NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Talk started this weekend and grew after 250 laps of the best racing on a short track that NASCAR Cup fans have seen this year.

Is it time for North Wilkesboro to host a points race and move the All-Star Race to another venue?

Brad Keselowski suggested this weekend that NASCAR do so. He said the All-Star Race should move to Charlotte Motor Speedway. And then, he said, get rid of the Roval race.

Ryan Blaney said after Sunday night’s All-Star Race that he liked Keselowski’s idea.

Brad Keselowski made his comments after winning the pole for Sunday’s All-Star Race.

But let’s hold off just yet on moving the All-Star Race.

This was the second year since a repave. The track widened Sunday and the racing showed with an All-Star record 18 lead changes. The track should continue to get better.

“I thought the race tonight was really, really good,” Kyle Busch told NBC Sports. “Put on a good show. There was actually a pass for the lead in the final 30 laps.”

Busch would like to see the All-Star Race remain at North Wilkesboro.

“I think it’s good right now,” he said. “Let’s leave it good for as long as it is.”

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver earned his first All-Star Race victory.

So, here’s a thought.

Keep the All-Star Race in North Wilkesboro another year. NASCAR can then give this historic track in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains a points race in 2027.

That could allow NASCAR to move the All-Star Race to Bowman Gray Stadium, giving that track an event in May the week before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR then could move the season-opening Clash to another location, possibly an international destination. With no races before the Clash and a weekend off between it and the Daytona 500, NASCAR would have the flexibility to move the Clash outside the United States, a concept series officials want to do.

Also, making this change in 2027 gives NASCAR an additional year to figure out what track would lose a points race to North Wilkesboro. Much work has already gone into next year’s schedule at this point.

Let’s be honest, a short track should host the All-Star Race. The fans are close to the track and provide an energy and vibe that is harder for bigger tracks to replicate even with more people in the stands.

The All-Star Race is about energy. Drivers are introduced to fans while a DJ plays music and flames shoot skyward. At North Wilkesboro, drivers and their pit crews walk to the stands, high-fiving fans and throwing hats into the crowd.

North Wilkesboro is legendary for its fan interaction, whether it was fans tossing chicken bones after they finished eating to cheering local hero Junior Johnson’s drivers.

What NASCAR Cup Series drivers were talking about after Sunday’s All-Star Race extravaganza at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“Man, they show up, and it’s just absolutely incredible,” All-Star Race winner Christopher Bell said of the North Wilkesboro crowd.

“We go out for driver intros and the place was packed. … We need more events like this, more races like this. I love that we revived this racetrack, and now with Rockingham getting revived and had an amazing Xfinity race. I think just continuing to go to different racetracks, that’s the key for success.

“You can’t just beat the same racetracks up over and over and go to them twice a year. I think continuing to diversify the schedule, get to where we’re going to every venue one time a year, and I think you’re going to see the crowds engage and have awesome electricity throughout the races. And yeah, it really is awesome to be a part of.”

Imagine what it could be like for a points race.

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — As NASCAR has expanded into new markets over the past few years, some of these additions have seen fan support taper off by the third year, the shiny new toys losing their luster.

North Wilkesboro Speedway found itself in similar territory this weekend. The rustic short track, once left for dead only to be brought back to life, hosted NASCAR’s non-points All-Star Race for a third consecutive year. Would fans continue to pack the place as they did when NASCAR first returned after a nearly 20-year absence and make it the exception to the rule?

This question was answered emphatically Sunday night, even before Christopher Bell outdueled Joey Logano in the closing laps to claim the $1 million winner’s prize. The sold-out crowd was amped during pre-race ceremonies, singing along to various songs over the public address system and loudly cheering and booing during driver intros. Then came the race itself, which more than delivered.

“For the third straight year, we’ve had tremendous support from fans not only in North Carolina but around the world who are captivated by the return of North Wilkesboro Speedway to the NASCAR circuit,” said Speedway Motorsports president and CEO Marcus Smith, whose company owns the facility. “Like Lambeau Field to football and Fenway Park to baseball, North Wilkesboro Speedway has become America’s throwback racetrack.”

If the idea is that the All-Star Race is supposed to be a special event that causes the crowd to be juiced to another level while also producing a stirring race, then Sunday night’s 250-lapper certainly checked these boxes. North Wilkesboro proved to be a worthy ongoing host, erasing the skepticism a track often faces in its critical third year, which heavily factors into whether it sticks around on the Cup Series schedule.

Going forward, the question surrounding North Wilkesboro isn’t about whether it should remain as host for the All-Star Race, but whether it should host something bigger — a points race.

“I think it deserves it,” Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman said. “I’m sure it has its challenges to pull it off, but it’s a great racetrack. It’s got a great vibe, and it’s a special place.”

