Austin Dillon 2022 season in review

Posted on December 16, 2022December 20, 2022 by Holly Cain

Editor’s note: This continues the series of season reviews for select 2022 NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

See more: Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suárez, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe

Driver: Austin Dillon
Car: No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Crew chief: Justin Alexander
Final 2022 ranking: 11thKey stats: 1 win, 5 top fives, 11 top 10s, 24 laps led

How 2022 ended: After earning a “walk-off home run” of sorts – winning the Daytona regular-season finale to take a 2022 playoff position – Dillon did not advance past the opening round. However, even after being eliminated, he scored top-10 finishes in three of the season’s final five races. He led only six total laps in the 10-race postseason run, and his only top-five finish was fourth at Homestead-Miami Speedway, well after he dropped out of championship contention. His 11th-place finish in the championship ties his career best, however, and Dillon closed out the year feeling optimistic.

Best race: As Dillon has proven throughout his nine-year full-time NASCAR Cup Series career, he is clutch – particularly so at the bigger tracks, where he earned his first-ever series trophy at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2016 and answered with a career-defining moment by winning the 2018 Daytona 500. This year, the 32-year-old North Carolina native earned his only win of 2022 in the rain-delayed Daytona race to close out the regular season. He led only 10 laps in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 but was out front for 10 of the race’s final 27 laps, including the most important one – taking a blink-of-an-eye 0.128-second win over RCR teammate Tyler Reddick.

Stat to know: Dillon’s 2022 statistical totals don’t necessarily tell the whole story of his season despite his first-round elimination. His five top-five finishes are a career-best, and his 11 top-10 finishes marked only the second time in his NASCAR Cup Series career he’s scored double-digit top 10s (13 in 2016). His 11th-place finish in the standings tied his previous best season mark – scored in 2017 and 2020. Dillon’s Daytona victory was the fourth win of his career and an important improvement after a winless 2021 season when he didn’t qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs.

Quotable: “I think it was good progression. It was our best finish in points for the [No.] 3 team and for me at the Cup level. I thought we finished strong. We had some moments that were lulls in the season that we’ve got to cut out. But overall getting that win was huge for us obviously at Daytona and then now, I’m looking forward to flipping the page. I’m gonna miss Justin Alexander but new crew chief in Keith [Rodden] and building his mindset into our team and seeing where that takes us … we’ll be able to continue to build off of what we did last year. Bringing in Kyle [Busch] and Keith [Rodden], two more racers. You can’t have enough racers when you’re building a race team and trying to make the organization fast. And we’re filling the shop full of them, and we’ve got a huge asset in a two-time champion coming over.”

RELATED: Daytona 500 surprise winners

Looking ahead: Dillon’s famed No. 3 team will have new leadership in 2023 with veteran Keith Rodden taking over crew chief duties from Justin Alexander, who moves to RCR’s Director of Vehicle Performance. Dillon’s victory in the new car – along with 2022 teammate Tyler Reddick’s three wins this season – certainly indicates promise the company continues to be headed in the right direction. It’s the first year RCR has fielded two cars in the postseason since 2017, raising expectations with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch joining the team for 2023. Dillon will have both a mentor in the veteran Busch and a teammate that pushes the whole organization.

Posted on December 15, 2022December 15, 2022 by Staff Report

After 23 years on and off the track with Hendrick Motorsports, Lance McGrew is calling it a career.

The former crew chief departed the traveling scene with the organization and worked in various divisions under Hendrick. Most recently, he was a Production Manager for Hendrick Performance, building the Hendrick Motorsports Track Attack stock cars that participants can privately test at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina.

McGrew made his debut atop the pit box in 2000 with the late Ricky Hendrick in the Craftsman Truck Series. The pair scored their first win together at Kansas Speedway in 2001.

From 2002-2011, McGrew collaborated with future Cup champions Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott across the ARCA Menards Series and Cup Series, winning 13 races. He also called the shots for Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin from 2009-2011. McGrew won an Xfinity Series championship in 2003 with Brian Vickers, a year before winning a season-high five races as a crew chief for Busch.

McGrew’s last race as a crew chief came in 2014 with Elliott in the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona International Speedway.

Posted on December 15, 2022December 21, 2022 by Zach Sturniolo

Hailie Deegan has a new home and a new number in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Deegan will join ThorSport Racing to drive the No. 13 entry for the 2023 season, she and the team announced Thursday afternoon, as the championship-winning organization transitions to Ford for the upcoming year.

