Posted on by Reid Spencer

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Kyle Larson’s third victory in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race was a case of absolute dominance.

It was also a case study in strategy at a revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the eventual winning move made on Lap 18 of 200.

That’s when Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels, called his driver to the pits under caution for a fresh set of tires. Even though Larson incurred a speeding penalty exiting pit road and restarted from the rear, he charged through the field on new rubber and took the lead from Daniel Suárez on Lap 55.

From that point on, it was game over.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Having won previous All-Star Races at Charlotte and Texas, Larson is the only driver to win the $1 million top prize at three different venues. Larson is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for second-most victories in the exhibition event, one behind Jimmie Johnson’s four triumphs.

Not only that. The win gave Larson a sweep of NASCAR events at the reborn 0.625-mile short track. On Saturday, he won the Craftsman Truck Series race in NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1996.

“I can’t even tell you what it means,” Larson said. “This is my third All-Star win and my third different track. In a historical place like that, you guys and the crowd made this weekend so awesome. We could feel the atmosphere all weekend.

“So much fun there. That was an old-school (expletive)-whipping, for sure. We had a great car on the long run there and was just thinking for sure there was going to be a caution. I got out to a big lead, and I could see everybody’s cars were driving like (expletive) in front of me, but I cannot thank this 5 team enough.

“We were God awful all weekend. Practice, I was like the worst on 30-lap average, went backwards in a heat race yesterday. We obviously had some strategy work out there in the beginning, but we drove from dead last to the lead and checked out by 12 or 13 seconds (before the competition caution at Lap 101). Then I just could pace myself there that last run.”

Once Larson grabbed the top spot, he held it the rest of the way, except for one lap under the competition caution led by Suárez. In a race that saw three lead changes among two drivers, Larson led 145 laps to Suárez’s 55.

Comfortably in front after a restart on Lap 111, Larson crossed the finish line 4.537 seconds ahead of runner-up Bubba Wallace, who duplicated Larson’s Lap 18 pit stop strategy but couldn’t match the speed of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“No, just his capability throughout the whole run, he could attack hard and then have something there at the end,” Wallace said of Larson’s superior performance. “If this was any other race, I’d be excited, but for a million dollars to come up short and walk home with nothing …

“Tail tucked between our legs, but all in all, just continuing to ride the momentum train. … Just have to keep it going. Now we show back up to home turf (for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and really got to keep the momentum going there and get ourselves deeper into the playoffs.

“Excited to be where we’re at right now. Just came up one spot short.”

MORE: Larson celebrates North Wilkesboro win with celebratory burnout

Tyler Reddick finished third, followed by Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott. Ryan Blaney, Suárez, Erik Jones, Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano completed the top 10.

In an emotionally charged NASCAR All-Star Open, Josh Berry and Ty Gibbs transferred into the main event, but in Gibbs’ case, not without bruising Michael McDowell’s feelings.

Subbing for injured Alex Bowman, Berry beat Gibbs to the finish line in the 100-lap event by 0.571 seconds as the top two drivers advanced (along with Fan Vote winner Noah Gragson). But Berry likely would not have held the lead were it not for McDowell.

On Lap 50, contact from Gibbs’ Toyota turned McDowell’s Ford into the Chevrolet of Justin Haley after McDowell had gained positions on the restart following a competition caution. On Lap 78, McDowell got even. As Gibbs attempted to lap the Front Row Motorsports driver, McDowell squeezed the No. 54 Toyota into the inside wall.

The contact broke Gibbs’ momentum and allowed Berry to pass for the lead, which the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet held the rest of the way.

“I kind of understand (McDowell’s) frustration,” Gibbs said, “but at Martinsville, we were running 18th, and they clobbered us and wrecked us, so I think it’s honestly fair game.”

SHOP: Get winner gear

McDowell believes Gibbs has some lessons to learn.

“It’s short-track racing to try to get into the All-Star Race, so somebody’s going to leave with hurt feelings—I guess it’s me,” McDowell said. “I got a great restart there, kind of worked the outside, got a couple of guys and was able to get down, and Ty just plowed into me, just knocked me into the 31 (Haley) and spun us both out…

“All that stuff comes around, man. You can get away with it a few times, but it comes around. I don’t have the budget for the fine. Otherwise, I would not be standing here. I’d be standing down there (confronting Gibbs on pit road).”

Unable to get to Gibbs’ bumper in the closing laps, Aric Almirola finished third in the Open. Ryan Preece was fourth, followed by AJ Allmendinger, JJ Yeley and Gragson.

