NC Department of Commerce recently awarded Tri-County Speedway a $485,000 grant to assist with facility upgrades, including new lighting, paving, and additional bathrooms and concession stand.
“As owners of Tri-County, the Higgins family has made a huge investment in the speedway, and this grant is a shot in the arm in our plans for even more improvements,” said Ronald Payne, Racing Director at Tri-County Speedway.
The primary project will be switching the track’s current lighting to LED, using the same lighting style as Daytona International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“LED lights are more environmentally friendly and leave a smaller carbon footprint,” said Payne. “Plus, it will be cost savings in the long run.”
Plans call for the lights to be installed by the end of 2022. Other upgrades include paving in the straightaways and adding bathrooms and a concession stand in the back straightway.
The grant from the state’s Motorsports Relief Fund, administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, help motorsports venues recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Higgins family purchased Tri-County in 2019 and began making improvements to the track; however, they were unable to hold a full race schedule until 2021,” explained Payne. “So this grant funding is a god-send in our ongoing effort to make improvements to the facility.”
One of 17 venues to receive the Motorsport grant, Tri-County worked with the Western Piedmont Council of Governments to complete their grant application on behalf of Caldwell County.
“We want to thank Rep. Destin Hall and the Caldwell County Board of Commissioners for all of their help in obtaining this grant,” said Payne.