Posted on by Staff Report

While both drivers experienced their fair share of late-race adversity, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. reaped the rewards from their quick pit crews last weekend at Darlington Raceway.

Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing crew dished out the single fastest four-tire pit stop of the Throwback Weekend, completing service on the SunnyD Ford in 9.576 seconds, according to Racing Insights. Their quick work kept Harvick in the hunt all day, and despite receiving damage in the penultimate crash of the afternoon, the team rallied for a season-best second-place finish, its second since Harvick’s most recent win (Richmond, August 2022).

RELATED: Darlington results

The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team behind Truex, however, was unstoppable for most of the afternoon. The crew of front changer Lee Cunningham, carrier CJ Bailey, rear changer Danny Olszowy, jackman Caleb Dirks and fueler Matthew Tyrrell posted the best average four-tire stop of the afternoon, netting out at 10.162 seconds over the course of their afternoon.

Martin Truex Jr.'s pit crew prepares to pit the No. 19 Toyota
David Jensen | Getty Images

That speedy performance helped keep the No. 19 Toyota out front to lead a race-high 145 of 295 laps after Truex’s pole performance in Saturday’s qualifying session. Truex’s finish, however, didn’t match the incredible run. A collision with Joey Logano in Turns 1 and 2 at Lap 281 triggered a multi-car crash, ending the No. 19 team’s day and relegating it to a 31st-place finish.

Truex’s fiercest competitor of the day was none other than Ross Chastain, who he bounced off of in Turns 3 and 4 while fighting for the Stage 2 victory. Chastain was another benefactor of a fast pit crew Sunday afternoon, leading 93 laps of the Goodyear 400 thanks in part to those quick stops.

ITR: Was Martin Truex Jr. too aggressive at Darlington?

A steady Sunday at Darlington led Chastain’s No. 1 Trackhouse Racing team to vault past William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports crew for the top spot in the year-long best average four-tire pit stop standings, now holding a series-best average of 11.088 seconds.

On a downslide, however, is the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing pit crew for driver Chase Briscoe. The crew ranked second in the season average rankings following the April 16 race at 11.282 seconds. In the last month — a stretch of four races — the No. 14 team has slid to 14th at 11.577 seconds after Darlington.

It all adds up to Friday night’s NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear at North Wilkesboro Speedway ahead of Sunday night’s All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Each team will perform a four-tire pit stop to determine the starting lineup for Saturday night’s heat races and the All-Star Open for the 16 teams not yet locked into the All-Star Race. The winning race team will additionally be awarded a $100,000 bonus for completing the fastest stop Friday night.

MORE: Get up to speed on All-Star format | Details on Pit Crew Challenge

See below to analyze additional pit-road statistics from Racing Insights.

10 FASTEST FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS IN 2023

RankTrackDriverTime
1RichmondCorey LaJoie9.309 seconds
2KansasBubba Wallace9.509 seconds
t-3KansasTy Dillon9.543 seconds
t-3KansasDaniel Suárez9.543 seconds
t-5KansasJosh Berry (No. 48)9.576 seconds
t-5KansasKyle Larson9.576 seconds
7RichmondCorey LaJoie9.615 seconds
t-8PhoenixTy Gibbs9.643 seconds
t-8KansasAric Almirola9.643 seconds
10RichmondChase Briscoe9.647 seconds

BEST AVERAGE FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS TIMES IN 2023

BEST PIT CREW BY RACE IN 2023

** Pit Times are in seconds

TrackFastest 4 Tire PitAverage 4 Tire Stop
DaytonaWilliam Byron 11.278Kyle Larson 12.763
Auto ClubDaniel Suárez 9.777Ross Chastain 10.896
Las VegasAlex Bowman 9.776Chase Briscoe 10.259
PhoenixTy Gibbs 9.643Corey LaJoie 10.404
AtlantaKyle Busch 10.243Kyle Busch 11.094
COTAMartin Truex Jr. 9.684Austin Dillon 10.668
RichmondCorey LaJoie 9.309Alex Bowman 10.388
Bristol DirtNANA
MartinsvilleKyle Larson 9.677Kyle Larson 10.051
TalladegaDaniel Suárez 11.011Ross Chastain 11.577
DoverBrad Keselowski 9.766Brad Keselowski 10.099
KansasBubba Wallace 9.509Bubba Wallace 10.121
DarlingtonKevin Harvick 9.576Martin Truex Jr. 10.162
CharlotteWilliam Byron 9.383William Byron 10.008
GatewayTy Gibbs 9.710Alex Bowman 9.743
SonomaKyle Busch 9.185Kyle Busch 10.089
NashvilleKyle Larson 9.281Chase Briscoe 10.081
Chicago StreetChase Elliott 11.877Kyle Larson 12.799
AtlantaAlex Bowman 10.177Daniel Suárez 11.044
New Hampshire Daniel Suárez 9.677Denny Hamlin 10.176
PoconoDenny Hamlin 9.810Ross Chastain 10.327
RichmondDaniel Suárez 9.260Ty Gibbs 9.764
MichiganDaniel Suárez 9.777Austin Dillon 10.310
Indianapolis RCTy Gibbs 11.178Ty Dillon 12.279
Watkins GlenBubba Wallace 10.942Kyle Larson 12.456
DaytonaErik Jones 10.277Erik Jones 11.578
DarlingtonChase Briscoe 9.409Austin Dillon 10.134
Posted on by Staff Report

Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200

Riverhead Raceway

Riverheadraceway

 

  • Entry list
Car No. Driver Organization Crew Chief Chassis Mfg Sponsor
01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Racing, LLC Jake Marosz FURY Race Cars Pine Knoll Auto Sales
2 JR Bertuccio Joseph Bertuccio Michael Bologna LFR Gershow Recycling
3 Jake Johnson Boehler’s Racing Equipment Gregory Fournier Boehler Racing Propane Plus; Lin’s Propane Trucks
05 John Beatty Jr. MSM Elite Motor Sports Inc. Butvh Capuano Troyer Elite Sound Studios, Inc.
07 Patrick Emerling KPL Racing LLC Jan Leaty Troyer Bonesteel Aerospace
7 Doug Coby Tommy Baldwin Racing LLC Tommy Baldwin Troyer Mayhew Tools
16 Ron Silk Haydt Yannone Racing Philip Moran FURY Race Cars Blue Mountain Machine, Future Homes
18 Ken Heagy Robert Pollifrone Greg Gorman FURY Race Cars Buoy One Seafood
19 Anthony Sesely Wanick Construction Stephen Kopcik Troyer Wanick Construction Inc.
22 Kyle Bonsignore Kyle Bonsignore Cam McDermott FURY Race Cars Chalew Performance, MTT, Munns Auto
26 Eddie Brunnhoelzl III Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply Chad McDonald Chevrolet Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply
27 Gary McDonald Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply Sean McDonald Chevrolet Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply
32 Tyler Rypkema Dean Rypkema Zach Truesdail FURY Race Cars Northeast Drilling, Musco Lighting
34 JB Fortin John Fortin Racing Kenny Lechner FURY Race Cars A&R Material’s, John’s Fuel Oil, Rapid Recovery, Queen Concrete, CYA Screen Printing
36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises Greg Kleila LFR Sapienza Enterprises/Eastport Feeds
46 Justin Brown Goodie Racing Doug Ogiejko Troyer Riverhead Building Supply
49 Chris Young Chris Young Andrew Charron LFR Sendlewski Architects
51 Justin Bonsignore Kenneth Massa Motorsports LLC Ryan Stone FURY Race Cars Phoenix Communications Inc.
58 Eric Goodale Goodie Racing Jason Shephard FURY Race Cars GAF Roofing
60 Matt Hirschman Pee Dee Motorsports LLC Mike Stein LFR Pee Dee Motorsports
64 Austin Beers KLM Motorsports Ron Yuhas Troyer Dell Electric, Lumiere Electrical, Andrew James Interiors, AP Marquadt & Sons, Hughes Motors
66 Timmy Solomito Jerry Solomito Jerry Solomito LFR Highmark; Natural Designs
79 Jonathan McKennedy Middlesex Racing LLC Dale Hedquist LFR Middlesex Interiors
81 Chris Turbush Heather Turbush TBA FURY Race Cars Mike Smith; Cromers Market
82 Craig Lutz DWR Racing Corp. Jerry Babb LFR Horton Avenue Materials
88 Roger Turbush Roger Turbush Jarrod Hayes FURY Race Cars Rheem
92 Anthony Nocella Anthony Nocella Chris Burdell Chevrolet Nocella Paving; K and D Associates; Airgas
96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports Martin Condit Jr. Troyer Peter Clark Motorsports
145 Jack Handley Jr. Joe Densieski Raxcing LLC Jarod Zeltman Troyer Hydro-Action; Suffolk Precast
170 Dylan Slepian Rob Pelis Brian Magee Chevrolet Eastport Feeds
Posted on by Press Release

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Before NASCAR’s brightest stars take center stage in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the sport’s fastest pit crews will own the spotlight on Friday night.