The Cup Series will return to regular-season action on May 28 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the running of the Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Post-race inspection concluded without issue in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, confirming Larson as the winner.

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR Charlotte TV programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR Charlotte TV schedule.

Note: All NASCAR Charlotte TV times are ET.

MORE: How to find USA Network | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing | How to watch NASCAR International

Monday, May 22
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub, Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS2
4 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS2
10 a.m., NASCAR All-Star Open race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS2
Noon, NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Tuesday, May 23
Noon, NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
8 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Open race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS1
11 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS1

Wednesday, May 24
1 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive 2022 (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., Greatest Races: 2005 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
11 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway (re-air), FS2

Thursday, May 25
1 a.m., NASCAR 75: The Greatest Countdown Show Ever! (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock

Friday, May 26
Noon, NASCAR Pace Lap, MAVTV
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice, qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR Pace Lap (re-air), MAVTV
3 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Weekend Edition, FS1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1
6:05 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at Autodrome Granby, FloRacing
8 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1

On MRN:
6 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Saturday, May 27
Midnight, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Charlotte (re-air), FS2
8 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Charlotte (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., ARCA Menards Series East: Dutch Boy 150 at Flat Rock Speedway (re-air), CNBC
11:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Xfinity Series, FS1 (Subject to change)
Noon, NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1 (POSTPONED, MOVED TO MONDAY AT 11 A.M. ET)
5 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at Riverhead Raceway, FloRacing
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, FloRacing
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series practice, qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at Jennerstown Speedway, FloRacing
7 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at Berlin Raceway, FloRacing
7:45 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at Bowman Gray Stadium, FloRacing
7:45 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour: Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway, FloRacing
10 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at Alaska Raceway Park, FloRacing

On PRN:
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sunday, May 28
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series practice, qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series practice, qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
4 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Charlotte (re-air), FS2
4:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Cup Series, FS1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Cup Series, FOX
6 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FOX (POSTPONED, MOVED TO MONDAY AT 3 P.M. ET)

On PRN
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Posted on by Zack Albert

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Ty Gibbs advanced to the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday, putting another rookie into the main event at North Wilkesboro Speedway. But transferring as the Open’s runner-up came at the expense of veteran Michael McDowell, who expressed his frustration — with fenders and words.

Gibbs finished second behind Open race winner Josh Berry, who subbed in for the injured Alex Bowman for the fourth straight week. But the 100-lap preliminary fireworks helped Berry’s No. 48 Chevrolet slip by for the checkered flag.

Gibbs had ignited a crash with McDowell, sending his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota into the back of the veteran’s No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. McDowell slipped out of the groove and made contact with Justin Haley’s No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, causing significant damage to both cars.

McDowell told his crew to fix his car “so I can take care of it,” he said on the No. 34 radio. When Gibbs encountered McDowell on the backstretch to put him another lap down, McDowell squeezed Gibbs toward the inside wall. Their contact allowed Berry to sneak past in the 78th lap and lead the rest of the way.

McDowell — who finished three laps down in 13th — said he showed “100% restraint” and made sure that his message to Gibbs wouldn’t impact Berry’s day.

RELATED: Berry wins All-Star Open | At-track photos

“I wasn’t going to ruin anybody else’s race, and I just wasn’t going to wave them by,” McDowell said. “I was going to make him go around on the outside, and he still wanted to try to go through the bottom, which he was setting himself up. I should’ve ran him into the barrels and called it good.”

Gibbs’ crew chief Chris Gayle told Gibbs on the No. 54 radio post-race: “Good job staying level-headed and consistent when others weren’t.” The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate said the two had a run-in last month at Martinsville Speedway, an incident that he had let slide.

“I was just setting him up to pass him and try to get away from him as fast as I can. I feel like that’s the best thing I could have done …,” said Gibbs, who led a race-high 53 laps. “I understand it, but at the same time, we got clobbered for 18th at Martinsville and completely wrecked across the frontstretch, and I never said or did anything afterward. I got it back kind of a little much, but it was him and the 31 getting connected. Everybody’s pushing each other down in an LCQ (last-chance qualifier) race. So it’s a mess.”

McDowell suggested that there was no real history between the two, and he acknowledged Gibbs’ aggressive style as he talked about their on-track relationship.

