By DAVE SKRETTA

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NASCAR star Kyle Larson crashed for the second time in the lead-up to the Indianapolis 500 on Friday when he lost control of his Arrow McLaren entry and hit the wall in the final practice session before this weekend’s qualifying runs.

The damage was relatively minor, though, and it only took Larson’s team about an hour to make repairs to the front and rear of the car. That allowed him to get in some precious laps with about 30 minutes left in the 6-hour session.

Larson, who also crashed on April 24 during an open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is taking his second shot at trying to complete “the Double” by running the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Larson finished 18th in the rain-delayed 500 last year, but he never ran a lap in the NASCAR race in Charlotte when rain there ended the race early.

“Obviously it’s tricky. I spun,” Larson said after leaving the care center. “I don’t know. Kind of caught off guard a little bit there, but I think we’ll be fine. I tend to get over things pretty quickly. I know I spun but my balance felt pretty close to being good.”

Larson waited until there were about 90 minutes left in Friday’s practice, which was marked by high temperatures and gusty winds that made for treacherous conditions, before trying his first qualifying simulation. He wasn’t far into the run when his No. 17 car went skittering up the track, bumped nose-first into the wall and then spun around and hit it again.

The crash came several hours after Kyffin Simpson hit the wall hard and nearly flipped his car.

Larson’s damaged car was put on a hoist and taken to Gasoline Alley, where Arrow McLaren went to work fixing it. Along with the late laps he got Friday, the team will have an hour-long practice Saturday morning before qualifying begins at 11 a.m. EDT.

“I’m sure at this point, we’ll want to get out there and shake it down,” Larson said. “If not, you still get time to make a few runs tomorrow. The track conditions will be better and I’m sure we’ll pack a little extra downforce to be safe that first run, and get a run in. Not too worried about it.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — Kyle Larson went into the wall on Turn 3 on Fast Friday.

Larson had both left tires below the white line of the track. He spun and the front of his car hit into the wall.

Larson said he is OK after the crash.

“Just got loose in 3,” Larson said. “Just kind of had a lot of front grip and just kind of swung the back around on me. Ended up spinning and getting into the wall a couple times. Yeah, bummer, but I think it didn’t look like too major damage I think as we quickly drove by the car. I’m sure we’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Larson was asked how he mentally resets after crashing.

“I race so often and I honestly crash a lot,” Larson said. “I feel like I get over things pretty quickly. I was happy right there that the speed didn’t really bother me. When you go from race trim to qualifying trim here, the boost feels like way more power and I was a bit nervous about that. It didn’t feel crazy to me. I like that the speed aspect didn’t scare me. You can deal with the crash.”

Larson was able to get back on the track before the end of practice on Fast Friday.

Larson is attempting to do “The Double,” racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. This is his second attempt. Larson qualified fifth for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and finished in 18th.

Larson won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2021. He leads NASCAR in points in the 2025 season.

Qualification for the Indy 500 is on Saturday and Pole Day is on Sunday. The 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 25.

Editors Note: This is a multi-part series looking back on historical events at North Wilkesboro Speedway as the 2025 NASCAR All Star Race approaches

NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – The North Wilkesboro Speedway was poised to host the 1979 Holly Farms 400, a key event in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series, but an unusual natural phenomenon brought the weekend to a halt. Heavy rainfall soaked the track, canceling qualifying and threatening the race. Yet, it wasn’t just the rain that stopped the show—millions of earthworms and nightcrawlers invaded the speedway, creating a slippery, chaotic scene that delayed the event.

The newly sponsored Holly Farms 400, set for the 0.625-mile oval in Wilkes County, drew thousands of fans eager to watch stars like Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, and Cale Yarborough compete. Persistent downpours left the infield waterlogged, driving countless worms to the surface as they fled flooded soil. The worms blanketed pit road, clogged drainpipes, and littered the racing surface, making it treacherous for drivers. During practice runs, tires lost grip on the worm-covered asphalt, raising safety concerns.

Crews worked tirelessly to clear the track, but the sheer number of worms overwhelmed their efforts. With qualifying already scrapped and conditions deemed unsafe, NASCAR officials postponed the race to October 14, a rare decision that disappointed teams and spectators but prioritized safety.

Two weeks later, under clear skies, the race went off without a hitch. Benny Parsons dominated, leading 167 of the 400 laps to secure his 19th career victory, edging out Cale Yarborough by half a second in a dramatic finish. Richard Petty took third, as over 20,000 fans filled the stands, undaunted by the earlier setback.

The 1979 Holly Farms 400, forever dubbed “The Worm Race,” stands as a bizarre chapter in NASCAR history, where tiny creatures upstaged high-powered machines and reminded everyone that nature can still call the shots.

After Shane van Gisbergen earned a shock pole for the Open race, it was time for the 20 All-Stars to go out and qualify for NASCAR’s annual exhibition race. Made up of two laps including a four-tire pit stop in the middle of it all, It takes every part of the team to go P1 at North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend.

Several drivers sped on pit road, derailing their entire runs. This included SVG’s Trackhouse Racing teammates Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain, as well as Chris Buescher, Austin Cindric, and Ryan Blaney.

But the No. 6 RFK Racing crew and driver Brad Keselowski were perfect. After what has been the worst start to a season ever for the former Cup Series champion, Friday provided some relief as he secured pole position with a wildly impressive lap, almost one full second quicker than the nearest competition. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty freaking cool man,” said Keselowski. “To win the pole for the All-Star Race — I’ve never done that. It’s one of the things I’ve never done in my career, and to do it by so much — like nine tenths — it’s a total team effort. The pit crew and [crew chief] Jeremy Bullins and the team gave me a rock solid car and said here you go, here’s the ball. I nailed the lap, and just really proud. Really happy for everybody.”

Beyond Keselowski, the No. 71 Spire Motorsports pit crew also had reason to celebrate. While driver Michael McDowell is in the Open, his pit crew had the fastest stop of any team, which earned them the honor of winning the Pit Crew Challenge. As a result, they will be awarded $100,00 and a pretty cool trophy. They beat the No. 99 Trackhouse pit crew by just 0.013s for the big prize.

Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

Christopher Bell qualified second, Alex Bowman third, Chase Briscoe fourth, and William Byron fifth. Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Elliott filled out the remainder of the top ten.

These drivers will be split into two heat races tomorrow, which will officially set the full lineup for the main event on Sunday, but no matter where he finishes in his heat race, Keselowski will still start from pole position for the All-Star Race.

Photos from All-Star Race – Practice

WILKES COUNTY, N.C. — The countdown to the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway has officially begun, drawing race fans from across the nation and beyond. The event is expected to attract thousands of visitors, providing a significant boost to the local economy.

Graig Hoffman, Executive Director of the NASCAR All-Star Race, highlighted the track’s historical significance. “NASCAR racing and racing in general was founded on that moonshine culture, this is ground zero for that here in Wilkes County,” he said. Hoffman also compared the venue to a legendary sports landmark, stating, “It’s like nothing else out there, this is the Wrigley Fields of NASCAR right here at North Wilkesboro Speedway.”

The recently restored speedway has contributed nearly $43 million to the statewide economy over the past two years. Local businesses are feeling the positive impact, with many benefiting from the influx of visitors.

Seth Cohn, owner of TwoBoros in downtown Wilkesboro, expressed his enthusiasm for the event’s economic benefits. “I have to say, from my perspective as a business owner, it’s been fantastic, I get to see these people come year after year, and it’s not just racing fans, it’s people who find us, they love us, and they come back year-round,” said Cohn.

Cohn shared a personal anecdote about the connections formed during the race weekends. “I had a couple that came in three years in a row, that came to see me every Tuesday, and they say ‘Hey, Seth how you doing? We’re to the left when you get to the campgrounds, just come by and see us,'” he said.

