Built in 1952 by Charlie Combs as a dirt track, the facility held its first races in the same year running NASCAR-sanctioned races. The track changed hands in ownership numerous times in its early years. After it was purchased by Bill Edwards and Ed Griffin, the track was paved with asphalt in 1967. After the paving, ownership was again frequently changed until Benny Yount purchased the track in 1986. Under Yount's ownership, periodical renovations to fan amenities and the track itself were made to the facility. In 1999, all NASCAR national touring series left the track following the 1998 season. The track remains for local racing and the NASCAR Weekly Series.
Hickory Motor Speedway (HMS) in its current form is measured at 0.363 miles (0.584 km), with 14° of banking in the first two turns, 12° of banking in the last two turns, and 8° of banking on the track's straightaways.[1][2]
On December 21, 1951,The News & Observer reported the formation of a new racetrack corporation by the name of Hickory Speedway, Inc.,[7] with Charlie Combs, Marshall McKee, and Clara Burgess announced as principal stockholders for the corporation. A week later, Combs announced as manager of the speedway detailed plans for the speedway in theHickory Daily Record, stating plans to build a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) dirt track nearU.S. Route 70.[8] Combs additionally announced that groundbreaking on the facility had started a day prior on December 27.[8] Planning for the track was simple; according to Combs' wife, Goldie, when planning the track's layout, "Charlie just looked out and marked it on the ground."[9]
In the following months, plans for night racing and seating capacity of approximately 4,000 were announced.[10][11] Hickory Speedway held its first race on May 18, 1952, withGwyn Staley winning aNASCAR-sanctioned race amidst a crowd of 4,500.[12][13] Lights for night racing were installed two months later, with Staley winning the first night race at the track.[14][15] The firstNASCAR Grand National Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series) was held the following year, withTim Flock winning the event on May 16.[16][17] In 1956, Hickory Speedway's length was shortened to 0.4 mi (0.64 km) after a remeasuring of the track.[18]
Former racing driverNed Jarrett (pictured in 2007) was the general manager of Hickory Motor Speedway from 1967 to 1976.
In 1959, Combs sold his controlling interest of the speedway to Grafton Burgess, with Burgress being appointed as Combs' replacement as general manager.[19] A year later, the track was reconfigured to make the turns steeper.[20] In 1962 and 1965, two separate renovations were made, including upgrades to fan amenities, an air-conditioned media center, concrete walls for the outside retaining wall and pit wall, and guardrails for the inside retaining wall.[21][22] Burgress sold the speedway in 1967 to Charlotte real estate developers Bill Edwards and Ed Griffin for nearly $144,000 (adjusted for inflation, $1,357,940),[23][24] with Burgress resigning as general manager shortly after.[25] Burgress was replaced by racing driverNed Jarrett a month after Burgress' resignation.[26]
On July 18, 1967, Edwards and Griffin announced plans to pave the track alongside other renovations, including the construction of a pit guardrail and a concrete wall in the track's third turn.[27][28][29] The track paving was completed in early August,[30] with the first paved races occurring on August 12.[31] In 1970, the track was again remeasured and shortened, this time to 0.363 mi (0.584 km).[32] A year later, the track ran its final NASCAR Cup Series race, with NASCAR removing any race under 250 mi (400 km) starting in 1972.[33] In 1976, Jarrett resigned from his position as general manager in September,[34] with motorsports broadcaster Hal Hamrick taking over the position in November.[35] On August 14, 1977, the track experienced its first fatality after driverBobby Isaac suffered a heart attack during a race due to heat exhaustion.[36] Additional lights for better visibility in the pit area were installed the following year in April.[37]