Many others shared Bowman’s sentiment throughout the weekend, and this was before the green flag even waved on the main event. Moving forward, expect this drumbeat to grow louder. Even the FS1 broadcast got in on it, with commentators Mike Joy, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer stumping for this to happen.

“NORTH WILKESBORO – BEST SHORT TRACK ON THE SCHEDULE.”- Christopher Bell after his All-Star win pic.twitter.com/W1Hl8nfIDA

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 19, 2025

Bringing a points race to a new track is rarely straightforward. There is, however, a realistic path for North Wilkesboro.

As NASCAR has worked to overhaul its calendar over the last five-plus years, decision-makers have learned that the sport is best with a schedule featuring greater variety in the tracks across the 38-race schedule (36 points races and two exhibitions). They’ve also become more amenable to making bold changes.

This mindset already worked in North Wilkesboro’s favor in 2023, when the track landed the All-Star Race, something few thought possible. Similar thinking would need to happen this go-round too.

With the Cup schedule already at capacity, adding a new track somewhere requires a spot to be cleared. And this is where it gets complicated.

NASCAR isn’t likely to shift a date from one of the tracks it owns to an outside company, not when each date is worth millions and millions in television dollars and they’re exploring other markets. This means, in all likelihood, Speedway Motorsports would need to shift one of the 15 dates it has within its portfolio. These 15 races are held at one of 10 tracks the company owns outright and another at a venue it rents, Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.

A frequent suggestion is to shift the spring race at nearby Bristol Motor Speedway to North Wilkesboro. Attendance has been so-so at the Tennessee short track, and recent racing has left something to be desired.

With another packed crowd Sunday, there’s been no sign of enthusiasm waning for NASCAR at the revived North Wilkesboro Speedway. (David Jensen / Getty Images)

But, again, there are complications. Although Bristol’s spring race may appear to have sparse crowds, this is somewhat deceiving. The venue can accommodate 140,000-plus spectators, so a race at Bristol that is only one-third full will still outdraw a sellout at North Wilkesboro, where the max capacity is somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000. (Speedway Motorsports is a privately owned company and doesn’t release its exact attendance figures.)

There are other factors in play too. NASCAR already has several races in the Mid-Atlantic region, with eight tracks (Atlanta, Bowman Gray, Bristol, Charlotte, Darlington, Martinsville, North Wilkesboro and Richmond) hosting a combined 13 races. Bristol also has strong corporate support in the form of Food City, which since 1992 has served as entitlement sponsor for the spring race — the second-longest active race sponsorship. COTA is widely considered the likeliest candidate to move, since its contract with Speedway Motorsports is up for renewal, but this confined geographical setup makes moving a race from Texas to North Wilkesboro a head-scratcher.

“Whatever Marcus wants, it’s his place,” Trackhouse driver Ross Chastain said. “So if he wants to go to NASCAR and pitch something; I’m sure there’s a lot more than just saying, What do we want?’ It’s up to the track owners and promoters and our sanctioning body, so for me to even begin to comment, I’m like, ‘Whatever they want to do.’ But that was a great race. We definitely better keep coming back here.”

It’s a good problem to have for North Wilkesboro. Definitely better than what would’ve likely come if Sunday’s race failed to produce strong ticket sales and a solid race.

Instead, the fans showed out, the racing delivered, and North Wilkesboro’s spot on the Cup schedule — one way or another — is very much secure.

(Top photo of Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race: David Jensen / Getty Images)

A busy slate of race action is planned for Grandview Speedway heading into the Memorial Day holiday, with racing planned for Tuesday and Saturday nights during this upcoming week.

The first Thunder on the Hill racing series event is this week on Tuesday, May 20, as Levan Machine & Truck Equipment presents the Rich Mar Florist Kubota High Limit 410 Sprints in the Roto-Rooter Mid-Week Series.

This program includes time trials, and qualifying events leading up to the 35-lap feature event that pays $20,000 to win and $1500 to start the main event. The program also includes the Alpine Building Supply Vintage Cars in action with two 12-lap feature events.

Drivers expected in the field are past High Limit Thunder on the Hill winners Rico Abreu and Pennsylvania driver Brent Marks, joined by five time World of Outlaw Champion and current High Limit point leader Brad Sweet of Grass Valley, CA,  Tanner Thorson of Minden, NV, Kasey Kahne from Enumclaw, WA, Tyler Courtney Indianapolis, IN, Aaron Reutzel of Clute, TX, Daison Pursley of Loctus Grove, OK, Spencer Bayston of Lebanon, IN, Justin Peck from San Diego, CA  and two Rookie drivers Danny Sams III of Elkhart, IN and Sye Lynch of Apollo, PA, who will be making their start with the High Limit Sprints in 2025. There will also be a strong contingent of the local drivers that will be on hand shooting for the $20,000 to win payday as well.  And if a local Pennsylvania driver takes the top prize, Alpine Building Supply has posted an additional $2,000 bonus.

