NASCAR National Series News & Notes – North Wilkesboro Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: NASCAR All-Star Race
The Place: North Wilkesboro Speedway
Track Length: 0.625 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, May 19
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Purse: $3,784,525
TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 125 miles (200 Laps)

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: NASCAR All-Star Open
The Place: North Wilkesboro Speedway
Track Length: 0.625 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, May 19
The Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $678,700
TV: FS1, 5 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 62.5 miles (100 Laps)

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: BetMGM 300
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Track Length: 1.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Saturday, May 25
The Time: 1 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,383,384
TV: FOX, 12:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Wright Brand 250
The Place: North Wilkesboro Speedway
Track Length: 0.625 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Saturday, May 18
The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $730,651
TV: FS1, 1 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 156.25 miles (250 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 70), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 140), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)

NASCAR Cup Series

Freshly paved North Wilkesboro Speedway sets the stage for NASCAR All-Star Weekend

NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced details for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race to be held on Sunday, May 19, for the second consecutive year at the newly paved North Wilkesboro Speedway. While the simplified format will return this season – featuring two heat races to set the All-Star Race starting lineup, a 100-lap All-Star Open, and a 200-lap main event – several new features will debut including a tire strategy element, a new Qualifying / Pit Crew Challenge format and pitting requirements. The spotlight will be on the stars of the sport as they take on these new challenges at the historic .625-mile track in the annual exhibition event for the grand prize of $1 million.

The signature new element in this season’s format centers around tire type and allotment. Potentially, three different tires will be utilized throughout the event weekend— a “prime tire” (the baseline tire assessed in the Goodyear Tire Test at North Wilkesboro Speedway), an “option tire” (slick tires, but made with the same rubber as the wet weather tire, making it a softer tire with more grip and faster wear) and “wet weather” (the wet weather tire only used if the track is wet). The ‘Goodyear Eagle’ lettering will be yellow on the prime tires, red on the option tires, and white on the wet weather tires.

The particulars on the tires:

• Teams will be allotted nine sets of tires for the event weekend.
• For practice, qualifying, the heat races, and the Open, teams will be allotted three sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires.
• For the All-Star Race, teams will have two sets each of primes and options.
• All four tires on the car must be of the same type at all times.
• Only the prime tire will be used during both qualifying sessions.
• For practice, the heat races, and the NASCAR All-Star Open, teams will have the option to start on any type of tire.
• All teams will start on the option tire for the All-Star Race.

This Sunday, May 19, the NASCAR All-Star Open is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. ET and the main event, the NASCAR All-Star Race, will follow at 8 p.m. ET – both will be broadcast on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – with over $1 million dollars up for grabs.

2024 NASCAR All-Star Open and All-Star Race Formats

This season’s NASCAR All-Star Weekend will be similar to last year with a simplified format – – featuring two heat races to set the All-Star Race starting lineup, a 100-lap All-Star Open, and a 200-lap main event – several new features will debut including a tire strategy element, a new Qualifying / Pit Crew Challenge format and pitting requirements.

Friday, May 17 – NASCAR All-Star Open Qualifying format is as follows:

• Two laps, the fastest lap counts
• Traditional qualifying session
• Qualifying results determine the starting lineup for the NASCAR All-Star Open.
• Must be on prime tire

Friday, May 17 – NASCAR All-Star Race Qualifying format is as follows:

• Three laps, including pit stop
• Competitors will take green flag and run one full lap at speed, and on the second lap will proceed (maintaining pit road speed on pit road) to one of the two designated pit stalls for a four-tire stop, with mock fuel delivery.
• When the pit stop is complete, the cars will exit pit road (maintaining pit road speed), and race back to the checkered flag.
• Qualifying time will be the total elapsed time from green flag to checkered flag.
• Pole sitter will sit on the pole for Heat Race 1 and the All-Star Race.
• Must be on prime tire

Friday, May 17 – NASCAR All-Star Pit Crew Challenge format is as follows:

• Fastest pit stop
• The pit crew with the fastest pit stop during the NASCAR All-Star Race Qualifying attempt is the winner of the Pit Crew Challenge.
• Pit Crew Challenge results determine the order of pit picking.

