"A four-tenths-mile NASCAR Home Track in the western North Carolina foothills, built as a dirt track in 1985 and paved in 1988 — Tri-County Speedway is run by the Higgins family, and CARS Tour Pro Late Model driver Ashton Higgins races out of it."
Location: Granite Falls, NC (Caldwell County) Track Type: Banked paved oval Length: 0.400 miles Surface: Asphalt Built: 1985 (dirt) · Paved 1988 Owners: Shane & Shad Higgins (since 2019) 2026 CARS Tour Date: September 12 (Late Model Stock + Pro Late Model doubleheader)
Overview
Tri-County Speedway is a four-tenths-mile banked asphalt oval in the western North Carolina foothills, in the Granite Falls and Hudson area of Caldwell County. A NASCAR Home Track that races weekly on Friday nights, it features Late Models as its premier division and bills itself as a proving ground for rising stock car talent. It is one of two CARS Tour stops in the Hickory–Lenoir region, alongside Hickory Motor Speedway.
History
The track was built as a dirt oval in 1985 and converted to pavement in 1988. In late 2019 Shane and Shad Higgins purchased the speedway, and weekly racing returned under their ownership in 2020. The family connection runs onto the track itself: Shane Higgins is the father of CARS Tour Pro Late Model driver Ashton Higgins.
The 2026 CARS Tour Visit (September 12)
Tri-County hosts Race 12 of the 2026 CARS Tour season on September 12, a Late Model Stock and Pro Late Model doubleheader. For the full slate and the championship picture heading into the fall stretch, see the 2026 CARS Tour Schedule and the Standings & Trackers.