Tag: all-star race

Gibbs on pole for Open, All-Star qualifying postponed to Saturday

Ty Gibbs and Alex Bowman will start on the front row of the NASCAR All-Star Open by points after rain ended Friday’s qualifying session early. NASCAR set the field by the rule book (driver points) since the session was not run to completion. Gibbs …

Ty Gibbs and Alex Bowman will start on the front row of the NASCAR All-Star Open by points after rain ended Friday’s qualifying session early.

NASCAR set the field by the rule book (driver points) since the session was not run to completion.

Gibbs and Bowman will be on the front row with Chase Briscoe starting third and Bubba Wallace starting fourth. Noah Gragson will start fifth.

The top two finishers in the All-Star Open will advance into the All-Star Race. The NASCAR All-Star Open field has 20 drivers.

Sunday’s All-Star Open will be 100 laps with one chance at overtime if needed. All laps – green and caution – will count. There will be an All-Star caution at or around lap 50 with a mandatory four-tire pit stop.

In addition to the top two finishers, a third driver will advance into the NASCAR All-Star Race via the fan vote.

As rain continued to fall into the evening, NASCAR made the call to postpone qualifying for the All-Star Race (including the Pit Crew Challenge) to Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. ET following CRAFTSMAN Truck Series qualifying at 10:30 a.m. ET (FS1).

ALL-STAR OPEN — FULL STARTING LINEUP

Harvick ‘peeking behind the curtain’ at Hendrick Motorsports

Kevin Harvick turned heads when he entered the North Wilkesboro Speedway media center Friday afternoon. Harvick, who retired at the end of the 2023 season from Stewart-Haas Racing, was not only back in a NASCAR Cup Series fire suit, but one he’d …

Kevin Harvick turned heads when he entered the North Wilkesboro Speedway media center Friday afternoon.

Harvick, who retired at the end of the 2023 season from Stewart-Haas Racing, was not only back in a NASCAR Cup Series fire suit, but one he’d never been seen in before.

Blue and white, with a touch of red, it was an outfit that displayed HendrickCars.com and other logos for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team.

In a one-off, Harvick is practicing and qualifying Kyle Larson’s car for the NASCAR All-Star Race. Larson is in Indianapolis, preparing to attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

“It’s definitely not the attire that I thought I would be wearing this year,” Harvick quipped. “But it’s been a fun process.”

Harvick’s fill-in role was announced last month, and he’s been fully involved with the preparations for the race weekend. The former series champion has gone through a seat fitting, made easier by Stewart-Haas Racing, which provided Hendrick Motorsports with the seats and seat rails that Harvick used to use. Harvick has also been in the simulator and all necessary team meetings.

“I heard from the [team] owner twice in two weeks,” Harvick said, laughing about what has struck him the most working with a new organization. “That’s different. It’s interesting to see…the race shop and the structure and the way that everybody goes about it differently. There are a million different ways you can do things, but I think the thing that sticks out for me about Hendrick Motorsports, in general, is it’s truly run like a business that’s part of an actual structure of how things flow and who you talk to.

“There’s the depth of the business side and the racing side. It’s deep. I think that is pretty eye-opening… I like structure, so I think that’s something that has been good to see.”

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Now an analyst with Fox Sports in the broadcast booth each weekend, Harvick’s time on the track is admittedly priceless. Acknowledging how quickly the sport evolves, the former series champion is glad he’ll be able to relate to viewers what the car is currently doing, how the two tire options felt during practice and the way the track felt on new asphalt.

Plus, Harvick is getting firsthand insight into how one of the best teams in the Cup Series garage operates. By working with Cliff Daniels and hearing a different team, Harvick can also share how the group processes.

“The more detail we have, the more we have to talk about and relay to the people and you guys to understand,” Harvick said. “I really look at it as we want to teach people what our sport is, as well, and the things that are happening. There are a number of things that go into that to make the car go around the racetrack that people just have no idea [about].”

Harvick has been impressed by how methodically Daniels and his team have approached the weekend, not only in getting Harvick ready for his Friday assignment, but also for when Larson gets into the car for Sunday night’s race. The team is going for back-to-back wins in the NASCAR All-Star Race.

It’s also been fascinating to have the opportunity to see how another organization operates.