Saturday, May 18 – NASCAR All-Star Heat Race 1 & 2 formats are as follows:

• Two Heat Races, 60 laps each (37.5 miles each).
• The 17 drivers already locked into the NASCAR All-Star Race field will be split into two 60-lap Heat races on Saturday night (May 18) which will determine the starting lineup for the All-Star Race.
• All laps (caution and green flag) will count. Each Heat race will get one chance at overtime if needed.
• Results of Heat 1 will establish the inside row for the All-Star Race, results of Heat 2 will establish the outside row for the All-Star Race.
• ‘All-Star Caution’ at or around Lap 30 of each Heat Race, with mandatory four-tire pit stop.
• The remaining teams not already locked into the NASCAR All-Star Race will compete in the All-Star Open.

Sunday, May 19 – NASCAR All-Star Open format is as follows:

• The All-Star Open on Sunday (May 19) will feature the 20 drivers not previously eligible for the All-Star Race.
• The All-Star Open will be 100 laps (62.5 miles).
• All laps (caution and green flag) will count. The Open will get one chance at overtime if needed.
• ‘All-Star Caution’ at or around Lap 50, with mandatory four-tire pit stop.
• Three Open drivers will advance to the All-Star Race – the top two race finishers and the Fan Vote Winner.

Sunday, May 19 – The NASCAR All-Star Race format is as follows:

• Technical rules for the cars will remain the same as other NASCAR Cup Series short track races.
• The NASCAR All-Star Race will be 200 laps (125 miles).
• Teams must start All-Star Race on option tire.
• Teams will have two sets each of primes and options. All four tires on the car must be of the same type at all times.
• All laps (caution and green flag) will count.
• NASCAR overtime rules are in effect (unlimited attempts).
• ‘All-Star Caution’ at or around Lap 100, and Lap 150.
• Each team must execute a four-tire stop during the Lap 100 ‘All-Star Caution’.
• All-Star Race winner earns $1 million.

History Lesson: NASCAR All-Star Edition

The NASCAR All-Star Race was introduced in 1985 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the first All-Star race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and crew chief Jeff Hammond. Waltrip led 27 laps in the 70-lap inaugural All-Star event en route to the win driving the No. 11 Junior Johnson & Associates Buick. It was Waltrip’s only career All-Star win.

This weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race will be the 40th running of the prized exhibition race and North Wilkesboro Speedway (2023-2024) is the fifth different track to host the event; joining Charlotte Motor Speedway (34 All-Star races: 1985, 1987-2019), Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986), Bristol Motor Speedway (2020) and Texas Motor Speedway (2021-2022).

The second NASCAR All-Star Race in 1986 was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the event was dominated by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who set the record for the highest percentage of laps led in a NASCAR All-Star Race by a driver that won the event, leading 82 of the scheduled 83 laps for 98.8% of the event. Elliott started the race in the second starting position.

Twice the NASCAR All-Star Race has been led by one driver flag-to-flag and both occurred at Charlotte; Dale Earnhardt led all 70 laps in 1990 and Davey Allison led all 70 laps (100%) in 1991.

The next 33 All-Star events would be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway until the 2020 season, due to the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was rescheduled and moved to Bristol Motor Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott grabbed his first NASCAR All-Star Race win at Bristol that season. The win made the Elliotts (Bill and Chase) the second father-son duo to win the NASCAR All-Star Race all-time, joining the Earnhardts (Dale and Dale Jr.).

Then in 2021, the special non-points event was moved to Texas Motor Speedway for the first time. And for the second straight season, the NASCAR All-Star Race was won by a Hendrick Motorsports driver – Kyle Larson. Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in NASCAR All-Star race victories with 10 wins among five drivers – Jimmie Johnson (four: 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013), Jeff Gordon (three: 1995, 1997, 2001), Terry Labonte (1999), Chase Elliott (2020) and Kyle Larson (2021). It also was the second consecutive season the NASCAR All-Star Race winner went on to win the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in the same season. The feat has occurred 12 times since the inception of the All-Star race in 1985 by seven different drivers – Darrell Waltrip (1985), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993), Rusty Wallace (1989), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 2001), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013), Chase Elliott (2020) and Kyle Larson (2021).