RELATED: Silly Season recap | 2023 Truck schedule

“With 28 years in the Truck Series, we look forward to the partnership with Ford Performance in NASCAR,” team owner Duke Thorson said in a release. “Our pursuit of wins and championships remains at the forefront of our objectives.”

Deegan heads to the Ohio-based facility after spending each of the past two seasons competing for David Gilliland Racing.

ThorSport’s returns to the Blue Oval after spending the last two years with Toyota. ThorSport, owned by Duke and Rhonda Thorson, fielded Fords from 2018-2020 after a six-year tenure with Toyota from 2012-2017.

The manufacturer switch came with Deegan at front of mind, Allison Thorson shared with media members Thursday afternoon.

“Welcoming and working back with Ford performance, that was kind of one of the main points,” Thorson said in a video conference. “We were also reviewing our driver lineup at the time when, like many other teams right now, what are we doing for the next season and stuff, and Hailie was ready. And that was obviously a top topic to talk about – where’s Hailie gonna go?”

The answer: Thorsport, a program that claimed two of the last four Craftsman Truck Series championships. Matt Crafton won the title in 2019 before Ben Rhodes was victorious in 2021. In 2023, Deegan will pair with crew chief Rich Lushes, who led Rhodes to the 2021 championship.

Surrounded with veteran experience and success heading into her third year in the NASCAR national touring scene, Deegan feels the resources around her have never been better.

“I think it’s huge. I think that that’s definitely a big piece of the puzzle that’s getting added to the factor of my career and my racing,” Deegan said. “The quality of teammates and experience these teammates have here are just incredible. Just talking and having those conversations and seeing how open and willing they are to help you and making sure you’re as comfortable as possible is awesome. And I think that’s something that’s invaluable.”

Deegan’s time at DGR featured teammates whose experience level in the Truck Series – or stock cars in general – was similar to hers.

At ThorSport, Crafton returns for his 23rd season in Trucks; Rhodes is back for his eighth full-time year, and Ty Majeski is back for his second. Together, those three combine for 23 wins.

“You have to have teammates that are willing to work with you that are willing to go out of their way to make sure you’re in a good spot and be able to work with you on track and kind of going into races with a game plan and having those conversations beforehand,” Deegan said. “Or if your one teammate’s running better than the other, being able to have that comfortable conversation of asking, ‘Hey, what are you feeling here? Hey, what changes did you guys make?’ Or what did you like? What did you not like?

“Those are the conversations that you have to have at these races and in between practice and qualifying. And just being able to break down the races after having those quality conversations. I think that that’s something that really plays a huge factor to the development of a driver.”

In a video posted to her YouTube page, Deegan got a full tour of the ThorSport shop from Lushes, her new crew chief, and spent time with Crafton, who talked her through the shop and the differences in sightlines as Deegan was getting fitted in her truck.

Deegan, the 21-year-old native of Temecula, California, scored a career-best sixth-place finish in October at Talladega Superspeedway. That performance bettered her previous personal record of seventh that she earned in August 2021 at Worldwide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Deegan netted a career-best two top 10s in 2022, ending the year 21st in the final driver standings.

ThorSport collected the 2019 series title with 22-year veteran Crafton in addition to five victories under the Ford banner in its prior three-year partnership and is welcomed back for the upcoming season.

“We’re happy to welcome ThorSport back to our NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program,” Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, said in a release. “Duke has assembled one of the best organizations in the series with a driver lineup that is filled with youth and experience. We celebrated a championship together just a few years ago and know they have the potential to do it again in 2023.”

Ford has also invested heavily in Deegan through its development program. Deegan made her inaugural Xfinity Series start in October 2022 with SS Greenlight Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, an effort that produced an impressive 13th-place lead-lap finish around the 1.5-mile oval.

“We love watching the development drivers progress, advance both on the track and off the track,” Rushbrook said. “And watching that maturity of Hailie in terms of how she evaluates a car or truck on the race track can break it down and articulate it back to her crew chief and team to set the direction that the car needs to go. That skill, I think, has advanced significantly, both on the track and while she’s working in the simulator with the team as well.,

“That’s awesome to see and a really important part of what a race driver needs to develop. And then it’s the racecraft on the track, which we’re seeing that develop as well. And I think this is the next opportunity with a team that’s going to be around her, the people that are going to be around her to give her that opportunity to go one more level.”

