The promoter’s caution during the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro didn’t sit well with several drivers, particularly those who saw their strategies falter as a result. For instance, Joey Logano, who was in the hunt for a second straight All-Star win, saw his advantage vanish once the yellow flag flew and the field behind him opted for fresh tires. The caution flipped the script — and Logano didn’t hide his frustration.
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Despite the controversy, the race delivered a compelling product, adding to the momentum North Wilkesboro has built since its 2022 revival. Several drivers, including Brad Keselowski and Alex Bowman, have already voiced their support for the track to earn a points-paying date. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose push to preserve and restore the venue played a central role in NWS’s return, believes NASCAR needs to proceed with caution.
According to Dale Jr., if the Cup Series is to return to North Wilkesboro for a full points race, NASCAR must steer clear of manufactured cautions like the one implemented during the All-Star event. He emphasized that any deviation from standard procedure could jeopardize the track’s long-awaited return to the spotlight.
“I just think that if you’re going to take a Cup race to Wilkesboro, that you don’t take any risks or chances,” Dale Jr. said. “Let the race kind of go and be with the protocols we have in place in terms of stage caution and so forth, just to make sure you don’t screw up the very first points race back. It could work out, TJ, where if you didn’t throw the stage cautions, it could work out and be awesome.”
He acknowledged there may be room for experimentation but not right away. “Maybe that’s something you do down the road if you really get that confidence up, do it. But are you willing to take that risk on the first points race back for Wilkesboro? Wilkesboro tried for three decades to get back. Let’s not take any unnecessary risk with it,” he added.
Jordan Bianchi gives a Wilkesboro reality check
While Dale Jr. outlined what he sees as a critical safeguard, NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi raised additional concerns. Gluck pointed to the schedule as the primary roadblock. He argued that finding a date to slot in a North Wilkesboro race means displacing another event, and viable openings are few and far between.
When Gluck floated the idea of moving the spring Bristol race, Bianchi stepped in with a dose of reality. He noted that even with attendance lagging, Bristol’s capacity still far exceeds what North Wilkesboro can accommodate.
“What would you say spring Bristol was this year? A quarter full? A third full?” Bianchi said. “Even at a third-full, spring Bristol still seats more than this track. And so, it still has name recognition. It still is, it still has more hotels in the area, that kind of thing. It’s more fan accessible.”
He also addressed the sponsorship equation. North Wilkesboro maintains a long-term partnership with Food City, but aside from that, the corporate support remains thin. While Bianchi acknowledged the strength of that relationship, he made it clear that expanding sponsorship will be essential if the track hopes to reestablish itself as a full-time Cup Series stop.
