The combination of racing on a historic 0.625-mile track, awarding $1 million to the winner and points implications should make for a dramatic 39th annual NASCAR All Star Race Sunday night at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.
“I can’t wait to see what happens,” said No. 99 Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suárez whose June victory in Sonoma earned him a starting spot in the 26-driver All-Star Race.
“Few of us have ever raced at Wilkesboro and this is also the first time for an All-Star race on a track this small, so it’s going to be a pretty wild night. It would be cool to drive back home that night with a trophy and a big check.”
The 200-lap race will include a competition break at or around lap 100. Both green-flag and caution laps will count, and overtime rules will be in effect.
The starting lineup for the race will be set by a pair of 60-lap qualifying heats, on Saturday. The finishing order of Heat 1 will make up the inside row in the feature; Heat 2 finishers will occupy the outside row in that order.
The starting order for those races will be set by a Friday night pit-stop competition for each team. Each team’s qualifying time will be based on the speed of a four-tire pit stop, with timing lines marked one pit stall behind and one pit stall forward of the designated pit box.
“Our pit crew has been great all year so I’m expecting I’ll have a good starting spot,” said Suárez. “After that who knows what will happen. I guess we will have to stay out of trouble and be there at the end to race for the million dollars.”
The Wilkesboro track, a 90-minute drive north of Charlotte, is not only small by All-Star race standards but includes a unique uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch.
The track opened in 1947 and hosted 93 Cup races with the last race in 1996. It has received help from a near $20 million remodel.
The winning driver will receive a trophy designed after the moon shine-making process famous in Wilkes County. NASCAR has roots in the illegal moonshining trade in the early to middle of the 20th century.
The trophy is a copper replica of a still with “Born to Shine” written on the middle piece and attached to a slab of engraved wood. It will take two people to carry it to the All-Star Race winner.
FS1 will televise the All-Star race at 8 p.m. EDT.
Trackhouse Racing PR
