and downhill backstretch create a unique layout unlike any other circuit on the NASCAR schedule, making setup and tire management especially challenging for teams.North Wilkesboro was one of NASCAR’s original speedways, hosting its first Cup Series race in 1949 during NASCAR’s inaugural season.Over nearly five decades, the track became synonymous with stock car racing’s biggest names.Richard Petty won 15 Cup races there, more than any other driver, while Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon all celebrated victories at the historic oval.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIts final Cup weekend in 1996 proved especially emotional. Terry Labonte won the spring race, while Jeff Gordon captured the final Cup victory at the track in September after battling Earnhardt for the lead.Few realized at the time that it would be more than a quarter-century before NASCAR’s premier series returned.North Wilkesboro lost both of its NASCAR Cup Series dates after the 1996 season amid changing economics and shifting priorities within the sport.One race date moved to Texas Motor Speedway, while the other was transferred to New Hampshire Motor Speedway as NASCAR expanded into larger television markets during the 1990s.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOwnership disagreements complicated the situation even further.Bruton Smith attempted to purchase part of the speedway before Bob Bahre eventually acquired the remaining ownership stake and moved one of the Cup dates to New Hampshire. By the end of 1996, NASCAR’s long relationship with North Wilkesboro had come to an end.Without its marquee events, t