Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend with qualifying set for Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET on FS2.

QUALIFYING ORDER: Cup Series All-Star Race | Cup Series All-Star Open | Craftsman Truck Series

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).

MORE: See full Weekend Schedule

# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points

Pos.Car No.DriverMetric ScoreGroup
1 67Ryan Roulette40.41
26Norm Benning39.51
375Patrick Emerling39.21
490Justin Carroll38.91
502Jayson Alexander29.31
666Luke Baldwin28.51
733Frankie Muniz #28.31
822Tyler Tomassi(i)25.61
934Layne Riggs251
102Derek White24.71
1176Spencer Boyd23.91
1215Tanner Gray23.71
1344Connor Jones23.31
1491Jack Wood22.51
155Toni Breidinger #22.41
1677Andres Perez De Lara #20.21
1781Connor Mosack #19.81
1871Rajah Caruth19.21
1926Dawson Sutton16.52
2042Matt Mills14.72
2188Matt Crafton14.52
2238Chandler Smith12.52
2318Tyler Ankrum12.42
2498Ty Majeski11.92
2599Ben Rhodes11.32
261Brent Crews10.82
2745Kaden Honeycutt8.62
289Grant Enfinger8.12
2919Daniel Hemric7.92
3052Stewart Friesen7.42
3113Jake Garcia7.32
3217Giovanni Ruggiero #72
337Sammy Smith(i)3.42
3407Kyle Busch(i)2.92
3511Corey Heim2.42

 

 

Posted on by Staff Report

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 ORDER: Cup Series All-Star Race | Cup Series All-Star Open | Craftsman Truck Series

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.

RELATED: All-Star Race format explained

Qualifying is set to begin Friday at 6 p.m. ET on FS1.

The qualifying order below is determined via the driver’s points position in the regular season standings.

MORE: Weekend Schedule | Live lineup updates 

# denotes series rookie
(i) denotes ineligible for driver points

Pos.Car No.DriverPoints Pos.
1
66Chad Finchum43
215Cody Ware36
388Shane van Gisbergen #35
441Cole Custer34
535Riley Herbst #32
64Noah Gragson31
710Ty Dillon30
843Erik Jones29
97Justin Haley28
1054Ty Gibbs26
1116AJ Allmendinger25
1234Todd Gilliland24
1338Zane Smith23
1471Michael McDowell21
1577Carson Hocevar20
1642John Hunter Nemechek19
1760Ryan Preece16
1823Bubba Wallace10

Posted on by Track Release

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.

RELATED: Full explanation of expanded All-Star Race format

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.”

RELATED: All-Star weekend schedule | All-Star Fan Vote polls open

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

Posted on by Holly Cain

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.

MORE: Larson’s schedule for May

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.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

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
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.

North Wilkesboro Speedway
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)

RACING REFERENCE

RACE FACTS

Race FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150
Date Sunday, May 18, 2025
Track North Wilkesboro Speedway
Layout 0.625-mile asphalt oval
Location North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Start time 2 p.m. ET
Laps 150
Posted Awards $136,805
Tickets Here
How To Watch FloRacing / The NASCAR Channel

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.

Posted on by Staff Report

From Kansas to Indiana to North Carolina — and back and forth a few times — this stretch of May has Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson logging almost as many miles on the race track as he does traveling in the air.

A knockout of the field last weekend at Kansas Speedway set the stage for a two-week stretch that will see Larson in three different car types, on multiple tracks, as he once again barrels toward The Double — an attempt at completing both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, May 25.

One day after his Cup Series win at the 1.5-mile track, Larson was in Kokomo, Indiana, in a High Limit Racing sprint car race at Kokomo Speedway. He charged from 17th to sixth in the main event, logging a top-10 finish as Rico Abreu won in spectacular fashion.

Now, it’s over to the big oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Indianapolis 500 prep this week, with the NASCAR All-Star Race looming.

Below is Kyle Larson’s schedule through the Coca-Cola 600.

Kyle Larson’s May schedule

All times ET.

Sunday, May 11

– 3 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway | Results

Monday, May 12

– 7:30 p.m.: High Limits Racing sprint car event at Kokomo, Indiana

Tuesday, May 13

– 12:15 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 ROP & Refreshers
– 2:15 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice

Wednesday, May 14

– Noon: Indianapolis 500 practice

Thursday, May 15

– Noon: Indianapolis 500 practice

Friday, May 16

– Noon: Indianapolis 500 practice
– 4:30 p.m.: NASCAR All-Star Race pit road qualifying practice (FS2)
– 5 p.m.: NASCAR All-Star Race practice (FS2)
– 6:15 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualification draw
– 7 p.m.: NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying (FS1)

Saturday, May 17

– 11 a.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying
-5:10 p.m.: All-Star heat races (FS2) (Hendrick Motorsports announced the No. 5 team will skip Saturday’s All-Star heat races) 

Sunday, May 18

– 1 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice (Top 12)
– 2 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 (Last chance qualifiers)
– 4:05 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 qualifying (Top 12)
– 5:15 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 last chance qualifying
– 6:25 p.m.: Indianapolis 500, Firestone Fast Six
– 8 p.m.: NASCAR All-Star Race (FS1)

