Posted on May 12, 2023 by Staff Report

There is no fan base in the world more passionate about what they love than NASCAR. Fans tune in every week to see their heroes go to battle, hoping they will do anything to capture the checkered flag. Favorite and least favorite drivers are chosen, naturally, due to watching the actions of the drivers on the track. Sometimes it happens instantly and sometimes that love or hatred builds over time.

The same can be said for all of the competitors on the track. Reputations grow with every pass, every bump and every word. Every driver ticks a different way. You have mild-mannered drivers who have the respect of the entire field and come back with their car as clean as it was when it came out of the hauler. There are drivers who will fight back — but only if they are pushed around.

Then there are those who will move anyone out of the way in an instant if it means they can advance a position on the leaderboard. Those who get on the radio and TV and back up their actions on the track. These are the drivers who gain a reputation for doing anything and not caring about anybody else but themselves and winning.

On Throwback Weekend at a track in Darlington Raceway where we’ve seen legends made, we look back at the instigators of NASCAR.

DALE EARNHARDT

“The Man in Black.” “The Intimidator.” You don’t earn those nicknames by driving clean and without ruffling some feathers. Dale Earnhardt is looked at by many as being one of if not the best, the most intimidating and often the biggest instigator of all time.

Earnhardt gained his driving style from watching his father Ralph race while he was just a kid. It seemed like during the 1980s that the more races Earnhardt won and the more titles he captured, the angrier the entire field was at the rising star from Kannapolis, North Carolina.

Earnhardt was fined $10,000 for moving Darrell Waltrip out of the lead at Richmond. Race leader Sterling Marlin’s chance at his first career victory ended after Earnhardt put him into the wall at Bristol. Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine were both furious with the way Earnhardt drove them at the end of the 1987 All-Star race at Charlotte.

Waltrip said Earnhardt on the track was like watching a Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball game but with no referees. Marlin vowed revenge exclaiming “His day is coming, and he’ll get it too.” Elliott compared Earnhardt’s driving style to “a bull in a China closet.” All three drivers went on to talk about how they’d never even think about doing the things Earnhardt did to them to anyone else.

Earnhardt and Bodine’s rivalry was triggered by that incident in the All-Star race and led to a handful of other battles between the two. Bodine got payback for that race during an Xfinity Series race at Charlotte the following week. Earnhardt then returned the favor at Charlotte the next season and then again, the following day during the Cup Series race. This led to NASCAR issuing a five-lap penalty to Earnhardt. The two drivers were later gathered together off the track to settle the issue.

His aggression with everyone on the track continued, as the 1995 night race at Bristol ended with Earnhardt spinning Terry Labonte across the start/finish line to a chorus of boos. Earnhardt pulled into the garage and was met by a water bottle thrown at him by Rusty Wallace, who spun out early on after contact with Earnhardt.

It wasn’t just the way he drove on the track but how he backed his driving style up off it, with a plethora of moments defending himself.

“I’ve seen guys trying to spin me and they don’t. They run second. If I wanted to wreck someone, I could tell you what hole in the fence I was going to put ‘em in. I do what I see fit when I’m on that track.

“I don’t do anything unjust. If beating ‘em’s unjust, they’re just going to have to get beat. If it’s not, I do what I have to do.”

Earnhardt, forever instigating both on — and off — the track.

AllSport

ERNIE IRVAN

California’s Ernie Irvan burst onto the scene in 1990 with both speed and aggression that left a sour taste in the mouths of most of his competitors and fans. The biggest incident of his young career came at Darlington in 1990. Irvan, who was 10 laps down at the time, raced the leader Ken Schrader hard for one of his laps back but ended up causing a 14-car incident that sidelined Neil Bonnett for a significant amount of time.

Schrader said Irvan needed to calm down. Dale Earnhardt called his driving disrespectful. Irvan, on the other hand, was surprised Schrader was racing him hard and blamed the incident on just “racing.” The following season, Irvan was involved in an incident at Talladega that left Kyle Petty with a broken leg. He caused a huge pileup at Pocono too.

This all led to Irvan standing up and apologizing to the entire field at the drivers’ meeting when the series returned to Talladega later that season. “I’ve driven a little over-aggressive at times this season and I’ve lost the respect of a lot of drivers and car owners in the garage area. That really hurts me. I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove it and gain that respect back.”

The 1996 season saw contact from Irvan send Dale Earnhardt to the hospital and Sterling Marlin furious with Irvan. Marlin was so heated that during a press conference at Indianapolis the following Wednesday, Marlin waved his glasses at Irvan and suggested he get a pair. Marlin did it a second time and the two drivers had to be separated.

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TONY STEWART

Throughout Tony Stewart’s first few years in the Cup Series, he had run-ins with Kenny Irwin Jr., Robby Gordon and Jeff Gordon just to name a few; setting an early precedent that he was not somebody that you wanted to mess with.

Stewart’s passion for winning didn’t take a backseat to anything. As Stewart put it after his incident with Irwin Jr. at Martinsville in 1999, “It’s the same thing when we ran sprint cars. He didn’t like to be behind me then either.”

His issues weren’t all just on the track either. He was fined in 2002 and placed on probation following a post-race incident with a cameraman. Stewart’s driving during the 2004 season left NASCAR on FOX’s Darrell Waltrip to be highly critical of the driver, prompting a handful of tense pre-race exchanges on TV between the two Hall of Famers. That same season an on-track incident between Stewart and Kasey Kahne started a fight on pit road during the race between the two teams.

He blasted David Gilliland in 2006 after a handful of incidents in a colorful interview. He also had run-ins with Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and, most famously, Joey Logano, calling him a “scared little kid” after a pit-road altercation.

MORE: Stewart chucks helmet at Kenseth’s car | Stewart, Kurt Busch exchange unpleasantries after Richmond

Geoff Burke | Getty Images

KEVIN HARVICK

Since he broke onto the scene, Kevin Harvick had a way of getting under just about everyone’s skin. The fiery antics of the driver were first put into the spotlight during his rookie Cup season in 2001. A late-race incident with Bobby Hamilton got Harvick sent into the NASCAR hauler. He didn’t back down in his post-race interview, exclaiming, “an eye for an eye, that’s how we race.”

The following season, Harvick was turned by Greg Biffle in an Xfinity Series race at Bristol. Harvick responded by hopping over Biffle’s car after the race and grabbing Biffle around the collar. Later that season, NASCAR suspended him after wrecking Coy Gibbs in a Truck Series event at Martinsville.

The 2003 season saw a heated incident between Harvick and the gritty veteran Ricky Rudd, who made contact with Harvick during the race at Richmond. Once the checkered flag waved, Harvick raced around the pits trying to find Rudd, before parking against the side of Rudd’s car on pit road. Harvick climbed out of his car but then stomped on the hood of Rudd’s car, setting off an altercation between the two teams.

He had on-track disagreements that led to heated conversations with Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Joe Nemechek, Ty Dillon, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott, just to name a few.

You could make a case that his biggest rival was Kyle Busch — the pair are still battling for wins and are currently ninth and 10th all-time on the NASCAR Cup Series wins list. The 2005 Xfinity season saw the two tangle at Dover in the midst of Harvick racing for the owners’ championship. Their relationship through the years has been full of hard racing on the track, colorful interviews and many heated moments — though they remain friendly today.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

KYLE BUSCH

Kyle Busch started his career as a driver with the tough task of following his brother Kurt’s success. “Rowdy” not only matched that but also seemingly followed with his temper and aggressive driving.

