SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Day 2 running laps in preparation for the May 25 Indianapolis 500 was both encouraging and functional for NASCAR star Kyle Larson. The 2021 Cup Series champ ran 103 laps Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and turned in a fast lap of 223.985 mph, double the number of laps and ultimately a faster speed than Tuesday’s opening practice.
Even with three brief stoppages for rain in the six hours of on-track time available, Larson’s No. 17 Arrow McLaren Racing Chevrolet turned in a full day of work at the historic speedway, setting his fastest speed of the day in the closing 10 minutes of practice.
Much of the 32-year-old Californian’s time on track came with a fellow NASCAR champion watching. Three-time and reigning Cup Series champ Joey Logano was a trackside guest of Team Penske, the two-time defending Indy 500 winning team that also fields cars for Logano, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric in NASCAR’s premier series.
“It’s fun to watch Larson as one of us,’’ Logano said with a grin, “He’s a freak, able to just do whatever he wants and to jump in and be good at it.’’
Five drivers have attempted the Memorial Day weekend “Double” — the late John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Kurt Busch and Larson. Only Stewart, however, has completed all 1,100 miles.
Larson, who planned to compete in both races last year, didn’t get a chance to run laps in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the NASCAR part of the doubleheader. After an 18th-place finish in the Indy 500, he was late arriving at Charlotte Motor Speedway because of a rain-delayed race start in Indy. When he did arrive at the Charlotte track, the weather had already halted action, and ultimately, NASCAR called the race early.
Asked if he ever had a desire to try the double, Logano was quick to decline.
“I’m so center-focused on winning and not really focused on having fun, it’s just about winning, so for me, it’s best just to stay in my lane, my NASCAR lane and keep doing that as best as we can,’’ Logano said. “But it is fun talking to Kyle [Larson] about some of the things that are different. And surprisingly hearing him say how similar our Cup cars are [to Indy cars] now. “It’s probably closer than it’s ever been with the Next Gen car now that we’re creating a lot of downforce underneath the car, the smaller sidewall tires and the cars are a lot more edgier than they used to be.’’
Reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, posted the top speed of the day — and the week so far — with a lap of 227.546 mph around the massive 2.5-mile historic oval. The speed was so good that Palou was nearly two mph quicker than the field of 34 cars vying for a spot in the 33-car starting lineup.
The 2018 Indy 500 winner, Penske Racing’s Will Power, was second fastest at 225.584 mph. Power’s No. 12 Chevrolet was quickest on Tuesday’s opening day of practice. His Penske teammate, two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, was third on the speed chart with Ganassi’s Scott Dixon and Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Connor Daly rounding out the top five.
Larson said he was satisfied with his Wednesday effort and that he definitely feels more comfortable already with the benefit of having an Indy 500 under his belt.
“The pit stop stuff, I know what to expect a little bit better there and what it takes to turn into the stall and get stopped at your sign,’’ Larson said, adding, “I should get up to speed a little quicker on that [now] and then I think race procedure still I will revisit later in the week. I made some mistakes on the starts last year, missed some shifts and stuff so hopefully I will clean that up a little bit this year and make things easier on myself.
“As far as confidence and whatnot with the car, I’m more confident after yesterday than I was with the open test (earlier this month). I feel like my balance is better this time around, just have gotta get it better in traffic.”
Practice resumes Thursday with the six-hour session starting at noon ET (FS2). Television coverage moves to FS1 at 4 p.m. ET. Fast Friday to prepare for pole qualifying follows with another six-hour session from noon to 6 p.m. ET. Two days of qualifying to set the 33-car field are Saturday and Sunday. Larson started fifth last year.
Here’s what’s happening in NASCAR with Kansas Speedway in the rearview and the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Sun., 8 p.m. ET, FS1) up next.
1. Data deep dive — hidden trends from the first 12 races of 2025
In NASCAR, the numbers go deeper than just wins and laps led. NASCAR Insights has been keeping track of passer, defense, speed, restart and pit crew deep analytics this year. The season averages are producing some interesting insights.
So many things have happened since William Byron opened the season with a second straight Daytona 500 victory.
Christopher Bell won three straight races. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin nearly matched it shortly thereafter. Josh Berry won a race before any of his Team Penske cohorts and has the No. 21 car looking like a factor. Kyle Larson is just on another planet right now, and looks like he’s about to enter a whole other universe, too.
