Meet the mayor of a Charlotte Motor Speedway campground
Never mind the impending mayoral election. Harry Wiley is busy being the mayor of the Turn 4 Family Campground at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
He has been traveling to the speedway from Johnson City, Tenn., since 1978.
The Story
The Family Campground opened nearly 20 years ago and Harry has always camped in the same spot — C-58, the first campsite just inside the gate.
A flowerbed, a veterans memorial, a newspaper tube and three massive flagpoles highlight Harry’s spot.
Harry and his wife, Judy, have hosted an annual campground dinner for nearly 14 years.
The tradition started when fellow camper Ollie Gunter pulled into the campground with his truck’s engine smoking. Harry helped Gunter fix the truck’s broken serpentine belt.
Gunter and his wife invited the Wileys to dinner the next night. Since then, the Wileys have hosted a potluck dinner for the entire campground the week prior to NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600.
Harry’s popularity grew and, five years ago, the entire campground and Harry’s pastor presented him with a plaque that named him the “Campground Mayor.” It hangs by his garden.
Mayoral duties
– Continuing the potlucks. When the dinners began, about 10 to 15 people attended. In 2014, the dinner brought in a crowd of 84 people. More than 90 people attended Wednesday’s potluck.
– Fixing problems. One of Harry’s priorities is making sure any campers who have mechanical issues with their motor homes can get those problems fixed. If he can solve the dilemma, he’ll help take care of it. He also keeps business cards for local businesses in case campers are in need of a new set of tires or face any other bigger problem.
He said it
“It’s so fulfilling for everybody to come ask you, ‘Are we going to have a dinner this year? What day is it going to be?’ And they can’t wait. It’s just a part of the experience of being here for the races.” – Harry Wiley.
Photos by Pat James.
This story was originally published May 22, 2015 at 1:25 AM with the headline "Meet the mayor of a Charlotte Motor Speedway campground."