Xfinity Series veteran Jason Keller’s crew had to be held back from Busch after Busch wrecked Keller off a restart at New Hampshire. Busch was promptly given a black flag for aggressive driving. Later that season, Busch dumped Ron Hornaday Jr. at Darlington, setting the tone for a rivalry that ended in Busch being suspended for intentionally wrecking Hornaday Jr. in a 2011 Truck race.

He threw his HANS device at Casey Mears car during the 2006 Coca-Cola 600. Busch even feuded with his brother Kurt at Charlotte the following season. If Busch wasn’t looked at as an instigator already, he moved Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the lead at Richmond in 2008 after the two had already been entangled a few times in the past.

Busch had high-profile feuds with Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski, and those rivalries included countless amounts of incidents. A 2017 incident at Las Vegas between Busch and Keselowski’s then-teammate Joey Logano led to Busch taking a swing at Logano post-race.

MORE: Busch spins Dale Jr. at Richmond | Busch, Logano fight post-Las Vegas

James Gilbert | Getty Images

JOEY LOGANO

Quite possibly the most polarizing driver in the Cup Series in a long time, Joey Logano has had his fair share of rivalries and intense moments through the years.

Throughout his career, he has had physical altercations with Denny Hamlin at both Bristol and Martinsville, Tony Stewart at Fontana, Kevin Harvick at Pocono, Ryan Newman at Michigan and Kyle Busch at Las Vegas.

He caught heat in 2012 when he moved Mark Martin out of the lead at Pocono, en-route to the win. His aggressive, do-anything-for-a-victory style of driving has triggered an infinite amount of drivers, most notably on superspeedways, where he has four victories.

His most notable feud came in 2015. Logano was battling Matt Kenseth for the win when Kenseth threw a huge block on Logano, who did not lift and sent Kenseth around. To add salt to Kenseth’s wounds, Logano ended the race in Victory Lane.

Fast forward to Martinsville next week. Kenseth, still angry with Logano from Kansas, sent Logano into the wall while the No. 22 was leading and ruined his chance at victory and the championship. Kenseth was promptly parked for the day and suspended.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

BRAD KESELOWSKI

Brad Keselowski’s first full-time Xfinity Series season came in 2008 and it wasn’t a quiet one for the Michigan driver. Keselowski made contact with Denny Hamlin a handful of times during a race at Charlotte, ending in an altercation between the two teams. A few weeks later Kevin Harvick threatened to dump him at Watkins Glen due to the way Keselowski was racing him hard.

His first Cup Series win came in dramatic fashion, taking the checkered flag at Talladega after contact between Carl Edwards and himself left the No. 99 of Edwards airborne. This inadvertently set off a long-standing rivalry between the two drivers. Later that season, Keselowski made contact with Edwards in an Xfinity Series race at Memphis. This culminated in a 2010 incident at Atlanta that made this new rivalry explode.

Keselowski’s No. 12 car bumped Edwards early in the running, sending Edwards into the wall and to the garage. Edwards returned to the race about 100 laps later seemingly with payback on his mind, sending Keselowski around before being parked by NASCAR for aggressive driving.

The following season the two battled for the Xfinity Series win at Gateway and Keselowski moved Edwards out of the way before racing side by side for the win on the backstretch. The race ended with Keselowski in the wall and both drivers being placed on probation by NASCAR.

The rivalry with Hamlin was still ongoing at the time as the two had altercations at Phoenix, which left Hamlin spinning and fuming at Keselowski. The following week Hamlin got his revenge at Homestead, spinning Keselowski out early in the race.

Keselowski’s aggressive driving at Richmond in 2014 left both Hamlin and Matt Kenseth angry with the driver. As Hamlin was being held back from confronting Keselowski later in the year at Charlotte, Kenseth appeared out of nowhere and attacked Keselowski between the haulers.

MORE: Keselowski, Gordon fight at Texas | Kenseth finds Keselowski in garage

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

JIMMY SPENCER

It wouldn’t be a complete list of instigators without mentioning the man they call “Mr. Excitement.” Jimmy Spencer only visited Victory Lane twice in his Cup Series career but he gave everything he had every single week on the race track.

An Xfinity Series incident at Hickory in 1989 with Dale Jarrett left Jarrett in the wall and Spencer in Victory Lane. Spencer was fined and suspended for the remainder of the 1993 Xfinity Series season after a post-race brawl between Spencer and Joe Bessey’s team.

In 1994, Spencer was penalized five laps at North Wilkesboro for retaliating under yellow against Ken Schrader. Two years later, he had to be restrained by NASCAR officials after sprinting toward Wally Dallenbach Jr.’s car after being involved in an incident. Spencer stomped away, screaming at the NASCAR officials in the process.

After a 1997 incident at Bristol, Geoff Bodine took a stand against Spencer. “It’s about time somebody told the truth. He’s wild out there. He’s crazy, ridiculous.”

The most notable rivalry of Spencer’s time behind the wheel was with rising star Kurt Busch. Spencer turned Busch during the 2001 fall race at Phoenix and the following season Busch paid Spencer back at Bristol, moving the veteran driver out of the way en route to his first career victory.

A few weeks later, Spencer paid Busch back in the Brickyard 400. Fast forward to 2003 and their rivalry finally came to blows at Michigan. The two raced hard throughout the event and after the race, the 46-year-old Spencer punched the 25-year-old Busch in the face while Busch was still inside his car in the garage. Busch was left with a broken tooth and bloody nose.

Spencer was suspended one race for the incident and fined $25,000 but that didn’t change his attitude.

“I will always protect myself and my race team,” Spencer said.

Jeff Gross | Getty Images

BUCKSHOT JONES

Buckshot Jones made a name for himself in the Xfinity Series by not only winning but ruffling tons of feathers on the way.

Jones’ hard battle with Joe Bessey for the win at Dover in 1997 ended in the No. 00 of Jones in the wall and Jones’ pit crew attempting to block the race-winning car of Bessey from entering Victory Lane.

The 1997 season also saw Jones tangle with Dale Shaw, prompting a brawl on pit road between the teams and fines to both drivers.

His well-documented rivalry with Randy LaJoie also started in 1997 at Talladega when the two got together. Jones was upset with LaJoie after the race and ran into LaJoie on the cool-down lap. LaJoie, who was already unbuckled, spun across the track and collected another innocent car. This left Jones with a $2,000 fine from NASCAR. A few months later, the night race at Bristol was highlighted by Jones moving LaJoie out of the lead late in the going before LaJoie returned the favor and put Jones in the wall. Jones then tried to retaliate against LaJoie and was parked by NASCAR.

Fireworks between the two drivers continued the following season as Jones made contact with LaLoie on the eighth lap at Nazareth, destroying the No. 74 of LaJoie. “I might have to take a trip somewhere and see what his problem is,” LaJoie said on the incident.

Craig Jones | ALLSPORT

CURTIS TURNER

One of NASCAR’s earliest instigators, Curtis Turner was not shy when it came to laying the bumper to his competitors. Turner, who ran moonshine for his Dad as a child and later served in the Navy during World War II, seemed to always get under the skin of anyone he raced against.

