If you enjoyed ‘Throwback Weekend' at Darlington, get ready for another dose of nostalgia at the NASCAR All-Star Race. North Wilkesboro Speedway, which last hosted a Cup Series in September 1996, will host the All-Star Open and Sunday's race, part of NASCAR's legacy celebrations, in its 75th year.
Here's everything you need to know about NASCAR All-Star Weekend:
NASCAR All-Star Race tv / Streaming Schedule
Eastern all the time
Friday, May 19
4-5 pm: All-Star Open and Race Practice (FS1)
5:30-7 pm: All-Star Open and Race Qualifying – Pit Stop Challenge (FS1)
Saturday, May 20
7-9 PM: All-Star Open and Race Heats (FS1)
Sunday, May 21
5-6 PM: All-Star Open (FS1, Fox Deportes)
8-10 p.m.: All-Star Race (FS1, Fox Deportes)
NASCAR All-Star Race Format
Cup Series regulars who (a) won a race in 2022 or 2023, (b) won a previous All-Star race, or (c) won a Cup Series championship are automatically entered into the 200-lap event. Are. There are 21 drivers who meet that criteria and the remaining three will be determined by the top two finishers of the 100-lap All-Star Open and a fan vote to complete the 24-car field.
Prior to the Open, pit stop competition times on Friday night will determine the starting grid for the two 60-lap heat races run on Saturday night. Similar to the Daytona 500 twin qualifying races, one heat would determine the inside lane starters for the All-Star Race and the other would determine the outside lanes.
Cars would start the All-Star Race on brand-new sticker tires and would be able to use only one set after a competition caution. The winner takes home $1 million – the second biggest payout of the year after the Daytona 500.
North Wilkesboro Speedway Overview
North Wilkesboro opened in 1947 – the same year as NASCAR's oldest track in Richmond, Virginia – and held at least one Cup Series race annually from 1949 to 1996. it is unique to other tracks which, save for banking, are more or less “level”, with the speedway having a downhill front stretch and an uphill backstretch.
Make: 1947
First Cup Series Race: October 16, 1949 (won by Bob Flock)
Final Cup Series Races: September 29, 1996 (won by Jeff Gordon)
profile: 0.625-mile oval
Banking: 3 degrees on straights, 14 degrees on curves
NASCAR All-Star Race Entries
(Winner of 2022-23 race unless otherwise noted)
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Sindrich (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
PC-Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
pw-Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (29), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Eric Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
PC: Past Cup Series Champions | pw: Past All-Star Race Winner
NASCAR All-Star Open Entries
Corey LaJoey (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Chandler Smith (13), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Josh Berry (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Bilicki (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Top Drivers and Best Bets for the All-Star Race
Two drivers with multiple All-Star wins head into the weekend Best odds on win according to BetMGM, Kyle Larson, who has already won two short tracks this season, is +600 for a win, while retiring Kevin Harvick is +800. Harvick is certainly hoping that driving with the No. 29 on the car — his number for the first 13 seasons of his career — instead of his Stewart-Haas No. 4 will bring him luck in his final All-Star Race.
best chances to win
• Kyle Larson +600
• Kevin Harvick +800
• Christopher Bell +900
• William Byron +900
• Joey Logano +900
Looking a little further down the field, Chase Elliott (+1200) and Ryan Blaney (+1800) are good mid-tier bets. Elliott has finished in the top 10 in each of his last five short track starts and won the All-Star Race in his only race in 2020 at the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway. The tight boundaries of Martinsville and Bristol most closely resemble North Wilkesboro.
NASCAR All-Star Race Weather
The forecast is for Friday and Sunday Cool and clear with temperatures in the 70s, but thunderstorms could hinder Saturday's race. The Craftsman Truck Series gets underway at North Wilkesboro this weekend with qualifying and its race scheduled before the All-Star Race heats, which could make scheduling dicey.