Speedway officials announced a new name for the pit crew competition, now known as the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear. Harkening back to NASCAR’s popular pit crew challenges of the 1980s and 1990s, the high-octane, Friday-night pit road spectacle will consist of each team performing a four-tire pit stop with no fuel.

The results of the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear will determine the lineups for Saturday’s All-Star heat races, as well as the All-Star Open on Sunday. Friday night’s event at North Wilkesboro Speedway will have a dramatic impact on the NASCAR Cup Series action all weekend.

RELATED: All-Star weekend format

For more than 25 years, Mechanix Wear has provided hand and knee protection to NASCAR and NASCAR teams. These partnerships have allowed the brand to test, develop, and improve products. Many of the innovations developed in NASCAR have made their way to consumer and commercial glove applications.

“Mechanix Wear is committed to providing high-performance work gloves with unmatched protection,” said Mechanix Wear Marketing Director Shawn Douphner. “Having been born in racing, we understand the demands of motorsports and have designed products to meet those challenges head-on.

“It was an obvious fit for our brand to be a part of this event, allowing us to help spotlight and champion these athletes who work with their hands and are so critical to the success of this sport.”

The NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear is preceded on Friday by the first official practice sessions of NASCAR weekend with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series scheduled on track at 3:05 p.m. and the NASCAR Cup Series scheduled for 4:05 p.m.  At 5:45 p.m., the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge takes place and will broadcast on FS1, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil will conclude Friday evening with concerts by country music superstars Midland and Chase Rice in the North Wilkesboro Speedway Fan Zone starting at 7 p.m.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

It’s only midway through May, and William Byron is on pace to shatter many of his best single-season marks, including already setting a NASCAR Cup Series career high with three wins — all in just the first 13 races of the season.

Though they each have very different backgrounds and journeys to the top level of stock car racing, the 25-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver might still be years ahead of his prime and has a nearly identical career arc with a two-time Cup Series champion, currently one of the best drivers in the sport and one of the 75 Greatest Drivers of all time — Joey Logano.

RELATED: Drivers to win three times in first 13 races

One of the most highly touted prospects in the modern era, Logano burst onto the premier series scene at 18, collecting his first full-time schedule one year later with high expectations at Joe Gibbs Racing. Byron, a sim-racing superstar, wasn’t far behind when he introduced himself at 20 years old and joined Hendrick Motorsports to take over the legendary No. 24, made famous by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon.

Each had two very different paths to success, but through their first 193 starts in the Cup Series, their numbers are incredibly similar.

Take a look.

Joey LoganoWilliam Byron
Starts193193
Poles810
Wins57
Runner-up finishes25
Top-five finishes3232
Top-10 finishes6569
Laps led1,0442,201
Average finish17.6616.26

Throughout the time frame, Byron has more Busch Light Pole Awards, victories, runner-up finishes, top-10 finishes and significantly more laps led. And sure, it’s hard to compare a driver’s success in a different era under vastly different circumstances, but the numbers show that Byron is already leaving his mark at a phenomenal pace.

Since his debut in 2018, Byron has been a significant piece of the talented young stable at Hendrick Motorsports, featuring Cup Series champions Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott and seven-time Cup Series winner Alex Bowman. But by leading the series with three victories — winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway and Darlington Raceway — Byron is on the verge of a breakout campaign and finally has a chance to flash his talent at the forefront.

And it’s clear that his early accomplishments are putting the series on notice. Even Kyle Busch had to chime in on the rising star’s “rare talent.”

Although there is still a long way to go in the season, the win at Phoenix, specifically, bodes well for the team moving forward. After all, it is the site of the championship race. A race Byron and the No. 24 team fell just six positions short of contending in a year ago, finishing seventh at Martinsville Speedway and sixth in the final series standings.

If he could pull off the feat, unseating reigning champion Joey Logano and collecting his first Bill France Cup, it would be a remarkable, full-circle moment given how tightly both careers — at least by the numbers — have begun.

MORE: Updated Cup Series standings | It’s All-Star Race week, get info here

Both drivers have a break from regular points-paying racing Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the annual All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). With a hefty $1 million on the line, Byron is searching for his first All-Star Race victory and Logano his second, after winning the prize in 2016 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Statistics for the table were provided by Racing Insights.

Posted on by John Crane

Festivities at Darlington Raceway brought about the usual throwback-oriented flavors commonplace for the much-anticipated race weekend, and Kevin Harvick certainly partook. As captain of the No. 4 Sunny Delight Ford, Harvick not only wheeled out a runner-up finish but additionally helped pay homage to a scheme originally scheduled for his Cup Series debut in 2001 as a 25-year-old.

