Abstract:
In this continuing series on the best walks to take in North Carolina, Setzer describes the Occoneechee Speedway Trail. The Occoneechee Speedway in Orange County opened in 1949. The track was one of only three East Coast tracks that measured a mile; the viewing stands could seat 17,000 fans. Many famous NASCAR drivers, including Richard Petty and Junior Johnson, raced on the dirt track. The track, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, closed in 1968 and has reopened as an historic, three-mile walking trail.