He was most famously involved in a post-race incident with Lee Petty. Turner and Petty had been racing hard the entire race and that did not sit well with Petty, who approached Turner following the race and hit him with a tire iron. Another incident saw Turner being approached by Bobby Myers, was holding a billy club.

Turner’s reputation even once led to an incident where police needed to intervene. During a 1966 race at Bowman Gray Stadium, Turner and Bobby Allison took turns running into each other early on during the event. It got to the point where Turner would come to an all-but stop on the track and wait to get his revenge on Allison. Both drivers were disqualified from the race by just around the halfway point.

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BOBBY ALLISON

If you ever needed proof that Bobby Allison was an instigator, look no further than the start of his career. As a 28-year-old, he had Bill France sticking his head inside of his car during a pit stop, threatening him that if he didn’t stop his antics with Curtis Turner, he’d be banned from NASCAR. How did Allison take that? He simply drove back onto the track, eventually getting disqualified from the race for the way he continued to drive.

The infamous fight at the conclusion of the 1979 Daytona 500 was a helmet-throwing, blood-dripping brawl that saw Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Allison’s brother Donnie all fined for their antics.

Allison feuded with a multitudenumber of drivers during his career including Yarborough, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and anybody who would try to get in the way between his hands and the race-winning trophy. The Hall of Fame driver even once feuded with his car owner at the time, Junior Johnson, with Allison claiming Johnson gave him a bad engine in retaliation for the fact he was leaving the team at the end of the season.

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Posted on May 12, 2023May 14, 2023 by Sean Montgomery

Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway
(⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1, FOX Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Darlington, the 13th regular season race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Darlington 101

🗳️ Fan Vote: Pick your Open driver for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro

📍 Location: Darlington, South Carolina
📐 Track length: 1.366 miles
🎟️ Buy tickets: Find weekend passes, seats for the race
💰 Cup Series race purse: $7,722,261
📏 Race distance: 293 laps | 400.2 miles
🔢 Stages: 90 | 185 | 293
—
🚪 Entry list: Drivers, teams heading to race
📋 Starting lineup: Truex Jr. on pole
🚗 Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
🏆 Most recent winner: Erik Jones
🔬Inspection: No. 45 crew chief ejected after pre-race
➡️ To the rear: The 7 and 15 for unapproved adjustments

Key things to watch 🔑

Top story line

Will feuds boil over in the South Carolina heat? Ross Chastain vs. Noah Gragson, Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Larson and likely others that are beginning to flare up as we head toward the summer months. Gragson hinted that his beef with Chastain wasn’t over after their fight on pit road at Kansas Speedway, suggesting payback could be in the cards — in whatever form he deems necessary. But in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Chastain said the two have moved on completely. And then on Saturday at Darlington, Chastain reiterated that the two have moved on.

In the other battle from the weekend, the No. 5 team voiced its displeasure with Hamlin’s aggressive finish to the race on the radio after their incredible last-lap duel. With the season in full swing and the playoffs creeping closer, these on- and off-track battles are something worth keeping an eye on. And we may not have seen the last of them.

🕰️ Special feature: Has Ross Chastain joined this list of NASCAR’s all-time agitators? Check it out.

History tells us…

Experience rules. Thirteen of the last 15 winners at Darlington have been 30 or older, highlighting an exceptional trend that favors the veteran drivers in the field. And outside of Erik Jones’ pair of victories for Chevrolet, it has mostly been Toyota and Ford drivers enjoying successful attempts to conquer the “Lady in Black.” Toyota has won seven of the last 12, led by Denny Hamlin’s three wins in that span. For Ford, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick (twice) and Joey Logano have each won, too — each a relatively-routine winner. Darlington’s track record is not one that lends itself to new winners or even the youthful stars of the sport.

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Erik Jones. No matter how his season is trending, Jones routinely seems to find magic around this grueling circuit. He is the most recent winner at the track and has led laps in five of his last eight starts here. Under the radar this weekend, Jones presented incredible opening odds at 65-1 (he was listed at 55-1 on Sunday), with two track victories and seven top 10s in 10 career starts. Outside of last season’s win, his results in the Next Gen era have definitely been hit or miss. But at his odds, he is a solid underdog pick since he has proven he can outperform expectations at the “Track Too Tough to Tame.”

Saturday’s sessions

Former Southern 500 winner — not to mention 2021 Goodyear 400 winner — Martin Truex Jr. landed his first Busch Light Pole Award since last summer, putting down a blazing-fast lap of 169.409 mph in Saturday’s qualifying session. He’ll be joined on the front row by Toyota mate Bubba Wallace, followed by a slew of Chevrolets — including Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who notably qualified third. Wallace appears to have a car built for the long run as well, as he turned in the second-best 20-lap average in practice, a figure topped by another driver looking for his first win of 2023 — Chase Elliott. | Read full practice, qualifying recap | No. 45 crew chief ejected

Inside the Race 🔍

NBC’s Kyle Petty and MRN’s Todd Gordon break down the important factors to winning a race at Darlington Raceway.

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: Blast from the past with new throwback schemes | Pick a favorite | History behind tributes
• Fantasy Fastlane: Throwback lineup for Throwback Weekend at Darlington | Top Fantasy Live Plays, sleepers | Fantasy Update
• Power Rankings: Can Kyle Larson tame ‘the Lady in Black’ for the first time? | Latest driver rankings
• Betting odds: See which driver is the favorite for Sunday | Top bets, underdog picks (UPDATED SUNDAY)
• At-track photos: Early scenes from Darlington, including a special Goodyear tire | See them here
• Stacking Pennies: Breaking down the fight, BJ McLeod joins the show | Listen to the podcast

💎 NASCAR 75: Honoring NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers … then revealing 25 more | Check out the list

Hot off the press 📰

Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.

• Vintage clothing challenge: Kyle Petty judges throwback outfits for Darlington | Watch video
• Fight: Elton Sawyer comments on Gragson-Chastain incident | Read more
• ICYMI: Noah Gragson, Ross Chastain fight on pit road | Read more
• Kyle Petty: Former driver defends Chastain, compares him to legend | Watch video
• Penalty: No. 2 Team Penske Ford team penalized following Kansas | Read more
• NASCAR Salutes: History of military appreciation in the sport | Read more
• Matt Kenseth: Hall of Fame driver lands on 75 Greatest Drivers list | Read more
• Photo Memories: Chase Briscoe remembers loss, win on same day | Watch video
• Pit-road stats: Speedy stops at Kansas benefitted Bubba Wallace, others | Read more
• Stage points: See the updated list for the 2023 Cup Series season | Read more
• North Wilkesboro: Exclusive report from open house | Read more | See photos

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• Fantasy Live: Still time to get on the leaderboard and win big this season | Tips for 2023
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here
• The Action Network: Don’t overlook AJ Allmendinger in juicy driver matchup | Expert analysis
• The Action Network: Why Bubba is a strong play on Sunday at Darlington | Expert analysis

Down in Darlington 🗺️

Learn the history behind NASCAR’s first ‘superspeedway,’ including recent winners and race highlights.

• 1963: The track experiment that featured a doubleheader, math and a standing start | Read more
• Oldest ‘superspeedway:’ Darlington is steeped in history and tradition | Read more
• Paint-scheme tradition: Check out which drivers, teams are paying tribute | See them here
• Race Rewind: Best moments from the 2022 Darlington playoff race | Relive them
• Vintage view: Exclusive camera shots from 2022 Throwback Weekend | See them here

Take some notes 📝

Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• There has been a green-flag stretch of more than 70 laps in each of the previous five Darlington races.
• The Darlington winner started in the top 10 in four of the previous five races.
• Five drivers won the last five races at Darlington.
• Erik Jones is the only driver under 30 to win at Darlington in the last 15 races.
• The last three Darlington winners got their first win of the season.