After announcing his retirement from the Cup Series after the 2023 season, honoring the past will continue to be the underlying theme for the now 47-year-old driver this weekend leading up to Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This time around, Harvick will switch out the light blue and gray livery that usually adorns the No. 4 for the white-and-red stylized No. 29 that he flew during that same 2001 campaign.

RELATED: View Harvick’s career NASCAR stats

The number’s revival brings back long-lasting memories for not only Harvick but for the entire sport. After Dale Earnhardt’s death in the Daytona 500, Harvick moved into Earnhardt’s role, with Richard Childress Racing changing the car number from the iconic No. 3 to the No. 29. After his 14th-place finish at Rockingham Speedway in his official Cup debut on Feb. 26, 2001, Harvick went on to collect his first of two wins that season two weeks later at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the same scheme being honored this weekend.

A pair of wins, coupled with six top fives, 16 top 10s and 374 laps led, eventually netted Harvick a ninth-place finish in the standings and a Rookie of the Year Award triumph.

Even after joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 – the same year he won the Cup Series championship – Harvick wished to return to his roots in some form or fashion. And so, the idea of driving the No. 29 – the number planted on his RCR machine for 13 seasons – came to fruition.

“Everything that started in my Cup career started at RCR. It wasn’t supposed to start in the 29, but it wound up being my first in the 29 after Dale’s death,” Harvick said in a release provided by the team. “And to be able to put that car back out on the race track is something that we all thought would not ever happen again. But with Stewart-Haas Racing and Richard Childress Racing working together and making my crazy idea work out and being able to see the first win paint scheme in the 29 and to have it on the race track at North Wilkesboro is something I think we’re all excited about. I know the fans are excited, but for us, it’s an honor and a privilege to drive it one last time. It will be a fun night for all of us.”

Of course, every idea starts on a drawing board somewhere. On the surface, such an idea of reviving the number sounded far-fetched. With RCR and Stewart-Haas being under the Chevrolet and Ford umbrella, respectively, the pickle certainly looked significant on paper.

When Harvick pitched his request during his retirement meeting, that notion remained.

Until it didn’t, that is.

“It was really simple. We started the retirement planning at Stewart-Haas Racing and working through things, and we got done with what I believe was the second meeting, and I said, ‘Hey, by the way, I want to drive the 29 car at the All-Star Race,’” Harvick said. “And they all kind of looked at me and were like, ‘You serious?’ Everybody kind of slept on it and talked about it in the next couple of days, and nobody said no. So we went back to the next meeting, and I said, ‘What about the 29 car? Do you guys think we can pull that off?’ They said, ‘Somebody’s going to have to call Richard.’

“I said I would call Richard, so I called Richard Childress and said, ‘Hey, we want to drive the 29 car at North Wilkesboro and run the first win paint scheme.’ And he said, ‘Kevin, you can have whatever you want. Do whatever you want. You’ve been great for RCR, and we’d love to work with you guys to figure it out.’ And they all figured it out, and here we are.”

MORE: All-Star Weekend format set to dazzle

And so, the occasion comes for one last drive at not only a historic venue but at an event Harvick has a knack for showing out in. In addition to winning the All-Star Race twice (2007, 2019), Harvick has seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 22 total All-Star Races. Since his 2001 debut, Harvick has been a part of every All-Star Race and is the only active driver to say as such. His 23rd All-Star Race appearance Sunday will also mark the most among all active drivers.

“I don’t know the last time the All-Star Race was the most anticipated event of the season,” Harvick said. “Fans are going to show up in droves. North Wilkesboro is a great short track, the asphalt’s worn out and I think it’s going to be a fantastic event.”

As he prepares for his All-Star swan song, Harvick will look to do the usual – lead laps, attempt a winning move or two and potentially cement another victory to his already-abundant trophy shelf.

MORE: Full schedule for North Wilkesboro  | See No. 29 paint scheme, others

But perhaps most importantly, Harvick will look to make one more go behind the No. 29 wheel a memorable one, like so many times before.

“Well, I think it’s going to be strange just climbing into it, right? For me, there’s a huge sense of pride in being able to be a part of something like this with both organizations,” Harvick said. “Going back in time and doing everything that weekend in the 29 car is something I’m really excited about. And I think when you go out on the race track, the fans will be in the same boat. As you go by the first time, people are going to be, like, ‘I can’t believe that actually happened.’”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.  – Just 10 days before Charlotte Motor Speedway kicks off Memorial Day Weekend with three straight days of action-packed racing, the speedway hosted Aric Almirola for its final Mission 600 visit of the season, a day with Marines from the 2D LAR (Light Armor Reconnaissance) Battalion at Camp Lejeune.