“It wouldn’t matter who it is. I mean, when you get run over, you’re gonna be upset,” McDowell said. “I mean, I haven’t had any issues with Ty really, previously. It’s not like this is building up. But it wouldn’t matter if it was the 10, the 41 or the 48 (Aric Almirola, Ryan Preece, Berry). If you get run over, you’ve got to expect that I’m not going to just wave them by the next time I see him. So it’s just racing.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The fans have spoken, and Noah Gragson will fill the final lineup spot in Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (8 ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

This is the first time that Gragson, who drives the No. 42 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club, has won the All-Star Fan Vote, and this will be his first All-Star Race appearance.

RELATED: How All-Star Race lineup is built 

The fan vote has existed since 2004, when Ken Schrader won the inaugural polling. Kasey Kahne, in 2008, is the only fan vote winner who has gone on to win the All-Star Race. Kyle Petty, Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer are also on the list of fan vote winners.

“We’ve been voted most popular driver in the trucks and the Xfinity Series, and then to get the fan vote in the Cup Series for this All-Star Race, it means a lot,” Gragson told NASCAR.com. “It means you get an opportunity to race for a million bucks. I know the car’s torn up; we’re working hard to get that back, but you still have an opportunity, and everybody’s been working really hard, campaigning for the fan vote. … It means a ton to me. It means a ton to be a part of this All-Star Weekend. I know as a little kid in Vegas, going to the NBA All-Star Game and then seeing all the All-Star stuff on TV as a kid, the little kid in me is super-excited.”

Drivers were eligible for the fan vote if they attempted to qualify for the 2023 Daytona 500, had not won a 2023 NASCAR Cup Series race yet or did not finish inside the top two in the NASCAR All-Star Open qualifying race. The top five in voting coming into the final weekend, along with Gragson, were AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Corey LaJoie and Ryan Preece.

All-Star Fan Vote winners:

YearDriverStartFinish
2004Ken Schrader2413
2005Martin Truex Jr.2222
2006Kyle Petty208
2007Kenny Wallace2116
2008Kasey Kahne241
2009Joey Logano218
2010Carl Edwards2121
2011Dale Earnhardt Jr.2114
2012Bobby Labonte2319
2013Danica Patrick2220
2014Josh Wise1915
2015Danica Patrick620
2016Chase Elliott76
2017Chase Elliott207
2018Chase Elliott215
2019Alex Bowman198
2020Clint Bowyer2015
2021Matt DiBenedetto2117
2022Erik Jones2420
2023Noah Gragson24TBD

Posted on by Brandon White

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – For most of Sunday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200, it appeared Ron Silk would finally visit Victory Lane at Riverhead Raceway in his 23rd NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start at the track.

Instead, Justin Bonsignore ended up celebrating his 10th career Whelen Modified Tour victory at Riverhead.

A dominant performance for Silk was undone by a perfect restart from Bonsignore on the outside line with less than 10 laps remaining. Bonsignore subsequently held off Silk during an overtime restart to further establish himself as the most dominant driver at Riverhead in the last decade.

RELATED: Complete race results from the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200

“Ron and I have been beating the hell out of each other all year,” Bonsignore said. “That caution with 15 to go was good for us, and I got a really good restart after he spun the tires bad. We were beating and banging, and I thought we were going to wreck when that yellow came out but thank God we didn’t.

“It’s unbelievable to get No. 10 here and it’s a cool way to get into Victory Lane after a battle like that.”

Bonsignore’s dominance at Riverhead dates to 2011 when he earned his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory after leading 158 of the 175 laps.

With accomplishments at the facility that include four consecutive victories spanning from 2018-2019, Bonsignore has set a commanding precedent for both full-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitors and track regulars each time the series visits Riverhead.

Silk was confident his car was strong enough to outrun Bonsignore heading into the weekend. He quickly wrestled the lead away from Bonsignore after the initial start and methodically controlled the race while navigating his way through slower traffic.

The decision by Silk to take the inside line on the penultimate restart ultimately gave Bonsignore the opening he needed to pull ahead and deny the 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion the opportunity to add a Riverhead win to his resume.

Despite the disappointment, Silk still considered the afternoon a success and believes the speed he showed on Sunday will carry over into the next two Riverhead events on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour calendar.

“This is the best car we’ve had here in a while,” Silk said. “I thought I was a little bit better than Justin even after he got by me. The bottom is where you want to be on the restart, but I didn’t do a good enough job and he was able to get in front of me. This is the best we’ve run here so far, and hopefully we’ll do a little better [in the next race].”

