The NASCAR All-Star Race is this weekend at North Wilkesboro. There are going to be so many great paint schemes. This is a week where we get to see some special designs and unique looks.

North Wilkesboro is entering its third year as the All-Star Race venue for NASCAR. I think it has largely been a success, although the repave, albeit necessary, changed the way the track races.

Will we see one of these paint schemes take the elevator ride up to Victory Lane? Someone is walking away with $1,000,000 on Sunday night.

Ross Chastain No. 1 Busch Light Fan Vote Chevy

Busch Light knows how to do a great paint scheme. Trackhouse Racing and the design people there are also top notch. No wonder Ross Chastain has another banger for North Wilkesboro.

This car looks great and reminds fans to vote for their favorite driver. I think Chastain is up there among the most popular drivers in the sport, so he should have lots of votes. 8/10.

Brad Keselowski No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford

A purple paint scheme?! Thank you very much, Brad Keselowski. This is a great variation on the Solomon Plumbing designs we have seen the last few years.

RFK Racing needs this No. 6 team to get it together. Will the All-Star Race be that race that lets Keselowski find his footing again? 9/10.

Kyle Busch No. 8 Senix Chevy

Another veteran driver that needs good news. Kyle Busch has a great looking Chevy this week with Senix on board.

Rowdy is desperate for a win. He is doing all he can to get one. Is he going to win the $1,000,000 prize? He left last year with a sore face. 7.5/10.

Chris Buescher No. 17 Kroger/Tylenol Ford

While he was penalized 60 points this week, Chris Buescher won’t feel too bad. After all, he has Tylenol on his car this week, so headaches shouldn’t be a concern.

North Wilkesboro won’t let Buescher pick up points, but he can console himself with a seven-figure payday. Not too bad, if you ask me. 8.5/10.

Bubba Wallace No. 23 Logitech Toyota

Logitech has had some hit or miss NASCAR paint schemes. This is a hit for sure. A great blue color and Bubba Wallace is ready to take on North Wilkesboro again.

We have seen Wallace have some good runs at this track. I will be very interested to see how he performs this weekend. 8.5/10.

Todd Gilliland No. 34 Overplay Ford

A new sponsor for Todd Gilliland! I’m not sure what Overplay does, but they have a good looking car this week.

This NASCAR season hasn’t gone the way Gilliland likely thought it would. He is lagging behind expectations, but I think he could still surprise us this season with a few big performances. 7.5/10.

Ryan Preece No. 60 Boston Common Golf Ford

This looks like a Solomon Plubming scheme with a different sponsor on it, to be honest. Boston Common Golf, again, not sure what that is. But they make a nice race car design for Ryan Preece this week.

Preece has been having great runs this season. He has also had disappointment, like the DQ from Talladega. Will Preece get himself back to the front at Wilkesboro? 8/10.

Carson Hocevar No. 77 Gainbridge/WNBA All-Star Chevy

Gainbridge is a major partner of Cailtlin Clark and that continues to show with how they market the WNBA through other groups. Spire Motorsports is rocking a fantastic scheme on Carson Hocevar’s car this week.

An All-Star Game car for the All-Star Race? NASCAR and the WNBA coming together? I like it! 9/10.

INDIANAPOLIS – 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

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who retired from full-time NASCAR racing after the 2017 season, has revealed what would tempt him to expand his part-time Xfinity Series schedule.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer joined the ZMAX CARS Tour broadcast during the qualifying event at North Wilkesboro. During his appearance, he claimed that if NASCAR announces an Xfinity Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, then he would expand his racing schedule.

Earnhardt Jr.’s last Xfinity race was the 2024 Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He commented at the time, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:

“I mean, if I don’t ever run again, I’m happy at 50 years old to jump in once and run top 10.

“I know there was some guys named (Harry) Gant and (Bobby) Allison that were winning races in their 50s. So I know it’s damn doable. It’s not anything too crazy. But not doing it every week, man, you certainly come in here feeling like you’re handicapped, and you’ve gotta drink from the fire hose trying to figure out what’s going on and getting up to speed.

“I loved every lap. It was great.

“I mean, I got everything I wanted out of this, and I’ll miss it next year. I’m certain I’ll probably sign up for somewhere else. Trying not to already start thinking about, where would I run? Where do I want to run?

“But I definitely do want to take next year off, focus on my broadcasting and get my boots on and get back to work there, make sure I’m doing a good job for that. That’s my priority, that and my family.”