Then in 2022, the NASCAR All-Star race at Texas Motor Speedway was won by Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney. Blaney dominated the event once getting out front leading 84 of the 140 scheduled laps (60%). It was his first victory in the special non-points event and the fourth for Team Penske – Blaney (2022), Joey Logano (2016), Kurt Busch (2010), Ryan Newman (2002).

Then last season, in the first NASCAR Cup Series event at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson put on a short track clinic leading the series-most laps in an All-Star race holding the point for 145 of the 200 scheduled laps and taking the win. It was his third All-Star race career win – series-most among active drivers and tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for second-most all-time behind Jimmie Johnson.

All-Stars of the All-Stars

In total, the 39 NASCAR All-Star Races have produced 26 different winners, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson with four All-Star victories (2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013).

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson (2019, 2021, 2023) leads all active competitors in NASCAR All-Star Race wins with three victories, including last season’s race at North Wilkesboro.

In total, six of the 26 former NASCAR All-Star Race winners are entered this weekend:

All the on-track action begins for the NASCAR Cup Series with Pit Road Qualifying Practice at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 17 and first practice will be at 4:35 p.m.

No better view of that $1 Million prize than from the front row

Starting upfront has its benefits, especially against the best of the best in the NASCAR All-Star Race.

The first and second starting positions are the most proficient starting positions in the field, producing more winners (six each) than any other starting position in the NASCAR All-Star Race (a combined 31.58%) – most recently, Kyle Larson from the pole in 2021 and Ryan Blaney from the second starting position in 2022.

The NASCAR All-Star Race has been won from the pole or first starting position six times by five different drivers, the first three came in consecutive years – Dale Earnhardt (1990), Davey Allison (1991, 1992), Kurt Busch (2010), Denny Hamlin (2015) and Kyle Larson (2021).

The 39 NASCAR All-Star Races have also produced 19 different pole winners; four of the 19 are active this weekend:

Who’s already locked into the Main Event – the 2024 NASCAR All-Stars

Heading into this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, 17 different drivers have already earned their spot in the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race on May 19 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

All-Star Eligibility for 2024: Those eligible for the NASCAR All-Star Race include drivers who won a points event in either 2023 or 2024, drivers who won a NASCAR All-Star Race and compete fulltime and drivers who won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete fulltime.

In total, 20 drivers will make a start in this season’s NASCAR All-Star Race – the 17 drivers that have earned a spot in the event, plus three additional positions that will be added to the NASCAR All-Star Race field following the All-Star Open – the All-Star Open Winner, the All-Star Open runner-up finisher and the Fan Vote Winner.

Last season, Noah Gragson won the Fan Vote, Josh Berry earned his spot in the All-Star Race by winning the All-Star Open and Ty Gibbs earned his spot by finishing runner-up to Berry in the Open.

A glimpse into the NASCAR All-Star Open

The NASCAR All-Star Open was first introduced into the All-Star format on May 11, 1986, at Atlanta Motor Speedway; the non-points special event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Benny Parsons with crew chief Cliff Champion, but it did not grant the team entry to the All-Star Race; that started the following season. Parsons won the first All-Star Open driving a Jackson Brothers Racing’s Oldsmobile in 1986. This season, three drivers from the NASCAR All-Star Open will move on to compete in the NASCAR All-Star Race – The All-Star Open winner, the All-Star Open runner-up finisher, and the Fan Vote Winner.

There have been 41 NASCAR All-Star Open events, one per year since 1986; except in 2000, 2001 and 2002, it was held as two events with both of the winners moving on to the All-Star Race. Starting in 2015, the All-Star Open was broken up into segments and then in 2017 it was divided into stages and each winner of the segments, or the stages earned a spot in the All-Star Race. Starting last year, the winner of the All-Star Open and the runner-up finisher move on to the All-Star race.

The All-Star Open has featured a field that has ranged from as large as 36 drivers from 1994-1996 to 14 drivers in the inaugural event in 1986. The 2022 season’s All-Star Open field at Texas had 16 participants and last season’s event at North Wilkesboro Speedway also had 16 participants. This season’s Open will have 20 competitors vying for the spots to move on.

A total of 30 different drivers have won the NASCAR All-Star Open from 1986-2023, and five of the 30 former All-Star Open winners are active this weekend, but four of the five have already earned spots in the All-Star Race this season, the only exception is Josh Berry.