Moving to an established contender like ThorSport comes with inherent expectations. Deegan welcomes that challenge after two years with midpack results – a 20.9 average finish in 2021 and 22.1 mark in 2022, finishing 17th and 21st in points in respective seasons.

“I believe in myself. I think that I have it,” Deegan said. “And I think that we were just probably missing a few pieces of the puzzle because there are so many pieces to the puzzle. And you get to a point where, in your development, you have to take that next step. And I think that ThorSport is a very established team and has a very established path of success.

“And still, just throughout the years, they’ve been so successful consistently, even with all the changes and development in the Truck Series and with the trucks themselves. So I think that they’ve been such a good, consistent team that this will be, I feel, a good year for me.”

Deegan added that she plans to seek out continued opportunities to participate in the Xfinity Series in 2023.

As part of Lushes’ move to crew chief the No. 13 team with Deegan driving, ThorSport announced Shane Wilson will return to crew chief the No. 88 Ford with Crafton after heading the team for the final six races of 2022.

Jerrod Prince becomes the new crew chief for Rhodes and the No. 99 Ford while Joe Shear Jr. will lead the No. 66 team with driver Majeski.

Posted on December 15, 2022January 19, 2023 by Staff Report

Lionel Racing released its list of the best-selling NASCAR die-cast cars for 2022 on Thursday. Topping the list was a popular choice from the most dramatic moment of the season, the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet that Ross Chastain rode the wall to the Championship 4 at Martinsville Speedway in October.

Lionel, official die-cast maker of NASCAR, indicated that the sales numbers were tabulated from wholesale outlets, dealers, team stores and its own online store to determine the top 10 sellers.

RELATED: Shop die-cast cars now

The full top-10 list:

1. Ross Chastain Moose Fraternity Martinsville Raced Version Checkers or Wreckers Chevrolet
2. Kurt Busch Jordan Brand Kansas Win Toyota
3. Chase Elliott NAPA Chevrolet
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sun Drop Late Model
5. Richard Petty STP Firecracker 400 200th Win 1984 Pontiac
6. Kyle Larson HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
7. Chase Elliott Hooters Chevrolet
8. Chase Elliott NAPA Nashville Win Chevrolet
9. Chase Elliott NAPA Dover Win Chevrolet
10. Austin Cindric Discount Tire Daytona 500 Win Ford

MORE: Most memorable Cup Series paint schemes of 2022

Posted on December 15, 2022December 15, 2022 by Press Release

Daytona Beach, FL and Charlotte, NC (December 15, 2022) – NASCAR and RealResponse, the award-winning reporting platform for athletic teams and organizations, today announced a partnership that provides NASCAR and national series industry members with a safe and anonymous tool to secure feedback, report concerns and seek assistance from professionals in countless areas of expertise.

RealResponse is the industry leader in providing a platform for safe and secure feedback, monitoring and anonymous reporting. The partnership will provide any NASCAR national series team member with the ability to confidentially reach out to express concerns or report issues via a customized communication tool. NASCAR personnel receive the encrypted and anonymous messages directly and designate a subject matter expert to respond immediately to the concern.

Concerns can range from competition-based items such as gambling or integrity, safety and security, abuse or harassment, or for seeking mental health support. The identity of the industry member reaching out is protected through the RealResponse reporting program, ensuring anonymity.

“NASCAR wanted to be proactive in providing a tool for industry members such as drivers, crew and other team personnel to safely reach out for help,” said Meghan Miley, Managing Director of Racing Operations for NASCAR. “In partnering with RealResponse, we now have a confidential method for reporting. We don’t have a limit to the types of reports industry members can submit, and we can ensure their privacy as they reach out for anonymous support at any time.”

RealResponse was launched in 2016 by former NCAA Division I student-athlete David Chadwick, who saw a need for athletes to have a safe and confidential way to bring feedback to their athletic administration. Today, numerous sport governing bodies, organizations and teams such MLB, the NFLPA and NFL teams, USA Swimming and other Olympic organizations, the National Women’s Soccer League, and a multitude of colleges and universities work with RealResponse to provide the same service.

“We are honored to engage in this historic partnership with NASCAR,” said David Chadwick, Founder and CEO of RealResponse. “NASCAR executives recognize the responsibility to make the sport of racing safer, more inclusive and more valuable in the eyes every stakeholder involved in the sport. Their embrace of RealResponse sends a clear message that the health and safety of its community members away from the track is as important as safety of drivers on race day.”

The program was introduced to the NASCAR national series teams in October.