🔮 Predicting the winner: Using data to set a projected finishing order (UPDATED SUNDAY)

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Brandon White

When Jack McNelly started the CARS Tour back in 2015, there was no way of knowing his vision of a premier Late Model Stock series would one day take him to North Wilkesboro Speedway.

The iconic track was still sitting abandoned in the mountains of North Carolina when the series ran its first race, but a perfect storm of circumstances brought North Wilkesboro back to life in August of 2022 with the CARS Tour serving as the grand finale for the month-long festivities.

A talented field of 30 drivers and a crowd exceeding 22,000 spectators converged at North Wilkesboro on the night of Aug. 31. McNelly considered the scene one of the most vibrant short-track atmospheres he’s witnessed through multiple decades in the sport.

After watching North Wilkesboro gradually decay, the thought of even holding one race there remains surreal for McNelly as he prepares for the CARS Tour’s second trip to the historic facility on Wednesday.

“It still feels like a dream,” McNelly said. “The first emotion was surprise, and the second emotion was unbelief over being able to perform in front of such a large audience on such a big stage.”

STREAMING: Watch Late Model features at North Wilkesboro live on FloRacing

The main person McNelly credited for making that dream a reality was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who took over ownership of the CARS Tour just a few months after North Wilkesboro.

In 2019, Earnhardt Jr. spearheaded the effort to clear the abandoned track of weeds and debris so it could be properly scanned for iRacing. North Wilkesboro made its formal iRacing debut that May as part of the eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series, bolstering growing interest in the long-dormant facility.

The COVID-19 pandemic became the catalyst that sparked North Wilkesboro’s revival. North Carolina governor Roy Cooper allocated $18 million in federal pandemic relief funds toward modernizing North Wilkesboro’s infrastructure with the goal of bringing auto racing back to Wilkes County.

Once McNelly was certain the CARS Tour would be a part of the Racetrack Revival, he worked diligently to ensure North Wilkesboro met the necessary standards to put on a race that harkened back to the facility’s prime before its closure in 1996.

McNelly never expressed overt concern about the on-track product in the months leading up to the Racetrack Revival, but he was worried about what kind of amenities fans and drivers would have at their disposal with urban decay stemming from over two decades of dereliction.

“I had gone up for a site visit [before August], and I was concerned about the retaining wall, which had deteriorated in Turn 1,” McNelly said. “That was taken care of, but I was also concerned about whether they would put up enough lights for our fellas to be safe out there.

“There were a lot of ifs. I wasn’t worried about how the race would go, but more so the facilities like restrooms. I honestly didn’t know if they would have one port-o-potty or a hundred of those things.”

A group of cars prepare to hit the track for qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Aug. 30, 2022 (Photo: Philip Goodman)

No matter the state of North Wilkesboro and its facilities come race day, three-time CARS Tour champion Bobby McCarty was one of the most eager to finally compete at a track that meant so much to NASCAR and short track competitors in the southeast.

McCarty for years had heard the persistent rumors surrounding a potential reopening of North Wilkesboro, but he never imagined any would come to fruition. The reality of an operational North Wilkesboro did not set in for McCarty until he entered the property for the first time.

“It was kind of surreal,” McCarty said. “I was born in 1992, so I don’t remember much of the racing [at North Wilkesboro] but heard it was really good. It was a hell of a party at the same time, so going in there was a lot like being at Martinsville or Bristol. The greats cut their teeth there, and it’s a different kind of feeling when you go to one of those places.”

Like everyone else who showed up for the Racetrack Revival, McCarty had plenty of questions about how North Wilkesboro would race for 125 laps. But he did expect drivers to ride around and conserve tires during the opening stages on such an abrasive surface.

After drivers had time to get acclimated to North Wilkesboro in practice and qualifying, McNelly sensed a great deal of optimism in the infield and was confident all the hard work put in by himself, the series, promoters and Earnhardt Jr. would result in a once in a lifetime short track event.

The optimism was still prevalent during pre-race festivities that included a Q&A session hosted by Earnhardt Jr., but McNelly wanted to provide drivers and crew members one last reminder of the prestige and significance behind racing at North Wilkesboro before the green flag.

“At the driver’s meeting, I told everyone to do themselves a favor and take a few minutes before everything got going to soak in the atmosphere,” McNelly said. “I told them to not think about anything else except this moment, because these don’t come that often at our level of racing.

“For some, they may never see something like this again.”

After finishing third at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2022, Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrated with the fans by doing a Polish Victory Lap (Photo: Philip Goodman)

Anticipation only grew as the sold-out crowd began filing into North Wilkesboro, backing up traffic on the Wilkes County backroads for miles. Those who did get inside were able to converse with drivers during a prolonged fan fest before entertaining themselves by doing the wave and shining the flashlights on their cell phones as cars rolled off for pace laps.

Seeing such a vibrant crowd at a short track was simultaneously a jarring and enthralling experience for defending CARS Tour champion Carson Kvapil, who knew all eyes would be on him as led the 30-car field to the green flag.

Despite feeling some natural intimidation, Kvapil admitted leaning on his boss in Earnhardt Jr., giving him a sense of comfort heading into the race.

“There were definitely a few things [Earnhardt Jr.] remembered from when he ran Late Models [at North Wilkesboro],” Kvapil said. “For the most part, all of us were kind of on our own. These cars changed so much since he ran them last, so there wasn’t a whole lot to compare. Fortunately, we got a little bit of practice and tuned our stuff in the best we could.”

Kvapil gave the North Wilkesboro faithful a glimpse into NASCAR’s future by leading a race-high 88 laps to score a win at the historic track, all while Earnhardt Jr. celebrated with the exuberant crowd with a Polish victory lap following a third-place finish.

Although Kvapil was elated by his accomplishment, he admitted the journey to just get to North Wilkesboro’s elevated Victory Lane was more unnerving than anything he experienced out on track.

“That lift was pretty sketchy,” Kvapil said. “It was scary, and I hope they worked on it, because it was not to be trusted by me, but at the time I didn’t really care. I was on cloud nine going up that lift even though that was its own experience.”

Carson Kvapil dominated last year’s CARS Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway by leading 88 of the 125 laps. (Photo: Philip Goodman)

Since taking the checkered flag on that fateful August evening, Kvapil has been looking forward to returning to North Wilkesboro, especially since Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Ross Chastain are among the names on the entry list.

ENTRY LIST: Here are the Cup Series drivers racing at North Wilkesboro

For McCarty, who ended his first trip to North Wilkesboro with a fifth-place finish, the presence of the Cup Series drivers on Wednesday will be a perfect opportunity to showcase the amount of talent in Late Model Stock racing — and why Earnhardt Jr., Harvick and others are investing so much into the CARS Tour.

Being able to defeat some of NASCAR’s best at a facility like North Wilkesboro would be a career highlight for McCarty and further validate the commitment he has maintained to the CARS Tour since the end of 2017.

“I want to do better than we did last year,” McCarty said. “We had a good run, and we put on a hell of a show with [Earnhardt Jr.], but now I want to go back and put on a bigger show. I would put a lot of these guys up against anybody in the Top 3 [NASCAR divisions], so it’s cool we get to showcase what we’re about.