Sterling Marlin leads the NASCAR Cup Series in NASCAR All-Star Open wins with four victories (1988, 1989, 1993 and 2004).

Eight of the 30 NASCAR All-Star Open winners have multiple wins – Sterling Marlin (four wins), AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Jeremy Mayfield, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip, Kyle Larson and Todd Bodine each have two Open victories. And three drivers have won consecutive NASCAR All-Star Open events – Sterling Marlin (1988-89), Michael Waltrip (1991-92) and Clint Bowyer (2014-15).

Ryan Newman (2002) and Kyle Larson (2019) are the only two drivers to win the NASCAR Open and the All-Star Race in the same weekend.

Here are the 20 All-Star Open drivers vying for the three available positions in the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday.

NASCAR.com’s All-Star Fan Vote is still underway

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race is this Sunday, May 19 and is approaching fast, but the Fan Vote is still going strong for the big event at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Voting will be open until 9 a.m. ET on Sunday May 19.

Fans can vote here for one eligible driver once a day per unique email address.

The Fan vote began in 2004 with Ken Schrader earning the first accolades during an All-Star Weekend. In total, 17 different drivers have won the NASCAR Fan Vote during All-Star Weekend.

In 2008, Kasey Kahne became the first driver to get into the NASCAR All-Star Race by the Fan Vote and go on to win the event. Kahne started 24th (last place) in the All-Star race and won. He led the final 17 laps to win.

Danica Patrick became the first driver to win more than one Fan Vote into the NASCAR All-Star Race (2013, 2015). She also is the only female to win the Fan Vote into the All-Star Race.

Chase Elliott became the first driver to win the Fan Vote in consecutive seasons (2016, 2017, 2018), and also the first driver to win it three times – Elliott leads the series in Fan Vote wins.

Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano and Carl Edwards are the only five drivers who have won the NASCAR All-Star Race and the Fan Vote in their careers – Kahne won both in 2008, Earnhardt Jr. won the All-Star Race in 2000 and the Fan Vote in 2011. Logano won the Fan Vote in 2009 and the All-Star Race in 2016. Edwards won the Fan Vote in 2010 and the All-Star Race in 2011. Elliott won the Fan Vote from 2016-2018 and the All-Star Race in 2020.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Country Music Stars Warren Zeiders, Neal McCoy to jam North Wilkesboro – Race fans attending the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway are in for a double dose of spectacular concert excitement. Platinum-selling country music stars Warren Zeiders and Neal McCoy are set to light up the North Wilkesboro night, with Zeiders performing prior to the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday, May 19, and McCoy rocking the stage on May 17 during All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil.

Zeiders, one of country music’s most acclaimed rising stars, enters All-Star Weekend riding a wave of momentum. His breakthrough hit “Pretty Little Poison” reached the No. 1 status on Mediabase’s Country Chart and Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart this week, further cementing his place as Nashville’s newest headliner. As the title track of Zeiders’ debut album, “Pretty Little Poison” has earned 300 million-plus global streams, earned RIAA Platinum Certification and debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, where it currently sits in the Top 25.

2023 was a banner year for Zeiders, who released his debut album Pretty Little Poison in August. Zeiders capped the year at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artist Chart (week of Dec. 2) and currently boasts 1.9 billion-plus career streams. His Pretty Little Poison Fall 2023 tour saw 54 sold-out dates, including a sell-out at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. This month, he shared his Pretty Little Poison (Deluxe) album, released his latest single “Heartbreaker” and kicked off his completely sold-out Pretty Little Poison 2024 North American Headlining Tour. Plus, last week Zeiders announced he will join Jelly Roll as direct support for his entire 38-date The Beautifully Broken Tour, which kicks off on Aug. 27.

Pairing perfectly with Zeiders’ new-school flair is McCoy’s classic country sound, perfected over a career spanning four decades. Along with a Grammy Award nomination in 1998 and nine top-10 singles, McCoy has produced a pair of chart-topping hits: “No Doubt About It,” and “Wink,” from his 1993 album, “No Doubt About It.”

Said McCoy of the opportunity to perform on All-Star Race weekend: “I’m honored to play for all of the NASCAR fans during All-Star Race weekend at the historic North Wilkesboro race track, and I hope your favorite driver wins!”

