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Est. 1962
ABOUT
Wake County Speedway, "America's Favorite Bullring," is a quarter-mile asphalt race track located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
TRACK LAYOUT:
Length: 0.25 (1/4) mile oval
Banking: 7° in corners.
FOUNDED:
1962
NASCAR SANCTIONED:
2020
PROMOTER:
Charlie Hansen - charlie@wcspeedway.com
TRACK MANAGER:
William Brown - wbrown2552@gmail.com
Cell: (919) 427-5602
OPERATIONS MANAGER:
Andrew Tyree - andrew@wcspeedway.com
WEBMASTER:
Mark Arsen - mark@wcspeedway.com
LOCATION:
2109 Simpkins Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27603
CONTACT:
Phone: (919) 578-7858
E-mail: info@wcspeedway.com
Wake County Speedway in 1987
Wake County Speedway was built in 1961 by cousins, Glenn and Marvin Simpkins, on family land at 2109 Simpkins Road, about fifteen minutes south of downtown Raleigh. Glenn's father, Oscar Simpkins, owned the land and permitted the cousins to start construction. The first race was held on Friday, May 4th, 1962, and cost $1.50 a ticket. John Matthews, a cousin of Glenn, Marvin, and Talmadge Simpkins, won the 1962 opening race.
Wake County Speedway, like most race tracks of that era, was made of good ol' North Carolina red clay, the kind that is plentiful across Wake County. The speedway operated as a successful dirt track for the next twenty-four years.
With the increased popularity of NASCAR racing during the nineteen-eighties, Wake County Speedway was paved for the start of the 1987 racing season. "Chubby" Williams, a cousin of Marvin Simpkins, directed the paving with asphalt from Gelder Asphalt Co.
Concrete safety walls were added too, replacing the original steel guardrails and wooden barriers that dated back to the track's origin. Over time, Raleigh's 1/4 mile asphalt track earned the nickname, "America's Favorite Bullring," due to its tight corners and Friday night rock 'em-sock 'em, door-bangin' stock car action!
Glenn Simpkins at Wake County Speedway
Wake County Speedway in 2023
Many current and former NASCAR drivers have competed at Wake County Speedway during its long and storied history. Some of those notable wheelmen include J.D. McDuffie, Benny Parsons, Ken Schrader, Loy Allen Jr., Dennis Setzer, Randy Renfrow, Deac McCaskill and Ryan Blaney.
Wake County Speedway is operated now by Charlie Hansen, who has been a part of the track since 1994, first as a competitor, then an employee, and now as the track promoter.
In 2020, Wake County Speedway joined the ranks of NASCAR for the first time, making it one of only four NASCAR sanctioned racetracks in North Carolina. Currently, there are six NASCAR sanctioned tracks in the state.
Late Model Series drivers and teams compete at Wake County Speedway in both the regional and national
Advance Auto Parts Weekly NASCAR points system.
Wake County Speedway celebrated its historic 60th year in 2022 with special events and a commemorative logo that pays tribute to the no. 21 car of Glenn Simpkins.
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LeithCars.com LMS Drivers at Wake County Speedway in 2021
Today, the old garage with the rusted tin roof located at the corner of Race Track Rd. and Simpkins Rd., is a reminder of the humble beginnings for Raleigh, North Carolina's NASCAR-sanctioned Home Track.
Glenn Simpkins Garage, built shortly after World War II by Oscar Simpkins, has launched countless race cars over the decades, as well as provide reliable automotive repair service for area customers. Talmadge's wife, Betty Simpkins, passed away in 2012, followed by Glenn Simpkins in 2018, and his brother Talmadge in 2019.
Wake County Speedway named three sections of grandstands in 2022 after Glenn, Talmadge, and Betty Simpkins, to commemorate the track's 60th anniversary. In 2023, the Simpkins Garage 170 event was added to the racing schedule as an annual homage to the historic garage where it all began.