“I’m hoping one of us, hopefully me, sends these guys back to the Cup Series with their tail between their legs.”

As McCarty, Kvapil and the rest of the drivers make final preparations ahead of Wednesday evening, McNelly cannot help but be proud of everything the CARS Tour accomplished in its first venture to North Wilkesboro.

Despite dealing with a few issues regarding scheduling and traffic, McNelly departed Wilkes County in 2022 completely satisfied with how the event turned out. With improved amenities and two CARS Tour divisions on the docket for next week, McNelly has every reason to believe another great outing at North Wilkesboro is in store for the series.

Closing out the Racetrack Revival with an efficient show in 2022 was a top priority for McNelly, who knew all eyes in the motorsports world would be watching to see if all the hard work toward restoring North Wilkesboro could indeed translate into a sustainable future for the track.

Now that the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race is at North Wilkesboro along with a week-long schedule of racing, McNelly feels honored that the CARS Tour got to play a role at reviving a key part of stock car history while also hopefully building upon a solid foundation for the series and short tracks going forward.

“For me, [the Racetrack Revival] meant a lot,” McNelly said. “There were 22,000 people there, and I would go out on a limb and say at least half, if not more, hadn’t been to a short-track race in 15 years. They came, they saw great racing, so no matter where they came from, they’ll go back to that area with a good taste in their mouths.

“Hopefully they’ll all go support their local short tracks.”

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson, one of stock-car racing’s all-time greats and the most recent member of the elite club of seven-time Cup Series champions, was named as the final addition to the list of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers on Thursday.

Johnson has won 83 times in NASCAR’s top division and assembled an unprecedented streak of five consecutive Cup Series titles from 2006-10. He retired from full-time competition after the 2020 season but has returned to drive a limited schedule for Legacy Motor Club, an organization where he holds a partial ownership stake.

Given Johnson’s accomplishments, his inclusion in the 75 Greatest list for NASCAR’s diamond anniversary is among the least surprising. He was presented with the honor during testing for the Garage 56 Le Mans project last month by Chad Knaus, Hendrick Motorsports’ VP of Competition and his longtime crew chief for all seven of his Cup Series titles.

Johnson made a quick rise to the Cup Series after attracting interest from team owner Rick Hendrick and his eventual teammate Jeff Gordon. He broke through for his first win in just his 13th Cup Series start, celebrating at Auto Club Speedway in his home state of California. From there, the victories accumulated.

Johnson’s win total ties him for sixth on NASCAR’s all-time win list with Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough, and his portfolio is rife with crown-jewel prizes. The 47-year-old driver has won the Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400 four times each and the Daytona 500 and Southern 500 each twice. Johnson also has a career record of dominance at Dover Motor Speedway (11 wins) and Martinsville Speedway (nine wins).

Johnson’s recognition completes the unveiling of 25 new names added to the original 50 Greatest Drivers list to create the 75th-anniversary roster. The full list comes one day before the start of NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway, where members of the 75 Greatest Drivers will be honored leading up to Sunday’s Goodyear 400 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 by Staff Report

Ross Chastain said in a Thursday interview that he has moved on from Sunday’s post-race altercation between him and Noah Gragson at Kansas Speedway.

The duo found themselves in a post-race scrum that began with Gragson confronting Chastain and grabbing hold of his fire suit and ended after Chastain landed a punch to Gragson’s face. On the latest episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Chastain explained where things stand between him and the rookie driver after the fist-to-face confrontation.

“Noah and I have known each other for several years. We train together, we prepare together,” Chastain said. “We’ve been in separate series for a little bit. Now, we’re both in the Cup Series, exactly where we want to be. So we’re both trying to prove ourselves. We’re both trying to get to where we want to be and stay here in the Cup Series. It’s not easy. There’s only 36 seats. So we’re good.

“We talked on Monday on the phone, and then we were together testing some micro sprint cars Monday night. We worked out together this week. It’s good. It’s done and over with, and we’ve been able to move on and laugh about it now. But we weren’t exactly laughing on Sunday.”

Chastain detailed his surprise at how the situation unfolded in his first public comments since addressing reporters post-race at Kansas. While he wasn’t taken aback by Gragson’s decision to approach him after their near-run-in that saw Gragson contact the outside SAFER barrier exiting Turn 4, Chastain was caught off-guard by Gragson’s intensity.

“When he came down, I saw him coming and stopped the interview I was doing and let him approach, and I could tell by his face he was mad,” Chastain said. “He had the crazy eyes going, and when he grabbed a hold of me, I just tried to stop it. I told him to stop, and I tried to stop both of his arms in case he did swing, and then I had to defend myself, man.”

Swinging first was never Chastain’s first intention, recalling lessons learned from his father. But self-defense, he thought, became a priority.

“Look, my dad told me for as long as I can remember, ‘Never punch first. We’re not gonna go fight anybody. We’re not fighters,'” Chastain said. “But if they come down at the race track at 12 years old or 14 years old when I was growing up to our pit, we’re gonna defend ourselves, and we’re allowed to do that. So that’s what went through my mind, and we handled it.”

The fiery nature of the confrontation was an exclamation point on the rising tensions not just surrounding Chastain but all of its drivers, a product of the long, grueling schedule that teams face for 38 races a year — 36 of which pay points toward a championship run.

That fight took over the internet on Sunday @RossChastain…#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/cmS9iRK55v

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 11, 2023

“We go up against each other every week. We don’t have weeks or months at a time to not see each other and forget about what happened in the last race. Every week, we go back, and we race again,” Chastain said. “So that’s why you see stuff tend to get fired up more because it’s not just one or two games or races a year. So they (NASCAR) didn’t love it. I had to have some tough conversations after Sunday. There was a lot within the team at Trackhouse; there was a lot of tough conversations with NASCAR and with my family, man.

“Look, I don’t want my Meemaw and my Mimi, my grandmothers, to see me fighting. But ultimately, they understand that I had to handle myself, defend myself.”

MORE: Why Kyle Petty defends Chastain

Ultimately, one punch was all that landed between Gragson and Chastain, the latter of whom landed the solo right hook before security intervened.

“The two guys you see on the video is their full-time security that travel with us, and they help us handle situations out in public and then also on pit road between each other,” Chastain said. “And they let us talk, and you see them come up in the background here, and once any physical stuff happens, they jump in. So I know Noah — we talked about — he wanted to have a fair shot back. I would like that, too, that way he doesn’t have any more ill will. But he’s good with it, and those guys, they’re professionals and jumped in.”

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Holly Cain

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to competition at Darlington Raceway with Saturday’s Shriners Children’s 200 (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after a rare week off.

Unquestionably the team to beat this week is JR Motorsports, which has won the last four Xfinity Series races at the notoriously tough 1.366-mile oval.

Veteran Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 JRM Chevrolet, is the defending race winner – holding off his then-teammate Noah Gragson by a slight 0.259-seconds in this race last year to hoist his second Darlington trophy in as many years. Allgaier is the only two-time race winner in the field on Saturday and a victory – which would be his first of 2023 – would certainly be huge for him toward his championship run.

Among the title contenders, his two wins, six top-five and 11 top-10 efforts in 15 Darlington starts are easily tops. He’s currently ranked fifth in the standings, 49 points behind leader Austin Hill.