Mission 600 is a campaign that pairs NASCAR drivers with military bases, designed to educate the NASCAR community about the day-to-day lives of the men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and to build meaningful connections between the worlds of motorsports and the military.

MORE: NASCAR Salutes hub page

Almirola, along with Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter, flew in an MV-22 Osprey, participated in a tire-changing demonstration, learned about a variety of weapons systems and fired an M242 Bushmaster from an LAV (Light Armored Vehicle). Almirola also served lunch to dozens of Marines, courtesy of Smithfield.

“Such a humbling experience for me to come and spend time with all these men and women,” Almirola said. “They volunteer to keep our country free, and they get up every morning and go to work with one objective – to make sure that me and you walk out of our front door every morning and that we’re safe. And it is amazing to have this opportunity and come spend the day with them and to show them our appreciation.”

The LAR battalion performs combined arms reconnaissance and security missions in support of the ground combat element. Its mission is to conduct reconnaissance; security and economy of force operations; and, within its capabilities, limited offensive or defensive operations that exploit the unit’s mobility and firepower.

“What’s really cool is this the appreciation that the Marines have and understanding where they came from,” Walter said. “And then there was this appreciation of just the smiles. You have athletes like Aric out here. Everyone’s in peak condition. Everyone’s training to be their best, both with their equipment as well as personally. And to see those conversations happening is exactly what we want from Mission 600.”

Mission 600 serves as a prelude to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s patriotic pre-race salute to the troops prior to the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend. With representation from all six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the salute embodies the patriotism and service of the nation’s men and women in uniform.

Posted on by Tadd Haislop

For Dale Earnhardt Jr., this is nothing new. The NASCAR Hall of Famer competed in a Late Model race at North Wilkesboro Speedway last year, when the CARS Tour visited the revived venue for the first time.

But for Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick and many more NASCAR stars, this week’s Late Model races at North Wilkesboro Speedway as part of NASCAR All-Star Week are brand-new opportunities to compete on the historic, 0.625-mile oval.

Both the ASA STARS National Tour race (ECMD 150; Wednesday, 9:45 p.m. ET on FloRacing) and the CARS Tour races (Crossroads Harley-Davidson 75 and Window World 125; 5:45 p.m. ET on FloRacing) will feature big NASCAR names on the entry lists.

PHOTOS: Before and after North Wilkesboro Speedway’s revival

In addition to Earnhardt, Elliott and Harvick, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Erik Jones, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Daniel Suarez and many more NASCAR national series drivers will race Late Models on either Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

The complete list of NASCAR drivers racing in late model events at North Wilkesboro Speedway during NASCAR All-Star Week can be found below, as can information on how to watch both nights on FloRacing.

North Wilkesboro Speedway Late Model races: TV channel, live stream

Tuesday’s ASA STARS National Tour race was postponed to Wednesday due to weather in North Wilkesboro. That and the CARS Tour races will be shown live on FloRacing, NASCAR’s streaming home for grassroots racing. None of the Late Model action during NASCAR All-Star Week will broadcast on TV.

Below is the complete live stream schedule for the Late Model races on Wednesday of NASCAR All-Star Week.

Date Race Start time How to watch
Wednesday, May 17 Crossroads Harley-Davidson 75 (CARS Tour Pro Late Models) 5:45 p.m. ET FloRacing
Wednesday, May 17 Window World 125 (CARS Tour Late Model Stocks) 7:30 p.m. ET FloRacing
Wednesday, May 17 ECMD 150 (ASA STARS National Tour) 9:45 p.m. ET FloRacing
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
(Photo: Jaylynn Nash/NASCAR)

How to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. race at North Wilkesboro in 2023

As was the case last year, when he finished third in the main event, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is entered in the Late Model Stock portion of Wednesday night’s CARS Tour show at North Wilkesboro.

The Late Model Stock feature is the second of two CARS Tour races Wednesday. Both will be shown live on FloRacing. Earnhardt’s race is expected to begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.

Earnhardt recently recalled how last year’s Late Model Stock race at North Wilkesboro felt, and he expects a similar scene in 2023.