“I was very fortunate to have a very, very good race team at Stewart-Haas,” Harvick said. “To walk into another very, very good race team and see the things that go on and happen, it’s fun to get a peek behind the curtain. I think that Kyle is very good at whatever he races, but Cliff is also very understanding of the fact that he’s off racing other things. How they talk about things and when they go through things with Kyle is very interesting. It seems like they want him to keep being Kyle and to be able to talk about the things they need in their car and how they structure things with Kyle and when they meet with him and why they do that – that part to me is very insightful because we all tick a little bit different.

“Kyle likes to race all the time. Some guys don’t like to race at all, they just want to race the Cup car and show up on the weekend and do that. Some guys like to race in the Xfinity car. There’s a balance for everybody that gets the most out of them, and it seems like they’ve leaned into letting Kyle be Kyle and that’s not always the case with everybody that drives in the Cup Series.”

Gibbs paces combined All-Star and Open practice at North Wilkesboro

Ty Gibbs was fastest in the combined NASCAR All-Star Open and All-Star Race practice Friday at North Wilkesboro Speedway. With Goodyear’s two tire options at play, agendas and objectives varied amongst the teams. The 50-minute session, on a newly …

Ty Gibbs was fastest in the combined NASCAR All-Star Open and All-Star Race practice Friday at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

With Goodyear’s two tire options at play, agendas and objectives varied amongst the teams. The 50-minute session, on a newly repaved surface, allowed teams to run both the primary slick tire and the softer option tire whenever they chose throughout.

Gibbs (Open) was fastest at 124.001mph (18.145s). The time was set on his 49th lap. He ran a total of 91 laps in practice.

Ryan Blaney (All-Star) was second fastest at 123.790mph. He ran 94 laps.

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Christopher Bell (All-Star) was third fastest at 123.558mph, Chase Elliott (All-Star) was fourth at 123.301mph and Bubba Wallace (Open) was fifth at 123.261mph. Denny Hamlin (All-Star) was sixth at 123.146mph and Kyle Busch (All-Star) was seventh at 123.119mph.

Josh Berry (Open) ran eighth fastest at 123.065mph, Corey LaJoie (Open), ninth at 123.045mph and Daniel Suarez (All-Star), 10th at 123.038mph.

Elliott and Suarez ran over 100 laps.

Kevin Harvick was 25th fastest in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5. Harvick is practicing and qualifying the car for Kyle Larson, who is in Indianapolis for practice and qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

Michael McDowell (31st fastest) ran the most laps — 118.

North Wilkesboro keeps NASCAR All-Star Race for 2025

North Wilkesboro Speedway will host the NASCAR All-Star Race for the third consecutive year in 2025. The 41st edition of the NASCAR All-Star Race, the $1 million non-points race, will be held on May 18, 2025. It will remain a doubleheader weekend …

North Wilkesboro Speedway will host the NASCAR All-Star Race for the third consecutive year in 2025.

The 41st edition of the NASCAR All-Star Race, the $1 million non-points race, will be held on May 18, 2025. It will remain a doubleheader weekend with the Craftsman Truck Series, which competes in a points-paying event at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

The newly repaved 0.625-mile track will host its second NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend. Kyle Larson won the event last year on the original pavement. It was the first NASCAR Cup Series race at the facility in 26 years.

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Speedway Motorsports announced its 2025 return Friday morning. In doing so, it was also announced that there would be a new pricing structure for the facility.

“Sunday grandstand tickets will start at just $49, with three-day NASCAR ticket packages starting at $95 and five-day packages — including zMAX CARS Tour action — starting at just $125, providing fans unmatched value at one of NASCAR’s most historic venues.”

North Wilkesboro is the fifth race to be confirmed on the 2025 schedule, which still has not been released in its entirety. However, it’s expected to be announced sooner than it was last year.

The confirmed ’25 races are: the Daytona 500 (Feb. 16), the All-Star Race (May 18), the Coca-Cola 600 (May 25), Atlanta Motor Speedway (June 28) and the season finale at Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 2).

Harvick to qualify Indy-bound Larson’s No. 5 at North Wilkesboro

Kevin Harvick will practice and qualify the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports at North Wilkesboro Speedway next month for the NASCAR All-Star Race. Harvick, who retired at the end of last season from Stewart-Haas Racing and is an analyst for …

Kevin Harvick will practice and qualify the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports at North Wilkesboro Speedway next month for the NASCAR All-Star Race.

Harvick, who retired at the end of last season from Stewart-Haas Racing and is an analyst for Fox Sports, will substitute for Kyle Larson. Larson will be in Indianapolis attempting to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

“We’ve been trying to find drivers and stuff to replace me in the seat for practice and looked at lots of resumes, and unfortunately Clint’s [Bowyer] didn’t make the cut so we decided to go with Kevin Harvick,” Larson said Sunday during the Fox Sports pre-race show at Dover Motor Speedway. “He’s going to practice the No. 5. The whole team’s excited, honestly.”