Monday, May 19

– 1 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice

Tuesday, May 20

– Media Tour in New York City

Friday, May 23 (Carb Day)

– 11 a.m.: Indianapolis 500 practice
– 2:30 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 pit stop challenge

Saturday, May 24

– 10:30 a.m.: Indianapolis 500 public drivers meeting
– 1:30 p.m.: Coca-Cola 600 practice (Prime Video)
– 2:40 p.m.: Coca-Cola 600 qualifying (Prime Video)

Sunday, May 25

– 12:45 p.m.: Indianapolis 500
– 6 p.m.: Coca-Cola 600 (Prime Video)

Posted on by Alex Cadavid

Quietly putting together a remarkable season, Ryan Preece netted his fourth top 10 of 2025 in this past Sunday’s Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, and he did so by being the only driver to have top-10 rankings across the board, per NASCAR Insights.

After his seventh-place finish, the No. 60 RFK Racing driver jumped two spots in the regular-season points standings and currently sits as the first driver out of the Cup Series Playoff picture through 12 races, eyeing to continue his career-best year.

MORE: Kansas results | NASCAR Insights analysis explained

After 400 miles in Kansas City, Preece had the second-best passing and pit crew ratings, fourth-best rating on restarts, eighth-best defensive rating and ninth-fastest car, per NASCAR Insights. To boot, he ranked better than race winner Kyle Larson in passing, restarts and on pit road, which showcases that Preece and Co. are operating on a level capable of contending for wins. The performance is also just one of several flashes the No. 60 driver has shown this season with his new team, as it marks their third top 10 on 1.5-mile tracks, with one of those finishes being third at Las Vegas.

In the grand scheme of things, Preece is on pace to have his best season at NASCAR’s highest level as he’s one race off from matching his season-most five top-10 finishes and on track to finish top 20 in points. His season averages, according to NASCAR Insights, show that he’s been nothing but steady by having the fifth-best Passer Rating and ranking in the top 15 in the other four categories this year.

The important thing Kansas did for Preece was break a run of four finishes of 20th or worse since Martinsville. With a few more intermediate tracks lined up after All-Star Weekend (Charlotte and Nashville), it allows the Berlin, Connecticut, native to build up momentum on more similar style tracks where he’s already had success this season. Plus, he will need more solid points days in the second half of the regular season to get to the plus side of the playoff bubble.

Other notables from Sunday:

— Kyle Larson now has top-five rankings in all five categories after his win and takes over the points lead for the first time this year.

— Chase Briscoe finished fourth after not ranking top 10 in any category across the board.

— The three fastest cars, according to NASCAR Insights, all finished top three.

view of stats post cup series race at Kanas.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Kyle Larson put another drubbing on the field at Kansas Speedway, leading 221 laps — and topping 10,000-plus for his career in the process — en route to his third 2025 win of the season. He held off dirt rival Christopher Bell in the closing moments, and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver could be about to take center stage once again after a sizzling, early-season streak of three wins.

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series contenders after the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway and before Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: 2025 Cup Series schedule | Full Cup Series standings

Analysis: Larson is not going to win every week, obviously, but there’s no other driver in the series right now who makes you think, “You know, maybe … “ With his latest stomping in the books, Larson will now shift his focus to Sunday night’s $1 million prize as he looks for a second All-Star Race win at North Wilkesboro.

Analysis: It’s a shame Byron’s race was derailed so early — and, worth noting, he fought back to finish 24th — as he likely had the speed to battle with his teammate for the win. No. 24 has been fast all year, and he’ll hope to show that off on Sunday night as he looks for just his third All-Star Race top 10.

Analysis: Bell hasn’t had as many words written about him lately as he did during his three-race win streak, but in reality, his performance hasn’t really dipped at all and actually just turned in his second-best points day of the season on Sunday at Kansas. You can bank on him landing his second All-Star Race top 10 on Sunday and being in the mix to win.

Analysis: “Clutch” jokes aside, Hamlin’s mechanical failure at Kansas was a bummer for him, as the potential for a fifth Kansas win felt very much in play otherwise. With a pair of recent runner-ups in the All-Star Race but no wins in a decade, expect him to be motivated to battle for victory on Sunday.

Analysis: Blaney continues to be among the fastest cars, if not the fastest, each week, and perhaps could have run down Larson if the race had a handful more laps. The 2022 All-Star Race winner hasn’t led an All-Star lap since claiming that checkered flag, but it’s hard to see how that doesn’t change this weekend.

Analysis: A P15 isn’t horrendous, and yet there’s perhaps no driver more looking forward to turning the page from Kansas and looking ahead to North Wilkesboro. Though he’s only won it a single time (2020), Elliott shines in the All-Star Race and has finished eighth or better in all but two of his nine starts.

Analysis: Surprisingly, Reddick was a non-factor at Kansas with no stage points and a P17, and all of a sudden his 86 laps led for the year look a little more glaring as we hit the one-third point of the season. Perhaps also worth noting, he’s never led a lap in an All-Star Race.

