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Spire Motorsports AdventHealth 400 Race Advance – Speedway Digest

In 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-10 and three top-20 finishes. Zane Smith earned a team-best 10th-place result in last fall’s Hollywood Casino 400. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, […]

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In 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-10 and three top-20 finishes. Zane Smith earned a team-best 10th-place result in last fall's Hollywood Casino 400. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
The AdventHealth 400 will be televised live on FS1, Sunday, May 11 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 12th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway.
The Winamac, Ind., racer has recorded eight Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway. Over those eight races, Haley has logged a 28.0 average start, a 26.6 average finish and earned tallied top-20 showings.
NationsGuard is an innovator in the automotive finance and insurance (F&I) space. NationsGuard programs are designed to maximize sales, profit, CSI, customer retention and deliver consistent, measurable results through disciplined monitoring and continuous improvement. Its process measures every key element of a dealer’s program – from vehicle inspection efficiency to service advisor performance. NationsGuard targets and eliminates waste and inefficiency wherever it’s found, while maintaining process improvements, making changes where necessary, and relentlessly pursuing perfection.
Last week at Texas Motor Speedway, Haley overcame multiple setbacks, to secure his fourth top-15 finish of the season.
In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Kansas Speedway, Haley earned a pair of venue best fourth-place finishes in October 2019 and 2021. He’s earned a 9.8 average start, a 5.3 average finish and came home no worse than seventh over four starts.
In his lone ARCA Menards Series race at Kansas, Haley started fourth and finished sixth (Oct. 2017).
Over the course of his career, the newly minted 26-year-old has collected four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned wins across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series. 
Haley made his first start in NASCAR’s premier division for Spire Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway on April 28, 2019 – his 20th birthday. Sunday will mark Haley’s 156th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Over the course of the last seven seasons, the 26-year-old racer has notched one win, five top fives, 17 top 10s and led 103 laps.
In total, Haley has made 52 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, with the bulk of races coming during the 2021 season behind the wheel of the team’s No. 77 machine.

Justin Haley Quotes
You have to feel good about a top 15 last weekend and Spire Motorsports’ overall performance at Texas Motor Speedway. How does that buoy your optimism coming into this weekend?
“When you look at the speed Spire Motorsports has at the mile-and-a-halves and if you look at how the team performed as a whole last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, there’s no reason not to be optimistic about Kansas.”
Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports Competition Director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley.
As a race engineer in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Sparks helped Austin Dillon to a second-place finish in 2012 at Kansas Speedway during his time with Richard Childress Racing.
The Winston-Salem, N.C., native has called 176 NASCAR Cup Series races where he’s earned three top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway.
In 27 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, the 40-year-old has posted an average starting position of 25.3 and an average finish of 26.9. Over his last 10 starts at the track in the heartland of America, he has improved those numbers to an 18.1 average start and a 16.8 average finish, including four top-10 starts.
The No. 71 Chevrolet will return to its black-and-blue Gainbridge livery for Sunday’s 400-mile race.
Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
The father-of-five qualified eighth in last year’s spring race at Kansas Speedway, where he earned his only top-10 finish at the venue.
The 18-year Cup Series veteran has made two Xfinity Series starts and one ARCA Menards Series start at the track, highlighted by a notable 11th-place finish in the fifth race of the 2007 ARCA season.
Texas Motor Speedway was a rollercoaster for McDowell and his Travis Peterson-led team.  After a fifth-place qualifying run, the No. 71 team led a season-high 19 laps and ran up front during the closing stages. However, his strong run ended after a late-race incident left him 26th in the final rundown.
The No. 71 team has earned 11th-place results three times this season, (Daytona, Austin, Talladega) and is still in search of its first top 10 of the year.
McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, at Phoenix Raceway, and again at Talladega Superspeedway. He stands as the only driver in the Cup Series to have secured three bonus points via the recently unveiled program.
The Arizona native secured Spire Motorsports' first Busch Light Pole Award last month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap in NASCAR's seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Michael McDowell is ranked in the top 10 of the All-Star Weekend Fan Vote standings at North Wilkesboro Speedway, alongside his teammate Carson Hocevar.

