Metrolina Speedway

Came across this video about the Metrolina Speedway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BHVbcS7o2Q&feature=g-u-u

The wikipedia page seems a little dated and says the place was slated for a rebuild, but it's hard to believe (and kind of sad) to see how quickly a track can be overgrown and decay.

Just out of curiosity, anyone ever been here before? Presumably before its abandonment....Does anyone know what happened with the alleged rebuilding and paving or anything? Any cool stories or additional info?

Funny enough, this track isn't near me and I've never heard of it before, but that video piqued my interest.

Metrolina Speedway - Charlotte NC.

Built in the mid 1960s and located at the Metrolina Fairgrounds in NE Charlotte, Metrolina operated as Speedworld and was known as the Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway also. The 1/2 mile banked clay track ran mostly on Friday nights. The track was paved briefly in the 70s and ran NASCAR sponsored races promoted by Ned Jarrett. Unfortunately even with drivers such as Jack Ingram, Harry Gant, Butch Lindley and Dale Earnhardt competing there, they couldn't draw enough fans to stay open. The track was returned to dirt and continued operating until the mid 1990s with some breaks. During the time it was paved Dale won his first asphalt race there. And before his break into Winston Cup in 79 he was racing at Metrolina. At the time Metrolina ran "Run Whatcha Brung" races where anything was legal. Nitrous oxide, spoilers, etc. were all common and there were some great races.

Metrolina hosted the World of Outlaws first races in the Carolinas and other sprint car series made stops there until the mid 90s. Car races stopped about the same time and a motocross track was built on the front stretch and infield. Races were held for a few years. The remains were supposed to be razed in 2002 for expansion of the Metrolina Expo center.

Aerial shot

Amazing how fast mother nature takes her land back.

In reply to Double_Wishbone:

Do you do any exploring yourself?

A while ago, well, maybe it's closer to seven or eight years ago, I snuck into Marlboro Motor Raceway (Upper Marlboro MD) and wandered around for a while. Spooky! The grounds weren't as bad as the area surrounding this track in the video (I wouldn't go through those woods wearing shorts) but the track itself was in far worse shape. Trees growing through the asphalt, and a stretch of the road course completely washed away.

I would have explored more but feared every time I turned around I'd find a shotgun in my face. Always meant to go back, maybe finding out who owned the land and (gasp) getting permission to come in and explore more, but never got too serious about that.

In reply to Derick Freese:

I haven't in a while, nor seen anything really exciting. However, according to that guy's videos, there's a bunch of stuff here in Florida that's just lying abandoned. I don't know where a lot of that stuff is (I have a general idea) but I'd be mighty curious.

Yeah, there's a ton in Orlando. Whenever I see someone asking for handouts, I tell them to just drive down 192. Are you familiar with any of the local explorers?

In reply to Derick Freese:

By name only, through the flurbex forums. I think I'm registered on there, but I was never really active, I just kind of lurked. I never met up with anyone or anything. Are you an active explorer?

I went to several races there back in the '70's. Yep, more'n once I had a

The Saratoga Auto Museum has a yearly program on "Lost Speedways" in the northeast. Interesting. They even find some old drivers that raced at them.

Ive been poking around the interwebs for the Cincinnati equivalent of the THUNDERDROME in Detroit - but alas, am coming up short. There was an abandoned dirt roundy round near where I grew up that hosted many an unsanctioned event during my youth...too bad when I was 16, I cared more about Peregrine HP 48 Super-pros and Profile 3 piece cranks than octane and torque, so I never attended.

We spent a couple of Saturday nights at the dearly departed Athens Speedway. Looks like it's slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature: http://georgiaracinghistory.com/athens-speedway/