NASCAR All-Star Race Weekend: Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro communities preparing for official start to festivities (2024)

COULD BE. BUT FIRST, AT 4:00 ON YOUR THURSDAY, WE ARE READY AND SET TO GO FOR THE NASCAR ALL STAR RACE THIS COMING WEEKEND ON THE LINE, $1 MILLION PRIZE. BUT THE RACE IS MORE THAN A COMPETITION. IT’S A BOOST TO THE ECONOMY IN NORTH WILKESBORO. AND A MOMENT FOR THE PIEDMONT TRIAD TO ALL COME TOGETHER AND TONIGHT WE ARE LIVE WITH EVERY ANGLE OF THE TRACK’S EVENTS, FROM FAN EXCITEMENT TO ORGANIZERS PREPARING THEIR PROGRAMS. SO LET’S GET TO LANIE POPE FIRST. AHEAD OF THE HAULER PARADE, LAINEY. THAT’S RIGHT, IT IS CALLED FAN FEST IN THE BOROUGHS. THAT IS NORTH WILKESBORO AS WELL AS WILKESBORO. BOTH OF THESE COMMUNITIES IN WILKES COUNTY HAVE BEEN WANTING RACING BACK FOR A LONG TIME. IT CAME BACK OFFICIALLY LAST YEAR AND NOW IS BACK FOR ITS SECOND RUN WITH THE ALL STAR RACE, AND THEY ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE THIS FAN FEST AND HAULER PARADE KICKS OFF THE ALL STAR RACE WEEKEND. NOW ON THE STREETS BEHIND ME RIGHT NOW YOU SEE A LOT OF CARS COMING DOWN. THESE ARE NOT THE NASCAR TRUCKS THAT WILL BE COMING IN LATER. THOSE HAULERS TRAVEL ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THEY CARRY THE NASCAR TEAM CARS AND THE EQUIPMENT. SO FANS ARE GOING TO GET AN UP CLOSE LOOK AT THAT. THEY’RE GOING TO GET TO SEE SOME DRIVERS AS WELL. ROSS CHASTAIN OF THE NUMBER ONE CHEVROLET IS ONE OF THE DRIVERS THAT WILL BE MAKING APPEARANCES TONIGHT. OF COURSE, WITH ANY FESTIVITY IN THE TOWN SQUARE, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE LIVE MUSIC. THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A JOHN PRINE TRIBUTE BAND IN WILKESBORO TONIGHT. ALSO, A GARTH BROOKS TRIBUTE BAND WILL BE OUT HERE. YOU WILL ALSO, OF COURSE, HAVE FOOD. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF FOOD VENDORS THAT ARE HERE, AND THIS IS JUST A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE NOT ONLY NASCAR, BUT ALSO OUR SMALL COMMUNITIES AND THIS IS SUCH A BIG DEAL FOR WILKES COUNTY AND ALL OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES ECONOMICALLY, OF COURSE, BUT ALSO TO CELEBRATE THE HISTORY OF NASCAR. AND EARLIER TODAY, WE WERE OVER NEAR THE COLE DISTILLERY AND THAT COLE NAME SHOULD RING A BELL. WILLIE CLAY CALLED ONE OF THE EARLY MOONSHINERS. AND YES, ONE OF THE BEGINNINGS OF NASCAR AND DRIVING FAST. AND WE GOT TO SEE ALL OF THOSE HAULERS LINING UP THERE, AND THEY ARE GETTING READY TO COME AND GIVE THESE TOWNS A SHOW. ACTUALLY GOT TO TALK TO A COUPLE OF THE HAULERS. AND IT’S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE THEY TRAVEL ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THEY SAID, THIS PLACE IS REALLY SPECIAL. IT’S SMALL TOWN AMERICA. IT’S WHERE NASCAR GOT ITS START. THEY LOVE COMING HERE. THEY SAY MORE THAN PLACES LIKE VEGAS, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. AND THEY’RE GOING TO GET TO SEE ALL OF THE FANS HERE LINING THE STREETS AND ALSO NASCAR IS BEING PASSED ON TO A NEW GENERATION, RIGHT? A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT WE’VE TALKED TO AT THE TRACK, THEY GREW UP AROUND THE TRACK. THEY STILL WORK AT THE TRACK, BUT NOW WITH BRINGING THE TRACK BACK TO WILKES COUNTY, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE YOUNGSTERS OUT HERE THAT ARE GOING TO GROW UP AND LEARN ABOUT ALL OF THE NEW NASCAR DRIVERS AND CONTINUING ON THAT TRADITION ALSO HAD LUNCH EARLIER TODAY WITH TERRY PARSONS. TERRY, OF COURSE, IS THE WIDOW OF BENNY PARSONS, ONE OF THE EARLY NASCAR DRIVERS. SHE HAD SO MANY STORIES TO SHARE. WE’RE GOING TO TALK WITH HER COMING UP HERE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS AND GET HER TAKE ON ALL OF THIS. SHE WAS ONE OF THE INTEGRAL PARTS OF BRINGING NASCAR BACK TO THIS RACETRACK, AND IT TOOK HER ALMOST 20 YEARS. NOW WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE NASCAR HISTORY, BUT ALSO THIS IS A BIG ECONOMIC BOON FOR THE AREA.