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Track. Revived.
North Wilkesboro Speedway is back on the NASCAR circuit and will be the host of next year’s All-Star Race on May 21, 2023.
Speedway Motorsports Inc. and NASCAR announced the historic return early Thursday as the 75th anniversary of NASCAR will also come in 2023.
The All-Star Race will be the first Cup Series event at the 0.625-mile oval since 1996.
“The NASCAR All-Star Race has always been the fans’ race, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the fans during NASCAR’s 75th anniversary than returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith in a statement. “We couldn’t have made this happen without tremendous support from so many people including Gov. Cooper, our state legislature, NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and of course, the people of Wilkes County. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got the will to create something special alongside a community and hard-working staff that will get it done.”
The All-Star Race weekend is scheduled to be a full weekend with events on May 19 and May 20. According to a statement released by the track, an $18M allocation from federal American Rescue Plan funds was designated for infrastructure improvements at North Wilkesboro Speedway through the North Carolina state budget last November. The General Assembly agreed to provide a $4M economic grant next year toward facility improvements to host the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race and future special events.
Full info on the scheduled events for the All-Star Race will be released on a later date.
“Some of my best memories as a little boy were going to North Wilkesboro,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a statement. “And it got even better when I raced there as a teenager. I never thought I’d see that place full again, and then I got to race there this summer in a late model before a full house. There’s just something special about it. I know the track, the fans, and the community will put on a show when we’re back with the Cup cars for the All-Star race.”
