Drives 7 Full Itinerary

Located on a high plateau in the Allegheny Mountains nestled in one of West Virginia’s largest State Park Canaan Valley Resort offers unparalleled natural beauty. Named one of America’s Best Parks by Arthur Frommer’s magazine and has been listed among the 50 Great Places to Stay by Washingtonian Magazine it serves as the launch point for Rally North America’s Drives 7.

Seneca Rocks is one of the best-known landmarks in West Virginia. These rocks have long been noted as a scenic attraction and are popular with rock climbers. The rocks are a magnificent formation rising nearly 900 feet above the North Fork River.

At 4,863 feet above sea level, Spruce Knob is West Virginia's highest peak. Visitors looking to get a splendid view of the gorgeous natural scenery surrounding the area. From this rugged alpine peak, you can view grassy openings and pastures or look down on forested ridges as far as the eye can see. The vegetation here has adapted to a harsh environment. One-sided red spruce deformed by constant exposure to strong westerly winds cling to the high rocky ridges. Blueberry and huckleberry plants hug the ground.

The world's largest fully steerable radio telescope. The telescope sits near the heart of the United States National Radio Quiet Zone, a unique area located in the town of Green Bank, West Virginia, where authorities limit all radio transmissions to avoid emissions toward the GBT and the Sugar Grove Station. The location of the telescope within the Radio Quiet Zone allows for the detection of faint radio-frequency signals which man-made signals might otherwise mask. The observatory borders National Forest land, and the Allegheny Mountains shield it from some radio interference.

The town of Cass remains relatively unchanged since its founding in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. Cass was built as a company town for the loggers who worked in the nearby mountains. The construction of the railroad started in 1901. It was used to haul lumber to the mill at Cass. The railroad track was eventually extended to the top of Bald Knob, the third-highest mountain peak in West Virginia. 

In June 1942, the Cass operation was sold to Mower Lumber Company, which operated the town until July 1960, when the mill and railroad were shut down due to the rapid decline of the timber industry in the region. In 1961, Cass was brought into the state parks system. In 1977, the company town also was made part of the parks system. Over the years, the railroad was turned into a tourist line and the town was repaired and restored. We will be taking a walking tour of Cass.

On November 6, 1863, the federal army of Brigadier General William W. Averell attempted for the second time to disrupt the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad at Salem, Virginia. Averell and his troops faced the Confederate troops of Brigadier General John Echols. Throughout the morning, Echols’ smaller confederate army held the high ground and blocked the highway with artillery but was later overwhelmed by the crushing advance of federal infantry on his left flank. Following the collapse of his lines, General Echols retreated south into Virginia with the remnants of his command.

Federal Troops occupied Lewisburg on November 7, 1863, but being burdened with prisoners and captured livestock, General Averell elected to return to his headquarters in Beverly, West Virginia, waiting until early December to lead a third and ultimately successful attack on the vital railroad. Operations in the Shenandoah Valley in the spring of 1864 drew remaining confederate troops out of West Virginia, thus leaving the new state securely under the control of the federal government for the remainder of the war.

Located in downtown historic Lewisburg, WV, The Asylum offers upscale comfort food, craft beers and spirits, and a laid-back scene. The Asylum opened in 2014 in historic downtown Lewisburg and serves up delicious burgers, salads, sandwiches, and small plates. With multiple levels and outdoor seating, The Asylum provides the perfect place to grab a bite and watch the game or catch up with old friends.

Motor Mile Speedway – Laps on the .416-mile paved oval racetrack as well as passes at the 1/8 mile dragstrip await Drives 7 Participants as this motor complex.

Drives 7 teams will be staying at the Jackson Park Inn for the evening. It is a truly unique hotel, converted in 2015 from a 1920s grocery warehouse. As a historic preservation project, the renovation respected many of the building's original features. Aged brick, exposed post and beam timbers, and wide plank wood floors are showcased throughout the hotel's three floors. Modern features and finishes added in the renovation only serve to highlight the building's timeless structure.

We start the day at the “The Ratcliffe” as it is affectionately called, which offers a unique blend of local and national exhibits, highlighting the cultural significance that the railroad and early transportation play in small-town living. The museum allows community members and tourists alike, the opportunity to experience the draw of yesteryear with hands-on displays, guided tours, and a glimpse into our beautiful and rich culture.

