Prepare to get dirty — motorsports are returning to Roanoke Rapids.
Carolina Crossroads Motorsports, in partnership with the United Pullers of the Carolinas will hold its 2026 kickoff truck and tractor pull on April 10 and April 11, 7 p.m, on the back property of the Carolina Crossroads Amphitheater, to watch the high-powered action of dirt, noise and diesel.
The event, sanctioned by the National Tractor Pullers Association Region 4, welcomes competitors from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, for fun, affordable family entertainment, homegrown talent and a safe environment for drivers and fans.
Paul Foster, of Carida Capital Group that’s developing the Carolina Crossroads Music and Entertainment District, is a retired firefighter who’s leading renovations on the former track to revive a beloved community pastime, racing on dirt.
“Tractor pulls draw a lot of people,” he said. “I figure it has to do with the horsepower, the tremendous horsepower. The big boys are mighty giants.”
For the uninitiated, tractor pulls are loud, high-powered, local events usually held April through October, featuring modified farm tractors and trucks. Most motorsports have county fair roots – oxen pulls, tractor pulls and demolition derbies – and sometimes include entries of mud runs, monster trucks, pro-street diesels, modified two- and four-wheel drive supercharged vehicles, among others.
The NTPA calls tractor pulling “the world’s heaviest motorsport” and notes that the goal of a “full pull” is to drag a “sled,” a weighted box that causes the vehicle to lose torque while adding resistance as it moves, more than 300 feet. Winners are determined by distance in thousandths of an inch.
Foster noted the new track’s footprint is 100 feet by 450 feet to accommodate a range of classes and competitions on the dirt, allowing for runs on both sides of the course and to host monster trucks as well.
He added that plans are in the works for the venue to host occasional non-sanctioned local events for amateur participants so that shade tree mechanics who enjoy tinkering on motors can bring their toys out of their garages to “hook up tractors to sleds and have fun.”
In addition to new concession stands, bleachers, lights and fencing, among other features, the venue makeover includes state-of-the-art LED lighting and fiber communications infrastructure to support event livestreaming so participants and spectators can receive instant commentary and statistics.
Marc Kinton, with UPOC, is spearheading the technical side of announcing and broadcasting the motorsport events.
When not working as a Franklin County 911 dispatcher, he’ll coordinate the symphony of sophisticated telemetry, real-time data streaming and advanced communication systems to enhance driver and spectator experiences, using modern tools that provide virtual dashboards of information, transforming real-time data into narratives for participants.
Kinton, who spent more than 25 years in the drag racing world, participates for “the love of motorsports,” noting that those in it “are kids who have never grown up and we still like to play with our trucks and tractors.”
“If you like the sounds and smells, come for the horsepower, tractors and trucks,” he said.
Foster and Kinton noted the Carolina Crossroads Motorsports venue will be an active track during the season. Plans are already on the books to host, on June 19 - 21, a three-day bike and music festival, an Easy Rider Rodeo. The time has not yet been posted.
Notably, on October 2 - 3, the venue will host UPOC Carolina Nationals, a lead-in event to the NTPA’s national contest that showcases top performers on the East Coast.
“Fans can expect an action-packed lineup featuring elite machines, skilled drivers and high-level competition as teams prepare for the national track,” said Foster.
He added the partners want to incrementally grow the 350-plus acre property into “a true entertainment destination,” where events can happen simultaneously among its multiple venues to enhance tourism and boost the local economy, a venture that’s still in progress.
Until then, “We’re expanding our communication package at the track to a one-gigabyte enterprise, the fastest speed for a commercial application,” Foster said. “We just want to do everything right before our big event in October.”
Details about tickets are available at carolinacrossroadsmotorsports.com
