Concord Speedway
Concord, NC, USA
Track History
Just down the road from what would become Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord Speedway was a half-mile dirt oval that hosted seven Cup Series races between 1956 and 1959. The flat dirt surface in Cabarrus County, North Carolina produced the kind of door-to-door racing that defined NASCAR's early decades. Concord operated in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, but the racing it produced needed no asterisk — seven Cup visits in four years reflected a track that consistently delivered quality competition. The proximity to Charlotte meant that many of the sport's top teams and drivers were practically racing in their own backyard, which elevated the competition and drew strong fields. Dirt racing at Concord rewarded smooth throttle application and patience through traffic, skills that the best drivers of the era honed on tracks exactly like this one. The speedway was part of a dense network of Carolina short tracks that formed the backbone of early NASCAR, each one contributing to a racing culture that would eventually become the foundation of a national sport.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Top Drivers at Concord Speedway
Jack Smith leads all drivers at Concord Speedway with 3 wins across 9 starts.
All-time stats across Cup, O'Reilly & Trucks (min 3 starts)
| Driver | Races | Wins | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Smith | 9 | 3 | 7 |
| Joe Weatherly | 6 | 2 | 5.2 |
| Speedy Thompson | 6 | 1 | 4.3 |
| Richard Petty | 6 | 1 | 5.8 |
| Lee Petty | 6 | 1 | 6 |
Race Winners (1956-1964)
Concord Speedway has crowned 9 different Cup Series winners since 1956.
| Year | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Textile 250 | Ned Jarrett |
| 1964 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Richard Petty |
| 1962 | 39 Miles at Concord Speedway | Joe Weatherly |
| 1962 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Joe Weatherly |
| 1962 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Jack Smith |
| 1959 | Lee Kirby 300 | Jack Smith |
| 1959 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Curtis Turner |
| 1958 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Lee Petty |
| 1957 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Jack Smith |
| 1957 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Marvin Panch |
| 1957 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Fireball Roberts |
| 1956 | 100 Miles at Concord Speedway | Speedy Thompson |
Race Dynamics
Short tracks feature close-quarters racing with higher caution rates. Aggressive drivers and bump-and-run tactics thrive here. Strong restarts and late-race speed are essential. Track-specific history matters more here than at any other track type.
Top Rated Drivers at Concord Speedway
No NR-Rating driver data available for this track yet.
Similar Tracks
Track similarity data not yet available.
Nearby Tracks
Tracks in the same region as Concord Speedway, sorted by total Cup Series races hosted.