Remembering the early years of NASCAR

Legendary car builder, engineer and team owner Bud Moore, shown here in the mid-1960s with a Mercury Comet that Darel Dieringer drove at Darlington Speedway, will be honored on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the annual Occoneechee/Orange Speedway near Hillsborough. (Photo courtesy of Perry Allen Wood)

If you appreciate NASCAR and stock car racing in general, the place to be this month is the historic Occoneechee/Orange Speedway near Hillsborough. The 9th annual Celebration of the Automobile Racers Reunion and Car Show takes place on Saturday, Sept. 26, attracting some 8,000 people or more to honor stock car racing legends and the cars they drove.

The guest of honor this year will be Walter “Bud” Moore, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, race team owner for 51 years with three NASCAR championships, and a decorated World War II hero.  Among other VIPs expected are Bud’s sons Greg and Daryl, plus NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, Cliff Champion, former crew chief for Bill Champion and Ricky Rudd, and many others.

The “Cruise-in With a Twist” kicks things off the Friday night before at the Big Barn Convention Center, 388 Ja Max Drive in Hillsborough. Car registration opens the next morning at 7 a.m. Admission and parking are free. The event includes a 1 p.m. 21-gun salute to Bud Moore, then legendary drivers making parade laps around the historic dirt track, and a classic car show.

The Historic Speedway Group that puts on the event is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving the last remaining track from NASCAR’S inaugural 1948 season and the history that surrounds it. The Occoneechee/Orange Speedway is located at 320 Elizabeth Brady Rd., Hillsborough, N.C. 27278.