Michael McDowell Quote:
What are your thoughts about heading to Kansas Speedway this weekend?
“Kansas is a great track and it has a lot of lanes. Everybody migrates towards the wall, which is always high intensity. The track changes a lot throughout the weekend, it usually starts out really fast and then by the time the race comes around, it drops off and you start to slide and move around. It’s been a good track in the past. It’s hard to hit it just right, but I feel like the speed that we’ve had at Vegas and Texas this past weekend gives us a good baseline to keep building momentum and confidence, so we are coming into it with high hopes.”
Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

Across two Cup Series attempts at Kansas Speedway, crew chief Travis Peterson has led McDowell to an average start of 14.8 paired with an average finish of 22.8.
As a race engineer at JR Motorsports, the West Bend, Wis., native played a key role in Regan Smith’s third-place result in 2013. After qualifying fifth, the team dominated the race and led 81 of the 200 laps en route to his seventh-of-eight top-five finishes during the 2013 season.
Prior to his time as a crew chief, the 33-year-old worked as a race engineer for Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Hendrick Motorsports where he recorded a third-place result at Kansas Speedway in 2015.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Carson Hocevar, driver of the Delaware Life Chevrolet ZL1 for Spire Motorsports, will make his fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway. The 22-year-old driver earned his first career Cup Series pole last Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, becoming the youngest series pole sitter at the Fort Worth track.
In sixteen starts on 1.5-mile tracks, Hocevar owns one top-five and three top-10 finishes. In addition to leading laps at Texas, Hocevar also led laps in March at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Hocevar is one of the top-10 drivers in the Fan Vote standings for NASCAR's All-Star Weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway alongside teammate Michael McDowell. Hocevar was top-three in last year’s Fan Vote and finished 10th in the All-Star Open. 
The 2024 Rookie of the Year has a best finish of 20th in three Cup Series starts at Kansas.
Prior to climbing in the No. 7 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST for Saturday's CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race, Hocevar will return to the FS1 broadcast booth for Friday night’s ARCA Menards Series race. He owns seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 16 starts in the series.
The Spire Motorsports driver will make his second NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start of the season on Saturday night. Hocevar owns five starts in the series at Kansas, highlighted by a one top five – a runner-up finish in 2022 – and two top 10s. He’s led a total of 60 laps at the Kansas City venue.
Hocevar led the first 22 laps in Sunday’s race and ran no worse than seventh until Lap 215 when he made his final scheduled pit stop under green flag conditions. The Portage, Mich., native was caught a lap down when a caution occurred as he was on pit road and subsequently sustained damage in a mid-pack incident. The No. 77 team recovered to finish 24th.
Delaware Life is an insurance and annuity company that empowers financial professionals with a wide array of customizable solutions. A subsidiary of Group 1001 Insurance Holdings LLC, Delaware Life focuses on delivering a seamless experience for advisors. The company understands how important it is to find the right fit for every client, every situation and every individual need. Delaware Life is passionate about equipping advisors with annuities that give their customers peace of mind and a successful future, allowing them to plan with confidence for whatever's next.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
What are your expectations for Kansas after a solid weekend at Texas?
“I think we’ll have another good weekend. We seem to be heading in the right direction on our intermediate track program and it’s been a lot of fun to show people that we are improving. I felt like running the truck race at Texas was a big help as far as getting laps on track and getting into the racing mindset early in the weekend, so I’m excited to do that again at Kansas and try to make up for how last weekend ended.”
Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

Crew chief Luke Lambert has called 22 Cup Series races at Kansas resulting in three top-10 finishes and claimed the pole position with driver Daniel Hemric in Oct. 2019.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Lambert has called two races from atop the pit box. He owns a fourth-place run with Elliott Sadler in Oct. 2012 and a win with Noah Gragson in Sept. 2022.

Spire Motorsports PR



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The PRI Show Is the Global Motorsports MarketplacePerformance Racing Industry

The PRI Show, December 11-13, downtown Indianapolis, is where the global motorsports marketplace gathers, offering top industry brands a platform to showcase the latest racing products and innovations to tens of thousands of qualified buyers. Ensure your brand has a presence at this one-of-a-kind industry event by securing a booth now. Securing your booth space is the […]

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The PRI Show, December 11-13, downtown Indianapolis, is where the global motorsports marketplace gathers, offering top industry brands a platform to showcase the latest racing products and innovations to tens of thousands of qualified buyers. Ensure your brand has a presence at this one-of-a-kind industry event by securing a booth now.

