Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway… In 44 NASCAR Cup Series starts at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has five wins, all by Dale Earnhardt: 1986 (spring), 1987 (spring), 1989 (spring), 1991 (fall) and 1995 (spring). Earnhardt was running at the finish in all 27 races at North Wilkesboro that he ran with RCR. Team Owner Richard Childress made 19 starts at North Wilkesboro as a driver, racking up eight top-10 finishes.
RCR in the All-Star Race…RCR has four wins in the NASCAR All-Star Race, three with Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993) and one with Kevin Harvick (2007). Earnhardt is also tied with Jimmie Johnson for most top-five finishes in the All-Star race (9).
Pacing the Field … Childress, a legendary NASCAR team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, has been named as the Honorary Pace Car Driver to help get the NASCAR All-Star race underway on Sunday evening on the historic 0.625-mile short track where one driver will earn a lucrative $1 million pay day. Childress will lead the field to green in a Chevrolet Camaro.
All-Star Race Format… The All-Star race will consist of 200 laps (all laps count) with NASCAR Overtime rules in effect. There will be two All-Star cautions at lap 100 and lap 150. At the 100-lap break, teams must perform a four-tire stop using any tire of their choosing. Starting positions are set via two 60-lap All-Star heat races on Saturday, with the lineup for the heat races determined by a Pit Crew Challenge event on Friday evening in which teams will make a four-tire pit stop without fuel. The signature new element in this season’s format centers around tire type and allotment. Potentially, three different tires will be utilized throughout the event weekend— a “prime tire” (the baseline tire assessed in last month’s Goodyear Tire Test at North Wilkesboro Speedway), an “option tire” (slick tires, but made with the same rubber as the wet weather tire, making it a softer tire with more grip and faster wear) and “wet weather” (the wet weather tire only used if the track is wet).
Wide-Open Opportunity…The All-Star Open will give drivers who are not guaranteed a spot in the main event a chance to race their way into the All-Star Race. The 100-lap Open will have an All-Star caution at Lap 50, at which time teams must perform a four-tire pit stop. Three Open drivers will advance to the main event: the top two race finishers plus the Fan Vote Winner. NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Voting is now open on www.NASCAR.com/fanvote.
New Surface at North Wilkesboro…North Wilkesboro Speedway has been repaved just in time for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race. Prior to the fresh pavement, the last time the track was repaved was in 1981.
Saturday Night Heat Races…Saturday night will feature two 60-lap heat races that will determine the starting lineup for the All-Star Race among drivers already locked into the field. There will be an All-Star caution at lap 30 of each heat race; teams must perform a four-tire pit stop. The results of Heat 1 will establish the inside row, and the results of Heat 2 will establish the outside row.
Happy Anniversary to the All-Star Race…The 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race will be the 40th running of the special event, which debuted in May 1985 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Perhaps the most popular finish in All-Star Race history came in 1987, when Dale Earnhardt won the race in a fender-banging classic battle with Bill Elliott, highlighted by Earnhardt’s thrilling save on the frontstretch in the closing laps.
Follow Sunday’s Action at North Wilkesboro… The NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, May 19 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. The All-Star Open will be televised live beginning at 5 p.m. ET on the same broadcast channels.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 SENIX Tools Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at North Wilkesboro Speedway… Austin Dillon, who has made four previous All-Star race starts, will have to race his way into Sunday’s main event this year. A top-two finish in Sunday afternoon’s All-Star Open will transfer him to the main event. Dillon finished 17th in last year’s All-Star race.
A Family Tradition … Dillon’s father, Mike Dillon, earned two trophies at North Wilkesboro Speedway in the Late Model division and had a second-place finish there in the early 90’s.
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Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to appear at the SENIX Tools display in the Fan Midway at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday at 12:45 p.m. ET. He’s also scheduled to stop by the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the North Wilkesboro Speedway Fan Midway on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. ET. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet and get new merchandise to wear on race day.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway?
“I look forward to going back to North Wilkesboro Speedway and welcoming everyone from SENIX Tools to the track this weekend. I love the format NASCAR came up with getting the pit crews involved again this year and the new tire compounds teams can choose from. People are excited about it. We will have to race our way into the All-Star race from the Open race on Sunday, but I think everyone on the No. 3 team is excited and up for the challenge. I am looking forward to seeing how the different compound tires will affect the strategy for 100 laps.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at North Wilkesboro Speedway…Kyle Busch will make his second start at North Wilkesboro Speedway in the NASCAR All-Star Race. In 18 previous All-Star starts, Busch has collected six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, including winning the non-points racing in 2017. In the 2017 race, Busch started second and led the race just once, covering the final 10 laps. His average running position in the event was 3.27. The driver of the Lenovo Chevrolet is tied with Bill Elliott for most poles (four) all-time at the All-Star race.
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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
What did you learn last year at North Wilkesboro Speedway that you can apply for this race?
“I think the only things we learned at North Wilkesboro Speedway last year were where the outside wall is and I think the apron in Turns 3 and 4 is the same. That’s about it. I think everything else has changed. The asphalt has changed and they moved the inside wall some. It’s going to be a completely different race.”
North Wilkesboro has been repaved. How do you prepare to race on the new surface when you haven’t been able to test there?
“I think the preparation for how to get ready for the race is now going to be based on the notes and the test that happened there. Our Chevy key partner teammate William Byron did the test there so we’re relying on him and his notes and the video capture that they got and being able to just watch and listen to the throttle on time and the things they did when they were there.”
This year’s All-Star race will have several new features including a tire strategy element. What effect do you think that will have in the race? Do you think it has the potential to make the racing better?
“I don’t know if the tire strategy will really factor in as much as people think because we all know when the strategy will be and when you want to put those tires on. We all have to start the race on the option tires. We all know we’re probably going to want to finish on those tires, so the two other sets that you’re going to have you’re probably going to run one of those sets in the middle of the race. I don’t know that it’s really going to create much pit strategy separation. The race isn’t long enough for that.”
