April 14, 1996, A sweltering heat beats down on the fans and drivers alike, in preparation for the 7th race on the 1996 Winston cup circuit; the First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The Holly Farms 400 in September would be the final cup race at the historic speedway. For the April race, Terry Labonte grabbed the pole in his sweet looking silver
#5 Kelloggs Hendrick Chevrolet. In 1996 Labonte broke Richard Petty’s streak of consecutive races which ended after Wilkesboro. The “Ice Man” dominated all day leading 167 of 400 laps on the way to his 17th career cup win and his second championship in 12 years. Fellow Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon finished 2nd, 0.239 sec behind the leader. Dale Earnhardt finished 3rd, Robert Pressley 4th and Sterling Marlin rounded out the top five. Many great memories of that day still remain with me. North Wilkesboro was such an amazing place for fans and drivers alike. Maybe one day Nascar will remember its roots and return to the historic facility nestled in the hills of Western North Carolina and the spirits of yesterday may then find peace in the roaring engines reverberating off the hills and valleys of Wilkes County. I would love to have any comments from anyone who raced or have memories of races at North Wilkesboro. This place still lives in the memories of all who were a part of it.