It’s been an impactful open to 2025, with major narratives front and center. But what does the story within the story tell?
Let’s dig into the season-long advanced statistical averages, courtesy of NASCAR Insights, to see if we can uncover any trends lying under the surface that could become apparent in the next third of the season and beyond.
— Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, mired in one of his most frustrating seasons to date, is 20th or worse in every statistical average so far … except he’s seventh in Defense Rating, which “evaluates a driver’s ability to hold their position when under pressure, assessing their effectiveness in fending off faster cars.” Despite his frustrations and lack of speed, Keselowski is able to hang in there with the best of them; we’ve seen him find his way to the front this year, even despite all that. It’s likely his team finds speed gains at some point this season and that, combined with his cool-headedness, could perhaps lead to a win.
— Cole Custer’s No. 41 Haas Factory Team pit crew ranks 13th, while Custer is outside the top 30 in everything else. That’s still a solid backbone, and the team — which is probably still adjusting from a massive transition — should only find ways to go faster from here as Custer continues to reacclimate to the Cup Series. Not saying a Custer playoff appearance is in the crystal ball, but I’d be surprised to see this team not find some better results over the summer and build some momentum for 2026.
— Noah Gragson is 11th in restarts and 17th in defense to rank in the top half of the field there, and he’s doing it with the 28th-best speed and 29th-best passer rating. It stands to reason that if the No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford gains in the speed area, Gragson could be fighting for consistent top 15s at the very least and perhaps a win, given his restart ability in particular.
— On the flip side, Las Vegas winner Josh Berry is getting eaten up on restarts (25th) despite being in the top 15 in passing, speed and defense. This is not necessarily unexpected from a sophomore in the Cup Series, and, if it’s something he’s presumably able to improve upon, he could round into a deep-in-the-playoffs kind of driver.
— Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford has been a bullet in 2025 — as evidenced by his first-place rating in both passing and speed — but he ranks outside the top 10 in defense … which doesn’t seem ideal when a driver has the clear fastest car. On a perhaps related note, Blaney is the only winless driver among the four associated with Team Penske. (For now.)
— Spire Motorsports has taken an obvious leap forward in 2025, seemingly in the mix with at least one of its drivers on a weekly basis. So, it’s quite surprising that Carson Hocevar’s P14 rating in passing is the highest that any Spire driver is ranked in any category. Either their early 2025 returns are a fluke or this trio is about to break out in a big way, should any speed gains be found.
— Ryan Preece has also taken a significant leap this year in his first season with RFK Racing, and he appears to be the real deal. Preece and the No. 60 team were on it at Kansas, but he’s also ranked fifth in passing for year. For context — teammates Keselowski and Chris Buescher, both of whom expected to make the playoffs when cars rolled into Daytona, rank 25th and 22nd, respectively.
— Similarly to Custer’s No. 41 group, JGR’s Ty Gibbs (2nd) and Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez (7th) are bolstered by strong pit crews, but are struggling across the board otherwise, averaging 21.75 and 21.25 in the other categories, respectively. Gibbs is still a developing Cup driver and Trackhouse has undergone some internal transitions. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that either picks things up the rest of the way and strikes while the iron is hot for a win after being put in a favorable position by their pit crews.
— And finally … why the heck hasn’t Chase Elliott won since April 2024, when his teammates seem to be able to pour it on at will lately? Restarts, restarts, restarts. Elliott’s peripherals on all the other categories are mostly in line with them, but his restart ability in 2025 thus far (16th) pales in comparison to William Byron (1st) and Kyle Larson (2nd). Elliott is a well-established NASCAR superstar — a Cup champion, after all — and has an average ranking of 5.0 between passing, speed and defense. At some point he’s going to just flat-out dominate and win a race, restarts be damned.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
2. Will an All-Star Race victory spark someone’s championship run?
The winner of the All-Star Race went on to win the Cup Series championship in three of the last five years and 13 times total. With several drivers in need of a spark, could Sunday be an *ahem* turning point in someone’s season?
The All-Star Race, with no points up for grabs and a $1 million check waiting in Victory Lane for the winner, is supposed to be a pressure-free cash scramble, but is there perhaps a little more riding on it?