Hill, driver of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, leads the Xfinity Series with three wins and holds a slight four-point edge over Joe Gibbs Racing’s John Hunter Nemechek atop the driver standings.

MORE: Full entry list for Darlington | Xfinity Series standings

Darlington has been a solid venue for both Hill and his closest competitor in the standings, Nemechek. Both drivers finished inside the top 10 in both races there last year, although neither has won at the track. They are also the only two multiple-time winners in 2023. And Nemechek’s 340 laps led this season is best by more than 100 laps over the next closest — Hill.

There are three former Darlington winners in Saturday’s field, including the only multi-time winner Allgaier and his first-year JRM teammate Brandon Jones (2020) and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer (2019).

RCR driver Sheldon Creed finished runner-up in the fall race at Darlington and has back-to-back NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victories at the track and should be considered a favorite as well.

A handful of NASCAR Cup Series drivers are entered this week, including 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who will drive the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Current Cup Series driver standings leader Ross Chastain will drive the No. 91 DGM Racing Chevrolet and Ty Dillon will steer the famed No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Several teams will be participating in Darlington’s famed Throwback Weekend.

Both Hill’s and his RCR teammate Creed’s Chevrolets will honor former two-time Xfinity Series champion Kevin Harvick with paint schemes reminiscent of Harvick’s 2001 and 2006 title-winning seasons. Custer’s No. 00 Ford will pay tribute to the late driver Jason Leffler and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Riley Herbst’s No. 98 Ford will do the same for the late rally driver Ken Block.

Brett Moffitt’s No. 25 AM Racing Ford will honor the late Tim Richmond’s famous “Folger’s Coffee” car.

Jeffrey Earnhardt’s No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet will carry a paint scheme honoring his late grandfather Dale Earnhardt’s 1997 All-Star Race car.

Fittingly, for the throwback theme, it’s a NASCAR Hall of Famer that boasts all the most important Xfinity Series records at Darlington. Mark Martin holds the top mark for wins (eight), pole positions (eight), top fives (14), top 10s (18) and laps led (972).

The green flag for practice waves at 5:05 p.m. ET on Friday, followed immediately by qualifying. Both sessions will be aired live on FS1.

Posted on May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 by Track Release

NORFOLK, Va. – As a high-octane prelude to the nation’s most patriotic Memorial Day weekend celebration, Coca-Cola Racing Family driver and 2022 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano continued Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Mission 600 tour with sailors at Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval station, on Wednesday.

Logano, alongside Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter and NASCAR Salutes ambassador Jesse Iwuji, toured the expansive destroyer USS Nitze, which just last month returned from an eight-month deployment where its missions included deconflicting air space for the President of the United States during a United Nations conference and completing numerous visit, board, search and seizure operations, resulting in the seizure of an estimated $43 million of illegal narcotics.

During the visit, Logano met with commanding officers and the crew, toured the ship’s bridge and aft missile deck, and served chow to sailors. Following the tour, Logano participated in a ship handling trainer simulation, which gave the veteran driver an in-depth education in maneuvering a warship at sea.

“This has been an incredible experience to meet the men and women that serve our country,” Logano said. “I love that we do this as a sport – Mission 600. Every week we do this; today was my turn, and I was pretty excited about coming here and meeting the people. It’s amazing to see the ships and what their capabilities are, but meeting the men and women that are actually doing the work and making the commitment for us… Memorial Day Weekend is really a great time to show that appreciation that we should be showing every single day. I wish everyone had the opportunity I have today to see this stuff up close and personal.”

Charlotte Motor Speedway communications

Capt. Katie Jacobson, the commanding officer of the USS Nitze, hosted the visit, presenting Logano with a USS Nitze hat and an American flag that flew on the ship to commemorate his visit.

“It was great to get to interact with them, chat with them and give them a taste of what being on a destroyer is like,” Jacobson said. “We talked about our deployment. They got to see inside the skin of the ship, how we interact. We have about 320 sailors on board right now. That’s my pit crew. While I’m the captain and represent the ship, it’s really the crew that makes it all happen… I’m super proud of the crew, and it’s always a wonderful opportunity to show them off and show the ship off.”

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.

TICKETS: See schedule, buy tickets for Coca-Cola 600

“The Coca-Cola 600 being on the eve of Memorial Day, it’s a nice reminder to be able to bring the stars of our sport out so they can actually see what the military does each and every day – that sense of team, that sense of service, that sense of duty – the same characteristics that make for a successful race team,” Walter said. “When we bring these drivers out for Mission 600, it’s really cool to see them kind of rethink things. They’ll see the military there during pre-race, but to be able to interact with these sailors like Joey did, it’s a unique connection point for our sport to the military.”

Posted on May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 by Cameron Richardson

It’s time to turn back the clocks and pay homage to 75 years of NASCAR with Throwback Weekend. There is no better facility to honor the greats of the sport and dawn paint schemes of the past than at Darlington Raceway.

The historic track, along with its rough and worn-out surface, serves as the time capsule that continues to evoke every decade of NASCAR and blend it all at once whenever there’s on-track action. There’s a lot to be on the lookout for this weekend so here’s some important information to get you into the spirit of Throwback Weekend with trends to watch ahead of Sunday’s Goodyear 400 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), tire info and interactive ways to follow all the action.

TENSIONS RISING AHEAD OF SIGNATURE STRETCH 👀

Following an exhilarating Kansas race that saw last-lap contact for the win and a post-race scuffle involving Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson, the tone has been set for what will be three upcoming weekends of thrilling on-track action. Playoff points continue to be paramount but there’s an added element of bragging rights for the rest of May with the legendary venues NASCAR will be traveling to for the rest of the month.

Any race at Darlington feels like a major event, and we’ve seen what the Cup Series’ best drivers are willing to do — highlighted when defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano moved William Byron in the closing laps to take the win.

A big check on the line and the return to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star Race following Darlington is sure to produce fireworks that come with short-track racing and May closes with NASCAR’s longest race at the home track of many teams with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

MORE: Cup Series schedule

RULE CHANGES/GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES 🛞

Goodyear Racing

To celebrate Goodyear’s 125 years in business, the tire brand will bring a limited-edition sidewall design that features the original Wingfoot logo created in 1898 and will be seen on 3,500 tires at all three national series races during Throwback Weekend – including the brand’s title sponsor Cup race, the Goodyear 400. The tire pays tribute to the longevity of NASCAR and Goodyear’s relationship as well as celebrates Goodyear’s 125^th anniversary in 2023.

The GEICO Restart Zone returned to its 2022 dimensions after being extended for this season’s first five races.

Goodyear brings the tire setup to Darlington that was first featured at Homestead-Miami Speedway last October. It’s the same setup that was used at Kansas Speedway last Sunday. Cup teams will be allotted one set of tires for practice, one for qualifying and an additional 10 for Sunday’s 400-miler.

In the event of a lost wheel that is contained to pit road, the offending team will be subject to a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions. If the infraction occurs during a caution period, the offending team will restart at the tail end of the field.

If the wheel breaks free outside of pit road, the new rules guidelines mandate a two-lap penalty plus a two-race suspension for two crew members. Each penalty is series-specific: Violations in one series will not impact those crew members’ eligibility to participate in other series.

NOTE: No. 2 Team Penske crew members Keiston France and Patrick Gray have been suspended from the next two Championship Series events after Austin Cindric lost a tire on track at Kansas last Sunday.