In 1979, the track was bought out by a group of four businessmen: Hamrick, Newbern Fleming, Sam Herman, and Andre Teague.[38] Three years later, Fleming bought out his partners' stake in the facility, becoming the sole owner of Hickory Speedway.[39] Fleming kept ownership of the track for three years; in January 1986, the track's lease was bought out by a group of four businessmen,[40] with the group stating hopes of eventually buying out the track.[41] However, in December, theDaily Record reported that car dealership owner Benny Yount had instead purchased the track for approximately $1,000,000 (adjusted for inflation, $2,868,549).[42][43] With his purchase, Yount announced a $100,000 renovation project focusing on improved fan amenities, a press and VIP booth, and replacing sections of retaining guardrails with concrete barriers.[43][44] A majority of the project was completed by April 1987 for the track's season opener.[45] Yount originally planned to hire a stand-alone promoter immediately after his purchase; however, he took over the role after a lease agreement fell through.[46]
In November 1988, the track was officially renamed to "Hickory Motor Speedway"; on the same day, Bob Friedman was appointed as general manager of the track.[47] In early 1991, another set of renovations were made to the facility, including the construction of a permanent road course layout, a new public address system, and the first complete repave of the track.[48][49] The repaved surface ran its first race on March 30;[50] the surface shortly after experienced problems. The surface in the third and fourth turns showed "severe wear", leading to a repave of the turns.[51] The track was again completely repaved in 1992 after the surface came apart during aBusch Series race.[51][52] Also in 1992, the track demolished approximately 120 to 130 seats to build sections for physically disabled people at a cost of "about $2,000 to $3,000".[53] Two years later, additional retaining concrete barriers were erected around the track's inside perimeter.[54] In 1995, parts of the infield of the first and second turns were paved alongside the addition of a new exit road for the track.[55]
In November 1996, Friedman announced his resignation as general manager of HMS.[56] Five months later,The Charlotte Observer reported that Yount was in negotiations to sell a majority stake of HMS in hopes of expanding the track's amenities and attractions, increase the seating capacity, and move the start-finish line to the opposite side of the track.[57] On December 20, 1997, the operating lease to the track was sold to South Carolina real estate developer John Huffman, with Huffman's lease including an option to buy.[58][59] Soon after Huffman's lease purchase, the track's lighting and sound systems were revamped in early 1998.[60][61] Later in the year, the second-tier NASCAR Busch Series left the facility after a 17-year tenure due to the track not being able to keep up with rising purse payouts.[62] Two years later in January, the track ended its affiliation and sanction with NASCAR for the American Racing Association, ending a 49-year partnership.[63]
After three years of his lease, Huffman stated that he was seeking to sell the lease to solely focus on his real estate business.[64] On August 20, 2001, Yount bought back the track's lease from Huffman.[65] Four days later, the lease was bought out by HMS employees Sherry Clifton and Debbie Whitworth.[66] Shortly after the duo's lease purchase, the track regained its NASCAR sanction in January 2002.[67] Midway through the 2002 racing season, Whitworth resigned from her position as promoter, leaving Clifton as the sole promoter.[68] In 2005, the leaseholder changed to the Clifton-owned Hammer Down LLC. According to Clifton, she opted to make her own company after a partner in the previous leaseholder left the company.[69] Three years later, Clifton resigned as promoter of HMS and was replaced by the track's tire distributor, Kevin Piercy.[70] In 2023, the track was awarded $568,264 in COVID-19 relief funds from the North Carolina state government,[71] which was used to renovate bathrooms and the paving of the infield pit area.[72][73]
As of 2025, HMS runs aNASCAR Weekly Series season featuring various divisions.[74] Formerly, the facility held the top two divisions of NASCAR's touring series. From 1953 to 1971, HMS ran top-tierNASCAR Cup Series races.[17][33] The track additionally held the second-tierNASCAR Busch Series races from 1982 to 1998.[62]
HMS was used as a filming site for 1973 filmThe Last American Hero, a sports drama film about former NASCAR driver and team ownerJunior Johnson.[78] Parts of the film were filmed during aNASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series race on September 16, 1972,[79][80] and a special filming session the following month featuring some of the drivers from the September race.[81]
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