Register to Exhibit

Securing your booth space is the first step toward success at the PRI Show, which presents an unrivaled opportunity for racing industry professionals to drive sales, meet new clients and increase brand awareness, December 11-13, in downtown Indianapolis.

Exhibiting at the PRI Show offers a myriad of benefits to your brand:

  • Increase Your Brand Awareness: Whether you are an established brand or looking to break into the motorsports market, exhibiting at PRI is the best investment to advance your brand goals.
  • Connect With Your Customers: See existing customers and connect with them on the Show floor. Determine their business needs and use this opportunity to strengthen relationships.
  • Expand Your Sales Channels: Take your products to new markets, whether through retailers, distributors or other sales channels, expanding your brand’s reach domestically and internationally.
  • Introduce New Products: Ensure your latest and greatest products are seen by a large audience of potential customers at the PRI Show.

To reserve a booth at the 2025 PRI Show, visit here. For more information on why to exhibit, visit performanceracing.com/trade-show/exhibit.



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Hawaiian Airlines tackling no shows in policy implemented on May 15

Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America, explains why a federal court halted the airline junk fee transparency rule. Hawaiian Airlines is days into implementing a new “no-show” policy that could potentially cause travelers to lose out on money. The airline put the policy in place last Thursday for people […]

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Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America, explains why a federal court halted the airline junk fee transparency rule.

Hawaiian Airlines is days into implementing a new “no-show” policy that could potentially cause travelers to lose out on money.

The airline put the policy in place last Thursday for people who have a confirmed reservation but do not board their ticketed flight. “We’ll cancel your flight reservation and all continuing and return flights,” Hawaiian Airlines said in an announcement published on their website.

Additionally, no-show guests will not be able to use the money or miles spent on non-refundable fares as credit towards a future flight. 

DUFFY CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION AFTER LATEST NEWARK AIRPORT GROUND DELAY, BLAMES BIDEN ADMIN FOR FAILURES

Hawaiian Airlines check-in at LAX

The Hawaiian Airlines logo is displayed at the check-in area at Los Angeles International Airport on Dec. 4, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

To prevent people from forfeiting all fares associated with nonrefundable tickets, the airline reminds people that they can adjust their reservations online or by contacting its reservations department by calling 1-800-367-5320.

The airline says on their website that they understand that “life happens,” and those who are already at the airport but miss their flight may have options and are told to contact an airport customer service agent at the kiosks or check-in counter for help.

REAL ID DEADLINE IS HERE, HOW TO NAVIGATE IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE

Hawaiian Airlines illustration on a phone and in background

A Hawaiian Airlines Company logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen with the logo also displayed in the background. (Romain Doucelin/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images)

Hawaiian Airlines plane in the sky

A Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A320 departs from Harry Reid International Airport en route to Honolulu on March 15, 2025 in Las Vegas. (Kevin Carter / Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

The new policy applies to all non-refundable tickets purchased in the U.S., with no exemptions for HawaiianMiles or Mileage Plan Elite members.

“Changes and cancellations on refundable tickets are based on the fare agreement for those tickets at the time of ticketing. Please review your fare rules,” Hawaiian Airlines said. 

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
ALK ALASKA AIR GROUP INC. 53.59 -0.06 -0.11%

Hawaiian Airlines was acquired by Alaska Airlines in September 2024. The two airlines have now adopted a single policy addressing no-show passengers, a spokesperson told FOX Business via email. 

“By aligning to a single, industry-standard policy, we can offer our guests a more consistent travel experience to guests booked on flights across our combined global network,” a statement said.



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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Opens Up About His Father’s Unfulfilled Dreams Beyond NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled back the curtain on a side of his father few fans ever saw. In a candid podcast interview, he revealed Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s quiet plans to step away from racing slowly, not to retire, but to reshape NASCAR’s future. The seven-time Cup Series champion, who died in the 2001 Daytona 500, […]

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled back the curtain on a side of his father few fans ever saw. In a candid podcast interview, he revealed Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s quiet plans to step away from racing slowly, not to retire, but to reshape NASCAR’s future.

The seven-time Cup Series champion, who died in the 2001 Daytona 500, aimed to trade firesuits for boardrooms. His vision? Grow Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) into a dynasty and guide NASCAR’s France family through pivotal decisions.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals Senior’s Unseen Boardroom Ambitions

The Intimidator’s grit on track was matched by sharp business instincts off it and by 2001, he’d become close to NASCAR’s front office. Earnhardt Sr. had his way on advising the France family on marketing, merchandise, and fan engagement, areas he’d mastered through DEI’s success.

“He was a very close confidant and friend of the France family,” Dale Jr. said on the “Rubbin’ is Racing” podcast. “He had their ear a little bit and I think he could have steered some things into some good directions and helped the France family go in some good directions. He was very smart about the business side of it, the marketability of the sport, and the souvenir side of it as well.”

Dale Earnhardt’s clout extended to protecting his son’s career. When rival Darrell Waltrip tried to sign a young Dale Jr. in the late 1990s, Earnhardt Sr. shut it down. “You stay away from him. You’ll pay him too damn much money,” he warned Waltrip.

“I won’t be able to compete with you. I got plans for him.” Those plans? A groundbreaking $10 million Budweiser deal at DEI, NASCAR’s richest sponsorship then.

“I think he would have done helped them make some great decisions to help the sport maintain and retain its popularity,” Dale Jr. said. “So he would have worked for it. He would have been an ambassador forever for the sport. He would have went anywhere they needed him to go.”

Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Legacy Cut Short, Leaving What-Ifs

Earnhardt Sr.’s death didn’t just stun fans — it shattered a father-son bond that was finally healing through racing. Dale Jr. had spent years clashing with his dad, acting out for attention.

“Man, I was a troubled kid… I was really probably more of a disappointment up until probably 1996, ’97,” he told Danica Patrick in 2017. “I started driving in the Xfinity Series in a couple races for Dad and started showing ‘hey, there’s some purpose for me here and here’s direction for me.’”

For Junior, the answers lie in a podcast booth, not a trophy case. His father’s true legacy wasn’t just the titles — it was the future he never got to build.



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An Unfiltered Look Under the Shades of a NASCAR Legend

EARNHARDT: It’s more than just a name; it’s a family legacy. It all began in the 1950s with a hard-nosed grassroots racer by the name of Ralph Earnhardt. Unbeknownst to him, Ralph would kickstart a multi-generational NASCAR dynasty, which would produce one of the most successful drivers, one of the most popular drivers, and one […]

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EARNHARDT: It’s more than just a name; it’s a family legacy.

It all began in the 1950s with a hard-nosed grassroots racer by the name of Ralph Earnhardt. Unbeknownst to him, Ralph would kickstart a multi-generational NASCAR dynasty, which would produce one of the most successful drivers, one of the most popular drivers, and one of the savviest businesspeople in the sport.

Yes, I’m talking about Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, but there’s a reason why Dale Earnhardt has been the focus of so many incredible stories: He was all of those things, a true triple threat.

Earnhardt, a four-part docuseries from Prime Video, discusses the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s larger-than-life persona and offers incredible insight into his personal and professional intricacies, including all of his accomplishments both on and off the racetrack.

The series is produced by Imagine Documentaries, NASCAR Studios, and Everyone Else, in association with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Dirty Mo Media.

There are MILLIONS of people around the world, whether they are NASCAR fans or not, that know exactly who Dale Eaarnhardt is. Of course, not everybody’s knowledge of the sports icon is comprehensive, but there are certainly pieces of his identity that have remained implanted in the minds of people since his tragic passing on February 18, 2001.

My personal recollection of the day in question is non-existent (I was much too young to understand what was happening), but as I got older and became a NASCAR fan, my grandmother told me the story of how she and her brother were watching the DAYTONA 500 on that day, and how they heard the official confirmation of Earnhardt’s passing.

Like thousands of Dale Earnhardt’s supporters did, my grandmother took her grief and sorrow from that afternoon in February 2001 and flocked to his namesake, the up-and-coming Dale Earnhardt, Jr., of whom she remained a loyal fan until his retirement in 2017.

The story, the one of Earnhardt’s final moments, has been widely discussed and documented over the last 25 years through several differents perspectives, methods, and mediums, like in Blink of An Eye (2019), I Am Dale Earnhardt (2015), and The Day: Remembering Dale Earnhardt (2011).

However, Earnhardt stands out for several different reasons. Most importantly, the docuseries sticks out because it shows that this one singular moment (although one of the biggest tragedies in American sports history) doesn’t engulf the entire legacy of Dale Earnhardt.

While Earnhardt’s death is talked about significantly, the 2001 DAYTONA 500 and its aftermath only make up the final of four one-hour episodes in the series, which spends the remainder of the time highlighting the life and legacy of Earnhardt. That’s approximately three hours to talk about what made Earnhardt the icon that he became in the years leading up to that one tragic moment.

There is so much covered in the 20-plus years of Earnhardt’s NASCAR Cup Series career and it’s unfortunate ending, but aside from Dale Earnhardt kicking back with a drink and telling you the stories himself, viewers are given the next best thing.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt-Miller do a wonderful job of laying the foundation of Dale Earnhardt, not just as a racer, but also as a father and a human being. That, coupled with the insight from friends, competitors, team owners, pit crew members, sponsorship executives, and many, many other people, provides an extremely well-rounded narrative.

From the hot start to his NASCAR career, his rivalry with NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip, his tight-knit friendship with Neil Bonnett, the earning of his ‘The Intimidator’ nickname, all the way down the shepherding of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the start of his career in NASCAR, there are so many different stories to be told in incredible detail.

While this docuseries uses Dale Earnhardt as its main focal point (and understandably so), the story isn’t just about the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and his legacy, but also dives into the family legacy that played a major role in NASCAR’s rise to prominence throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and into the eyes of the mainstream media.

The Earnhardt’s were never the picture-perfect family, and there were certainly times when things weren’t pretty. Along with the skyrocketing popularity of Dale Earnhardt came some family dysfunction, but unlike prior iterations of the same story, that wasn’t shied away from.

…and THAT is what makes this docuseries an authentic telling of the EARNHARDT story.

The first two episodes of ‘Earnhardt’ will be available within the Prime Video platform on Thursday, May 22, just days before the start of the streaming service’s exclusive coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series. The final two episodes will be released one week later, on Thursday, May 29.

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Drivers say N. Wilkesboro Speedway deserves Cup points race

For his first act as a NASCAR All-Star Race champion, Christopher Bell chose to praise the revitalized 78-year-old racetrack that delivered a memorable night of racing. “Let’s go!” Bell shouted to roaring approval from a capacity crowd of 25,000 as he made the case Sunday night during his frontstretch celebration that North Wilkesboro Speedway was due […]

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For his first act as a NASCAR All-Star Race champion, Christopher Bell chose to praise the revitalized 78-year-old racetrack that delivered a memorable night of racing.

“Let’s go!” Bell shouted to roaring approval from a capacity crowd of 25,000 as he made the case Sunday night during his frontstretch celebration that North Wilkesboro Speedway was due a Cup Series points race.

What You Need To Know

  • NASCAR All-Star Race champion Christopher Bell called the North Wilkesboro Speedway “the best short track in NASCAR”

  • He said the speedway should get a Cup Series points race

  • The North Wilkesboro Speedway just finished hosting its third All-Star Race

  • Just a few years ago, the track was an overgrown hulk. But a $20 million renovation brought racing back to the North Carolina foothills


“The best short track in NASCAR,” Bell said. “It is absolutely incredible. It’s just going to get better and better. Man, that was an amazing race.”

In its third edition as host of the $1 million exhibition event, the speedway produced All-Star Race records for lead changes (18) and green-flag passes for the lead (59) as its remarkable rebirth continued from a dilapidated and rotting hulk just three years ago.

Speedway Motorsports announced that grandstand seating and premium hospitality were sold out for the 41st All-Star Race, which drew fans from 43 states and nine countries to North Wilkesboro, which is 80 miles north of Charlotte. SMI president and CEO Marcus Smith proclaimed that “like Lambeau Field to football and Fenway Park to baseball, North Wilkesboro Speedway has become America’s throwback racetrack.”

Bell was among several drivers who say the short track deserves its first Cup Series points race in 30 years when NASCAR releases its 2026 schedule, which is expected in a few months.

“I don’t see why not,” seven-time most popular driver winner Chase Elliott said about the possibility after finishing fifth. “I think it’s plenty capable of hosting, and obviously, the crowd seems extremely receptive to the idea, too. Whatever NASCAR decides on that, I’m good with. It put on a good race for sure, so it’s hard to argue against that.”