Glencoe Mansion has something for everyone with a three-in-one museum experience comprised of the House Museum, History Exhibits, and Art Gallery. The House Museum tells the story of the Wharton family and their role in Southwest Virginia’s post-Civil War development. Our History Exhibits, both permanent and temporary, explore the history and culture of Radford and the surrounding region. The Art Gallery, with ever-changing exhibits, reveals our region’s current artistic culture.

Mabry Mill, Rocky Knob Visitor Center - Spanning Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 167 – Milepost 174, Rocky Knob comprises 4,800 acres. Mabry Mill was a community center for the Meadows of Dan area when it operated as a gristmill and sawmill.

Chateau Morrisette Winery and Restaurant is known for its quality Virginia wines, its scenic location along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Drives participants will partake in a tasting of what this winery has to offer.

Stuart family restaurant is our lunch stop for the day. Family-owned and operated since 1981 it is a local favorite serving traditional southern Virginia comfort foods.

Wood Brothers Racing Museum - The Wood Brothers Racing story began 72 years ago when family patriarch Glen Wood decided to try racing. The elder Wood went on to race on the beach in Daytona, win four races on the fledgling NASCAR circuit, and become one of NASCAR’S 50 Greatest Drivers. Wood gave up his driving duties following the 1964 season. The team had already employed several other drivers during the previous eight years, and in 1965 Glen became a full-time owner. In fact, 20 of NASCAR’S Greatest Drivers have driven for Wood Brothers Racing. That list includes Curtis Turner, Tiny Lund, Fireball Roberts, Bob Welborn, Dale Jarrett, A.J. Foyt, Glen Wood, Buddy Baker, Marvin Panch, Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson, Joe Weatherly, Ralph Earnhardt, Neil Bonnett, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, and Bill Elliott.

Wood Brothers Racing scored their 98th victory, winning the 2011 Daytona 500 with rookie sensation, Trevor Bayne & their 99th victory at Pocono in 2017 with driver Ryan Blaney. Wood Brothers have now won in seven decades.

“Berry Hill was almost the last of the great houses to be built in Virginia…Its isolated site lends an almost overpoweringly romantic aura to the distinction of its carefully executed portico flanked by two small Doric pavilions. The entire composition is on as grand a scale as any of Virginia’s domestic architecture, with the possible exception of the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg. It is a notable achievement, particularly when one realizes that it was carried to completion in a remote area of the Commonwealth. This isolation gives the entire composition an almost theatrical air of romanticism, despite the classic forms of the three buildings that frame the forecourt.”

Drives 7 teams will be led on a guided tour of the home and the grounds prior to dinner being served and retiring for the evening. At the Berry Hill resort.

Drives will visit and tour the simple farmhouse that was located between Confederate General Johnston's headquarters in Greensboro and Union General Sherman's headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1865. The two officers met at the Bennett Place, where they signed surrender papers for southern armies in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Today James Bennett's reconstructed farmhouse, kitchen, and smokehouse recall the lifestyle of an ordinary Southern farmer during the Civil War.

The Petty Museum presents the unparalleled success story of one of the founding families of stock car racing, their drive for engineering excellence, and the technical inventiveness, innovation, and ingenuity that made it all possible.

Olympia Family Restaurant is our lunch stop for the day. This locally owned and operated restaurant features Southern Cuisine unique to this part of the country with a Greek twist. A local favorite.

This is a new venue for Rally North America. “The Rock” was closed from 2015 to 2018 however a new ownership group has the track on the rebound. Drives Teams will be driving in the tire tracks of the greatest drivers in the history of NASCAR. Side note: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby track sequences were filmed here. Paced laps of up to 100 MPH

ROAD RACING CENTER OF THE CAROLINAS! Drives teams will conclude Drives 7 teams will be on track- for a series of paced laps and 1 hour and 15 minutes of hot laps with limited passing zones. Full 2.3-mile road course with 3 approved RNA Passing zones.

Our final Drives 7 meal will be at Wild Heart Brewing Company which is less than two blocks from the hotel.

Drives 7 teams will be staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Hartville NC.