The exhibition event has turned into a true showing of strength for the stars of the sport, with each of the last nine races won by Cup Series champions. The race and the Bill France Cup feel intimately tied together, with three of the past five champions also having won the race earlier in the season.
With only seven drivers having won so far this year and several playoff-hopeful drivers staring down the notion of being in “must-win” territory (and some already there), will we see a driver celebrate in North Wilkesboro and perhaps set their season on a new trajectory?
Nobody needs it more than Keselowski, and an All-Star victory would cross off one of his few remaining boxes in a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career. RFK’s co-owner/driver has finished second three times in the race, tied with Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader for most runner-up trophies without a win. We’ve seen him run up front lately (before things seem to always crumble for one reason or another), but it’s quite possible the 2012 champ puts it all together this weekend. And lest we forget — Carl Edwards nearly won a title for Roush the year of his only All-Star win in 2011.
It’s not just Keselowski, though. There are plenty of drivers still looking for a win that expected to have one by now, and an All-Star Race triumph could absolutely be a launching pad for whoever wins it. Sixteen times in the history of the race it was the winner’s first victory of the season, and only three times did those winners not go on to win an actual points race in the remainder of the year.
On the opposite end of the spectrum you may even find it likely that Larson, in what is setting up to be a torrid month of May, comes to North Wilkesboro and stomps his way to a record-tying fourth win. His trajectory, in that case, isn’t altered — it’s solidified.
Larson has all but turned this race into a personal side hustle, with all three of his wins coming in the last six years, tying Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip and trailing only Jimmie Johnson’s four.
That’s a combined 18 Cup Series championships right there, and if Larson adds another All-Star win on Sunday?
NASCAR Inside the Race discusses Kyle Larson’s recent Cup Series dominance and compare him to seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.
4. Logano an all-time A-Lister among All-Stars
The three-time and current defending champion Joey Logano somehow manages to elevate his game even further at the annual NASCAR All-Star Race and his consistency is unparalleled. (Credit: Racing Insights)
Driver
Top-10 streak
All-Star Race wins
Joey Logano*
10
2
Matt Kenseth
9
1
Kyle Busch
7
1
Dale Earnhardt
7
3
* active streak
5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. – Less than two weeks before taking to the high banks of Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Chase Elliott took to the high seas Tuesday during the final stop of the 2025 Mission 600 campaign.
Mission 600, which serves as a prelude to the spectacular pre-race salute to the U.S. Armed Forces ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, pairs NASCAR drivers with regional military branches to experience a day in the life of the brave men and women who defend our country.
During his visit, Elliott toured the U.S. Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach, part of U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, whose primary missions range from Search and Rescue, Marine Safety and Ports and Waterways Coastal Security to Marine Environmental Protection, Aids to Navigation, Maritime Law Enforcement and Recreational Boating Safety. The Hendrick Motorsports driver participated in a mock search-and-rescue mission, de-watered a simulated vessel in distress and took the helm of a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RB-M).
“I think in anything that you do, really, the people, is what makes it special,” Elliott said after the visit. “This unit here was it was no different. The crew was just extremely professional. Any time you have an opportunity to hang around individuals like that and see what they do on a daily basis, it makes my job a lot of fun. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.”
Elliott’s visit came ahead of National Boater Safety Week, May 17-23. In addition to serving as an opportunity to educate Elliott and the public about the importance of boater safety — emphasizing wearing life jackets and boater awareness on the water — the event provided a great morale boost for the unit.
“We run duty crews here, 24/7,” said Chief Petty Officer Parker Hofmann. “We just kind of ran him through all the missions and everything that we respond to on a day-to-day basis here. Kind of how our life is, what we do for fun, what we do for training, what we do to prepare us for the missions.
“We have some big NASCAR fans here, and they were excited to be able to meet him, interact with him. It really boosted the morale and I think going forward, he definitely earned some fans here today.”
For Elliott, the feeling was mutual, and it drives home what it means to race in the Coca-Cola 600 — one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, on Memorial Day Weekend.
“I have always felt like NASCAR – and Charlotte Motor Speedway in particular – has always done a really good job of showcasing and showing that appreciation that we, as the industry, have for our servicemen and women around the world,” Elliott said. “I think it’s really special to be a part of a sport that has that type of showcasing, on a yearly basis. And it seems like it just gets bigger and better every year. It really makes me proud to be a part of it.”
