NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway last year for the first time since 1996 was a link to the sport’s past, and that included the track surface itself. There were some renovations made following the announcement, including paving some particularly damaged asphalt, but the majority was left untouched.
That all made for an exciting lead up to the race, with drivers complaining that the surface had no grip, but didn’t stop Kyle Larson from running away with a dominant victory. This time around, though, the surface will be different.
NASCAR repaved the surface in the lead-up to this year’s race, alongside a host of other renovations – which led to the finding of a long-rumored moonshine cave under some of the bleachers – and Goodyear conducted a tire test on the new surface to test it and the short track package.
The track hasn’t lost any of its charm, however; the surface might be new and the track may have a fresh coat of paint, but the vintage look and original signage has been maintained as much as possible. That all leads into the star-studded 2024 All-Star Race on Sunday, May 19 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
All-Star Race
Odds via BetMGM
+550 – Denny Hamlin
+625 – William Byron
+800 – Christopher Bell
+900 – Kyle Larson
+1000 – Joey Logano
+1000 – Ryan Blaney
+1000 – Martin Truex
+1000 – Chase Elliott
+1200 – Tyler Reddick
+1300 – Brad Keselowski
If the new surface means that the track drives like any other short track, then the clear advantage has to go to Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who’s been the class of the field on the short tracks so far this season. The No. 11 car was in victory lane at the LA Coliseum, Bristol, Richmond, and Dover.
He was contending for the lead at Phoenix before a spin and took tires when no one else did in an Overtime restart at Martinsville, too, meaning Hamlin has contended for the win at every short track this year and won two-thirds of them.
The only other winners on short tracks this year have been Christopher Bell, who won at Phoenix, and William Byron, who won in Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary celebration race at Martinsville.
One team that hasn’t won but has shown some speed at the short tracks is Team Penske. They need a result. That’s true of every Ford team, but Roush Fenway Keselowski broke through with victory for Brad Keselowski at Darlington, the first win for Ford this year, and Chris Buescher was just a thousandth of a second away at Kansas.
Joey Logano, the team’s veteran driver, is not used to fighting for the sixteenth and final transfer spot on points halfway through the season, and no longer can the excuse of being wrecked late after contending for wins at superspeedways justify the performance. Logano finished second at Richmond, his best run of the year, and needs more of that speed at North Wilkesboro.
There might be some hard racing after Darlington, though. Ryan Blaney was unhappy with how he was raced by William Byron midway through the race, and Christopher Bell was particularly unhappy with Tyler Reddick taking him out with an ill-judged slide job while battling for the lead in the closing laps. The Next Gen car has only increased the beating-and-banging to be expected on a short track, so expect short tempers with a million dollars on the line and perhaps the start of a new rivalry.
Practicing for the 500
One thing to note is that Kyle Larson will be starting from the rear. He will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to qualify for the Indy 500, as he prepares to take on The Double by racing the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the same day.
Kevin Harvick will be in his car for practice and qualifying. However, since Harvick did not win last year and cannot rely on a provision since he’s no longer an active driver, he is ineligible to participate in the heats or the race, meaning Larson will have to start from the rear.
The No. 5 crew is hoping that, regardless, Harvick’s experience in the Next Gen car will prove valuable in setting the car up. Last year, Larson scored a dominating win with a fast car, and crew chief Cliff Daniels will be hoping for a repeat.
Larson, for his part, is hoping to be the first driver to win the Indy 500 and Coke 600 not just on the same day but even in the same year.
An unusual format
The All-Star Race always features a different format to keep the drivers on their toes, and this year’s event is no different. Qualifying is set by finishing positions in two heat races on Saturday, with the lineup for those set by the Pit Crew Challenge.
The race itself will be a 200-lap event around the .625-mile oval, with guaranteed cautions at lap 100 and lap 150. Those breaks will have to be used to change tires.
It’s the tires that are the biggest change: There are two compounds of tire at play, something that hasn’t been tried since the 2017 All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The teams have to start the race on the slicker ‘option’ tire, visible through a red sidewall, and must pit for four tires at least once in the race and the qualifying heats. Besides the rule for the start, the teams have leeway on tires for the rest of the race, with NASCAR apparently hoping to see multiple strategies.
“I think we all need to applaud NASCAR and Goodyear for trying something different,” said Josh Berry, who’ll be competing in the Open. “That is something we have all asked for and they certainly have taken some pretty significant steps to get in a better place with the tire wear.
“I think the All-Star Race is a great place to try things because it won’t impact our points standings and we can really use it as a chance to learn what can work and what can’t. So, yeah, I am all for Goodyear taking a stab at it and giving us something new and different.”
Actually, there will be three sets of tires available, since Goodyear will bring rain tires – last year in the heat races was the first ever usage of the wet-weather tire in the Cup Series, with the only other occasion coming earlier this season at Richmond Raceway.