Posted on December 15, 2022February 12, 2023 by Chala Jones

Editor’s note: This continues the series of season reviews for select 2022 NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

See more: Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe

Driver: Austin Cindric
Car: No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang
Crew chief: Jeremy Bullins
Final 2022 ranking: 12^thKey stats: 1 win, 5 top fives, 9 top 10s, 1 pole, 86 laps led

How 2022 ended: Cindric made the playoffs as a rookie and managed to advance to the second round before being eliminated after a disappointing 21^st-place finish in the Round of 12 finale on the Charlotte Roval. He struggled to three finishes of 20^th or worse between races 32 and 35 before finishing the season with an 11th-place finish in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Best race: Without question, his win in the season-opening Daytona 500. He led three different times late in the race before passing Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and holding on for the final eight laps for a total of 21 laps led en route to earning his first career Cup victory.

Other season highlights: Cindric, son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, finished a close second in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard and was third four races later in the regular-season finale at Daytona. … In a sense, Cindric owes Brad Keselowski a debt of gratitude. Suppose Keselowski had not left after the 2021 season to become a part-owner and driver for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. In that case, Cindric was potentially looking at another season in the Xfinity Series. But when Keselowski left, rather than bring in an experienced veteran for one or maybe two seasons before Cindric would have been judged as ready, Team Penske gave the young kid a break, and he delivered right from the start, winning the season-opening Daytona 500, finishing 12th in the season standings and earning NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year honors.

Stat to know: Cindric had strong showings in most of his road course starts, finishing eighth at COTA, fifth at Sonoma, seventh at Road America, second at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, 13^th at Watkins Glen and his only disappointing showing, 21^st, on the Charlotte Roval.

Quotable: “I’ll always be a Daytona 500 winner. Whatever happens from here on out, it’s an outstanding achievement. To win this race in the No. 2 car … there’s people who still work at Team Penske that started the NASCAR program in the Rusty Wallace days. To be able to deliver to guys like that, Roger (Penske) and the whole race team, it’s pretty gratifying. It’s been pretty incredible. It’s a dream come true in a lot of ways.” – Cindric on winning the Daytona 500.

Looking ahead: Cindric admitted at the end of the 2022 season that he made several mistakes but was prepared to fix those shortcomings in 2023. If he doesn’t fall victim to NASCAR’s fabled “sophomore jinx,” Cindric could potentially win 3-4 races in 2023, make the playoffs and potentially make it to the Round of 8, if not the Championship 4.

Posted on December 15, 2022January 11, 2023 by Chala Jones

Front Row Motorsports announced Thursday that Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland will return to the organization’s driver roster in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.

The 2023 campaign will mark McDowell’s sixth season with Front Row’s No. 34 Ford team. Gilliland will return for year two as driver of the No. 38 Mustang.

The Bob Jenkins-owned organization also rounded out its crew chief lineup Thursday, tapping Ryan Bergenty to the No. 38 team’s post. Bergenty, 39, joined FRM as the No. 34 team’s car chief in 2021. He also served in that role in previous stints at Chip Ganassi Racing and Furniture Row Racing. The Connecticut native previously served as a mechanic and crew chief for Modified teams, but next year will mark his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief.

Travis Peterson was announced as the No. 34 crew chief on Nov. 23, replacing the departing Blake Harris. The team also announced last month that Seth Barbour had been named Front Row’s technical director.

McDowell, 37, is fresh from a banner season where he set career bests in top-10 finishes (12), laps led (67) and average finish (16.7). His final ranking in the Cup Series points was 23rd, hampered by a 100-point penalty for a midseason technical infraction.

McDowell made the postseason field in 2021, clinching a berth by scoring his first Cup Series victory in the Daytona 500.

“I’ve been really fortunate to find a home at Front Row Motorsports and to race for Bob Jenkins,” McDowell said in a team release. “We’ve accomplished so much together, and I feel strongly that we’re just going to continue to improve. We have work ahead of us, but Travis and this team are more than capable of having another great season. I’m grateful for all the partners who support this team and we’re going to fight hard to get back into the playoffs in 2023.”

Gilliland returns after a rookie campaign where he netted his first top-five finish (fourth at Indianapolis). The 22-year-old driver ended the year 28th in the Cup Series standings, but added a victory in a one-off start on the Knoxville (Iowa) Speedway dirt for his father’s Truck Series operation, David Gilliland Racing.