“Everybody was just so happy to be there, and as soon as the cars started rolling, everybody was like, you know, sort of this surreal moment where you’re thinking, ‘Man, I can’t believe that this is happening,’” Earnhardt said. “And I was thinking that in the car and after the race, and I’m like, ‘I just can’t believe that we actually raced here, and that we had such a great turnout, and we had such great energy.’ And everybody, even all the drivers, competitors are just so happy to be part of it.

“And I think that it’s just going to multiply when we go there for the All-Star Week, and when we’re all standing there, all of us here, when we’re standing there, for that race to begin, that moment is going to happen for all of us. We’re going to be like, ‘I never thought this would happen. I can’t believe this is actually about to happen.'”

RELATED: Dale Jr. savors the surreal in North Wilkesboro’s revival

NASCAR drivers racing Late Models against Dale Earnhardt Jr. at North Wilkesboro in 2023

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is just one of several famous NASCAR names on the entry lists for the Late Model races at North Wilkesboro for All-Star Week. Many are current NASCAR national series competitors who want practice ahead of the week’s Craftsman Truck Series or Cup Series action; others simply want chances to run Late Models at an historic facility.

Including Earnhardt, below are the NASCAR national series drivers entered to race in the three Late Model features scheduled at North Wilkesboro.

RELATED: Harvick set to wheel Childers’ year-long Late Model project

Crossroads Harley-Davidson 75 (CARS Tour Pro Late Models): Wednesday, May 17 at 5:45 p.m. ET

  • Garrett Smithley
  • Carson Hocevar
  • Bret Holmes
  • Corey Heim

Window World 125 (CARS Tour Late Model Stocks): Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  • Kevin Harvick
  • Chase Briscoe
  • Ross Chastain
  • Daniel Suarez
  • Brad Keselowski
  • Kaden Honeycutt
  • William Sawalich
  • Tyler Ankrum
  • Conner Jones

ECMD 150 (ASA STARS National Tour): Wednesday, May 17 at 9:45 p.m. ET

  • Noah Gragson
  • Erik Jones
  • Daniel Suarez
  • Carson Hocevar
  • Sammy Smith
  • Grant Enfinger
  • Ty Majeski
  • Chandler Smith
  • Chase Elliott
  • William Byron
  • Johnny Sauter
  • William Sawalich
  • Conner Jones

RELATED: Complete Late Model Stock entry list for North Wilkesboro

North Wilkesboro Speedway
(Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

North Wilkesboro Speedway Late Model races: Schedule for NASCAR All-Star Week

FloRacing‘s coverage of Late Model action on Wednesday at North Wilkesboro begins at 11:40 a.m. ET. Meaning fans can watch qualifying ahead of the CARS Tour feature races.

Including the qualifying and race start times on Wednesday, below is the updated schedule for Late Models at North Wilkesboro.

  • Wednesday, May 17

 

NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway: TV channel, schedule

The Late Model races on Tuesday and Wednesday of NASCAR All-Star Week will precede a packed schedule of national series action at North Wilkesboro.

The action continues with All-Star Friday on Friday, May 19, when both the NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series will practice ahead of a Pit Crew Challenge for Cup teams that will set the starting lineup for Saturday night’s qualifying heat races.

Saturday, May 20 will feature the Craftsman Truck Series race, the Tyson 250. The Truck race will broadcast live on Fox starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. Following the Truck race Saturday will be the pair of 60-lap qualifying heats for the Cup Series.

The capper for NASCAR All-Star Week at North Wilkesboro on Sunday, May 21 will be both the All-Star Open and the All-Star race for the Cup Series. Both the Open (5:30 p.m. ET) and the race (8 p.m. ET) will broadcast live on FS1.

Below is the complete TV schedule for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Cup Series at North Wilkesboro in 2023.

  • Friday, May 19
Series Time Event TV channel (Radio)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 3:05 p.m. ET Practice FS1
NASCAR Cup Series 4 p.m. ET Practice FS1 (MRN, SiriusXM)
NASCAR Cup Series 5:45 p.m. ET Qualifying (All-Star Pit-Crew Challenge) FS1 (MRN, SiriusXM)
  • Saturday, May 20
Series Time Event TV channel (Radio)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 10:30 a.m. ET Qualifying FS1
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 1:30 p.m. ET Tyson 250 FOX (MRN, SiriusXM)
NASCAR Cup Series 7:35 p.m. ET All-Star Race Heat No. 1 FS1 (MRN, SiriusXM)
NASCAR Cup Series 8:15 p.m. ET All-Star Race Heat No. 2 FS1 (MRN, SiriusXM)
  • Sunday, May 21
Series Time Event TV channel (Radio)
NASCAR Cup Series 5:30 p.m. ET All-Star Open FS1 (MRN, SiriusXM)
NASCAR Cup Series 8 p.m. ET All-Star Race FS1 (MRN, SiriusXM)

NASCAR recently announced the format for the 2023 All-Star race at North Wilkesboro. The winningest NASCAR Cup Series drivers in North Wilkesboro Speedway history, Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip will serve as co-Grand Marshals.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Kyle Busch’s perspective on William Byron is among the most unique between two of today’s best NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

Busch, a two-time champion at the sport’s highest level, welcomed Byron to Kyle Busch Motorsports when Byron was merely 17 years old, making his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2015.