Bonsignore said Silk’s efficiency in the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 highlighted just how tough NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins are to obtain, but he added the challenge provided by the series only made his 10th Riverhead victory even more memorable.

“Anytime you can win one of these races is special,” Bonsignore said. “We’ve won our fair share over the years, but they never get any easier because everyone is always trying harder each year to take down the previous year’s champion. We had a tough year last year but have had at least a second-place car just about every race.

“[If] you put yourself in that position, you’re going to win races.”

Bonsignore will have two more chances to add to his Riverhead win total during the 2023 season. His next triumph at the facility will tie him with Mike Ewanitsko, who claimed 11 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins at Riverhead from 1987 to 2000.

Defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Jon McKennedy finished third in the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200, with Tyler Rypkema and Eric Goodale completing the top-five. J.B. Fortin, Patrick Emerling, Jake Johnson, Craig Lutz and Kyle Bonsignore rounded out the top-10 finishers.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be back in action on Saturday, May 27 with the running of the Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway. The green flag will wave at 7:45 p.m. ET with FloRacing providing live coverage.

Posted on by Brandon White

Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200

Riverhead Raceway

Riverheadraceway

  • Race Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Laps Diff
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc. 212
2 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine & Future Homes 212 0.175
3 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Industries 212 0.662
4 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Driling/MUSCO Lighting 212 1.402
5 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 212 1.972
6 34 J.B. Fortin A&R Materials/CYA Screen Printing/Queens Concrete 212 2.428
7 07 Patrick Emerling Bonesteel Aerospace 212 2.705
8 3 Jake Johnson* Propane Plus/Lin’s Propane Trucks 212 2.714
9 82 Craig Lutz Horton Ave Materials 212 3.264
10 22 Kyle Bonsignore Bonsignore Performance Tools/Chalew Performance 212 4.486
11 66 Timmy Solomito Highmark/Natural Designs 212 4.902
12 49 Chris Young* Sendlewski Architects 212 5.3
13 60 Kyle Soper Elite Towing/Baker Racing 212 5.386
14 45 Jack Handley, Jr.* Hydro-Action/Suffolk Precast 212 5.438
15 5 John Beatty, Jr. Elite Sound Studios, Inc. 212 5.72
16 92 Anthony Nocella Nocella Paving/K and D Associates/Airgas 212 6.018
17 64 Austin Beers Hughes Motors/AP Marquadt & Sons/Dell Electric 212 12.645
18 46 Justin Brown* Riverhead Building Supply 211 1 Lap
19 7 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools 210 2 Laps
20 27 Gary McDonald Lakeland Ave Landscape Supply/L.I. Wood Heat 209 3 Laps
21 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 209 3 Laps
22 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 205 7 Laps
23 10 Dylan Slepian Eastport Feeds 196 16 Laps
24 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 196 16 Laps
25 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 171 41 Laps
26 26 Eddie Brunnhoelzl III Lakeland Landscape Supply 79 133 Laps
27 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feeds 79 133 Laps
28 81 Chris Turbush* Mike Smith/Cromers Market 3 209 Laps
Posted on by Brandon White

Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200

Riverhead Raceway

Riverheadraceway

  • Practice Results
Pos No. Name Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 66 Timmy Solomito 11.657 77.207 8 40 —
2 10 Dylan Slepian 11.666 77.147 9 40 0.009
3 58 Eric Goodale 11.678 77.068 8 52 0.021
4 7 Doug Coby 11.682 77.042 10 38 0.025
5 51 Justin Bonsignore 11.694 76.963 8 40 0.037
6 16 Ron Silk 11.698 76.936 9 47 0.041
7 60 Kyle Soper 11.714 76.831 6 33 0.057
8 64 Austin Beers 11.727 76.746 10 32 0.07
9 45 Jack Handley, Jr.* 11.731 76.72 10 32 0.074
10 5 John Beatty, Jr. 11.736 76.687 7 39 0.079
11 79 Jon McKennedy 11.75 76.596 11 40 0.093
12 46 Justin Brown* 11.754 76.57 11 34 0.097
13 82 Craig Lutz 11.763 76.511 8 35 0.106
14 2 J.R. Bertuccio 11.78 76.401 8 33 0.123
15 96 Matthew Brode 11.79 76.336 9 40 0.133
16 32 Tyler Rypkema 11.793 76.316 13 40 0.136
17 34 J.B. Fortin 11.83 76.078 21 37 0.173
18 07 Patrick Emerling 11.854 75.924 21 30 0.197
19 92 Anthony Nocella 11.885 75.726 19 20 0.228
20 3 Jake Johnson* 11.9 75.63 46 46 0.243
21 22 Kyle Bonsignore 11.928 75.453 23 32 0.271
22 88 Roger Turbush 11.988 75.075 19 24 0.331
23 81 Chris Turbush* 12.012 74.925 10 18 0.355
24 26 Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 12.018 74.888 10 51 0.361
25 49 Chris Young* 12.106 74.343 21 30 0.449
26 18 Ken Heagy 12.157 74.031 19 28 0.5
27 36 Dave Sapienza 12.161 74.007 8 34 0.504
28 01 Melissa Fifield 12.603 71.412 8 26 0.946
29 27 Gary McDonald 12.754 70.566 9 29 1.097
Posted on by Staff Report