“Todd showed us growth in his rookie campaign,” said Jerry Freeze, Front Row’s general manager. “The addition of Ryan as the crew chief, and the promotion of Seth, we believe we’re making changes to give Todd what he needs to improve.”

The organization had previously announced that Zane Smith would return to defend his championship next year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Smith, 23, is also set to make Cup Series starts on a limited schedule in 2023. Smith made his Cup Series debut last season, placing 17th as a fill-in for RFK Racing’s No. 17 team at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

Posted on December 14, 2022December 14, 2022 by Staff Report

23XI Racing announced Wednesday that Columbia Sportswear will expand its sponsorship presence starting next season, returning with a multiyear extension to back Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota team.

RELATED: 2023 Cup Series schedule

Columbia has been a primary partner on 23XI’s entries for three races in each of the last two seasons. The organization indicated that the Portland, Ore., sportswear brand would increase that figure an unspecified amount going forward with the No. 23 team.

“Working with Columbia has been a fantastic match as they share a lot of the same values that I have and that the team supports,” Wallace said in a team release. “It’s also been a fun relationship that’s allowed me to spend more time exploring the outdoors and following my passions. I’m honored to have them continue this journey with me and 23XI and look forward to more exciting things to come in 2023.”

Columbia first partnered with Wallace in August 2020, signing the driver as a brand ambassador as he closed out his final season with car owner Richard Petty. The company was a primary sponsor on the Petty No. 43 in three races – twice with Wallace in 2020 and once with Erik Jones the following year.

Wallace signed a multiyear contract extension with 23XI Racing in August. He drove to the second Cup Series victory of his career a month later at Kansas Speedway and ended the season a career-best 19th in the final standings.

Wallace’s best finish with Columbia as a primary sponsor was a runner-up result in the 2021 season finale at Daytona.

Posted on December 14, 2022December 20, 2022 by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: This continues the series of season reviews for select 2022 NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

See more: Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe

Driver: Kyle Busch
Car: No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry TRD
Crew chief: Ben Beshore
Final 2022 ranking: 13th
Key stats: 1 win, 8 top fives, 17 top 10s, 627 laps led

How 2022 ended: Kyle Busch’s season may be best remembered for its off-track twists and uncertainty, which ultimately found resolution with a change in teams — from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing — heading into 2023. As for the on-track portion of Rowdy’s final JGR campaign, a surprising last-lap victory in Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt-track race sealed his berth among the 16 postseason-eligible drivers. Busch’s appearance in the playoff field, however, was short-lived. Engine failure while leading ended his day at Darlington Raceway, a spin at Kansas Speedway added to his deficit and another expired engine in his return to Bristol Motor Speedway added up to a rocky three-race stretch and an early Round of 16 exit. As for the end of his long tenure with Coach Joe Gibbs’ No. 18 team, Busch bid an emotional farewell after a seventh-place result in the Phoenix finale.

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Logan Riely | Getty Images

Best race: In terms of result, the automatic answer is the race that Kyle Busch won last season. Busch threaded his No. 18 Toyota past a final-lap collision between front-runners Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick to snag the checkered flag on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt. He led only the final circuit that April night, achieving a milestone with career win No. 60. In terms of best race without the winning result, Busch had several strong all-around performances that went awry by the end. None were more devastating than the Cup Series Playoffs opener at Darlington, where Busch led a race-best 155 laps before his engine gave up just 23 laps from the finish.

MORE: Busch cashes in on Bristol’s dirt

Other season highlights: Amid some of the struggles, the No. 18 team flashed moments of resilience in the 2022 campaign. The year’s first top-five finish was emblematic of that spirit as Busch drove a reserve car — hastily prepared after a crash in practice — from last on the starting grid to a fourth-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As personal highlights go, the Busch family welcomed its second child to the world on May 10, announcing the birth of Lennix Key Busch.

Stat to know: Busch’s eight top-five finishes in 2022 marked the lowest total of any season since joining the Cup Series full-time 18 years ago. Attribute a share of that low-water mark to his seven DNFs — his highest total in that category since his rookie year in 2005 (eight).

Quotable: “It’s obviously been a challenging … not just this year but the last little while, and so it’s kind of maybe a blessing in disguise, honestly, where it might just be a time for a fresh start, time for something new and something different. So I’m kind of looking at it as the Tom Brady-Peyton Manning aspect where they left great teams, great organizations where they won championships, and they went on and were able to win championships somewhere else. So I’d like to think that I still have that opportunity to be able to do that with RCR.”