Since then, Byron went on to set a rookie record in Trucks with seven wins in 2016, win the Xfinity Series championship in 2017 with JR Motorsports and now leads the NASCAR Cup Series with three wins through 13 races in 2023, bumping his Cup total victories to a collective seven, all with the sport’s winningest team in Hendrick Motorsports.

Fair to consider the new face of the No. 24 Chevrolet a championship threat?

“Yeah, I mean, you’d have to,” Busch said in a Tuesday teleconference.

MORE: Latest Cup Series standings | All-Star Race schedule

Byron’s progression to Cup is well documented — a journey that began through iRacing and computers that propelled him to real track in legend cars, late models and the ARCA Menards Series East before landing on the national stage.

Now, in addition to his Cup Series-high three wins, the 25-year-old leads the league in top fives (six) and laps led (596); sits second in top-10 finishes (seven); is tied with Kyle Larson and Joey Logano for most poles (two); and sits fifth in points, 42 points behind series leader Ross Chastain. A 60-point penalty after the April 2 race at Richmond Raceway now remains the only thing separating Byron from the top spot in the standings midway through the regular season.

The tracks where Byron has broken through are also critical. The 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway serves as the opening race of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs; Phoenix Raceway, the flat 1-mile, D-shaped oval, is where the championship will be decided in November. Darlington Raceway, the site of Byron’s most recent triumph, opens the playoffs in September.

“All of his wins have been pretty diverse at all different race tracks, you know?” Busch said. “I think William is a rare talent. (…) He’s done a great job at driving all the stuff that he’s driven. He’s been in good stuff the entire time, but he’s made the most of that as well.”

RELATED: Byron listed as co-favorite for 2023 title; full odds here

Busch, who has welcomed Byron back into the KBM fold for a select number of Truck Series races this season thanks to his return to Chevrolet, pointed to their 2016 romp over the circuit, collecting 11 top fives and 16 top 10s to pair with those record seven wins over 23 events. A failed engine in that season’s penultimate race at Phoenix denied Byron the chance to vie for a championship — one he would have won considering he was victorious at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the season finale.

Atop the pit box was crew chief Rudy Fugle, who now guides Byron and the No. 24 team at Hendrick Motorsports.

“Working with William the time that we did, him and Rudy were amazing here and had great results, and now they’re having great results on the Cup side as well,” Busch said. “It took a couple years of learning the ropes of the Cup Series for William, which, to be expected out of anybody, right? But ever since being paired with Rudy again, it seems like those two really have a knack for one another. And Rudy is really good at what he does. I know that very well, having him be here at KBM for so many years. So that doesn’t surprise me.”

William Byron, left, fist bumps Rudy Fugle after winning the pole at Kansas
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

 

Fugle’s filter for prioritizing information is a significant key to the success he’s had with multiple drivers in the Truck Series — Busch (10 wins), Christopher Bell (five) and Erik Jones (four) to name a few.

“I think he just has a knack for being able to read information and the sim and stuff like that, without there needing to be a full emphasis put on the driver being in the sim, if you will,” Busch explained. “We all go do and run the simulator and everything. And sometimes it works for particular race tracks; sometimes it doesn’t. Like, I felt like Fontana, it was perfect. It was really good. And then I felt like Darlington, it was actually really good for us. But Vegas, it wasn’t even close. And somewhere else we went, it wasn’t even close, you know?

“So we really struggled at a couple of those places trying to rely on that, where Rudy and William, I know they go use it and they run on it. But I think Rudy really looks at numbers, a lot more of just setup things and the stuff that he does on how he picks what springs to run and what setups to go with.”

As for Byron and Fugle’s success, well that just leaves Busch with mixed emotions.

“I’d like to say that I’m happy for him (Fugle),” Busch said. “But on the other hand, I’m not because I’d rather have Rudy here on the Truck Series side with us at KBM and I’d rather be beating William on Sunday.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized the No. 45 team from 23XI Racing on Tuesday for violations found in Cup Series pre-qualifying inspection last weekend at Darlington Raceway.