See above where your favorite driver will pit in Sunday’s All-Star Race in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Key story lines to watch Sunday

Also, see below where your favorite driver will pit in Sunday’s All-Star Open (5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

All-Star Open pit stalls

Posted on by Staff Report

For the first time since 1996, it’s NASCAR race weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

The NASCAR All-Star Race is back in the state of North Carolina and shifts to the 0.625-mile oval in Wilkes County at the historic short track, which welcomes back the Cup Series and its modern-day stars on Sunday night (8 ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

With the All-Star Race comes unique changes to the weekend format, at the forefront of which are a Pit Crew Challenge and heat races. The main goal, however, remains a simple, easy-to-follow setup that’s bound to excite throughout this special weekend.

RELATED: Best photos from All-Star weekend

Here’s how it works:

• Lineups for the two heat races and the All-Star Open were determined by Friday’s Pit Crew Challenge, which featured each team performing a four-tire pit stop. The winning No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team of driver Ty Gibbs started Sunday’s All-Star Open from the pole position.

• The 21 teams locked into the All-Star Race were split into two heat races on Saturday night. Those who finished first, third, fifth and so on in the Pit Crew Challenge competed in the first heat race; those who finished second, fourth, sixth and so on competed in the second heat.

• The two 60-lap heats helped determine the starting positions in Sunday night’s $1 million main event. The results of the first heat set the inside row — first, third, fifth and so on — for the starting grid of the All-Star Race, while Heat 2 set the outside, even-numbered positions.

• The 16 drivers not yet locked into the main event fought through the 100-lap All-Star Open event to earn one of two transfer positions into the All-Star Race. The top two finishers advance to the All-Star Race. In addition, the Fan Vote winner also bumps from the Open into the All-Star Race. The award is granted to the driver with the most votes who did not already advance via the transfer positions.

Heat Race No. 1: Results

A switch to wet-weather tires before the race didn’t sway the field from attempting to put on their best during the 60-lap sprint to the finish. After Chase Elliott initially rose atop the field, Daniel Suárez vaulted ahead of the No. 9 Chevrolet on Lap 27 and held strong to hold off a resurgent Joey Logano to win the opening heat.

“I think we had more grip with the wets than we did with the drys,” Suárez said of the tire choice for his heat. “These tires, for some reason, they had so much forward drive … I feel like our car was pretty damn good.”

Finishing SpotCar NumberDriver
199Daniel Suárez
222Joey Logano
314Chase Briscoe
420Christopher Bell
511Denny Hamlin
612Ryan Blaney
79Chase Elliott
829Kevin Harvick
92Austin Cindric
1047Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
1143Erik Jones

Heat Race No. 2: Results

A perfect game might mainly refer to baseball or bowling, but in the case of the second heat race, it also applied as Buescher swept all 60 laps en route to the win. Contact with the wall bumped Kyle Larson back to an eighth-place finish.

“I liked our Fastenal Mustang on slicks — I was really happy with it,” Buescher said. “I didn’t want to put ‘rains’ on. I felt like it was still pretty dry out there. I guess it was starting to drizzle a little.”

Finishing SpotCar NumberDriver
117Chris Buescher
23Austin Dillon
324William Byron
46Brad Keselowski
523Bubba Wallace
619Martin Truex Jr.
78Kyle Busch
85Kyle Larson
91Ross Chastain
1045Tyler Reddick

All-Star Open: Results

Acting as a sub-in for an out-of-action Alex Bowman didn’t dissuade Josh Berry from capitalizing on contact between Ty Gibbs and Michael McDowell to seize the lead and hold it en route to winning the top Open spot for the All-Star Race. A rebound from Gibbs helped the No. 54 Toyota collect the final Open position. Gragson’s win in the Fan Vote, meanwhile, cemented the final berth.