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Madhouse is getting ready to host a night of chaos and calamity for The Great Clips Crash Fest.
A skid race, chain race, and demolition derby will throw some non-traditional wrinkles into the action this Saturday, May 14.
Fans will get to see the always-wild chain race for the first time this season. Plus, it’s a case of Mario Kart-style drifting come to life as drivers attempt to complete five laps in the skid race. A demolition derby will cap the night as competitors try to survive the carnage to be the last driver standing.
Meanwhile, the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series returns to the Twin 25 “Madhouse Scramble” format. Burt Myers is now two wins away from the magical “century mark” after he won the Kevin Powell Motorsports 100, but the field continues to chase Mike Speeney, who opened his lead in the series standings to eight points over Brandon Ward.
The Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman, QRC HVAC & Refrigeration Street Stock, and Q104.1 Stadium Stock Series drivers will also be in action.
Gates open at 6 p.m. Saturday night with racing action to start at 8 p.m. Fans can get tickets online right now at www.bowmangrayracing.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $2 for kids ages 6 to 11.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway for All-Star Weekend, with $1 million on the line in Sunday’s All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).
Qualifying will look a little different this weekend as each Cup Series team entered will set a three-lap qualifying effort, with a mandatory pit stop on the second lap acting as the Pit Crew Challenge. The total elapsed time will set the lineups for the All-Star Open and two All-Star heat races.
Qualifying is set to begin Friday at 6 p.m. ET for Open cars and at 7 p.m. ET for All-Star cars, both on FS1.
The qualifying order below is determined via the driver’s points position in the regular season standings. Justin Allgaier will be in place of Kyle Larson for qualifying.
The qualifying order below is determined via metric that combines the previous race finish by owner (70%) and current owner points position (30%). Qualifying will be two laps and one round.
The Truck Series will take to the track for the Window World 250 on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway for All-Star Weekend, with $1 million on the line in Sunday’s All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio). Drivers not yet locked into the main event have a chance to race their way in through the All-Star Open (5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio) or win the Fan Vote to gain entry.
Qualifying will look a little different this weekend as each Cup Series team entered will set a three-lap qualifying effort, with a mandatory pit stop on the second lap acting as the Pit Crew Challenge. The total elapsed time will set the lineups for the Open and two All-Star heat races.
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — NASCAR fans already know the names of the stars on track, but in May, the often unsung heroes on pit road will get their moment to shine.
The NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway on Friday, May 16, as part of NASCAR All-Star Race Week festivities. Held exclusively at the historic short track, this high-octane, timed pit stop event is more than just a sideshow, it’s a full-blown battle of speed, precision and composure under pressure.
For one night only, the spotlight shifts from the drivers to the crew members, giving fans a front-row seat to the raw adrenaline that happens behind the wall. And the stakes? Huge. The fastest crews don’t just win bragging rights, they secure top starting positions for the Open and heat races for the NASCAR All-Star Race, setting the tone for the weekend. It’s strategy and execution at their rawest, all under the Friday night lights in Wilkes County.
For two consecutive years, the same Joe Gibbs Racing crew has taken top honors. Front tire changer Blake Houston, tire carrier Jacob Holmes, jackman Derrell Edwards and fueler Peyton Moore powered Ty Gibbs to victory in 2023 and helped Christopher Bell win the pole for the 2024 All-Star Race heats on the strength of a 13.223-second pit stop. The crew returns in 2025 alongside Bell, who is already locked into the All-Star field.
“We are excited to defend our back-to-back title in North Wilkesboro,” Edwards said. “It’s a great event to showcase the pit crews. The goal is for the trophy to stay at JGR for as many years as possible. You don’t want to miss it as the 20 (car) pit crew go for three in a row.”
Steeped in history, the Pit Crew Challenge dates back to 1967 at Rockingham Speedway, where it continued until 2003. In 2005, it was reimagined in a bracket-style format and hosted at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte during All-Star Week. Although it was discontinued in 2012, the challenge made a triumphant return in 2023 as a marquee event at North Wilkesboro’s throwback-style All-Star weekend.
“It’s always fun for the guys to have a moment. Every week, they’re in stressful situations and they really don’t get rewarded for any of the good they do, it’s expected,” said Richard Childress Racing Pit Crew Coach Ray Wright. “We look forward to having the ability to just go out there and lay it all on the line and see how fast stuff we can do, so we’re looking forward to it.”