The No. 45 team was found in violation of Section 14.11.2.1.A of the NASCAR Rule Book, which states that, “Any and all ballast added to the vehicle must be secured inside a ballast container(s). … Additional ballast containers will not be permitted to be added to the chassis.” As a result, competition officials docked the team 10 points in both the drivers and owners standings.

RELATED: Darlington race results

The team had lost pit-stall selection for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 after the infraction was discovered during Friday’s technical inspection at the 1.366-mile track, and crew chief Billy Scott was ejected for the remainder of the race weekend. 23XI Racing performance director Dave Rogers filled in for Scott, and Tyler Reddick drove to a 22nd-place finish in Sunday’s 400-miler, scored as the final driver on the lead lap. It marked two consecutive weeks that the No. 45 team failed pre-qualifying inspection twice.

Competition officials also issued suspensions for two crew members of the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet team after a wheel dislodged during Sunday’s Cup Series race. Erik Jones was involved in a multicar stack-up when the No. 43 Chevy spun sideways at the start of the final stage, collecting eight other cars at the exit of Turn 2. The No. 43’s right-rear wheel came loose and rolled down the backstretch, and Jones was held in the pits for two laps. He finished 25th.

WATCH: Stage 3 starts with multicar melee

The infraction falls under the heading of Section 8.8.10.4.C — “Loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle.” The violation resulted in two-race suspensions each for No. 43 crew members Nate McBride (jack) and Adam Riley (rear tire changer).

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

For the first time since 1996, it’s NASCAR race week 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 heartily welcomes back the Cup Series and its modern-day stars on Sunday night (8 ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the first time in more than 26 years.

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: All-Star schedule | Before and after: See the track’s rebirth in photos

Here is how the format factors into the main event:

FRIDAY

Qualifying — Pit Crew Challenge, 5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM: Lineups for the two heat races and the All-Star Open will be determined by the Pit Crew Challenge, which will feature each team performing a four-tire pit stop with timing lines marked one pit stall behind and one ahead of the designated pit box. Fuelers will be in play for the pit stop as usual, but their fuel cans will be dry.

The goal is straightforward: The quicker the pit stop, the higher up the field that team will start. The race team with the fastest pit stop Friday will also collect a $100,000 bonus.

MORE: Introducing — and detailing — the Pit Crew Challenge

The 21 teams locked into the All-Star Race will be split into two heats. Those who finish first, third, fifth and so on in the pit competition will compete in the first heat race; those who finish second, fourth, sixth and so on will compete in the second heat.

The remaining drivers not yet locked into the big show will compete in the All-Star Open, the starting lineup for which will be set by the results of Friday’s pit competition, with the quickest team on the pole.

SATURDAY

Heat Races – 7:20 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM: Two 60-lap heat races are set to fire off Saturday night with 11 cars in Heat 1 and 10 in Heat 2, each fighting for their starting positions in Sunday night’s $1 million main event.

The results of the first heat will set the inside row – first, third, fifth and so on – for the starting grid of the All-Star Race, while Heat 2 will set the outside, even-numbered positions.

All caution laps will be counted throughout the heats, with each team slated to start on new, fresh tires with one additional set available on pit road. Normal race procedures are in effect for pit road with no scheduled interruptions throughout the 60-lap dashes.

SUNDAY

All-Star Open – 5:30 p.m., FS1, MRN, SiriusXM: The sixteen drivers not yet locked into the main event will fight through this 100-lap preliminary event to earn one of two transfer positions into the All-Star Race.

The field will take the green flag with the event’s lineup set by Friday night’s Pit Crew Challenge. All normal race procedures are in effect with one scheduled “competition break” set to wave at or around Lap 40.

The top two finishers in this dash will advance to the All-Star Race. In addition, the Fan Vote winner will also bump 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.

RELATED: Vote your favorite driver into the All-Star Race!

All-Star Race – 8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM: The grand finale, the 200-lap All-Star Race pits 24 of the sport’s greatest drivers against each other for a $1 million payday.

Like the heats, every lap will be counted with all competitors starting the event on fresh tires. Teams will have three additional sets of Goodyears available to use on pit road, which will be open per standard race procedures.

An “All-Star Caution” will signify the yellow flag at or around Lap 100, the midway point of Sunday’s big show. After that caution period, only one additional set of new “sticker” tires may be used throughout the duration of the event.

The winner walks away $1 million richer in this non-points exhibition thriller.