Finishing SpotCar NumberDriver
148Josh Berry
254Ty Gibbs
310Aric Almirola
441Ryan Preece
516AJ Allmendinger
615JJ Yeley
742Noah Gragson
877Ty Dillon
97Corey LaJoie
1078Josh Bilicki
1121Harrison Burton
1251Ryan Newman
1334Michael McDowell
1431Justin Haley
1538Todd Gilliland
1613Chandler Smith

FULL STARTING LINEUP FOR ALL-STAR RACE (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, FS1)

Starting SpotDriverHow determined
1Daniel SuárezHeat Race No. 1 winner
2Chris BuescherHeat Race No. 2 winner
3Joey Logano Heat Race No. 1 second place
4Austin DillonHeat Race No. 2 second place
5Chase Briscoe Heat Race No. 1 third place
6William ByronHeat Race No. 2 third place
7Christopher BellHeat Race No. 1 fourth place
8Brad KeselowskiHeat Race No. 2 fourth place
9Denny HamlinHeat Race No. 1 fifth place
10Bubba WallaceHeat Race No. 2 fifth place
11Ryan BlaneyHeat Race No. 1 sixth place
12Martin Truex Jr. Heat Race No. 2 sixth place
13Chase ElliottHeat Race No. 1 seventh place
14Kyle BuschHeat Race No. 2 seventh place
15Kevin Harvick Heat Race No. 1 eighth place
16Kyle LarsonHeat Race No. 2 eighth place
17Austin Cindric Heat Race No. 1 ninth place
18Ross ChastainHeat Race No. 2 ninth place
19Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Heat Race No. 1 10th place
20Tyler ReddickHeat Race No. 2 10th place
21Erik JonesHeat Race No. 1 11th place
22Josh BerryAll-Star Open winner
23Ty GibbsAll-Star Open second place
24Noah GragsonFan Vote winner

Contributing: Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service 

Posted on by Zack Albert

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Ty Majeski registered a hard-fought runner-up finish in Saturday afternoon’s Craftsman Truck Series race, unable to quite chase down a victorious Kyle Larson in overtime. He matched his best result of the season, but the atmosphere of a rejuvenated North Wilkesboro Speedway was one aspect that truly held his attention.

“I’m glad you brought that up. I mean, this place is packed. I don’t know that the Truck Series will see a better crowd than this all year,” said Majeski, who was barely 2 years old when the track held its last race. “So, good to see. Hopefully, we can go back to some cool places – Rockingham, here, of course, Milwaukee’s back on our schedule, we went back to IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park) last year. That place is back, so hopefully, we see a pattern here and keep marching in this direction. It’s fun going to all these short tracks where this series belongs.”

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A near-capacity crowd of some 30,000 filled the historic 0.625-mile track for the Tyson 250, the Truck Series’ first event here since 1996. The celebration marked the venue’s return to NASCAR’s national series rotation, and the hearty fans basked in the circuit’s rebirth.

Among them were the competitors, who battled each other and the rough, well-worn racing surface.

“This is one of the things that I don’t think anybody can complain about,” said 10th-finishing Grant Enfinger. “I think the race put on a great show, too. Very happy that they left this old surface, but to revitalize a historic track, it’s pretty, pretty special to be part of it. Had somewhat of an electric atmosphere, kind of like Eldora (Speedway) used to be for our Truck Series — only amped up a little bit from that. Pretty cool deal what they did.”

The event marked a bit of a history lesson for some of the series’ younger competitors. When Goodyear held a tire test for the truck tour here two months ago, all three of the participating drivers – Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith — were not born at the time of the track’s closure. “I mean, it’s a bloomin’ travesty they left this place,” said Hocevar, who placed fourth.

Some of North Wilkesboro’s character was also new to the 30-year-old Larson, who didn’t know the track’s traditional post-race procedures for winners and their vehicles.

“I wasn’t watching races when I was 4 years old, either, so I didn’t know how Victory Lane worked,” Larson said. “I didn’t know that you ride this elevator up. That’s honestly probably the coolest Victory Lane I’ve ever been in.”

For the Truck Series regulars, the cool factor was only matched by what was likely the tour’s biggest attendance figure this year.

“This might be it right here,” Majeski said. “That’s pretty damn cool, so hopefully, we put on a good show.”