All-Star weekend kicks off with All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil, featuring a combined All-Star/Open qualifying session and the Pit Crew Challenge. New this year, pit crews from all entered teams, both All-Star and Open, will be eligible. Open cars will go out first to set the lineup for the Open, followed by All-Star cars to determine the heat race lineups.
Drivers will take the green flag, complete one lap at speed, and on the second lap enter one of two designated pit stalls for a four-tire stop (no fuel). Once complete, they’ll race back to the checkered flag. The qualifying time will be the total elapsed time from the green to the checkered, and the overall fastest team will claim the pole for Heat Race 1 and the All-Star Race.
The pit crew with the fastest stop during the qualifying run (with no penalties) wins the Pit Crew Challenge, receiving the signature pit crew trophy and a $100,000 prize. Timing lines are set one box before and one box after the designated stop areas. Challenge results will also determine pit selection order.
NASCAR INSIGHTS’ TOP FIVE PIT CREWS These crews are ranked by average four-tire pit stop time throughout the 2025 season
1. NO. 23 23XI RACING TOYOTA
Driver: Bubba Wallace
Crew: Joe Crossen, Austin Dickey, Adam Hartman, Joshua Pech, Nathan Ricketts
2. NO. 54 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA
Driver:Ty Gibbs
Crew: Ian Anderson, Braxton Brannon, William Cooper, Jackson Gibbs, Kevon Jackson
3. NO. 11 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA
Driver: Denny Hamlin
Crew: Joel Bouagnon, Dylan Dowell, Austin Maloney, Kenneth Purcell, Deven Youker
4. NO. 17 RFK RACING FORD
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew: JaQuan Bailey, Travis Juedes, Nick Patterson, Jakob Prall, Bailey Walker
5. NO. 5 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET
Driver: Kyle Larson
Crew: Jafar Hall, Brandon Harder, Eric Ludwig, Michael Moss, Allen Stallings
SPEEDWAY, Ind. — It was a weather-shortened, dust-the-rust-off kind of opening day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the series’ most recent race winner, as he turned his first official laps Tuesday in opening practice for the 2025 Indianapolis 500.
After waiting out a light but persistent morning rain, the 34 cars vying for the 33-car grid in the May 25 race took to the 2.5-mile Speedway to see where they stand as they begin preparation for this weekend’s qualifying and next weekend’s race.
The 32-year-old Californian Larson joins an elite five-driver group to compete in racing’s Memorial Day “Double” — racing in the Indianapolis 500 in the afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway the same night. Last year, Larson finished 18th in a rain-delayed Indy 500 only to arrive in Charlotte and never get a chance to race his stock car as the 600 was called early due to bad weather.
A lightning alert ultimately stopped Tuesday’s scheduled four-hour session at Indianapolis about a half hour early, but all 34 cars entered in the race turned laps on the day.
Larson ran 45 laps total in the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet — his best lap of 221.207 mph was 24th-fastest in the field. He spent the end of the session running in traffic and said he mostly used the day to re-familiarize himself with the car.
“I was more so just trying to hit my marks today than worry about adjusting things [in the cockpit], but it was a good day,” Larson said at the end of practice.
Last year, Larson made his Indy debut qualifying fifth in the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet IndyCar — the sponsorship coming from the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team for whom he drives the No. 5 Chevrolet full-time.
With a victory Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion leads the series’ points standings by 35 points over Hendrick teammate William Byron with three wins and nine top-10 finishes through the opening 12 races.
It’s a confidence-builder heading into his pursuit to run the 1,100 miles of the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600.
“Our day was good, kinda took it easy to start in clean air and made sure our balance was comfortable — which it was — so I was happy with that,” Larson said. “There at the end finally got in some traffic and as normal had some understeer. Happy with the first day, nice smooth day. Good place to start from.”
Five cars topped the 225-mph mark on Tuesday led by 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power who turned a lap of 227.026 mph in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet — the only car to eclipse 227 mph. Power’s Penske teammate Josef Newgarden was second quickest (226.971 mph) in his pursuit to become the first driver in the storied race’s history to win three consecutive Indy 500s.
Three-time and reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou was third fastest with a lap of 226.672 mph in the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 10 Honda.
