North Wilkesboro Speedway, a NASCAR racetrack in rural North Carolina, received $18 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for a “revitalization” project approved by state lawmakers of both parties, according to National Review.
The outlet reported that Gov. Roy Cooper (D), State House Speaker Tim Moore (R), and State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R) all supported spending this money to revitalize the racetrack, which recently had its first major NASCAR race in decades, albeit an exhibition race.
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees of major races in the future at North Wilkesboro Speedway, with NASCAR unwilling to commit to future events, due in part to its isolated rural location, its small capacity, and its aging racing track, which hasn’t been repaved since 1981.
While the recent Cup Series all-star race at the track was well received by fans, it didn’t award points like other major races across the country, and the location of this annual event changes each year, so it isn’t guaranteed to return.
The unlikelihood of major races returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway may be why its owners, Speedway Motorsports, haven’t invested in this facility with its own money. Luckily, state legislators were willing to spot them $18 million, which went toward improving water, sewage, and other infrastructure at the track.
ARPA was bloated with overspending. Rather than giving the money back to the federal government, states found creative ways to spend extra funds on anything they could, even abandoned motor speedways that may never see another NASCAR race.
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