North Wilkesboro Speedway is hosting the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open and Race this weekend along with the Craftsman Truck Series and Whelan Modified Tour.

When are the NASCAR All-Star races at North Wilkesboro

Friday, 16 May

4.30 p.m. ET: NASCAR Cup Series – Pit Road Qualifying Entry/Exit Practice

5 p.m. ET: NASCAR Cup Series – Practice

6 p.m. ET: NASCAR Cup Series – Qualifying (All-Star Pit Crew Challenge)

Saturday, 17 May

9.55 a.m. ET: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Practice

10.35 a.m. ET: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Qualifying

1.30 p.m. ET: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Window World 250

5.10 p.m. ET: NASCAR Cup Series – All-Star Race Heat No. 1

6.15 p.m. ET: NASCAR Cup Series – All-Star Race Heat No. 2

Sunday, 18 May

10.15 a.m. ET: NASCAR Whelan Modified Tour – Practice 1

10.55 a.m. ET: NASCAR Whelan Modified Tour – Practice 2

12.45 p.m. ET: NASCAR Whelan Modified Tour – Qualifying

2 p.m. ET: NASCAR Whelan Modified Tour – FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150

5 p.m. ET: NASCAR Cup Series – All-Star Open

8 p.m. ET: NASCAR Cup Series – All-Star Race

Iowa corn is again sponsoring the Iowa Corn 350, using the NASCAR race to promote ethanol and connect with consumers.

The group says the exposure boosts awareness of E15 and the role that farmers play in biofuels.

More than 1,000 farmers are expected to attend this summer’s event.

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Hendrick Motorsports have announced an update on Kyle Larson’s and the No. 5 car’s participation at this weekend’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.

The 32-year-old will attempt the ‘Double’ for the second year running this month, attempting to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 in IndyCar and the Coca-Cola 600 in the NASCAR Cup Series on the same day next weekend.

Larson attempted the ‘Double’ – or the ‘Double Duty’ – last year, but was unable to achieve the motorsport accolade due to the Cup Series race ending early because of the rain.

Only Tony Stewart has completed all 1,100 miles of the ‘Double’, and Larson will be hoping to add his name to the list with Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren.

In just over a week, Larson will get to try again, but practice and qualifying for the race take place this weekend, meaning the Hendrick Motorsports star is missing some of the NASCAR action taking place in North Carolina.

READ MORE: NASCAR Cup Series 2025: All-Star Weekend start times, schedule and how to watch live on TV

No. 5 car set to miss qualifying heats at NASCAR All-Star weekend

Larson is automatically eligible for the All-Star race due to his status as a currently competing champion and a winner in the Cup Series for the past two years. However, he will miss Friday’s All-Star Race practice and qualifying sessions due to his commitment to the Indy 500.

That fact has been known for some time, with Justin Allgaier set to replace Larson for those sessions in the No. 5 Chevrolet.

However, in a press release ahead of the weekend, Hendrick Motorsports have revealed that Allgaier will not drive the No. 5 car in the qualifying heat races on Saturday night, which set the grid for Sunday’s main event.

Instead, the No. 5 car will sit out, which means that Larson is set to start Sunday’s race at the back of the field.

“Due to Indianapolis 500 commitments in pursuit of the #H1100, Larson will miss Friday’s NASCAR All-Star Race practice and qualifying sessions at North Wilkesboro,” Hendrick Motorsports explained.

“Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in his place, and the team will skip Saturday’s heat races. Larson will return for Sunday’s All-Star Race.”

In the statement, it was also revealed that Allgaier will serve as the reserve driver for the No. 5 car at next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

READ MORE: NASCAR announce major Cup Series penalty after Kansas

Related

The NASCAR GP Italy is back for the sixth visit to the scenic Autodromo di Vallelunga, located close to the Italian capital of Rome. Vallelunga’s nature of having both fast and technical sectors makes it a real challenge for the drivers and teams to find a perfectly balanced setup. After two free practice sessions in both PRO and OPEN each to familiarize themselves with the 4.085 kilometer circuit, Gianmarco Ercoli led an Italian 1-2 in the combined PRO timesheets while reigning OPEN champion Martin Doubek topped the leaderboard in his main division.