Larson confirmed Friday at Dover that he would miss both practice and qualifying, scheduled for Friday, May 17, at North Wilkesboro. The hope is for the 2021 Cup Series champ to return on Saturday in time to compete in his heat race, but that timing remains uncertain. The NASCAR All-Star Race is on Sunday, May 19.

“The good thing is because I won’t be able – I don’t think – to get there for the heat race, they’ll have all day on Saturday to change everything back to me,” Larson said. “That factored into it a lot.”

All-Star race to continue at North Wilkesboro in 2024

North Wilkesboro Speedway will again host the NASCAR All-Star Race in May 2024 after hosting it for the first time earlier this season. It will be a three-day weekend that culminates with the 40th running of the $1 million non-points event taking …

North Wilkesboro Speedway will again host the NASCAR All-Star Race in May 2024 after hosting it for the first time earlier this season.

It will be a three-day weekend that culminates with the 40th running of the $1 million non-points event taking place on Sunday, May 19.

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“We are very grateful that NASCAR and FOX Sports have supported our efforts to bring the NASCAR All-Star Race back to North Wilkesboro in 2024,” said Speedway Motorsports president and CEO Marcus Smith. “While NASCAR’s current 75th anniversary season still has some memorable moments to come, it’s hard to imagine a more magical moment than what we witnessed with NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway this past May.

“The success of the 2023 All-Star Race with fans coming from all 50 states and seven foreign countries would not have been possible without the support of the NASCAR industry, our state legislature, Gov. Roy Cooper and the Wilkes County community. We’re thankful to have the opportunity to bring back an international spotlight for the second consecutive year to North Wilkesboro and the great state of North Carolina.”

Kyle Larson dominated this year’s All-Star Race to take his second victory in the event. He swept the weekend by also winning the Craftsman Truck Series race.

A complete schedule for All-Star Race weekend has not been announced, but the Craftsman Truck Series will again be a part of the festivities, as will the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge, which was won by the No. 54 team for Ty Gibbs.

“As part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary, the return to racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway was one of the indelible moments of the 2023 season,” said Ben Kennedy, senior vice president, racing development and strategy. “We look forward to bringing the NASCAR All-Star Race with the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, back to North Wilkesboro next season to create new generational memories at this historic venue.”

Joining the weekend schedule will be a CARS Tour event. The CARS Tour is a late-model stock division which was purchased by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Justin Marks earlier this year.

Wallace taking the positives from strong All-Star showing

Bubba Wallace was disappointed to come up short of a $1 million victory on Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway but found solace in the showing of 23XI Racing. “We won best of the rest,” Wallace said of his second-place finish in the NASCAR …

Bubba Wallace was disappointed to come up short of a $1 million victory on Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway but found solace in the showing of 23XI Racing.

“We won best of the rest,” Wallace said of his second-place finish in the NASCAR All-Star Race.

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On any other Sunday, the speed Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota Camry had might have carried him to the win. But not when Kyle Larson was untouchable in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and led nearly half the race. Larson’s margin of victory over Wallace was 4.5 seconds after 200 laps, but Larson led Wallace by 12 seconds at halfway.

“Larson was lights out, so congrats to him and Cliff [Daniels] and those guys,” Wallace said. “They’ve been hitting it on the head really all season. So, to run second to them is not a bad thing, but to run second in the All-Star Race sucks. You go home with nothing.

“But proud of my team, our Columbia Toyota Camry was super strong. Proud of our long-run efforts; knew it would come down to that after my first lap in practice. I think if we had a full day to go back to the shop before the race, it would have been nice because I think we could really nail some things and get closer to (Larson).

“To keep our name in the mix and in the hat is super important for us, and the momentum train is still real, still rolling. So, I’m pumped for our team (and) Tyler [Reddick] finishing third. That was good. It was fun.”

Wallace was on the same tire strategy as Larson and saw similar results in coming through the field. The two were among a handful of drivers who were called to pit road when the only natural caution flew on lap 16.

It took Larson just 34 laps to drive from the rear of the field to the lead. Wallace wasn’t as quick in making up the track position but did get to second by the lap 100 halfway caution.

Larson and Wallace remained the top two off pit road after making their second and final pit stops. Not much changed for the two through the end of the race, which wound up uneventful in terms of passing for the lead, controversy, or crash action.