Larson conceded it’s going to be a busy two weeks, balancing Indy 500 qualifying this weekend along with competing in NASCAR’s All-Star Race in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on Sunday night. Fellow Chevrolet driver, reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier will help by qualifying Larson’s All-Star car Friday due to time conflicts this weekend, Hendrick Motorsports confirmed Tuesday.
Larson said he feels fortunate for the opportunity to compete at both Indianapolis and Charlotte and that his first day at Indianapolis felt very comfortable.
“It doesn’t seem any different, it’s just practice, not a huge deal,” Larson said. “Last year was just practice as well, you’ve got plenty of time to make some laps.”
And he added, “Focused on Indy now. Before I left Kansas, [NASCAR crew chief] Cliff [Daniels] and I talked that maybe if there’s time on Saturday we could get together and talk about how their practice went and stuff like that and get prepared for the race on Sunday. It’s nice we are so well-organized over there.”
Practice continues every day this week, on Wednesday scheduled from noon-6 p.m. ET. The first session from noon-4 p.m. will be televised on FS2 and then the final two hours from 4-6 p.m. ET on FS1.
After an extended break, the stars of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour are back in action Sunday with the running of the FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway (2 p.m. ET on FloRacing and The NASCAR Channel).
While the Modified Tour has raced on the same day or weekend at the same track as the NASCAR Cup Series before, this marks the first time the Tour has raced on the same day and same track as the NASCAR All Star Race.
This marks just the third race for the Modified Tour at North Wilkesboro in the 40-year history of the series. Matt Hirschman triumphed in the inaugural race at the track in 2023, and Justin Bonsignore dominated the 2024 edition of the event.
Tickets to Sunday’s FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the third race of the 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
Justin Bonsignore is the most recent Modified Tour winner at North Wilkesboro Speedway. (Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)
FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway
The NASCAR All Star Race is one of the biggest events on the Cup Series calendar. This year, with the addition of the Modified Tour to the race-day schedule at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the event is even bigger.
More than 30 drivers are entered to compete in Sunday afternoon’s FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150, and all of them will be looking to take the first elevator ride of the day to Victory Lane at the historic 0.625-mile asphalt oval.
Leading the charge will be Justin Bonsignore, the most recent Modified Tour winner at North Wilkesboro. The driver of the No. 51 Ken Massa Motorsports Modified dominated at North Wilkesboro last fall, leading 130 of 150 laps on his way to Victory Lane. He’ll be among the drivers to beat Sunday.
A trio of drivers with Cup Series experience will be among those looking to deny Bonsignore a return trip to Victory Lane at North Wilkesboro. Ryan Newman will make his second start of the season and first aboard the Mystic Missile No. 4 owned by Tim Connolly. Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion, makes his first start of 2025 in the No. 38 fielded out of the PSR Products shop.
Corey LaJoie will make his first Modified Tour start since 2023. LaJoie, a series winner at Martinsville Speedway in 2022, has six previous Modified Tour starts. He’ll be driving the No. 77 Modified owned by Mike Curb.
Conner Jones, a winner in CARS Tour competition who has made starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will make his Modified Tour debut Sunday. It’ll be a busy weekend for Jones, who is scheduled to race in both CARS Tour races, the Truck Series race and the Modified Tour event at North Wilkesboro this weekend.
Matt Hirschman, who won the inaugural Modified Tour race at North Wilksboro in 2023, is in the field in pursuit of his first series win of 2025. Championship leader Patrick Emerling, a series winner already this year at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, will try to pad his advantage with a win at North Wilkesboro.
Other notable entries include Austin Beers, Luke Baldwin, Carson Loftin, Stephen Kopcik, Craig Lutz, Tommy and Trevor Catalano, Eric Goodale, Joey Coulter and Kyle Bonsignore, among others.
The complete entry list for Sunday’s FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 is available here.
Cars race past signage during the Brushy Mountain Powersports 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina on September 30, 2023. (Photo: Eakin Howard/NASCAR)
SCHEDULE: Sunday, May 18 … Final practice from 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. ET … Qualifying at 12:45 p.m. ET … Start of the FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 (150 Laps / 93.75 Miles) at 2 p.m. ET
QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.
TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is nine (9) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is two (2) tires per stop.
The NASCAR All Star Race is one of the biggest events on the Cup Series calendar. This year, with the addition of the Modified Tour to the race-day schedule at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the event is even bigger.