Why not?
Why not hold a NASCAR Cup Series points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway?
Still basking in the afterglow of a hard-earned victory in Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race, Christopher Bell declared the 0.625-mile venue the “best short track on the schedule.”
Many of the drivers who didn’t win on Sunday agreed with him.
“It looked like a great race for the win,” said fifth-place finisher Chase Elliott, who won the season-opening Cook Out Clash at another historic property, Bowman Gray Stadium. “I wish I could have been a part of it.
“I thought the race was much better this year than last year, so that was cool to see. We had another great crowd here, great environment for an All-Star race, so hopefully everyone enjoyed that.”
The racing surface has matured remarkably since North Wilkesboro was repaved for its first All-Star Race in 2023. The aging of the asphalt, combined with progressive banking in the corners, allowed for a variety of racing options on Sunday.
Chasing Logano during the final 28-lap green-flag run, Bell tried a variety of lines, ultimately steering beneath Logano’s Ford and forcing him up the track for the winning pass.
For much of the run, Logano tried to keep Bell pinned down in the inside lane, using his momentum off the corners to keep Bell behind him. It worked for a while.
Kyle Larson, on the other hand, made progress at the top of the track but eventually paid the price when he smacked the outside wall while running third—until Lap 241 of 250.
Clearly, there were plenty of options that prevented the race from becoming a blowout, as it was with Larson’s All-Star win in 2023 and Logano’s last year.
“As this place continues to age, it’s just going to get better and better,” Bell said. “Man, that was an amazing race. There were so many guys up there racing for the lead. We saw two-wide, three-wide for the lead. It’s just a pleasure to race here.”
Brad Keselowski, who won the pole for the All-Star Race and the first of two qualifying heats, would like to see a race at North Wilkesboro count in the standings.
“I think this needs to be a points race track,” Keselowski said. “I’d like to see the All-Star Race most likely return to Charlotte. That’s my personal opinion. I think the Charlotte race track, particularly since it only has one race on the oval, I think that’s a miss for our sport.
“It’s a great race track and puts on some of the best racing, so it would make sense to me if we were to revert back to that and make this (North Wilkesboro) a season race.”
The atmosphere on Sunday night was electric. The grandstands were packed to overflowing, and fans were standing throughout the final run, as Bell chased Logano for the win.
And, of course, there was another element necessary to a good short-track stew—raw emotion. Logano didn’t appreciate the way Bell passed him for the lead.
“We’re racing for a million dollars,” Logano said. “I get it, but we race each other every week, and we’re like elephants. We don’t forget anything.”
Bell’s response?
“Well, I had got to him a couple times before, and he made it very difficult on me, as he should. I got my run, and I took the moment, as I should.
“Yeah, I don’t think that I did anything that Joey has not done, and I’ve seen Joey do much worse. We will continue on.”
As good as the All-Star race was, imagine, if you will, a full field of 38 Cup Series cars racing for 400 laps around the historic short track. Imagine the top contenders catching the back of the field and working traffic as they pursue each other for the lead.
Imagine the Cup drivers racing at North Wilkesboro with a spot in the Playoffs on the line.
Too much of a good thing? Hardly.
So, the question remains “Why not?”
— NASCAR Wire Service —