Testing the pit crews
A NASCAR pit crew is tested every week. However, they only get the spotlight when a great pitstop puts their driver ahead; for the most part the focus is on the driver in the car and maybe the crew chief atop the pitbox.
As part of All-Star Race weekend, though, the pit crew has a chance to compete directly for bragging rights, plus a $100,000 bonus and a spot at the front of the field for the qualifying heat races or the Open, in the Pit Crew Challenge.
The challenge involves one hot lap by the driver around the speedway before entering pit road, following the speed limit, and stopping in the designated box. From there, the pit crew goes to work and the driver must accelerate back around the track to complete the lap.
Last year, it was Ty Gibbs’ pit crew who won, and the team got to celebrate with their driver at the famous rooftop victory lane. Gibbs showed off his dedication to his team by naming each of his pit crew members in the post-race interview as well, showing how important the pit crew is to a successful driver. It gave him the pole for the Open, so the win was particularly valuable.
A chance to join in
17 drivers are locked into the race by virtue of a win last year or so far this season, a past All-Star Race win, or a past championship. But there will be 20 drivers in the field in total.
Two spots will be determined by the All-Star Open, open to all competitors who are not locked into the main event. The top two finishers will advance to the big race and get the chance to fight for a million dollars.
All Star Open
Odds via BetMGM
+210 – Ty Gibbs
+590 – Bubba Wallace
+700 – Noah Gragson
+700 – Alex Bowman
+700 – Josh Berry
“I think the biggest thing our group is focused on is just continuing our process and maximizing the things we can control,” Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry said of his approach to making the big race.
“If we just stick to our process, prepare the best we can during the week, and go have a clean day, there’s no reason we can’t advance to the All-Star Race and do really well.”
One additional driver will be determined by the fan vote. That will be the driver with the most votes who does not automatically transfer by finishing in the top two in the Open, of note, so there will be a fan vote winner.
Some drivers, especially Justin Haley and Carson Hocevar, have been campaigning for votes. Haley explained the importance of showcasing his personality to the fans with his #HaleYes campaign.
“You’re expected and held to a level of professionalism when you’re in our sport and it’s hard to cross that over to the personality side of things,” he admitted. “This has been a great spot for me to break out and show some personality in a professional setting.
“It’s definitely been cool for me, especially like this week at Darlington. Just leaving the racetrack there were a lot of fans screaming ‘HaleYes’ and things like that, so the reaction from the fans at the track is more than I ever expected and it kind of realizes what we’re doing. You can do it and you can post it and it’s all cool, but until you have the fans interact with you it really validates what you’re doing.”
NASCAR fans can vote up to five times daily for their favorite driver. The current top five are Alex Bowman, Noah Gragson, Carson Hocevar, Corey Lajoie, and Bubba Wallace, according to NASCAR, but the sanctioning body has not released vote totals to encourage fans to keep voting.
Truck Series returns to the re-pavement at North Wilkesboro
The last time the Craftsman Truck Series raced at North Wilkesboro, the pavement was aged and grip was at a premium. This time, fresh for the Wright Brand 250 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the track features new pavement for a different challenge.
Also, there’ll be some different faces. Ross Chastain, no stranger to the Truck Series, will be driving the No. 45 for Nice Motorsports. Aric Almirola, who moved from the Cup Series to a part-time Xfinity Series campaign, will be racing in the No. 16 truck.
It was Cup Series regular Kyle Larson who won in the Truck Series last season en route to sweeping the weekend with his Cup Series win, so the Truck Series regulars are hungry to get a victory at the famous track and ride the elevator up to victory lane.
Chastain is in fact the defending Truck Series winner, having found victory lane at Darlington for Niece Motorsports.
Corey Heim has the momentum on his side. He has two wins on the season, as well as two runner-up finishes and two third-place results nine races into the season, showing his speed in the No. 11 truck.
Christian Eckes, too, is a likely contender with two wins so far on the season.
For other drivers, though, this is their first time heading to North Wilkesboro and connecting with the sport’s history. That includes Young Motorsport’s Mason Massey, in his first full-time Truck Series season after having raced in the Xfinity Series previously.
“I’m excited to race at North Wilkesboro for the first time this weekend. There are plenty of unknowns, and I’m not really sure what to expect,” Massey explained. “I think that adds some fun to it though. We’re hoping to knock out another top-15 finish and keep our momentum going through this summer stretch!”
- Christian Eckes makes history in dominant Truck Series win at Nashville - June 28, 2024
- Ross Chastain and others look to upset Hendrick dominance at Nashville - June 27, 2024
- Chase Briscoe and Josh Berry impress for soon-to-close SHR - June 23, 2024