Both concerts are free for all fans with tickets – adding even more value to the unrivaled excitement that surrounds All-Star Race weekend and NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro’s iconic, five-eighths-mile oval.

Driver Reviews of the North Wilkesboro repave – On March 13, a trio of NASCAR Cup Series drivers participated in a Goodyear Tire Test at North Wilkesboro and also shared positive comments on the revitalized track.

Joey Logano: “They did a good job, there’s still some character, it’s still a unique shaped race track, which is all good. There’s a pretty big bump down in turn one, I think where the wall was out too long and they cut it, and it’s kind of an interesting area. There’s a huge bump leaving four, which really kind of upsets the cars. I don’t think that’s bad. I’m OK with that. That’s something that made this racetrack so cool in the past, was that it had a lot of character, it was bumpy, you were forced to move around on it because it was challenging. You can make the thing like glass, I don’t know if that really makes the racing better. I think the fact that it’s got a couple of bumps and some areas where your drivers can make mistakes and jump out of the groove and do different things is just going to promote passing so that’s a good thing.”

William Byron: “I would say that if it was a mile-and-a-half track, I think it being a short track it would probably be a lot like Richmond was when they repaved it, so I don’t know, I vividly have seen some of those races and I feel like it was pretty treacherous, a lot of guys would get in crashes or there would be a lot of restart wrecks, so I think the racing could actually be pretty exciting with a repave on a short track, but yeah you won’t have the style of comers and goers I don’t think. The guys who are up toward the front will be racing hard and there’s probably just going to be more wrecks.”

“I’ll be here, I’m excited. I’m excited that we’re in the race. You never take that for granted, right? You have to win to be in this race. As a driver that’s one of the first things that comes to mind when you win the first race of the year, is ‘great, you know, I’m in the All-Star Race.’ It’s an honor to be in the race and is something you want to win. It’s a big, it’s not a crown jewel, but it’s a big race to have on your resume.”

Ty Gibbs: “The track is definitely a lot different with the repave, but I feel like they did a really great job with the repave. I’ve been to a lot of repaves and this is probably one of the best ones I’ve been to. And the way that they did it, they did a really great job. Just normal stuff for when we first come in here with the new repaves. It’s kind of a one-lane groove until it gets worn in. Testing, it’s really hard to get a good race feel for it, but I know that it’s going to be pretty cool and we’ll see what happens.”

“For sure, it definitely has taken some rubber. You can visually go out there and look at it, right? You can look at how different the line looks. It’s definitely a lot better, I don’t know a lot better, I’m fine with racing the old way or the new way. You just look at the track, and you can just look at it. It’s not all, it doesn’t look like a puzzle. There are some tracks on the schedule that they did repaves at, that it just looks like a mess out there. They did such a great job here. Kudos to them.”

Kyle Larson can achieve some pretty big accomplishments this weekend – Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson is on the cusp of a few records this weekend if he were to win the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday, May 19.

Kyle Larson currently leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race wins with three victories (2018, 2021 and 2023); which has him tied on the all-time wins list with NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for second-most All-Star wins all-time. The trio of drivers are behind on NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johson with four All-Star Race wins (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013). If Larson were to win this weekend, he would tie Johnson for the NASCAR Cup Series most All-Star Race wins with four each.

Also, if Larson wins on Sunday, he will become just the third driver all-time to win consecutive All-Star races joining Davey Allison (1991, 1992) and Jimmie Johnson (2012, 2013).

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Break In The Action: Charlotte Motor Speedway up next for the NASCAR Xfinity Series

After a race that saw JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier land in Victory Lane for the first time this season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be taking the week off before heading back to the action at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the BetMGM 300 on Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted 78 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, producing 39 different race winners and 50 different pole winners. Thirteen races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Justin Allgaier in last year’s race.

NASCAR Cup Series two-time champion, Kyle Busch, holds many Xfinity Series records at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including most wins (nine), most top fives (19), most top 10s (22), laps led (1,475) and lead lap finishes (22).

A few others have also etched their names in the Charlotte Motor Speedway record book:

• Race record: Mark Martin – 155.799 mph
• Qualifying record: Jimmie Johnson – 187.735 mph
• Most poles: Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth – four

Drivers will kick off the fun with practice at 3:35 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 4:05 p.m. ET on Friday, May 24.