Looking ahead: A monumental change is in progress this offseason for Busch, who breaks with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota for a future with Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet starting in 2023. The move will take some major getting used to, not the least of which is a shift in car number from the No. 18 he’s driven for the last 15 years to the No. 8. Busch indicated during Champion’s Week in Nashville that he’s already getting comfortable in his new surroundings, and RCR teammate Austin Dillon said that Busch’s work ethic and enthusiasm have already made an impression: “He is already wearing everybody out about, ‘hey, we’ve got to be ready to go.’ ” How that translates to on-track performance in year two of the Next Gen car is still an unknown, but Busch and Childress are already firming up a new foundation.

Posted on December 13, 2022December 14, 2022 by Adam Fenwick

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Work is well underway at North Wilkesboro Speedway as the historic facility undergoes a major face-lift in advance of the 2023 running of the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 21.

While many improvements are being made to the existing infrastructure, track officials say they are doing everything they can to maintain the historic look and feel that makes the .625-mile facility unique.

“We want to maintain the patina,” said Steve Swift, Speedway Motorsports senior vice president of operations and development. “The facility will look like it did, as close as possible to when it was running back in the ’90s and the ’80s.”

That includes maintaining the historic murals and classic graphics that greet race fans when they enter North Wilkesboro Speedway. Those displays will be preserved, as will many of the other historic signs around the facility.

NASCAR last visited North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sept. 29, 1996, when Jeff Gordon triumphed in the 93rd NASCAR Cup Series race at the facility.

Work is well underway at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, to repair and replace old suites and buildings in advance of the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race. (Adam Fenwick | NASCAR)

In the time since that event, many of the structures at North Wilkesboro Speedway fell into disrepair. Track officials have worked with contractors to make sure any structures that need to be repaired or replaced retain a similar look and feel to what was there before the current construction project.

“We want to maintain these old signs and this old look,” Swift said. “When we get back here for the All-Star (Race), even the new construction and fixing all the stuff that is rotted, we’re trying to go back to what was historical and what was here.”

Perhaps the most significant change made thus far to North Wilkesboro Speedway has taken place in the infield, which has been completely dug up and will be repaved in advance of race week next May.

As part of that process, a major infield drainage issue that existed long before the track closed in 1996 has also been addressed and has now been repaired.

“We’ve addressed a lot of the drainage issues,” Swift said. “We would get rain, and if there was a big storm, the pipe that led out of Turn 2 was the only place the water could get out. We’d have a lake in the infield and on the racing surface. We could have raced boats, but not cars. Those pieces had to be fixed.”

The process to repair and replace the retaining walls has also begun, with new concrete walls already poured into some areas of the track in preparation for the installation of SAFER barriers that are expected to be delivered in late January. New catch fencing will also be installed.

The pit stalls on pit road have been dug up and will be replaced with new, wider concrete pit stalls. North Wilkesboro Speedway previously had 43 pit stalls and will instead have 40 pit stalls once construction is complete.

The installation of a new MUSCO Lighting system, which will allow the NASCAR Cup Series to race at night at the historic track for the first time in history, is also in the planning stages.

“We’re putting in a new MUSCO system,” Swift said. “Those are on order. The foundations will go in in January, and shortly after that, there will be new LED MUSCOs. They’ll be able to turn on, turn off, dance the lights, spotlights, some cool features that will be really new to NASCAR.”

Construction crews work in the infield at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on December 13, 2022. (Adam Fenwick | NASCAR)

Swift said the track still plans to use the hydraulic lift to transport the winning race car into Victory Lane on top of the infield media center. There are also plans in place to refurbish the scoring pylon in the infield so that it’s operational in time for race week in May.

One of the most unique parts of the North Wilkesboro Speedway revitalization project will take place in Turns 3 and 4. Track officials plan to bring back the manually updated billboard that once stood outside the track and to use it when NASCAR returns to the facility.

“We came upon some old pictures that had the old scoreboard that had five positions and the laps,” Swift said. “Marcus (Smith) came across those pictures and was adamant that that goes back in place.

“We will have a physical person up there putting laps and the top-five positions up there every 10 laps on that board.”

A little more than five months remain before the NASCAR Cup Series returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway, but Swift is confident all the required work will be completed well in advance of the event.

“A lot of planning went into place in a short time frame,” Swift said. “[We] got a lot of people into place and a lot of those parts and pieces into place to make this all happen.”