“I thought it was fun,” Wallace said. “I don’t know how it looked from TV or the stands, but I enjoyed passing cars and throttle management. It took you back to what I’m guessing it was like in the 90s.”

Sunday night was Wallace’s career-best finish in three All-Star Race appearances.

North Wilkesboro has “a lot of potential” after All-Star rebirth – Smith

North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race in 27 years on Sunday night with the All-Star Race, closing the chapter on an unlikely rebirth of a beloved facility. And it also brings to a close a weekend of “incredible gratitude” …

North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race in 27 years on Sunday night with the All-Star Race, closing the chapter on an unlikely rebirth of a beloved facility. And it also brings to a close a weekend of “incredible gratitude” for Marcus Smith.

“I am just amazed at how hard everybody here worked to make this happen,” Smith said of his feeling separate from his Speedway Motorsports role. “Jessica [Fickenscher] and Steve Swift have led this team of a couple hundred people that have come to work with a real mission mindset, not a typical clock-in, clock-out mindset and I think it shows up in what they’ve been able to achieve. They were able to start this project in January, and it’s May right now.”

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NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced the $1 million non-points All-Star Race would move to North Wilkesboro in early September. It’s been around-the-clock work since then to make the facility Cup Series ready.

“This place was covered in kudzu vines and poison oak and trees growing out of the grandstands less than 12 months ago,” Smith continued. “They completely built a brand-new facility out in Turn 4. Governor [Roy] Cooper, when I saw him on Wednesday, he said, ‘I gave it a 50-50 shot that you would actually get this done,’ and he said, ‘and I was being generous at the time.’

“It is truly amazing. So, my feelings have just been incredible gratitude. I’m so inspired by them.”

The event was well received. It was a packed grandstand for the All-Star Race, there were standing-room-only tickets in the infield, and the property surrounding the Speedway was filled with vehicles and campers. Souvenir haulers had impressively long lines and were selling out of merchandise.

Cup Series drivers embraced racing at a new venue, some saying the fact the track reopened made the weekend a success regardless of the on-track action. Kyle Larson dominated the All-Star Race by leading 145 of 200 laps.

With the amount of time and money invested in North Wilkesboro, the question becomes what its future holds. Smith didn’t commit to what comes next but spoke highly about its place on the NASCAR schedule in some capacity.

“That question’s on my mind as well,” said Smith. “I think when you see a successful week of events like we’ve had here, it’s natural to think, ‘Boy, maybe we can come back here.’ So, I’m definitely thinking that way. It’s got a lot of potential.

“I’ve never been to a NASCAR week where everybody was in such a good mood, and everything was just going so well. So, it’s definitely something that we’re thinking about.

“We just started working on next year’s schedule with NASCAR, so we’ll see. I think that – not specifically to next year – there definitely is a place in the NASCAR world for North Wilkesboro Speedway, and whether it’s a special event like All-Star, maybe one day it’s a points event, I don’t know.

“I think it’s a very important place for short-track racing, the late model races, the modifieds, you name it. It’s a special place. It’s like walking into a museum that is active and living and very special for the competitors and the fans.”

Smith also offered plenty of thank you remarks in his comments after Sunday night’s event.

“The community of western North Carolina, Wilkes County, Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro,” Smith listed. “The NASCAR community with the way everybody has pulled together. The amazing people that have been here working to revive this Speedway for the last seven months straight. Our contractors and just so many people who have worked tirelessly – particularly in the last seven months. But then so many who never gave up for years leading into this to get us to the point where we can make this happen.

“Jessica, our executive director of the All-Star Race and our chief experience officer was on point from the beginning to make things happen. She and Steve Swift worked together as a great duo to do some things that people thought couldn’t be done.

“It was a long road, but we got here and did some things that were really special.”

Larson dominates All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro

Kyle Larson’s third victory in the Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race was a case of absolute dominance. It was also a case study in strategy at revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the eventual winning move made on lap 18 of 200. Contact with Erik …

Kyle Larson’s third victory in the Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race was a case of absolute dominance.

It was also a case study in strategy at revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the eventual winning move made on lap 18 of 200.

That’s when Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels called his driver to the pits under caution for a fresh set of tires. Even though Larson incurred a speeding penalty exiting pit road and restarted from the rear, he charged through the field on new rubber and took the lead from Daniel Suarez on lap 55.

From that point on, it was game over.