Xfinity Series Playoff Outlook: Who’s in following Darlington?

The NASCAR Xfinity Series is now 11 races in and with a win by Justin Allgaier last weekend at Darlington Raceway, another Playoff spot has been claimed. With five drivers locked in by virtue of their wins, which leaves just seven spot still up for grabs when the series returns at Charlotte.

Let’s take a look at who’s in and who is still in the hunt:

No pain, no gain: Xfinity Series drivers running at North Wilkesboro

Although the NASCAR Xfinity Series has the weekend off, there are a few drivers who will be using the weekend to get some extra seat time at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger will be joining in on the All-Star fun and competing in Sunday night’s race behind the wheel of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. With his win at the Charlotte ROVAL last season, he is eligible to run in the All-Star Race. Although he did not compete in last year’s All-Star Race, he did run in the All-Star Open where he finished fifth.

JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on Saturday night in the Wright Brand 250. This will be his second start in the series this season. His first was earlier this year at Martinsville where he finished eighth.

Part-time Joe Gibbs Racing driver Aric Almirola will also be joining in on the Truck Series action at North Wilkesboro, piloting the No. 16 Toyota for Hattori Racing Enterprises. This will mark his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start since the 2012 season.

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Country Music Star Kameron Marlowe to rock BetMGM Speed Street on NASCAR Weekend – Charlotte Motor Speedway has announced an action-packed weekend full of speed and sound at BetMGM Speed Street, May 24-26, including American country music singer-songwriter Kameron Marlowe. Marlowe is set to headline a mix of exciting events that will bring fans fun and entertainment the entire weekend.

Following the BetMGM 300 and Coca-Cola 600 qualifying on Saturday, May 25, the spotlight turns to the Kannapolis-native. Renowned for his soulful voice and powerful performances, Marlowe plans to bring the party to BetMGM Speed Street. Rock and roll cover band, Hairball, is set to kick off the weekend with a Friday Night show that will bring the rocking sound after the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on May 24.

“I am so excited to party and rock out with NASCAR fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Marlowe. “Charlotte holds a special place in my heart, and there’s a unique energy when I get to perform for the community that has supported me from the beginning. The Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend is more than a race; it’s a chance to commemorate those who protect our freedom and give me the chance to do what I love.”

Here is the lineup for BetMGM Speed Street during the Coca-Cola 600 weekend:

Hometown Roots to Center Stage

Marlowe, a rising star in the country music scene, has captured the hearts of his fans with his distinct sound and heartfelt lyrics. Before his amazing music career, Marlowe worked as a car part salesman when he was offered a chance to be on the show, ‘The Voice,’ for Season 15 in 2018. After the competition, he moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams as a country music artist. Since then, the 26-year-old has released RIAA Platinum-certified “Giving You Up,” “Girl on Fire,” “Burn Em’ All” and his most recent hit “Steady Heart.” Marlowe will captivate the audience with an unforgettable evening of country tunes that celebrate the heart and soul of American music.

Friday Night Rock Extravaganza with Hairball

Kicking off the weekend on Friday night, following the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, is a rock and roll experience many won’t soon forget. Renowned for their authentic tributes to legendary bands like KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith, Hairball will deliver an unforgettable show performing some of rock and roll’s greatest hits. The bright lights, costume changes, smoke, fire and screaming fans will set the stage for an adrenaline-fueled weekend

Sunoco Rookie of the Year update – Still the only rookie with a win, Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love continues to lead the Sunoco rookie of the year class with 373 points.

Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen sits in second with 235 points, 138 points back from Love.

Leland Honeyman Jr. holds the third position with 170 points.

Hailie Deegan and Dawson Cram close out the competition, with 122 points and 76 points, respectively.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to historic North Wilkesboro Speedway

For the second time in 28 years, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is returning to the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway for the Wright Brand 250 this Saturday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio.

Deep in the heart of North Carolina moonshine country, the 0.625-mile track has hosted three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, producing three different winners and three different pole winners. None of the races have been won from the pole or first starting position.

