Auto, Drag Racing

Races in Rockingham, Concord and Darlington are within driving distance from Anson County

     North Carolina has a rich heritage, and tradition, associated with auto racing -- whether zipping around an oval track or slamming the pedal to the metal on a quarter-mile drag strip.
     Anson County visitors (and residents) have access to zMax Dragway (60 miles) and Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord (60 miles); Rockingham Speedway (25 miles) and Rockingham Dragway (25 miles) in Richmond County; and Darlington Raceway (70 miles) in Darlington, S.C.
     For our visitors who plan to spend race night in Wadesboro, click on the "Lodging & Dining" button on the www.discoveranson.com menu.
     The following race events are scheduled in 2010:

  • July 25: Firecracker Challenge Legends and Bandolero Series at Rockingham Speedway

  • July 31: Outlaw Street Drags at Rockingham Dragway

  • Aug. 1: Firecracker Challenge Legends and Bandolero Series at Rockingham Speedway

  • Aug. 7: Outlaw Street Drags at Rockingham Dragway

  • Aug. 8: Firecracker Challenge Legends and Bandolero Series at Rockingham Speedway

  • Aug. 14: World Grudge Racing Battle of the Carolinas II at Rockingham Dragway

  • Aug. 14: Too Tough To Tame (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) at Darlington Raceway

  • Aug.20-22: Schnitz Racing summer Sizzler/MIRock Super Bike Series at Rockingham Dragway

  • Aug. 26-29: Food Lion AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway

  • Aug. 28-29: Drop Jaw Mag Cars, Stars and Guitars/Car-Truck Show and Bands at Rockingham Dragway

  • Sept. 4: Outlaw Street Drags/Insane Performance Real Street Open Comp Door Slammers at Rockingham Dragway

  • Sept. 10-11: ADRL Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway

  • Sept. 16-19: NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway

  • Sept. 18: Nostalgia Drags/Elite Motions Car Club Extreme Madness at Rockingham Dragway

  • Sept. 25: VW's at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway

  • Oct. 1-3: Holcomb Motorsports Fall Civil Wards at Rockingham Dragway

  • Oct. 8-10: AHDRA All Harley Drag Racing Nationals at Rockingham Dragway

  • Oct. 9: ARCA American 200 at Rockingham Speedway

  • Oct. 14: Bojangles Pole Night (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) at Charlotte Motor Speedway

  • Oct. 15: Dollar General 300 (NASCAR Nationwide Series) at Charlotte Motor Speedway

  • Oct. 16: Bank of America 500 (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) at Charlotte Motor Speedway

  • Oct. 21-24: IHRA Team Finals at Rockingham Dragway

  • Oct. 30: Outlaw Street Drags at Rockingham Dragway

  • Oct. 28-31: The Goodguys Southeastern Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway

  • Oct. 31: Phantasm Motorsports Street Wars/Halloween Costume Contest at Rockingham Dragway

  • Nov. 6-7: Lee's Performance MIRock Super Bike Series at Rockingham Dragway

  • Nov. 7: The Rock Road Course Wars Legends and Bandolero Series at Rockingham Speedway

  • Nov. 13: Insane Performance Real Street Open Comp Doore Slammers at Rockingham Dragway

  • Nov. 14: The Rock Road Course Wars Legends and Bandolero Series at Rockingham Speedway

  • Nov. 20: Outlaw Street Drags at Rockingham Dragway

  • Nov. 21: The Rock Road Course Wars Legends, Bandolero Series and Allison Legacy road course race at Rockingham Speedway

  • Nov. 26: Souvenir and Race Ticket Blow-Out at Charlotte Motor Speedway

  • Nov. 27: Outlaw Street Drags at Rockingham Dragway

  • Dec. 4: Outlaw Street Drags at Rockingham Dragway

  • Dec. 11: Outlaw Street Drags at Rockingham Dragway

     For more information on race dates, tickets, parking, etc., visit the following websites:

     Please note that all race dates are tentative and to check the track's website for any updates or schedule changes.

Day Trips

     After spending some time in Anson County, you just might want to leave your bags here while you explore the region. Anson County is surrounded by so much; you’ll have a hard time deciding what to do next.