NASCAR GP ITALY LINKS: INFO & TICKETS | SCHEDULE | ENTRY LIST | LIVE TIMING | WATCH LIVE
PRO: Gianmarco Ercoli ahead of rival Vittorio Ghirelli

After a tough opening round in Spain, Alumitec Racing and technical partner CAAL Racing worked hard to find the problems that beset the #11 Ford Mustang in Valencia. Initial impressions indicated that the changes improved the car for the better after Ercoli returned back to the top spot in his home venue – a track the last five PRO races saw only winners from Italy in Vittorio Ghirelli and Ercoli.

The driver from Rome clocked the best lap time of 1:41.289 and led his great rival, PK Carsport’s Ghirelli who was fastest in the first session. Both Ercoli and Ghirelli have had many great battles in the past and the 2025 NASCAR GP Italy is destined to write another chapter to remember in the book of their rivalry.

“I’m happy with the job of the team and the partnership between Alumitec Racing and CAAL Racing,” said Ercoli. “They improved the car so much after our tough start to the season in Valencia. Today I tried to adapt better to the new gearbox because the speed differs from the old one as we carry much different speeds throughout the turns. We really improved the performance of the car. Thanks to all my partners and my team for all the support.”

Current PRO championship leader Thomas Krasonis confirmed his speed by setting the third fastest time of the day. The Greek was also the quickest in the Junior Trophy, beating Liam Hezemans who finished his day in fourth. Doubek completed the top-5 ahead of Fabrizio Armetta and Paul Jouffreau. Jouffreau was third in the special classification for young drivers aged 25 and under.

Sebastiaan Bleekemolen was eighth ahead of the top-2 drivers in the Challenger Trophy, Claudio Cappelli and Max Lanza. Davit Kajaia rounded the top-3 positions in the special classification for elite amateurs in PRO in 17th overall. Garrett Lowe faced a tough challenge with plenty of trouble in free practice. on board of his the #99 Chevrolet Camaro, the American made contact with the wall in the first session. The so-called hybrid racer – a mix of a real world and sim racer – was forced to sit out the second session and has a big task ahead of him recovering in Saturday’s qualifying and race.

“We had a good morning practice with Rookie Challenge and had a good first practice going,” said Lowe on what happened. “I was on my in-lap and going through Turn 10, the gearbox went into neutral from fourth. As I downshifted from fourth to third, it got stuck in neutral so I couldn’t stop. Once I got into the gravel, I was along for the ride. We had to take the whole left front off, it was a big setback for the day. We’re going to get it fixed up and figure out what we did wrong.”

OPEN: Same old Martin Doubek in the front

The last time EuroNASCAR visited the Autodromo di Vallelunga, Doubek won both races in the OPEN division. The Czech maintained his speed from the last years, still using the same setup from 2024. The Hendriks Motorsport driver managed to get on top of the two OPEN practice sessions with a best lap time of 1:42.061. Doubek finished ahead of top Italian Cappelli, who was also the fastest in the Legend Trophy for drivers aged 45 and over.

“It was a good day, we were first in both OPEN sessions,” said Doubek who pulls double duty in both championships in 2025. “We performed well on old tires and we didn’t change the setup from last year all day long. Let’s see what happens tomorrow in qualifying because we use different formats in PRO and OPEN and the two-lap one in PRO may be a problem for me. The car is really good and the team did an amazing job, so I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Krasonis made it a double third across PRO and OPEN, once again making him a prime candidate to win in both divisions. Fellow Thomases Dombrowski and Toffel completed the top-5, with Dombrowski becoming the lead driver in the Master Trophy for aspiring drivers. Melvin de Groot was second in the Legend Trophy and sixth overall ahead of Patrick Schober, who had a smooth run the whole day facing zero obstacles.

The returning Valerio Marzi and Bruno Mulders in eighth and ninth as they beat Mario Ercoli for the top-3 spot in the Master Trophy. The younger Ercoli managed to round out the top-10 ahead of Roberto Benedetti, who was third in the Legend Trophy. The Lady Trophy saw Arianna Casoli utilizing her experience at Vallelunga to beat Happinessa for the class’ top position.

Teams and drivers will learn from all of the data they collected from Friday as it’s going to be important for Saturday’s qualifying and races to make the right setup decisions. PRO Round 3 will go green at 13:55 CEST with OPEN Round 3 following on 16:40 CEST. Make sure to tune in to EuroNASCAR’s official YouTube channel and TV channels around the world if you don’t want to miss out on the action from Italy.

PRO Results | OPEN Results

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