Here’s a look at the drivers who have stamped their names in the North Wilkesboro Speedway record books for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series:

• Race record: Mike Bliss 96.126 mph (09/30/1995)
• Qualifying record: Johnny Benson 116.64 mph (09/28/1996)
• Most races: Mike Bliss, Tobey Butler, Rick Carelli, Rodney Combs, Michael Dokken, Walker Evans, Jimmy Hensley, Ron Hornaday Jr., Bob Keselowski, Butch Miller, John Nemechek, Joe Ruttman, Bill Sedgwick, Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, Kenny Wallace, and Darrell Waltrip (2)
• Most poles: Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner, and Corey Heim (1)
• Most wins: Mike Bliss, Mark Martin, and Kyle Larson (1)
• Most top fives: Butch Miller and Jack Sprague (2)
• Most top 10s: Butch Miller, Joe Ruttman, Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, and Kenny Wallace (2)
• Laps led: Kyle Larson (138)

The Wright Brand 250 will be broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 70 laps each and the final stage will be 80 laps for a race total of 250 laps (156.25 miles).

Practice will begin Friday, May 17 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying on Saturday, May 18 at 10:35 a.m. ET.

Surplus of talent to keep an eye on at North Wilkesboro

No previous NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series winners are entered in this weekend’s Wright Brand 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, but there is a plethora of talent hoping to get their shot at visiting this famous Victory Lane for the first time.

Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen: The CARS Tour late model stock car standout will be joining forces with TRICON Garage in his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut to pilot the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota.

The Chesapeake, Virginia driver had a breakout campaign in 2023 earning four victories, 13 top fives and 15 top 10s in CARS Tour competition enroute to a second-place finish in the series points standings.

Although this weekend will be his first time in a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event, Queen has a lot of experience at the 0.625-mile track. He won the CARS Tour late model stock car race at North Wilkesboro last year.

Sammy Smith: – The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular will make his second CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start of the 2024 season behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. The Johnston, Iowa native is another very experienced short-track racer with knowledge of the historic 0.625-mile track. The 19-year-old won a Super Late Models event at North Wilkesboro in 2022.

Aric Almirola: For the first time since 2012, the Tampa, Florida native will attempt to make his comeback into the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Almirola has been tapped to drive the flagship No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota.

The 40-year old participated in the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open race last year, posting a third-place finish – missing the final transfer spot into the All-Star Race by one position.

Qualifying for the Wright Brand 250 will be extremely important for Almirola as he will have to race his way into the field.

Ross Chastain: The most recent NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series winner is back again for another weekend of double duty competition. The Alva, Florida native will be back behind the wheel of the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet.

Last year, the 32-year old finished ninth in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro.

Dawson Sutton: The 2023 Pro Late Model Rookie of the Year is set to pilot the No. 26 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet, attempting his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut.

The 18-year-old stepped into a race car for the first time in 2022 during the U.S. Legends Cars Series to compete nationally on asphalt and dirt under the direction of Joe Ryan and Ron Hornaday Jr.’s driver development program.

Ty Majeski: After heartbreak last week, the driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford is all-in headed to North Wilkesboro. Another extremely experienced short track racer, the Seymour, Wisconsin native finished second at the historic 0.625-mile track last season.

Christian Eckes: The series’ current points leader, who pilots the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, is one of only two drivers who have consistently ran in the top-10 each week – the only exception being at Atlanta (32nd) due to brake failure. Although the 23-year old finished 25th at North Wilkesboro last year, he has become the 2024 ‘Short Track King’ after winning both Bristol and Martinsville this season.

Six spots in the Playoffs still up for grabs

Through nine races this season, four drivers have earned their spot in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs by virtue of their wins – Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth – leaving six spots still up for grabs heading into North Wilkesboro.

Following Darlington, Grant Enfinger is ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, five points back from two-time series champion Ben Rhodes in the 10th and final postseason transfer spot on points. Just behind Enfinger is Daniel Dye, 20 points back from the postseason cutoff.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year breakdown – Layne Riggs continues his heavy lead in Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings following nine races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

The driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford now sits 64 points over Thad Moffitt and 70 points over Connor Jones.

Moffitt, driver of the No. 46 Faction46 Chevrolet, was the highest finish rookie at Darlington (18th).

— NASCAR —