NASCAR is shifting from the egg-shaped oval Darlington Raceway to the short oval North Wilkesboro Speedway this Sunday for the All-Star Race. This All-Star weekend is set to be full of thrilling racing action as the 0.625-mile track will host the Next Gen cars for the first time.
It was an eventful weekend in Darlington, as William Byron became the first driver to win three NASCAR Cup Series races this season. It will now be interesting to see how drivers cope with the challenges posed by the North Wilkesboro track in All-Star Weekend.
Ryan Blaney, the driver of the #12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, won last year’s All-Star Race. Blaney will be looking to mount a successful title defense and grab his first win of the 2023 season.
Ahead of Sunday’s race, there will be a qualifying race on Friday (May 19), which will be based on the pit crews. This week’s qualifying will be based on the four-tire pit stop time of each car to set the starting lineup for the All-Star Open and two All-Star Heat Races. The Heat Races will determine the starting lineup for the All-Star Race.
Where to watch the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Open and All-Star Race qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway?
Here is the qualifying schedule for this week's exhibition race at North Wilkesboro Speedway:
Friday, May 19, 2023
4 pm ET: All-Star Race practice
5:45 pm ET: All-Star Race qualifying (All-Star Pit Crew Challenge)
Both the practice and qualifying sessions will be broadcast live on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Who is in the top 5 in the points table after last weekend’s Goodyear 400?
Despite a P29 finish at Darlington Raceway, Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain stayed on the top spot in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series points table with 429 points with five top-five finishes. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell is placed second with 402 points, with the #20 Toyota driver a P14 last week.
Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick (400 points), Denny Hamlin (393 points), and William Byron (387 points) round off the top five in the Cup Series standings.
The defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano currently sits in 12th place in the points table with one win and three top-five finishes.
Catch another thrilling Cup race this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway.