$100,000 reasons why NASCAR pit crew need to bring their A game at North Wilkesboro

This week's All-Star race is being held at North Wilkesboro Speedway after 26 years of wondering when NASCAR will return. The racetrack earned $18 million in allocation money from the American Rescue Plan funding to get a facelift, surprising several locals who believed it would remain closed permanently.

The quickest pit crews in NASCAR will be the center of attention on Friday night before the sport's biggest players take the stage on Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the NASCAR All-Star Race. NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear is the new moniker for the pit crew competition, according to speedway officials.

The high-octane, Friday-night pit road show will see each team completing a four-tire pit stop with no fuel, harkening back to NASCAR's well-liked pit crew challenges of the 1980s and 1990s.

The lineups for the All-Star heat races on Saturday and the All-Star Open on Sunday will be decided by the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear results. The North Wilkesboro Speedway event on Friday night will have a significant influence on the NASCAR Cup Series activity all weekend.

NASCAR announced that the winner of the Pit Crew Challeneg will receive a bonus of $100,000. The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and NASCAR Cup Series are slated to take the track at 3:05 p.m ET. and 4:05 p.m., respectively, on Friday, the day before the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear.

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NASCAR Cup Series win are just numbers for William Byron

William Byron, who is 25 years old, is one of the NASCAR Cup Series' younger drivers. However, Byron's age is no longer a factor because his maturity and experience have propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport.

NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400

Byron and the No. 24 team have discovered their sweet spot after six years of competing for Hendrick Motorsports. Byron triumphed for the third event in a row on Sunday at Darlington Raceway, leading the series. He will have at least three victories for the first time this season.

"I’ve heard a lot of different opinions, but I think as a team, and statistically, I feel like we’re right where we need to be, there are a couple of other guys who are really close or even a little bit better in some categories. Kyle [Larson] has been really strong; I feel like he’s really fast on some of the bigger tracks. Ross [Chastain] has some good stats." He said.

Byron is a self-identified "stats guy" and is an expert with statistics. He is also familiar with those in his potential competition. Byron has seven victories over the past three and a half seasons. Additionally, Byron has improved his standings finish each season and continues to do so every weekend by becoming a more reliable presence for shown finishes, if not victories.