Advance tickets for the May 20 event are currently available at TicketHoss.com. Advance ticket holders will gain entry to the grandstand at 4:30 pm through the first turn gate, followed by general admission tickets going on sale and the main gate opening at 5 pm. Warm-ups start at 6:15 pm, followed by time trial qualifying, with the show set to begin at 7:30 pm. A rain date of Wednesday, May 21 is in place if needed.

At approximately 7 pm, after time trials, the FAN FEST will take place in Souvenir Row/Merchandise Midway where you can meet many of the drivers at their souvenir trailers.

General admission tickets on race night for May 20 are $40 for adults, children 6-11 are $20, children 5 and under will be admitted for free.   The Pit Fee is $45 and a license is not required.   (Pit tickets are not available at Ticket Hoss).

Racing this past Saturday night saw qualifying heat race number two for the T.P. Trailer Modifieds taking the checkered flag when precipitation hit the Speedway, halting the program. After the rain stopped the track crews went to work trying to recover the speedway surface, only to have more rain pop up again and arrive shortly thereafter ending the night’s action after six qualifying races had been completed.

Track management will resume this same show this Saturday night May 24, starting with T.P. Trailer Modified qualifying heat number three then four, followed by two consolations, then two consolations for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, followed by the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified and 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature races. The Outlaw Racing Series Vintage cars will also be on the program as originally scheduled.

All grandstand tickets and pit wristbands from the May 17 show will be honored for the completion of the event on May 24, or for the show set on May 31. All patrons must turn in their May 17 tickets or wristbands at the ticket windows and receive a new ticket or wristband for the May 24 event.

Any new fans attending that were not at the May 17 show will see adult grandstand admission set at $15, students 10-15 with ID will be $5, while children 9 and under are admitted for free. Pit admission remains the same for any newcomers at $35 with a license or $45 without a license.

Any drivers not in attendance at the May 17 event, may join the program in either division, but will be starting at the rear of a consolation event.

Pit gates will open at 4 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, warm-ups starting at 6:15 pm, and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 7:30 pm.

Points earned by drivers already qualified in the completed heat races from last Saturday night, will not be added until after the remainder of this show and the features are completed this week, so the point standings remain unchanged entering this week’s race program.

Brett Kressley sits on top of the T.P. Trailer Modified point standings after three events, followed by Mike Gular, Craig Von Dohren, Louden Reimert, and Jared Umbenhauer.

The following are the current top ten drivers in the T.P. Trailer Modified point standings – 1. Brett Kressley – 848, 2. Mike Gular – 795, 3. Craig Von Dohren – 706, 4. Louden Reimert – 680, 5. Jared Umbenhauer – 655, 6. Logan Watt – 617, 7. Matt Stangle – 592, 8. Duane Howard – 550, 9. Tim Buckwalter – 548, 10. Eddie Strada – 540.

Colin Cox sits on top of the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman point standings after two events, followed by Dylan Swinehart, Nathan Mohr, Adrianna Delliponti, and Kenny Gilmore.

The following are the current top ten drivers in the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman point standings – 1. Colin Cox – 579, 2. Dylan Swinehart – 538, 3. Nathan Mohr – 506, 4. Adrianna Delliponti – 470, 5. Kenny Gilmore – 459, 6. Mike Schneck Jr. – 410, 7. Mike Stofflet – 403, 8. Kyle Hartzell – 369, 9. Dakota Kohler – 354, 9. Teague Miller – 354.

Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through October, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.

Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.

UPCOMING EVENTS –

Tuesday, May 20 – THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – The Rich Mar Florist Kubota High Limit 410 Sprint Car Series presented by Levan Machine & Truck Equipment – $20,000 to win 410 Sprints – 7:30 pm (Rain date Wednesday 5/21)

Saturday, May 24 – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 31 – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, Pro 4 Racing Series, TRIVIA NIGHT – 7:30 pm

Saturday, June 7 – A.D. MOYER LUMBER COMPANY NIGHT – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, URC Sprints – 7:30 pm

Grandview Speedway PR

Christopher Bell loves North Wilkesboro Speedway, and Joey Logano hates the “Promoter’s Caution.”

Those were the main takeaways from the top two finishers in an action-packed NASCAR All-Star Race at the 0.625-mile oval in North Wilkesboro, N.C.

In a slam-bang affair that set a record for lead changes, Bell beat Logano by 0.829 seconds to earn his first All-Star Race victory. Bell, who won three consecutive Cup Series races earlier this season but had a previous best All-Star finish of 10th, delivered the third All-Star Race win for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“That right there is absolutely incredible,” Bell said. “North Wilkesboro, best short track on the schedule.”