Town Creek Indian Mound (20 miles)

     For more than a thousand years, Indians lived an agricultural life on the lands that became known as North Carolina. About the 11th century A.D., a new cultural tradition emerged in the Pee Dee River Valley. That new culture, called "Pee Dee" by archaeologists, was part of a widespread tradition known as "South Appalachian Mississippian." Throughout Georgia, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and the southern North Carolina Piedmont, the new culture gave rise to complex societies. These inhabitants built earthen mounds for their spiritual and political leaders, engaged in widespread trade, supported craft specialists, and celebrated a new kind of religion.
     A visit to Town Creek Indian Mound offers a glimpse of pre-Columbian life in Piedmont North Carolina. The visitor center contains interpretive exhibits, as well as audiovisual programs that bring alive a rich cultural heritage from the buried past. Self-guided tours of the rebuilt structures and mound and other group activities are available.
     For more information, visit www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hs/town/town.htm

Historic Cheraw (20 miles)

     Cheraw was once the scene of busy steamboat traffic on the Pee Dee River, and was an important commercial center. More than 50 fine homes and public buildings from this period still grace wide lawns and gardens. Come linger awhile at Old St. David's Church, used as a hospital during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, where soldiers from every American war lie buried alongside British soldiers.
     Cheraw also offers a varied assortment of antique, import and specialty boutiques for visitors to find that "special something." Antique dealers and novice collectors find a vast assortment of furniture and accessories available.
     For more information, visit www.cheraw.com

Cheraw State Park (25 miles)

     Cheraw State Park uniquely combines outstanding recreational opportunities: equestrian trails, hiking and biking trails, rustic cabins with full amenities, group camps and family campsites near Lake Juniper from which you can enjoy boating, sailing and fishing.
     Cheraw also provides a championship 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Jackson, with a layout so unique that no two fairways are adjacent to the other. The park also protects habitats for the threatened Red Cockaded woodpecker and migratory birds.
     For more information, click here.

Uwharrie National Forest (30 miles)

     Some 500 million years ago, the Uwharrie Mountains emerged from the soils of North Carolina's central piedmont, making them the oldest mountain range in North America. While the dinosaurs that roamed those 20,000-foot summits are long since extinct, the Uwharries yet remain, though somewhat diminished in stature. The same forces of erosion that wore the Appalachians down from their former Rocky-Mountain-like heights also took their toll on the Uwharries, which now top out at around 1,000 feet.
     Now a 40,000-acre national forest it is bounded on the west by the Pee Dee River and by Lake Badin and Lake Tillery. The rivers and the forest provide incredible recreational activities for the area, including camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, water skiing, boating and golf.
     For more information, click here.

Morrow Mountain State Park (30 miles)

     Enjoy the gifts of nature surrounded by the remnants of a once mighty range of peaks. Upon first encounter, the Uwharrie Mountains may seem like a mountainous mirage. These steep, rugged hills—unusual topography for the area—form a stark contrast with the rolling countryside of the piedmont plateau.
     Recreation is plentiful in and around the waters of Lake Tillery and the Pee Dee River. Fishing, boating and swimming are popular pastimes. Nature lovers can pick from miles of trails to travel on foot or horseback. And for those who want to stay and take it all in, cabins and camping are available. There's really only one word to describe Morrow Mountain State Park: variety. Use the family car or RV, horseback or canoe, put on a pair of hiking boots or dip bare feet in the river, or bait your favorite fishing pole—a visit to Morrow Mountain lets you choose your kind of adventure.
     For more information, click here.

Carolina Thread Trail

     The Carolina Thread Trail, now in its planning stage, will connect communities, serve approximately 2.3 million people, have up to 40 destinations as a tourism draw and cover over 73,000 square miles.
     The Carolina Thread Trail comprises 15 counties -- Cleveland, Catawba, Lincoln, Gaston, Iredell, Rowan, Cabarrus, Stanly, Union Mecklenburg and Anson in North Carolina, and Cherokee, York, Chester and Lancaster counties in South Carolina.
     Eventually, the trail will create a broadly accessible resource that will be a permanent and sustainable legacy for the people in the designated region.
     To learn more about the project and its progress, and to view a video presentation of the concept, visit CarolinaThreadTrail.org

Dennis Vineyards (30 miles)

     A licensed winery since 1997, Dennis Vineyards has grown as their vineyard has grown. Their first vintage produced approximately 2500 bottles and now has around 70,000 bottles per year. They handle the whole process of making wine at their winery. From picking, processing, bottling and then selling from their tasting room and in other retail locations in North Carolina.
     For more information, visit www.dennisvineyards.com

