NASCAR All-Star Race to North Wilkesboro Speedway

by
Peter Stratta
September 8, 2022

Photo Credit to Peter Stratta/TSJSports

All-Star Race Moving to North Wilkesboro Speedway for 2023

RALEIGH, N.C. – As part of a year-long celebration for NASCAR’s 75th anniversary, the famed All-Star Race will return to one of the sport’s original venues. North Wilkesboro Speedway, the recently-reborn 5/8-mile track in northwestern North Carolina, will host the $1 million race. This move comes after a month-long Racetrack Revival effort that has seen great fan turnout to the historic short track. May 19-21, 2023 will mark All-Star weekend in Wilkes County, as this event moves from Texas Motor Speedway. Speedway Motorsports, Inc., Dale Earnhardt Jr., and NASCAR were on-hand today with NC Governor Roy Cooper to make this announcement at the NC History Museum in Raleigh.

“The NASCAR All-Star Race has always been the fans’ race, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the fans during NASCAR’s 75th anniversary than returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President/CEO Marcus Smith. “We couldn’t have made this happen without tremendous support from so many people including Gov. Cooper, our state legislature, NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and of course, the people of Wilkes County. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got the will to create something special alongside a community of hard-working staff that will get it done.”

“Motorsports are critical to North Carolina’s history, culture and economy, and our investments have helped to get the engines running again in places that needed revival,” said Gov. Cooper. “North Wilkesboro Speedway is back and better than ever, and the All-Star Race will take it to new heights.”

$18 million of North Carolina’s allotment from the American Rescue Plan last year was earmarked for infrastructure improvements at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Since last hosting racing over a decade ago, NWS has largely sat forgotten in the Carolina countryside. In late 2019, a team led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. helped to clean up the facility to for iRacing scanning. The track lives on in the virtual world for all to enjoy and race on.

The track’s real-life racing return happened in August, with Ryan Newman winning the first feature race in a modified. Last week, Earnhardt Jr. ran a CARS Tour late model race at NWS, finishing third behind Carson Kvapil and Mason Diaz. Without the grassroots effort spearheaded by Earnhardt, none of this activity around Wilkes County would have come to fruition.

“Some of my best memories as a little boy were going to North Wilkesboro,” Earnhardt said. “And it got even better when I raced there as a teenager. I never thought I’d see that place full again, and then I got to race there this summer before a full house. There’s just something special about it. I know the track, the fans, and the community will put on a show when we’re back with the Cup cars for the All-Star Race.” Hear more of what Earnhardt had to say after racing at Wilkesboro here.

This announcement of NASCAR returning to Wilkes County comes after a large change to their Racetrack Revival efforts. Initially, the plan was to tear up the original pavement and run dirt races throughout October. After much fanfare over the surface’s condition though, all dirt events have been canceled in favor of having NASCAR run on the worn-out asphalt.

May 19 will mark the first NASCAR activity in Wilkes County since the last race held here on September 29, 1996. That day, a young Jeff Gordon beat Dale Earnhardt to the checkered flag for his 19th of 93 career wins. Wilkesboro hosted NASCAR Cup Series action from the inaugural season in 1948-1996, a span that included 93 events. The list of North Wilkesboro race winners reads like the NASCAR Hall of Fame: Petty, Earnhardt, Johnson, Waltrip, Yarborough, Gordon, and hometown hero Benny Parsons.

A complete schedule of on-track events at North Wilkesboro Speedway will be announced at a later date. Also forthcoming is the 2023 All-Star Race format, as well as the rest of the year’s schedule. The 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race will be broadcast live on Fox Sports One, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.