He also is a fan of Marcus Smith, the president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports that owns North Wilkesboro Speedway. In a new All-Star Race wrinkle, Smith was allowed to choose when to throw a “Promoter’s Caution” that would bunch the field for a late restart.

Smith sent two-time Daytona 500 winner and Fox Sports personality Michael Waltrip to the flag stand to display the random yellow flag on Lap 217 with Logano leading by about a half-second ahead of Bell.

Logano, who was trying to win his second consecutive All-Star Race, elected to stay on track rather than pit during the caution, and the decision proved costly. Bell pitted for two fresh tires, restarted in sixth and needed only five laps to catch Logano. After a battle for first that lasted a dozen laps, Bell took the lead for good on Lap 241 of 250.

“I’m pissed off right now,” said Logano, who led a race-high 139 laps. “Just dang it, we had the fastest car. I’m trying to choose my words correctly on the caution situation. Obviously, I got bit by it, so I am the one frustrated.”

It was a stark turnaround for the defending Cup Series champion, who recently said he supported the “Promoter’s Caution” because “the All-Star Race presents the opportunity to try things outside of the box.” But he was questioning its validity after Sunday’s race.

“Yeah, I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution,” Logano said. “I am all about that. Me and Marcus Smith aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, okay? I’ve got to have a word with him.”

Ross Chastain finished third, followed by Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott.

The “Promoter’s Caution” was introduced to guarantee an exciting finish, but the All-Star Race hardly needed much help this year.

After lackluster showings in the first two outings, the All-Star Race delivered much more action in its third year at North Wilkesboro Speedway. There were 18 lead changes, breaking the mark of 13 (set in 2016) for the most in the event’s 41-year history.

Pole-sitter Brad Keselowski and Logano traded the lead twice in the first 10 laps and often ran side by side for the lead. There were six leaders and 10 lead changes in the first half of the race, which topped the total number of leaders (four) and lead changes (five) in the past two All-Star Races combined.

After leading 62 laps, Keselowski’s bid for his first All-Star Race victory ended with a crash on Lap 177.

All-Star Open results

Capitalizing on pit strategy, Carson Hocevar led the final 46 laps to win the All-Star Open earlier Sunday and advanced into the NASCAR All-Star Race.

Runner-up John Hunter Nemechek also advanced to the main event by finishing second in the 100-lap warmup race. Noah Gragson won an online fan vote to earn the final transfer spot to the All-Star Race, whose field will included 20 other drivers competing for $1 million.

Pole-sitter Shane van Gisbergen finished 13th after leading the first 54 laps on the 0.625-mile oval. The New Zealand native, who is in his first full Cup Series season after winning three Supercar championships in Australia, fell from first to sixth on a four-tire pit stop during the halfway caution.

“I don’t know whether to smile or cry,” said van Gisbergen, who is ranked 35th in the points standings with one top 10 this season. “It’s been a dismal year for us, but I feel like we’re getting better every week. This shows it.”

More money

The All-Star Race winner’s share has been $1 million since the 2003 event, and some drivers have grumbled that an increase for inflation is well overdue.

“I definitely think it should get raised,” 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney said this week. “That’s the only thing about the All-Star Race I’d probably change. I don’t want to get greedy, but I think you can raise it to $3 million.”

Bubba Wallace said he’d suggest $5 million but would be good for a bump to $3 million.

“They’ve got more TV money, so why not,” Wallace said, referring to NASCAR’s media rights raising to $1.1 billion annually in a deal starting this year.

Up next

The Cup Series will race next Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season. Bell won last year’s race, which was shortened from 600 to 374 miles by rain.

Kyle Larson missed the 2024 race after arriving late because the Indianapolis 500 was delayed by rain. The Hendrick Motorsports star again will attempt to become the fifth driver to race the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

The 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro had everything: Short-track bumping, tire strategy twists, and just enough controversy to keep fans arguing into the night. Christopher Bell walked away with the win, but the real story is how he got there. Was it a legit thriller or a manufactured mess?

• Did the race format help or hurt the action on track?
• How did tire strategy completely change the outcome, and burn some teams hard?
• What was up with the “promoter’s caution” and Michael Waltrip tossing a yellow?
• And was that bump from Bell on Logano classic short track racing, or just dirty?

Some fans loved the chaos, others think NASCAR needs to stop trying so hard to create drama. One thing’s for sure—this race has people talking. And drivers? Even more fired up than usual. Did the format deliver a true All-Star showcase, or just a gimmick with a checkered flag? Watch now and decide for yourself, then drop your take in the comments.

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