North Carolina

A green flag is waved at the start of every NASCAR race. You will see the most famous flag, the black and white checked flag, if you can solve the North Carolina locks before the 30 minute time frame is up. Rev up your thinking skills as the green flag is waving. Good luck !

North Carolina is located in the southeastern part of the United States. Part of the original 13 colonies, North Carolina became the 12th state on November 21, 1789. The capital city is Raleigh and largest city is Charlotte. North Carolina ranks 9th in population.

North Carolina is bordered by two states to the south: South Carolina and Georgia. The state is bordered by Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered and controlled airplane flight. Wilbur flew their plane for 12 seconds for a distance of 120 feet. The two brothers chose Kill Devil Hill for the good winds. The nearest town for this famous flight is Kitty Hawk. Kitty Hawk is located on North Carolina's Outer Banks.

The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is the oldest state university in the United States.

Raleigh is home to North Carolina State.

Duke University is located in Durham.

These three research universities form the Research Triangle.

Below their logo, you will find their nickname, school colors, and motto.

Tar Heels

Carolina Blue & White

Light and Liberty


Wolf Pack

Red & White

Think and Do

Blue Devils

Duke Blue & White

Knowledge and Faith

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts was started 79 years ago on July 13, 1937. The founder was Vernon Rudolph. He bought a bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans chef. He rented a building in Winston-Salem and started selling dozens of delicious doughnuts to local grocery stores.

Official State Folk Art of North Carolina

North Carolina named the giant "whirligigs" created by folk artist Vollis Simpson as the official state folk art on June 20, 2013. He was a self-taught artist that began making whirligigs at age 65 and continued making these pieces of art until age 94. He used all sorts of materials for his turning and twisting creations: fans, mirrors, pipe, textile mill rollers, bearings, etc. He made pieces out of aluminum, steel, and wood.

You can visit the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, N.C. to see many of his wonderful whimsical works.

Wilson County School students petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly to make the sweet potato the Official State Vegetable. Their voices were heard and the sweet potato became the top veggie in 1995.

Since 1971, North Carolina has ranked as the No. 1 sweet potato producing state in the U.S.A. North Carolina has the perfect climate and soil for growing sweet potatoes.

This potato is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, and low in fat. Not only tasty, but the sweet potato has great benefits for your health.

In 2011, stock car racing became the North Carolina state sport. Stock car racing has played a vital role in the history, heritage, and culture of North Carolina.

A few fantastic facts!

Stock car racing occurs mainly in the USA.

Racing tracks are usually banked concrete oval tracks between approximately 1/2 mile to 2.66 miles long.

Races are generally 200 to 600 miles in length.

A stock car is an automobile which has not been modified from its original factory configuration.

Charlotte, North Carolina, is the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.