Saw this report this morning:
BREAKING NEWS: North Wilkesboro announced Monday night they’re closing down operations, effective immediately. Here’s Mike Neff’s brief on this developing story:
For the last 1 ? years, Speedway Associates Inc. has taken race fans and Wilkes County residents on a history-making ride with the reopening of North Wilkesboro Speedway, one of stock car racing’s oldest facilities that had been shuttered for 14 years. However, the business climate and a lack of working capital has now brought everything at the historic facility to a screeching halt, effective immediately.
?Simply put, we made a lot of improvements to the speedway,? Speedway Associates Inc. President Alton McBride Jr. said Monday. ?We lined up some great events. However, even though we can project positive income from events at the speedway, we do not have the money needed on the front end to make those events happen. In spite of our complete investment in the speedway and in this community, we have run out of money necessary to go forward.
?Personally, I cannot say enough about the fans, competitors and businesses that have supported us. The companies that we have partnered with are incredible and we have a priceless relationship with each and every one of them. However, Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway has not experienced the support from several corporate and/or local businesses that either promised it or cheered the reopening of the facility. A lot was promised to HNWS, but only some of them followed through on their promises. SAI put a substantial amount of money into this motorsports venture and this historic facility with every intention of fulfilling its three year lease/purchase agreement.?
What happens now is unknown, but if SAI defaults Bruton Smith will retain ownership of the facility. Smith was asking $12 million to sell the property before this three-year deal came into place.