Go inside an abandoned NASCAR race track that's been left to rot for the last 20 years
In his new photo series, photographer Seph Lawless revealed just how far a former NASCAR track has declined.
Lawless explored the abandoned North Wilkesboro Speedway, capturing every decrepit nook and cranny.
The track has sat empty since it was closed and sold in September 1996.
Though the track was only abandoned relatively recently, it's clear nature has completely taken over.
It was very briefly reopened in 2010, but quickly shuttered again in 2011 after the owners realized the track needed extensive work to modernize.
The entire track and all the associated buildings are in complete disarray after 20 years of neglect.
The grandstands were packed with fans just two decades earlier.
Chairs are still lined up in the stands, but fans will never fill them again.
Safe to say no one will be getting refreshments any time soon from this concession stand.
The paint on the track is long gone.
Weeds and other plants have made sure the once smooth surface of the track is no longer race-worthy.
Lawless also explored the upper offices, where he found the same level of decrepitude.
The lap-counting sign stands in stark contrast to the rest of the decaying track.
Back then, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was sponsored by Winston cigarettes, a brand of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
Some ads can still be seen on the sides of the race track's concrete barriers, like this banner for Goodyear tires.
"This was America. Gone were the sounds of the car engines roaring. The squealing of the race car tires as they hugged every curve of the track. Gone was the smell of burning rubber and fuel. All that's left now is skid marks and the broken memories of a NASCAR champion." That's what Lawless told Business Insider.
The photo series is part of a larger series called "Autopsy of America," according to the Daily Mail.
It covers all 50 states and is currently currently filming a realty show.
"As I walk the race track it's eerily silent ... this track once grew champions ... now it only grows weeds and dead grass," Lawless said.
I approach the thick white finish line. I look up to a endless sea of abandoned seats. It's faceless and emotionless. I became numb. I couldn't tell if I had just finished my final lap or I was just beginning this race.
Certain parts of America decline so fast these days, they should just paint racing stripes on it.
Lawless told the Daily Mail he hopes that his photos will "inspire creative solutions" to the problems captured.
Looking for more pictures of deserted buildings?
Popular Right Now
Advertisement