A huge win for NASCAR.
They just announced that the 2024 All-Star race will once again return to North Wilkesboro Speedway, after this year’s race in May marked the first Cup Series race at the track in 27-years.
Kyle Larson was the big million-dollar winner, and it was a really special (and nostalgic) event that felt right at home in Wilkes county:
The original NASCAR track will host the 40th running of the All-Star Race on Sunday evening, as part of a three-day weekend of motorsports entertainment on May 17th-19th, 2024.
Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith says that, after the success of the 2023 race there, they absolutely knew they needed to do it again next year:
“We are very grateful that NASCAR and FOX Sports have supported our efforts to bring the NASCAR All-Star Race back to North Wilkesboro in 2024.
While NASCAR’s current 75th anniversary season still has some memorable moments to come, it’s hard to imagine a more magical moment than what we witnessed with NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway this past May.
The success of the 2023 All-Star Race with fans coming from all 50 states and seven foreign countries would not have been possible without the support of the NASCAR industry, our state legislature, Gov. Roy Cooper and the Wilkes County community.
We’re thankful to have the opportunity to bring back an international spotlight for the second consecutive year to North Wilkesboro and the great state of North Carolina.”
And let’s be honest, this trophy really needed another moment to shine (pun very much intended) too…
For a little background on the significance of NWS, the track was reopened this year after a massive, grassroots campaign started by the town of Wilkesboro, North Carolina called We Want You Back caught the eye of SMI owner Marcus Smith.
The track also received $10 million in funding from Governor Roy Cooper and the state of North Carolina to help with renovations.
After 25 years of the track sitting dormant on the side of highway 421, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. got back behind the wheel in his Sun Drop chevy to participate in a CARS tour race.
He ultimately finished in 3rd place, and has been a massive part of what has even made any of this a possibility.
You can watch all of Roots & Revival series, which focuses on all of the history of the track, on his Youtube page, and I highly recommended it.
