North Wilkesboro Speedway will return to the Cup Series schedule next season, reprising its role as the host of the annual NASCAR All-Star Race in 2024.
NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports made the announcement on Thursday, setting a May 19 date for the non-points invitational. In addition, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will race on May 18 at North Wilkesboro, and the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge will take place there on May 17. Complete schedules for on-track competition, broadcast information and the All-Star Race format will be announced at a later date.
The 0.625-mile North Wilkesboro oval returned to the NASCAR calendar earlier this year, marking its first on-track action for NASCAR national-series competition since 1996. Speedway Motorsports revived the dormant facility, aided by funds from the North Carolina state budget and the diligent grassroots efforts of the community in Wilkes County and its surroundings.
Kyle Larson was the weekend’s big winner in the track’s return in May, sweeping the All-Star Race event and the preliminary race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. But the weekend also marked a celebration of the sport’s history for NASCAR’s 75th anniversary, breathing new life into a facility that hosted the premier series during its first season in 1949.
North Wilkesboro Speedway became the fifth track to host the All-Star Race. Charlotte Motor Speedway has been the longest-running All-Star host, putting on its 1985 debut and then staging the event each year from 1987-2019. Other tracks to host the All-Star Race include Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986), Bristol Motor Speedway (2020) and Texas Motor Speedway (2021-22).