Ossipee

I'd never heard of the place. I knew about Glen Raven from my career job. The company I retired from purchased yarn from Glen Raven Mills. I'd never heard of Ace Speedway, a NASCAR race track located in Ossipee, North Carolina near Burlington.

My son invited my wife and me to watch him participate in a bike race. The hour and a half automobile drive from our home took us through the campus of Elon University and into Ossipee. We passed Glen Raven factories that appeared closed like many other textile plants. The mill town was well maintained with attractive homes and mowed lawns among historic looking buildings. I sensed the town had character as we drove along streets and made numerous turns to arrive at Ace Speedway.

The pictures here show the race event that started at 6:00 PM on 7/14/2009. The cyclists raced for twenty-five minutes around the track. The average speed was probably 25 miles per hour with the bikes too close to each other for my comfort. Leaders among the first five positions kept changing throughout the numerous laps. The bottom photo shows our 34-year-old son approaching the finish line for a second place finish.

Have a good week!