Jeffrey Elmore and the North Wilkesboro Speedway

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Jeffrey Elmore who has, since 2013, served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 94th district which is made up of the population centers of Wilkes County and Alexander County. Outside of serving in Raleigh, Jeffrey is a public school teacher who has had the opportunity to teach visual arts, with a focus on painting and sculpture, to every grade level since 2001. Today, Jeffrey discusses his involvement in the revival of the North Wilkesboro Speedway, in which he played a key role in securing the funds. He talks about the process behind his being the go-ahead and his conversations with key people on their vision for the new speedway. He explains his justification for the appropriation of these funds for this specific project and why, despite some concerns regarding the potential knock-on effects of the appropriation, he sees nothing but long-term economic growth in the local community from the revival of the speedway. In fact, Jeffrey makes the point that “the worst thing that happens with local appropriation is that they don’t use the money.” With its new multipurpose event space, The revived North Wilkesboro Speedway aims to elevate its visitors’ appreciation for the local history as well as North Wilkesboro itself as a tourist destination. Aside from essentially serving as a museum for the community, the speedway will embrace its heritage with displays of living history via car shows, performances, and more. “It’s a wonderful blend of the past moving into the future,” says Jeffrey. “You don’t see that a lot.”

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the Life in the Carolinas Podcast. Our show features a blending of stories that are primarily based on the syndicated TV show, Carl White's Life in the Carolinas and newspaper columns written by Carl White. Like Carl often says, "It's never a bad time for a good story!" The podcast is hosted by Carl and features specials guests as they share the stories behind the stories. All too often we simply do not have enough time to share everything we would like during broadcast. This podcast will allow us the opportunity to share more information and allow our viewers and readers a chance to get to know our guests more intimately. The Carolinas offer some of the finest people, landscapes, and opportunities to explore. We have traveled to the high elevations for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games which are considered to be among the best in the nation. We discovered the beauty of the brackish Waccamaw River and learned about the massive live oaks that predate the founding of America. In Gold Hill, NC we made a connection with the past and learned about the early days of gold mining in America. We were more than intrigued with a visit to the historic Wilcox Hotel in Aiken, SC and the stories of the Roosevelt Suite. Are the stories true? It's fun to think about the possibilities. Did you know Edgefield, SC was the home of ten South Carolina Governors and that the world-renowned Jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie was from Cheraw, SC? What about those mysterious Brown Mountain Lights in the North Carolina Mountains? They have kept people guessing for hundreds of years. Do you know what they are? The stories are abundant and only limited by how many tomorrows we have for their telling. Join us as we share our stories, traditions, charm, and southern hospitality.