Stony Mountain Vineyards (30 miles)

     A family-owned Stanly County winery dedicated to the passion of winemaking - crafting fine wines that rival the best in the world. Stony Mountain has the privilege of selecting the highest quality grapes from many outstanding Stanly County vineyards. Join us for wine tasting on Friday and Saturday from 12:00 until 6:00 pm or seven days a week by appointment.
     For more information, visit www.stonymountainvineyards.com

Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen (50 miles)

     The Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen area is home to 43 of the finest North Carolina golf courses, all within a 15 mile radius! In addition, visitors find life off the greens just as rewarding. The charming towns and villages of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area cater to all your needs for a relaxing, memorable getaway. The area features many fantastic diversions, including incredible shopping, day spas, pottery trails, gardens, historic sites and tours, plus exceptional antiquing and so much more. The restaurants and pubs are mostly independently owned, offering the visitor a unique, impressive dining or nightlife experience not soon to be forgotten.
     For more information, visit www.homeofgolf.com

Reed Gold Mine (50 miles)

     Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States. From this discovery, gold mining spread gradually to nearby counties and eventually into other southern states. During its peak years gold mining was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The estimated value of gold recovered reached over one million dollars a year. North Carolina led the nation in gold production until 1848, when it was eclipsed by the great rush to California.
     Portions of the underground tunnels at the Reed mine have been restored for guided tours. A visitor center contains exhibits of gold and historical mining equipment. An orientation film highlights the first gold discovery, and tours of a restored ore-crushing stamp mill are offered. A picnic area is available, and trails wind through the historic mining area.
     For more information, visit their website.

Richard Petty Driving Experience (55 miles)

     Sign-up for the “Rookie Experience” at Darlington Speedway. Your hands are on the wheel, your foot is on the gas, and you're in the driver's seat for 8 laps around the track. The program lasts three hours; the memories last a lifetime. Class times are Oct. 29, at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m.
     For more information, visit www.1800bepetty.com
     Also, while you’re there you won’t want to miss the Darlington Raceway Museum

Carowinds (60 miles)

     Paramount's Carowinds is a 105-acre water and theme park that straddles the North Carolina/South Carolina state line. One of the most popular family entertainment attractions in the Carolinas, the park offers more than 100 state-of-the-art rides, shows and movie-themed experiences for all ages.
     For more information, visit www.carowinds.com

Seagrove Potteries (60 miles)

Nestled in the heart of beautiful, rural North Carolina in an area, that since the early 1700's, has been the home of some of the world's most talented and well-known potters.  With nearly a hundred potteries in a twenty-five mile radius, Seagrove is becoming known as the pottery capitol of the world. The artisans of Seagrove have been producing usable treasures for almost 300 years, and these wares will be passed down from generation to generation for years to come. So come to Seagrove and see a pottery tradition that has lasted through the ages!
     For more information, visit www.seagrovepotteryheritage.com

NC Transportation Museum (65 miles)

     The North Carolina Transportation Museum is located on the site of what was once Southern Railway Company's largest steam locomotive repair facility.  Begun in 1896 at a point halfway between Washington and Atlanta, Spencer Shops and the town of Spencer, N.C. were both named for Samuel Spencer, the first President of Southern Railway.  The site contains an authentic train depot, antique automobiles, and a 37 stall roundhouse that includes 25 locomotives and other exhibit areas. The museum offers seasonal train rides, guided tours, and special events scheduled throughout the year.
     For more information, visit www.nctrans.org

NC Zoo (75 miles)

     Get ready for wonder and discovery as you enter the amazing North Carolina Zoo located in the magnificent rolling hills of the Uwharrie Mountains, near Asheboro.
     Bring your curiosity and a comfortable pair of shoes to explore more than 500 acres which will allow you to see everything from Polar Bears in the icy Rocky Coast of North America to an authentic African marketplace just beyond zebras, elephants, giraffes all in one day!
     For more information, visit www.nczoo.org

NC Aviation Museum (75 miles)

     Immerse yourself in aviation history at the North Carolina Aviation Museum. Located in central North Carolina, the aviation museum houses some of the most infamous war birds. Here you can see a collection of 12 authentically restored, airworthy aircraft dating from World War II through the Vietnam era.
     The museum is great place to learn, reminisce, and stand in awe of magnificent machinery.
     For more information, visit www.ncairmuseum.org

For more attractions across North Carolina, check out www.visitnc.com

Return to Top