In the latest proof that NASCAR officials will never pass up a chance to tweak, poke, or outright rewire their most chaotic exhibition event, the 2025 All-Star Race is going full tilt with a longer main event, a new “promoter’s caution” that sounds suspiciously like a TV time-out, and a corporate ego showdown that pits Chevy, Ford, and Toyota in a Battle of the Brands — because nothing says Saturday night short track madness like a boardroom fistfight on wheels.
Yes, the All-Star circus is rolling back into North Wilkesboro Speedway — the rough-edged Appalachian time capsule that was once left to rot like an old Camaro in a barn until Dale Earnhardt Jr. and an army of sentimental apostles willed it back to life. This will be year three of the moonshine-flavored revival, and this time, NASCAR’s bringing an extra 50 laps, because if there’s one thing fans have begged for, it’s more tire wear and less daylight.
The new 250-lap format includes a planned break at Lap 100, presumably for drivers to catch their breath, crews to overthink things, and fans to sprint to the fridge. There’s also a mysterious “optional promoter’s caution” that may or may not show up — like a wildcard babysitter with a six-pack and a Ph.D. in late-race drama. It can’t fly after Lap 220, and it definitely can’t interrupt a caution that’s already in progress, which is like trying to organize a bar fight with rules.
But wait — there’s more. New for 2025 is the Manufacturer Showdown, which turns the All-Star Race into the corporate Olympics. Chevy, Ford, and Toyota will line up with teams hand-picked like dodgeball squads in gym class, then score points based on finishing positions. If that sounds complicated, that’s because it is. But the prize? Bragging rights, a shiny trophy, and likely a press release written in Comic Sans.
The All-Star Open — the pregame for the main show — remains a 100-lap last-chance slugfest, where two drivers fight their way in and a third sneaks through on the wings of fan sympathy. It’s like America’s Got Talent, except with sheet metal and questionable decisions on Turn 3.
Even qualifying gets the circus treatment this year. All drivers — All-Star and hopefuls alike — will run a three-lap time trial that includes a mandatory pit stop, because nothing says “fair” like asking teams to execute a perfect tire change while the stopwatch ticks like a Bond movie bomb. The Pit Crew Challenge now includes every team, meaning we’ll finally see who can change tires under pressure and who accidentally brought a lunchbox instead of a jack.
Eligible drivers include everyone from past winners and champions to the guys who snuck into victory lane on fuel mileage or divine intervention. The lineup reads like a who’s who of modern NASCAR — Larson, Logano, Hamlin, Blaney, Elliott, the whole gang. If they’ve got a trophy and a pulse, they’re probably in.
So buckle up. The All-Star Race is back, and it’s as over-engineered, unpredictable, and unapologetically NASCAR as ever. Bring your cooler, suspend your logic, and remember — it’s not about who wins. It’s about who’s still got body panels when the dust settles.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.