North Wilkesboro revival continues. What’s new at NASCAR All-Star Race?
Egress should be expedited at the third NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
While the parking lots have been clear by roughly 90 minutes after the checkered flag in the past, leaving the revamped race track in Wilkes County will now be even quicker.
A 200-foot pedestrian bridge now crosses U.S. Highway 421, constructed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Smith-Rowe LLC. The bright red bridge located beyond Turn Two provides walking access to another major parking lot and will be completed before the start of race weekend; the main event is scheduled for May 18.
The All-Star Race itself has been extended from 200 to 250 laps, and two heat races will once again set its starting lineup. In addition to a longer race, a “Manufacturer Showdown” and “Promoter’s Caution” are among several new features debuting this year.
“If it’s falling that hard late in the run, when you get to 30 (laps) to go, is it worth putting on a set there, when that (promoter’s) caution comes out?” Joey Logano, the reigning Cup Series champion and two-time All-Star Race winner, said Tuesday at North Wilkesboro. “We’ll see when we get there, see which place you’re in — and that’s the thing about the All-Star Race that’s kinda fun. Everyone’s racing for a million bucks, and that’s it. Nobody cares about finishing in second, or third, or getting a Top Five in the All-Star Race.
“Nobody cares. It’s about winning the race, and so you have a lot more crew chiefs and teams saying: ‘Let’s go for it. All or nothing.’”
Marcus Smith, Speedway Motorsports can throw caution flag
On top of the scheduled competition caution at or near Lap 100, an optional promoter’s caution is now in play.
Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith and track officials may wave the yellow flag any time before Lap 220, as long as there isn’t a natural caution after Lap 200. If the promoter’s caution has not occurred and a natural caution flag comes after lap 200, there won’t be this optional caution.
Additionally, this new on-track action will highlight the sport’s manufacturers as Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford drivers will be scored against each other. This “Manufacturer Showdown” will include all drivers from the least-represented of the three manufacturers, along with an equal number of drivers from the other two manufacturers selected based on their starting positions.
The winning manufacturer will be the lowest combined total of finishing positions. In the event of a tie, the single best overall finishing position would determine the winner.
‘This exposes more people to the sport and creates a better season’
Before NASCAR’s Cup Series and Truck Series competitors are at North Wilkesboro, the zMAX CARS Tour kicks off the festivities on Thursday.
The 100-lap All-Star Open returns Saturday, after the Pit Crew Challenge and qualifying on Friday. Qualifying for the Open and All-Star events will now be combined, and pit crews of all teams entered (All-Star and Open) are eligible for the pit crew challenge. Open cars will go first and those results will determine its lineup, before All-Star cars set lineups for their heat races.
Drivers will take the green flag and run one full lap at speed, then proceed to a pit stall for a four-tire stop — no fuel — before exiting pit road to race back to the checkered flag. The pit crew with the fastest stop during the All-Star qualifying attempt will win the Pit Crew Challenge, and these results will determine the pit-pecking order.
Returning to the 0.625-mile race track in the North Carolina mountains is special, and its third NASCAR All-Star Race of the 21st century will bring unprecedented on-track action.
“It’s really cool, especially seeing some tracks — Myrtle Beach (Speedway) closing down, Gresham (Motorsports Park) in Georgia, they’re not racing there anymore — I feel like there’s just a lot of that happening,” Truck Series driver Jake Garcia said. “To actually go the other way with it and bring a race track back is really awesome. With as much influence and eyes NASCAR brings to something like this, that they actually have the influence to bring a facility back.
“I’d like to see it happen some more. The problem we’re facing right now is there are all these great race tracks — there are a couple that people complain about — and it’s cool to bring in new ones. But at the same time, we’re running out of spots on the schedule, and this exposes more people to the sport and creates a better season.”
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "North Wilkesboro revival continues. What’s new at NASCAR All-Star Race?."
