A host of talented NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be going back to their stock car racing roots on Tuesday and Wednesday at historic North Wilkesboro Speedway to compete in the scheduled Late Model races that kick off NASCAR All-Star Race week.
The drivers are eager to get a sneak preview of the .625-mile short track, which hasn’t been a part of the NASCAR Cup Series circuit since 1996. Once they are finished moonlighting, the Cup Series drivers will compete in Sunday’s prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race in search of the lucrative $1 million payday.
Single-day tickets and parking are on sale for the ASA Stars National Tour ECMD 150 on May 16, and the May 17 Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour doubleheader featuring the Crossroads Harley-Davidson 75 and the Window World 125. Tickets can be purchased online at www.northwilkesborospeedway.com.
Five Cup drivers are entered in Tuesday’s ASA Stars National Tour Super Late Model ECMD 150 and seven Cup Series stars will try to qualify for Wednesday’s CARS Tour Window World 125.
Chase Elliott, William Byron, Noah Gragson, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez are on the pre-race entry list for the ECMD 150 on Tuesday, May 16. The highly-anticipated race has 55 cars looking to qualify for a starting spot and the green flag is expected to drop at 8 p.m.
Tough ASA regulars like Bubba Pollard, Casey Roderick and Stephen Nasse also will have to battle some other notable NASCAR stars Tuesday, including NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standouts Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Johnny Sauter and Xfinity Series regulars Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads a stout contingent of Cup Series drivers for Wednesday’s Window World 125 CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car event. Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain, Suarez, Chase Briscoe and Harrison Burton are also on the entry list for that race. Earnhardt Jr. drove his famed green Sundrop No. 3 Chevy to a third-place finish in last year’s Window World 125 and will be looking to improve on his position when the green flag drops Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m.
Window World 125 defending winner Carson Kvapil, who drives the No. 8 for JR Motorsports, leads a strong group of CARS Tour regulars in the Late Model Stock Car Series, including Mason Diaz, Brandon Pierce, Kaden Honeycutt, Dylan Wilson, Connor Hall and Brendan Queen. Truck Series stars Tyler Ankrum and Tate Fogleman are also expected to compete in the Window World 125.
Wednesday’s CARS Tour CrossRoads Harley-Davidson 75 is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. The Pro Late Model race will be headlined by series leaders Mike Hopkins, Caden Kvapil, Katie Hettinger, Brett Suggs and Brent Crews. A trio of NASCAR stars will hope to spoil the fun as Truck regulars Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim will compete along with multi-series journeyman Garrett Smithley.
One cool storyline to follow in the CrossRoads Harley-Davidson 75 is the debut of IMSA champ Jordan Taylor, who is entered in the race under his official social media alter-ego of Rodney Sandstorm. He will be driving the No. 1 Chevy for E33 Motorsports with a Jeff Gordon Rainbow Warrior throwback paint scheme. This race will be Taylor’s first time competing on an oval track in a stock car.
Taylor has wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE-Pro Class and is also the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Champion.
Click here to download pre-race entry lists for each race:
- Tuesday’s ASA Stars National Tour Super Late Model ECMD 150
- Wednesday’s CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car Window World 125
- Wednesday’s CARS Tour Pro Late Model CrossRoads Harley-Davidson 75
TICKETS:
NASCAR All-Star Race weekend ticket packages for all Friday/Saturday/Sunday activities, including NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series practice and qualifying sessions the Pit Crew Challenge; Midland, Chase Rice and Dierks Bentley concerts; NASCAR All-Star Open; NASCAR All-Star Race and Tyson 250 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race are on sale. A full race week schedule can be accessed by clicking here.
Single-day tickets for All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil – featuring the All-Star Race Pit Crew Challenge on May 20, and the Tyson 250 and All-Star Race heat races on May 21, are also on sale.
Speedway Motorsports PR
