Richard Petty Follows Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Lead, Wants NASCAR to Return to Historic Track

The 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway was the first NASCAR race taking place at the track since 1996. The return to the iconic track could not have been possible without the hard work put in by Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who played a huge role in the revival of the track. And if seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty is to be believed, there should be another revival on the cards.

During his visit to the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway this week, ‘The King’ pledged his support to bringing Cup Series racing back to the historic track.

“I would like to see NASCAR come back here like it came back to Wilkesboro (North Carolina) to show the history to people that this is where it all started. I mean they wouldn’t have that big race track on the other side of town (Nashville Superspeedway) if it hadn’t been for this race track here. It took tracks like this to nurture NASCAR into growing into what it has become,” Petty said.

The Nashville Superspeedway runs the Ally 400 in the Cup Series already, coming to the track for the first time in 2021. Petty suggested that the All-Star race venues should be rotated every couple of years or so, and the Fairgrounds should indeed be considered for the exhibition race.

Why is the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway special for Richard Petty?

Petty, who was inducted into the Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame this week, has a record nine victories at the track. But what really makes the track close to the King’s heart is something personal.

“This is one of the few tracks that my dad (Lee) ran, I ran, my son ran and my grandson ran,” Petty said. “So four generations have Pettys have run this racetrack and that makes it very special to me.”

With the success of the 2023 All-Star Race, perhaps NASCAR may consider the seven-time champion’s demand and bring the highest level of motorsports in America back to one of its most historic venues.