Aside from a smattering of minor-league races in 2010-11, North Wilkesboro Speedway had sat dormant since Jeff Gordon won its most recent Cup race on Sept. 29, 1996. A $20 million renovation (spurred by federal funding from the American Rescue Plan) began in 2022 and led to being awarded the 2023 All-Star Race.

Its first two All-Star Races were lackluster, but North Wilkesboro’s racing came to life Sunday. The 0.625-mile oval’s surface has widened into multiple lanes since a repaving last year, and Sunday’s race featured 1,426 green-flag passes that electrified the jammed grandstands.

“Man, they show up,” Bell said. “We go out for driver intros, and the place was packed. It’s just bumping. We need more events like this.”

Joe Gibbs, whose team scored its third All-Star Race victory with Bell joining previous winners Kyle Busch in 2015 and Denny Hamlin in 2017, credited Smith and support from the community for putting the track in line for points race consideration.

“I won’t be making that decision,” Gibbs said. “But I think the way this race turned out and the crowd and everything, that’ll have a lot to do with it.”

Budding rivalry

Already sour about a “Promoter’s Caution” that erased his late lead and left him vulnerable on older tires, runner-up Joey Logano took issue with Bell’s winning pass in the No. 20 Toyota. After the drivers made contact that squeezed his No. 22 Ford into the outside wall with nine laps remaining, Logano vowed retaliation if he’d been able to catch Bell.

“I did all I could do to hold him off, and he got under me and released the brake and gave me no option,” said Logano, who led a race-high 139 of 250 laps. “If I could’ve got to him, he was going around after a move like that. I just couldn’t get back to him. Just frustrated after you lead so many laps, and the car is so fast, and you don’t win. It hurts quite a bit.”

Bell was bemused by Logano’s frustration.

“I had got to him a couple times before, and he made it very difficult on me, as he should,” Bell said. “I got my run, and I took the moment, as I should. I don’t think that I did anything that Joey has not done, and I’ve seen Joey do much worse. We will continue on.”



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Kyle Larson, Joey Logano do it again at All-Star Race

Everyone’s an expert on something, in case you haven’t noticed. At various times, everyone’s a doctor, a lawyer, a city planner or, unfortunately, an editor.  Around 10 o’clock Sunday evening, everyone became a schedule maker.  North Wilkesboro should be on the regular-season schedule became the near-universal rallying cry from NASCAR fans who fell back in […]

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Everyone’s an expert on something, in case you haven’t noticed.

At various times, everyone’s a doctor, a lawyer, a city planner or, unfortunately, an editor. 

Around 10 o’clock Sunday evening, everyone became a schedule maker. 

North Wilkesboro should be on the regular-season schedule became the near-universal rallying cry from NASCAR fans who fell back in love with what short-track racing is supposed to deliver. 

FAST-TRACKING At 20, Jesse Love has arrived in a hurry and has more places to go

On occasion, knee-jerk reactions enjoy long shelf-life. Other times, not so much. And since no one at HQ is going to rip apart the budding 2026 scheduling plans, this particular knee-jerking needs some time for digestion, for a couple of reasons.

What the hell, make it three.

1. Yes, the weekend of racing was first-rate at North Wilkesboro, particularly during Sunday night’s main event, when door-to-door battles were more norm than exception. But guess what. Asphalt ages. Tire formulas are tweaked. Today’s great track for racin’ isn’t necessarily gonna be tomorrow’s. 

2. Ever try mapping out a schedule with 38 moving parts and dozens upon dozens of constituencies to please? If Chicago’s street race is disappearing after this year, some say, just plug North Wilkesboro into that slot. And ignore the possibility (or maybe probability, for all we know) of a near-future street-or-road race in Montreal or San Diego? Marketing is important, you know.

3. What’s wrong with just keeping the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro until further notice? It’s one of the marquee events on the yearly schedule, so doesn’t it deserve a quality racetrack?

As for an answer to the third point: Yes, it does. But, you may ask, what happens if North Wilkesboro isn’t producing quality short-track racing in a year or two, as suggested in the first point?

Beats me, so let’s change the subject(s) and go through the gears …

First Gear: Joey Logano with silly talk, Michael Waltrip with butter fingers

The last, and most consequential, of the side-by-side battles came in the last few minutes of the All-Star Race when Christopher Bell bullied his way past Joey Logano for first place and the eventual win, which came with a million-dollar payday for the No. 20 team. 

