NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro: Entry list, TV schedule for Sunday's All-Star Race
The NASCAR Cup Series is making its long-awaited return to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996.
The weekend includes a Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday and the All-Star Race and All-Star Open on Sunday. It'll be a heavy dose of nostalgia for those who remember the venerable of short track in the North Carolina countryside. SMI has done a nearly-complete face lift of the track while leaving some of the most notable characteristics of the speedway alone or slightly refurbished.
The quality of racing will be a test for the current race car, which has struggled to produce consistent and interesting racing on short tracks over the last season and a half.
Here's what you need to know about All-Star weekend:
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NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro schedule, All-Star Race format
Green Flag Time: 7 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 21
Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway (0.625 mile oval) in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Qualifying format: A pit crew challenge (4:30 p.m. CT Friday, FS1) will set the lineups for the All-Star heat races and the All-Star Open. Timing will start when the car reaches the pit box behind the team's stall and will conclude after a pit stop and when the race passes the pit box ahead of the team's stall. Two 60-lap heat races (6:20 p.m. CT Saturday, FS1) will set the All-Star Race lineups among the 21 eligible cars. Heat Race No. 1 will set the inside row for the All-Star Race, while Heat Race No. 2 will set the outside row.
All-Star Open format: The 16-car field will compete in a 100-lap race (4:30 p.m. CT Sunday, FS1), with the top two finishers advancing to the All-Star Race.
All-Star Race format: The 200-lap All-Star Race (7 p.m. CT Sunday, FS1) will include a field of 24 cars, including the 21 drivers already eligible, the top two finishers in the All-Star Open and the fan vote winner. There will be a competition caution at halfway, and teams will only have one fresh set of tires to use for the final 100 laps.
TV coverage: FOX Sports 1
Radio: MRN
Streaming: FOX Sports app (subscription required); MRN.com and SiriusXM for audio (subscription required)
Xfinity Series this week: OFF
Truck Series this week: Tyson 250 (250 laps, 156.25 miles) at North Wilkesboro Speedway, 12:30 p.m. CT Saturday on FOX
NASCAR All-Star Race entry list
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
All-Star Open 1st place finisher
All-Star Open 2nd place finisher
Fan Vote winner from remaining Open drivers
All-Star Open entry list
Corey Lajoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Chandler Smith, No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
JJ Yeley, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Justin Haley, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Josh Berry, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Bilicki, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR North Wilkesboro: Entry list, TV schedule for Sunday's All-Star Race