Tickets for the weekend’s events are still available for Saturday and Sunday.

North Wilkesboro Speedway starting positions for the NASCAR All-Star heat races and All-Star Open

NASCAR Cup Series qualifying is complete at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the $1,000,000 to win race weekend. The results have been used to set the starting grid for two heat races and the All-Star Open.

View North Wilkesboro heat races lineups for the NASCAR All-Star Race below.

North Wilkesboro Menu
CARS (PLM): Prac/Qual | Race
CARS (LMSC): Prac/Qual | Race
Trucks: : Prac/Qual | Race
Cup : Prac/Qual | Heat/Open Lineups | Heats/Open | All-Star Race

North Wilkesboro TV Schedule

Heat Races: 20 cars are locked into the NASCAR All-Star Race. Their time in qualifying has set the lineups for two heat races. The results of the heat races will set positions 1-20 in the NASCAR All-Star Race feature.

All-Star Open (LCQ): 18 drivers aren’t locked into the All-Star Race. They’ll race in the All-Star Open with the top 2 transferring into the All-Star Race.

Fan Vote: One additional driver will start the race based on the fan vote.

NASCAR All-Star
Heat 1 Lineup
May 17, 2025

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Alex Bowman

3. William Byron

4. Austin Dillon

5. Tyler Reddick

6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr

7. Josh Berry

8. Justin Allgaier

9. Ross Chastain

10. Ryan Blaney

View Qualifying Results

NASCAR All-Star
Heat 1 Lineup
May 17, 2025

1. Christopher Bell

2. Chase Briscoe

3. Joey Logano

4. Denny Hamlin

5. Chase Elliott

6. Kyle Busch

7. Harrison Burton

8. Chris Buescher

9. Austin Cindric

10. Daniel Suarez

View Qualifying Results

North Wilkesboro
Starting Lineup
NASCAR All-Star (Open)
May 17, 2025

Note: The top two finishers from the All-Star Open will transfer into the All-Star Race.

Pos | Driver | Best Time

1. Shane van Gisbergen
1:28.684

2. Carson Hocevar
1:28.884

3. Noah Gragson
1:29.596

4. Michael McDowell
1:29.610

5. Ryan Preece
1:29.688

6. Zane Smith
1:30.477

7. Justin Haley
1:30.495

8. John Hunter Nemechek
1:30.841

9. Ty Gibbs
1:30.917

10. Ty Dillon
1:31.444

11. Cole Custer
1:32.050

12. Erik Jones
1:35.597

13. Riley Herbst
1:39.650

14. Cody Ware
1:39.791

15. Bubba Wallace
1:39.690

16. AJ Allmendinger
1:50.942

17. Todd Gilliland
2:02.694

18. Chad Finchum
2:24.024

NASCAR All-Star Race
Starting Lineup
North Wilkesboro Speedway
May 18, 2025

1. Heat 1 (Winner)

2. Heat 2 (Winner)

3. Heat 1 (2nd Place)

4. Heat 2 (2nd Place)

5. Heat 1 (3rd Place)

6. Heat 2 (3rd Place)

7. Heat 1 (4th Place)

8. Heat 2 (4th Place)

9. Heat 1 (5th Place)

10. Heat 2 (5th Place)

11. Heat 1 (6th Place)

12. Heat 2 (6th Place)

13. Heat 1 (7th Place)

14. Heat 2 (7th Place)

15. Heat 1 (8th Place)

16. Heat 2 (8th Place)

17. Heat 1 (9th Place)

18. Heat 2 (9th Place)

19. Heat 1 (10th Place)

20. Heat 2 (10th Place)

21. All-Star Open (Winner)

22. All-Star Open (2nd Place)

23. Fan Vote Winner

Links

North Wilkesboro Speedway | CARS Tour | NASCAR