“Bullied” in an acceptable rubbin’-is-racin’ kind of way. Bell had fresher right-side rubber (racing term!) than Joey and took advantage of it. Or took too much advantage of it, to hear Joey tell it. Joey explained his new strategy for Bell in the coming weeks.

“I just race him the same way. That’s all it is,” he said. “We’re racing for a million dollars. I get it. But we race each other every week, and we’re like elephants, we don’t forget anything.”

Speaking for everyone, well, I say we let Christopher Bell speak for everyone …

“Joey was frustrated? He was frustrated? That is interesting,” Bell said at his winner’s interview. “I genuinely would not have guessed that.

“I had got to him a couple times before, and he made it very difficult on me, as he should. And I got my run and I took the moment, as I should. I don’t think that I did anything that Joey has not done, and I’ve seen Joey do much worse. So we will continue on.”

Joey was also disappointed in that gimmick of a late “promoter’s caution,” but once that possibility hit the race’s rules sheet, you knew that yellow was gonna fly. Making a big show of it, with Mikey Waltrip hamming it up on the flag stand (and eventually DROPPING the flag onto the track), is another story entirely. 

Second Gear: Kyle Larson 21st at North Wilkesboro (and Indianapolis)

We’ve spent a lot of time here discussing Kyle Larson’s inability to follow a win with another quality performance, but we wondered if the All-Star Race might be an exception.

In the end, it wasn’t. Kyle rallied from the rear of the field and was within striking distance when he slid up into the wall and finished 21st in a 23-car field. Coincidentally, 21st is where he’ll start the Indianapolis 500 this coming Sunday.

Weather permitting.

And right now, the weather is trending toward permissible. From about two weeks out until now, the long-range Indy forecast has shown partly cloudy skies, temps around 70(!) and no more than 20-to-25 percent chance of race-day showers. 

After last year’s rain delay, Kyle should get the opportunity to just worry about the challenge of 200 Brickyard laps — assuming he stays on the lead lap, which in reality should constitute a victory for the moonlighting star. 

Third Gear: RFK still trying to Make Kez Racy Again

He finished 22nd in a field of 23, so you’re led to believe the beat goes on for Poor Ol’ Brad Keselowski. In recent weeks, however, you may have noticed how Kez’s weekly bout with bad luck was preceded by a real uptick in performance.

Well, that uptick took a definite upturn at North Wilkesboro, where he won the pole and then dominated his heat race, leading 74 of 75 laps. Or, as the team’s press release put it: “With smart defensive driving, he effectively blocked both lanes and never relinquished control.”

He then led 61 of the first 63 All-Star laps, but he began losing tire grip and track position. While battling back toward the front, he clapped against the wall and broke his right-front shock. Progress, though.

 “We’re connecting things, for sure,” Kez said. “We just haven’t connected everything, and when we do that, we’ll be dangerous.”

It seems he’s talking both figuratively and literally.

Fourth Gear: Uh-oh, it’s Prime time for NASCAR

For a year and a half now — since November, 2023 — we’ve been eyeballing this coming weekend. Some of us, or maybe many of us, have been wondering how we’ll break it to Aunt Mae and Uncle Ed that they won’t be watching the NASCAR races for over a month of Sundays.

We said it then and we can still say it now, 18 months later: “Oh, man, this ain’t gonna be good.”

This is it. This is the week Amazon takes over broadcasting the Cup Series on its Prime Video service, which you ain’t getting on basic cable. We’re talking $14.99 a month or $139 annually (do your own math, but yes, it saves you some money). 

After five weeks, the Cup schedule shifts to TNT and will include the same Prime broadcast team, which includes Junior Earnhardt, so there’s that. Every now and then, NASCAR does something that doesn’t sit well with the longtime fans, and on a few occasions, there have been seismic disruptions — this is probably one of those.

And I know what you’re thinking: “It’s almost as if they’re trying to force me to pay for something I didn’t have to pay for before.” Well, if it makes you feel better, you’re right — you’ve figured them out. Amazon is trying to do that, and paying NASCAR big money to serve as one of their lures.

On the bright side, maybe you already pay for Amazon Prime, which you convinced yourself you needed — for the free shipping and, Lord knows, you don’t want to wait an extra couple days for those new pajamas. If you have Amazon Prime, you also get Prime Video as part of the package. 

You just have to take the time to find it.

— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com





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