Having won previous All-Star Races at Charlotte and Texas, Larson is the only driver to win the $1-million top prize at three different venues. Larson is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for second most victories in the exhibition event, one behind Jimmie Johnson’s four triumphs.

Not only that. The win gave Larson a sweep of NASCAR events at the reborn 0.625-mile short track. On Saturday he won the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race in NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1996.

“I can’t even tell you what it means,” Larson said. “This is my third All-Star win and my third different track. In a historical place like that, you guys and the crowd made this weekend so awesome. We could feel the atmosphere all weekend.

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“So much fun there. That was an old-school…whipping, for sure. We had a great car on the long run there and was just thinking for sure there was going to be a caution. I got out to a big lead, and I could see everybody’s cars were driving like crap in front of me, but I cannot thank this No. 5 team enough.

“We were God awful all weekend. Practice I was like the worst on 30-lap average, went backwards in a heat race yesterday. We obviously had some strategy work out there in the beginning, but we drove from dead last to the lead and checked out by 12 or 13s (before the competition caution at lap 101). Then I just could pace myself there that last run.”

Once Larson grabbed the top spot, he held it the rest of the way, except for one lap under the competition caution led by Suarez. In a race that saw three lead changes among two drivers, Larson led 145 laps to Suarez’s 55.

Comfortably in front after a restart on lap 111, Larson crossed the finish line 4.537s ahead of runner-up Bubba Wallace, who duplicated Larson’s lap 18 pit stop strategy but couldn’t match the speed of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“No, just his capability throughout the whole run, he could attack hard and then have something there at the end,” Wallace said of Larson’s superior performance. “If this was any other race, I’d be excited, but for a million dollars to come up short and walk home with nothing…

“Tail tucked between our legs, but all in all, just continuing to ride the momentum train… Just have to keep it going. Now we show back up to home turf (for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and really got to keep the momentum going there and get ourselves deeper into the Playoffs.

“Excited to be where we’re at right now. Just came up one spot short.”

Tyler Reddick finished third, followed by Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott. Ryan Blaney, Suarez, Erik Jones, Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano completed the top 10.

RESULTS

Berry wins All-Star Open, advances alongside Gibbs and Gragson

Josh Berry and Ty Gibbs raced into the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway as the top two finishers in Sunday evening’s All-Star Open. Berry won the event by taking the lead from Gibbs with 23 laps to go. The Hendrick Motorsports …

Josh Berry and Ty Gibbs raced into the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway as the top two finishers in Sunday evening’s All-Star Open.

Berry won the event by taking the lead from Gibbs with 23 laps to go. The Hendrick Motorsports driver had help when Michael McDowell ran Gibbs low off Turn 1, down the backstretch, and then onto the apron through Turns 3 and 4.

It was a bit of payback from McDowell, who was upset with how Gibbs raced him earlier in the event. Gibbs got underneath McDowell in Turn 3 with 43 laps go, which resulted in McDowell’s No. 34 Ford and Justin Haley colliding off Turn 4.

“Man, I feel so relieved,” Berry said. “These guys deserve to be in this race so bad. Thank you so much to Hendrick Motorsports for believing in me and giving me this opportunity under the circumstances. Ally, everybody back at Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet… Man, this is really cool.

“Our car was solid. We were definitely better on the second run. We got some help there. Whatever happened with the No. 34 (McDowell)…I don’t know what that was. That was pretty bad. But we were able to get the lead and stretch it out a little bit, kind of maintain it. I think the two best cars made it, so we’ll just see what tonight gives us.”

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The crash between McDowell and Haley was the third and final caution of the race.

A competition caution on lap 41 was the first yellow. Gibbs led every lap prior after starting from the pole.

The caution allowed teams to make their only pit stop of the day. Berry got off pit road first over Gibbs with help from the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team.

The second caution occurred on lap 50. Noah Gragson hit the inside wall going into Turn 1 and collected Chandler Smith, Todd Gilliland, and Ryan Newman when his car shot back across the racetrack.

Berry continued to lead until Gibbs retook the spot with 32 laps to go. The No. 54 Toyota was in control of the race until he came upon McDowell’s damaged and slower car.

The top five finishers were Berry, Gibbs, Aric Almirola, Ryan Preece and AJ Allmendinger. JJ Yeley finished sixth, Gragson was seventh in his damaged Chevrolet, Ty Dillon finished eighth, Corey LaJoie ninth and Josh Bilicki 10th.

Gragson was named the fan vote winner and also advances to the All-Star Race.

RESULTS