The North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina was once host to numerous NASCAR races but it is now abandoned, crumbling in rust and decay. The North Wilkesboro Speedway opened in 1947 and closed in 2011. Its last NASCAR race was held in 1996, with Jeff Gordon winning. (Seph Lawless)

It once hosted thousands of fans cheering on cars speeding against each other in the verge of danger, but the historic site is now in abandoned ruins, its grandstands empty, its asphalt overgrown with weeds, its structures crumbling in rust and decay.

' eerie photos ofNorth Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina, which was abandoned in 2011, show us how nature can pick up where humans left off,slowly bringing down cement and iron constructions or filling buildings with water.

"Weather plays a significant role in how abandoned structures decay over time,” said weather.com meteorolgist Chris Dolce. “As the structure deteriorates, rainfall entering the building can cause extensive water damage, including significant flooding. Buildings not maintained on the exterior are vulnerable to effects of acid rain."

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The North Wilkesboro Speedway was a staple in NASCAR for many years. It , to a crowd of more than 10,000 people who showed up to see one of the famous Flock brothers win the race, according to SavetheSpeedway.net. It hosted its last NASCAR race in 1996, with Jeff Gordon winning.

Lawless has photographed several abandoned sites across America—from to —but was especially struck by the now-eerie racetrack. " This track once grew champions, now it only grows weeds and dead grass," said Lawless.

Aside from the actual track, the state of the buildings also made an impression on Lawless."The presidential box ," he told ESPN.

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View the slideshow above to see Lawless' photos of the now-abandoned North Wilkesboro Speedway. The photos are collected in Lawless' new book.

For more of his work, visit his , and .