RELATED: See rules changes for 2023

📉 TRENDS TO WATCH 📈

— Five different drivers have won the last five Darlington races

— Toyota has won four of the last eight Darlington races while Chevrolet has only won one in the last 12

— Erik Jones is the only driver under 30 years old to win at Darlington in the last 15 races

— The last three Darlington winners got their first win of the season

(Via Racing Insights)

NOTABLE MOMENTS 🎥

1985: Bill Elliott wins Southern 500, earns “Million Dollar Bill” moniker | WATCH

1997: Jeff Gordon holds off Jeff Burton in Southern 500 | WATCH

2003: Kurt Busch, Ricky Craven battle to start/finish line for Darlington win | WATCH

2022: Erik Jones scores Southern 500 victory in 200th win for No. 43 | WATCH

ON-TRACK SCHEDULE 🗓️

Saturday, May 6

— 10:35 a.m. ET: Practice (FS2, MRN) [Moves to FS1 at 11 a.m. ET]

— 11:20 a.m. ET: Qualifying (FS1, MRN)

Sunday, May 7

— 3 p.m. ET: Goodyear 400 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

MORE: Full weekend schedule at Darlington

FAN REWARDS 🫵

Fans can get in on the action all season long with NASCAR Fan Rewards, a free program that rewards fans for participating in the action when they watch races and play NASCAR Fantasy.

There’s no cost to join. Fans must be 18 years or older to participate in the program.

Earn points by checking into a race from home or at the track, setting your Fantasy Live lineup, making purchases on the NASCAR.com shop and more. Points can be redeemed for race tickets, merchandise and VIP experiences at the track, including pace car rides and waving the green flag at qualifying.

JOIN TODAY

FOLLOW THE RACE 📲

NASCAR Mobile has now added support for fans to “Follow the Race” and access live leaderboard and race information from Live Activities in the current app release (v13.2.0), available now. Android users, we didn’t forget you — the same functionality has been custom-built for Android devices, as well.

How to access Live Activities on iPhones:

Make sure your iOS device has been updated to 16.1 or higher.
Available on the leaderboard of all NASCAR Series races.
Click on the three-dot menu near the top right of screen.
Select “Follow the Race.”
Swipe up to access the home screen and you will see the Live Activities at the top.
Lock the device and you will see Live Activities on the Lock Screen.
To turn off, simply visit the leaderboard, click the three-dot menu and “Unfollow the Race.”

FANTASY LIVE 🏆

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM 💻

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week, in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement to the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 by Zack Albert

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Jeff Canipe had the itch to take a half-day from work. His duties as a student records coordinator at Gardner-Webb University had cooled roughly one week after the school’s commencement ceremonies. He had somewhere he needed to be Wednesday afternoon, making the drive up from his Kings Mountain, North Carolina home to North Wilkesboro Speedway’s public grand re-opening.

The 0.625-mile oval opened up before him at the backstretch crossover gate like a ghost revived. “Man,” Canipe said, making the slight uphill walk to the opening and seeing the track for the first time in 25 years. “It looks like a new race track.”

All of North Wilkesboro Speedway’s spruced-up amenities were there for viewing in Wednesday’s open house, and the community and NASCAR industry took part in the spirit of celebration. The gathering – free to the public – served as a sneak preview for the setting of the May 21 NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the first Cup Series event at the track since 1996.

RELATED: All-Star Race format | Fan vote now open

Some finishing touches of the reconstruction were still being completed during the public’s welcome, but the track was in arguably the best condition it’s seen since it was first cut into the North Carolina foothills in the late 1940s, pre-dating even the formation of NASCAR. But even with all the newness and rebuilding, special care was taken for a gentle approach to preserving the track’s history. That wasn’t an easy task since the track has sat mostly dormant since that last Cup Series race, requiring major overhauls and infrastructure updates.

“I thought it was done for,” said Canipe, who said he once worked for veteran driver and car owner Jimmy Means long ago in the Xfinity Series. “I’ve seen pictures of it before they started to renovate it, and I thought there’s no way that they’ll ever race at this place again. To be able to see them bring it back here and race the All-Star Race and hopefully continue, it’s amazing.”

He wasn’t alone among those marveling. Former driver and FOX Sports analyst Clint Bowyer clasped his hand on the shoulder of Marcus Smith, president and CEO of track owner Speedway Motorsports. “Can you believe he spent all this money up here?” Bowyer said to laughs from the modest crowd of fans. “So pumped!”

Zack Albert | NASCAR Studios

Cup Series driver Austin Dillon was back for the first time since 2010 when he was on site for a music video with country artist Tim Dugger. He recalled the weeds creeping up through the cracks in the aging track surface back then, along with a general state of disrepair. Showing up Wednesday night with his brother, Ty, and seeing the fresh paint, new SAFER barriers and community turnout, he appreciated the return to the sport’s roots.

“I think that’s one cool thing about our sport, we do some unique stuff,” Austin Dillon said, noting that his father, Mike, won two Late Model races at North Wilkesboro, a distinction that meant his car rode a hydraulic lift to the trademark rooftop Victory Lane. “Even though people don’t really love change, sometimes change is awesome. But it’s also cool when you go back in time and bring these type of cars back to a track because people love it. I mean, no matter how far forward we go, there’s nothing like the past and going back and coming back in time and experiencing that. For me, it’s that way.”

Evan and Tamara Wiles made the trip to see it for themselves, driving down from the Traphill community in the northeastern corner of Wilkes County. “I’ve lived here all my life,” Evan Wiles said, and the couple brought their 5-year-old son, Everette, to experience it for the first time. He said after seeing other attempts to re-establish racing in North Wilkesboro fizzle through the years, this effort felt like it had staying power.

“It seems like everyone got together and finally have put it in the center,” Tamara Wiles said. “Let’s just get everyone back.”

MORE: All the sights from North Wilkesboro’s open house

The Wiles plan to return for qualifying and the Saturday, May 20 race for the Craftsman Truck Series (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tickets for the main event, they admitted, were a little outside their price range. “I was willing to dadgum spend it if I had to,” Evan Wiles said.

Fans were treated to autograph signings, food-truck fare and the chance to have the run of the track’s grounds for keepsake photos. Two grandstands were re-dedicated to honor a pair of Wilkes County legends. A new Junior Johnson Grandstand took its traditional spot on the end of the backstretch, though not christened with a jar of moonshine this time that we know of. The sweeping seating section through Turns 1 and 2 was named in tribute to fellow Hall of Famer Benny Parsons, who passed away in 2007.

Terri Parsons, Benny’s wife and a key participant in the revival efforts, was there for pictures with the rest of the family beneath the bright red banner. She noted that other race track landmarks had been named for her husband through the years, “but this right here,” she said, “would mean more to him than anything.”

The day and evening were largely devoid of engine noise, which will change next week when a pair of Late Model races rumble to life midweek. For most in attendance Wednesday, just seeing the historic venue reborn was enough.

“They’ve done some great work. It’s truly, truly good work,” said Linda Cheek, president of the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce for the last 25 years. “I look around and shake my head in disbelief more than anything. It’s such an opportunity.”