Analysis: We already knew Logano was back in business, but it’s still worth mentioning that Kansas’ ninth-place result marked his first back-to-back top 10s of the season. He returns to North Wilkesboro as the defending All-Star Race winner after toying with the field for 199 laps led last year.

Analysis: Bowman continues to take advantage of his incredible notebook at Kansas, adding his 11th top 10 there and looking like he’s capable of stealing a Round of 8 spot this fall. He’s another guy who seems to bring it at the All-Star Race as No. 48 hasn’t finished worse than eighth since 2018.

Analysis: Chastain’s average start this year (23.8) is the worst he’s compiled on a full-time basis since his Premium Motorsports days, yet he’s only a hair off his career-best average finish set in 2022 (13.3). His first top 10 in the All-Star Race came last year and he’s likely to get another one, even if he’ll have to come from the back for it.

Analysis: 23XI Racing — apart from Corey Heim’s bright spot of turning in a solid run in his fourth Cup start — had a miserable day at Kansas, Wallace not excluded. A quick rebound could be in order, however, as he has a top-six finish in three of his four All-Star Races.

Analysis: Briscoe can clearly make it happen when the factors are right, and four of his five top 10s this year have seen him finish inside the top five. Eventually, those will translate into wins, and despite missing the cut for last year’s All-Star Race, his last showing in the exhibition event in 2023 also netted a top five.

Analysis: It’s tough to say whether Buescher preferred his P8 garnered yesterday or his heartbreaking runner-up from a year ago, but either way, he continues to look the part of a contender and should find his way to Victory Lane sooner rather than later. Last year’s third-place All-Star finisher will likely have a shot this weekend, too.

Analysis: Decent day at Kansas for Cindric, who landed in the top five in Stage 1 but dipped just outside the top 10 in 11th at the checkered. After picking up a P3 in his first All-Star Race in 2022, No. 22 hasn’t finished better than 20th, but there’s a great chance he does on Sunday.

Analysis: Berry’s average finish is only slightly better than last year’s in a lame-duck season for Stewart-Haas Racing, but he’s been a factor in significantly more races this season, as we saw at Kansas. The sophomore didn’t make last year’s All-Star Race, but has one start in it in the past — when he won the Open and landed 15th in the race subbing for Bowman in the No. 48.

Analysis: Preece is now just one top 10 shy of matching his career-best of five set last year and it looks like he’ll genuinely be battling for a playoff spot this season, perhaps even clinching with a win. He’s yet to make an All-Star Race appearance, but looks like a solid bet to make the magic happen in the Open.

Analysis: Stenhouse isn’t setting the world on fire but is doing just enough to stay afloat, and sometimes that’s enough. He certainly made some headlines at last year’s All-Star event and hopes to pick up his first career top 10 in one on Sunday.

Analysis: Nemechek has now earned back-to-back top 10s for the second time this season as he continues to look sporty much more often than many anticipated. He’ll likely need to race his way in to make his first All-Star Race, and it looks quite possible from what we’ve seen.

Analysis: We still have a ways to go, but Busch is on pace to finish outside the top 10 in points for the fourth consecutive year after not having done that in back-to-back seasons at all since 2011-12. The past few All-Star Races for him haven’t been remarkable, either (on-track at least), and it doesn’t feel very likely he all of a sudden turns it around Sunday.

Analysis: Hocevar wasn’t able to sweep the weekend and take the Cup race after winning in the Truck Series, but he did lead the field for a handful of laps before landing 26th. One of the sport’s rising stars has All-Star Race appearances in his future, but he’ll likely have to race in this weekend if he wants the first one to come Sunday. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Before the 2025 All-Star Race on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), NASCAR Cup Series drivers not locked into the main event will do battle at the iconic North Wilkesboro Speedway in the All-Star Open (5 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series All-Star Race | Cup Series All-Star Open | Truck Series 

Noah Gragson is one of 18 drivers slated to participate in the All-Star Open. Gragson has won the All-Star Fan Vote each of the last two seasons and currently ranks inside the top five in votes for this year’s running; cast your ballot before the polls close Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Here is the entry list for the All-Star Open:

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series pauses regular-season action for the star-studded 2025 All-Star Race scheduled Sunday at the iconic North Wilkesboro Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series All-Star Race | Cup Series All-Star Open | Truck Series

On Monday, a late entrant in the field was revealed as Harrison Burton will pilot the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford in the main event. The 24-year-old driver, currently racing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for AM Racing, triumphed at Daytona International Speedway last August for his first career Cup Series win and Wood Brothers Racing’s 100th victory in NASCAR’s premier series. Now, Burton will have the opportunity to perhaps leave his winning mark once again.

“The All-Star Race is one of those events you grow up dreaming about, so to have a spot on the grid is really special,” Burton said in a press release. “Winning at Daytona last year was a huge moment in my career, and I’m thankful to Rick and the entire RWR team for giving me the opportunity to make that win count by putting me in their car for the All-Star Race. We’ve been building some great momentum in the Xfinity Series, and I’m looking forward to carrying that into North Wilkesboro and competing against the best in the sport.”

The 2025 All-Star Race will be the first time Rick Ware Racing has participated in the celebrated exhibition.

Here is the entry list for the exciting event: