NC’s Wayne County Dragstrip Set To Reopen In 2026 With New Operators

Veteran racer John “Doc” Dougherty and his business partner Chris Howell have signed a one-year lease to revive Wayne County Dragstrip, bringing the dormant grassroots facility in central North Carolina back to life with a schedule that will include no-prep action, bracket racing, and outlaw competition.

Dougherty, a longtime competitor and promoter, said the deal marks both a personal milestone and a timely opportunity as small independent tracks across the Carolinas continue to disappear. Built in the 1980s by Eddie Radford and his father, the eighth-mile strip known to many as “Hook City” has carried several names over the years and last went dark roughly two to three years ago after Radford suffered medical issues that prevented him from operating the facility.

“It was like time just froze out there. The glue was still on the starting line, the mops and brooms were sitting there. You could tell it wasn’t shut down because people stopped caring. Eddie just couldn’t physically do it anymore,” Dougherty says.

The track carries personal significance for Dougherty, as one of his first career wins came at the Pikeville facility in his car known locally as the “Cowmaro.” That connection helped drive his interest in reopening the strip after years of watching small outlaw tracks in the region close while larger facilities absorbed the spotlight.

“There are plenty of big tracks within a couple hours of here, and that’s great, but not everybody wants that. A lot of racers want a grassroots place where you have to race the racetrack, where everyone really has a shot,” he says.

Dougherty and his team have already begun cleaning and restoring the 18-acre property, cutting back overgrowth and addressing deferred maintenance. Planned upgrades include fresh paint, lighting repairs, timing system checks, additional bleachers, sprucing up the concession stands, and improved visibility for scoreboards, while leaving the racing surface largely intact.

“It’s a little bumpy. It’s it’s unique and everyone knows it when they go there. It’s got a short shutdown. So it tests you on both ends. That’s the character of the place, and we’re not trying to erase that,” he says.

The track will operate as a sister facility to Darlington Dragway, where Dougherty also holds a lease. Events will alternate between the two venues, including a no-prep program and prepped bracket races. Wayne County Dragstrip is scheduled to reopen Feb. 6–7 with a no-prep event, followed by a prepped “Run for the Record” race offering $3,000 to the driver who resets the facility’s 4.84-second benchmark.

“In the past, they had really good Sunday fun days or street car shootouts where the place would be packed, so we look to continue that and just give everybody another option to race.”

Radford, who still lives on the property, remains involved. “This is his baby. He comes out, rides around, and watches the progress. Being able to do this with him instead of pushing him aside means a lot,” Dougherty says.

Dougherty said long-term plans depend on the first season’s success, but his vision includes expanding motorsports activity and potentially restoring the adjacent circle track, part of what was at one time a true motorsports park before it was closed the better part of two decades ago.

“When we’re out there working, the locals are just pulling in the gate left and right, taking picture,s and asking what’s going on — they’re all excited that we’re bringing it back. If we do this right, there’s no reason Wayne County can’t be a motorsports hub again for this community,” John adds in closing.