Posted on May 11, 2023October 9, 2023 by Zack Albert

Sixty years ago, Darlington Raceway president Bob Colvin wanted to add a spark to his track’s springtime event. The race previously had distinguished itself from the longer, more prestigious Southern 500 as an event for the short-lived NASCAR Convertible Series. Even though that division folded after the 1959 season, Darlington still awarded full Grand National (now Cup Series) points for ragtops in that race for three more years.

That 300-mile race, held 60 years ago today at the South Carolina oval, wound up as one of stock-car racing’s most intriguing oddities in an era when the sport was still trying to find itself and larger speedways were beginning to bloom. The event was divided into two races, an overall winner was declared from a formula that averaged out the two results, and the field for the back half of the doubleheader went green from — gasp — a standing start.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Weatherly won the first 110-lapper and finished second in the next segment to take the overall win, but the spark that Colvin sought to kindle never fully ignited. Having math as the path to Victory Lane created more confusion than excitement, and the race structure was relegated to a one-off footnote in the track’s grand history.

Sixty years later, the NASCAR Cup Series reconvenes at rugged Darlington Raceway for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM). The national series tripleheader will be the setting of NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend, which will continue the celebration of the sport’s rich history in its 75th anniversary season.

For all the remembrances planned, the Southern 500 memories will be the likely headliners, but so will the classic Ricky Craven-Kurt Busch spring-race showdown from 20 years back; they’ll be the grand marshals for Sunday’s 400. Weatherly’s 1963 triumph won’t make the highlight-reel list, but it’s worth exploring the quirks that have kept it a NASCAR curiosity all these years later.

First, the format. The first 110-lap portion used a traditional rolling start. The winner of the first leg received an extra payout and the first 10 finishers in each race also pocketed a monetary bonus — a nod toward the awarding of stage points in modern-day NASCAR events.

Between each race was a 30-minute break, which allowed time for mechanics to make repairs or adjustments for Race 2. That second race lined up according to the opener’s finishing order, but the field set sail from a standstill after a 10-second countdown to the flag. The cars would be gridded in staggered, alternating rows of two and three — done so to provide more evasive paths for trailing drivers in case of a stalled car near the front.

“I consider this standing start downright silly,” Hall of Famer Bud Moore, who owned Weatherly’s No. 8 Pontiac, told The Charlotte Observer. “But the fans will enjoy it, because there should be a lot of banging of race cars. I just hope the car which starts in front of Joe doesn’t stall. Better yet, I hope nobody starts in front of Joe.”

The points system to determine the overall winner was more convoluted, with potential flaws lurking within the rules. Each driver’s finish in each race earned points, and the result in the second race was weighted slightly more. Weatherly was bullish on how each dash would create the incentive to race harder, but at the same time, the format had its shortcomings. An overall winner could be crowned on consistency, without winning either segment or even leading a lap, and the first car to the checkered flag wouldn’t necessarily be the victor. Weatherly was intent to make the calculations a moot point with a heavy right foot.

“This race seemed to be planned for the chargers,” Weatherly told the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Sentinel two days before the race. “A driver knows he’s going only 110 laps in each race, so he’s going out there and push his car for all it’s worth. The guy who intends to stroke had better stay out of the way. I think I’m really going to like this race.”

NASCAR Research & Archives Center | Getty Images

Still, Weatherly was lightly regarded among the favorites, given the strength of Fords and Chevrolets at the start of the 1963 season. Ford had won the year’s first two big-track events with Tiny Lund in the Daytona 500, and then with Fred Lorenzen in the Atlanta 500. Lorenzen and fellow Ford driver Fireball Roberts were first and second in the race’s unofficial odds established by Jim Hunter, then a staff writer at The State in Columbia, South Carolina, who would become Darlington Raceway’s president 30 years later. Weatherly — the defending series champ — was the ninth choice in Hunter’s odds, going off as a 10-1 shot.

Lorenzen emerged with the pole position after three days of time trials, but his day was done shortly after the rolling start to the opener. On Lap 2, the Illinois campaigner lost control of his No. 28 Holman-Moody Ford and crunched the wall on the main straight. “I hit a slick place and just lost it,” he told reporters later.

Rex White was caught up in the incident, but managed to steer his No. 4 Chevy away from Lorenzen’s car to escape a more severe blow. “Rex did a fine job of driving avoiding me,” Lorenzen said. “He was heading straight for me but somehow got by me. His driving probably saved my life.”

With those two favorites sidelined, that left the top spot to Junior Johnson, who led 80 of the 110 laps in Race 1. When the transmission on his No. 3 Chevrolet gave out on the final lap of the first event, Weatherly capitalized for the win and extra prize money.

Of the 31 cars that started, 25 remained to make a go of it in Race 2. Richard Petty had found trouble in the opener, finishing sixth after running over debris and popping a tire on his No. 42 Plymouth. But he made the best of the standing start, charging ahead when Weatherly double-clutched and fought through vapor lock at his launch.

Newspaper accounts reported that the crowd roared its approval of the unusual starting procedure as the field clambered into Turn 1, but the rest of the second race had a less favorable reception. Petty was dominant in winning Race 2, but Weatherly finished as the runner-up, eight seconds behind and with little need to press Petty further for the overall win.

Weatherly’s finishes of first and second that Saturday afternoon equaled a winning point total of 197.8. He made just one pit stop in each race, and his final stop was a speedy 12 seconds for fuel only. Roberts survived a first-race tangle with Bobby Johns to place third in each event, netting him 191.7 points — good for second overall.

As for Petty, the lengthy pit stop to change his flat tire in the first half likely cost him the overall win, and his finishes (sixth, first) calculated to 189.9 points, third-best. The day’s effort, though, gave him the lead in the Grand National standings and some extra spending cash — $1,500 for winning the second race.

“I’ll say this,” Petty told the Greensboro (N.C.) Record, “I probably wouldn’t have won as much money as I did if there hadn’t been two races.”

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Other opinions were split on how successful the experimental format had been. Weatherly — who crowed post-race about how Moore’s tuning expertise had put Ford’s favorites in their place — had a different appreciation for the race procedures, especially since they made him $11,100 richer.

“I don’t care what kind of races they have,” Weatherly said, “just as long as they draw bigger crowds so the purses will get bigger.”

By the time anticipation started building for the Southern 500, Darlington’s Labor Day classic later that year, newspapers reported that track officials had quietly opted to scuttle the format for future 300-milers. Later accounts suggested that the move came at NASCAR’s urging. Either way, the race structure was mothballed, leaving the 1963 event earmarked for obscurity in the history books.

A modern-day look at the results sheet helps explain why. Petty was the first driver to the checkered flag, but just made the last spot on the overall podium after the formula was run. The “laps completed” column also reads like a jumble, failing to follow the numerical listing of the finishing order. David Pearson, for instance, crashed out after 180 laps and was credited with 12th place; G.C. Spencer completed 210 laps — 30 more than Pearson — but finished behind his Dodge teammate in 13th.

The radical procedures didn’t stand the test of time, but the head-scratching has endured. Ford driver Jimmy Pardue spoke for many when a fan asked post-race what he thought of the format.

“I guess it’s all right,” he said. “I’d just like to know where I finished.”

Checking the math, Pardue was ninth.

DALE EARNHARDT

ERNIE IRVAN

TONY STEWART

KEVIN HARVICK

KYLE BUSCH

JOEY LOGANO

BRAD KESELOWSKI

JIMMY SPENCER

BUCKSHOT JONES

CURTIS TURNER

BOBBY ALLISON

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