NASCAR Cup Series
Drivers Pleased With North Wilkesboro Repave, Tire Fall Off so Far
Mar 14, 2024
On Tuesday, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports jointly announced the format and schedule for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which includes the reintroduction of an alternate tire choice for the exhibition event.
For the first time since 2017, teams will have the chance to utilize multiple tire compounds throughout the race weekend at the 0.625-mile short track, with a pair of options available for dry-weather conditions.
The prime tire (yellow lettering) is which is the baseline tire that was assessed during a tire test at North Wilkesboro Speedway last month, whereas the option tire (red lettering) is a slick tire, but made with the same rubber as the wet-weather tires, making it a softer tire with more grip and faster wear.
In the event of inclement weather conditions, NASCAR will also be bringing the wet-weather tires (white lettering) to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star Race, however, those will only be used in the event of a wet racetrack.
Throughout the weekend, NASCAR Cup Series teams will be allotted nine sets of tires — three sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires for practice, qualifying, heat races, and the All-Star Open. In the All-Star Race, teams will be permitted to use two sets of each tire.
“After a successful return to North Wilkesboro Speedway last season, we are thrilled to bring the action back to one of NASCAR’s most iconic and storied tracks,” said John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. “The spotlight will certainly be on the crew chiefs and drivers as they plan their tire strategy for this special race. In testing, the softer tires were significantly faster — but wore much quicker. Goodyear has been an incredible partner in this All-Star element, and it will be fascinating to watch how crew chiefs and drivers manage this unique challenge.”
The main event will be a 200-lap contest around North Wilkesboro Speedway where all green-flag and caution laps will be counted, and NASCAR Overtime rules will be in effect.
At the halfway point, NASCAR will throw the first of two competition cautions, where teams will be required to make a four-tire pit stop. With 50 laps remaining, the second competition caution will be displayed, where teams will have the option to pit.
Sunday’s All-Star Open will give drivers not guaranteed a spot in the main event a chance to race their way into the NASCAR All-Star Race. The 100-lap event will have a competition caution at the halfway point, where teams will be required to make a four-tire pit stop.
The top two finishers from the Open, plus the winner of the NASCAR Fan Vote, will join the field for the NASCAR All-Star Race, which will include winners from the current and previous season, plus any former All-Star winners or series champions that compete on a full-time basis.
“This format will challenge drivers, crew chiefs, and pit crews from Friday through Sunday, and strategy will play a huge part in who takes home the $1 million prize,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “The All-Star Race has always been a place for innovation, from its very creation in 1985 to racing under the lights, unique paint schemes, and double-file restarts. Now we have an old-school, short track format developed by Dale Jr. plus a new twist on tires courtesy of NASCAR and Goodyear. Kevin Harvick gave great input on stepping up the impact of qualifying. Throw it all together at North Wilkesboro and we’ve got something special for the 40th running of the NASCAR All-Star Race.”
This season’s festivities will begin on Friday with All-Star Open qualifying, All-Star Race qualifying, and the Pit Crew Challenge.
While last season saw qualifying based entirely on the Pit Crew Challenge, this season will combine the traditional qualifying effort with the battle of the pit crews. Drivers will take the green flag, run one lap at speed, and then come down pit road on the second to perform a four-tire pit stop before completing the run.
The crew with the fastest pit stop during All-Star qualifying (with no penalties) is the winner of the Pit Crew Challenge. Timing lines are established one box behind and one box ahead of the designated pit boxes. The results of the pit crew challenge determine how pits are picked for Sunday’s main event.
Following Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, the NASCAR Cup Series will run a pair of 60-lap heat races to set the final starting lineup for the All-Star Race, with the finishing order of the first heat determining the inside line, and the second heat determining the outside line.
“The emphasis on tire strategy and returning to an old-school qualifying approach are both great moves to give the entire weekend more impact,” said Harvick, who will call his first NASCAR All-Star Race for FOX Sports. “Being able to walk away from qualifying with both a Pit Crew Challenge champion and a locked-in pole winner elevates the event for both the fans and the teams.”
As of April 23rd, the following drivers are eligible to compete in the NASCAR All-Star Race: AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suárez, Martin Truex Jr., and Shane van Gisbergen.
