What a night it was at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The NASCAR All-Star Race made headlines for the fight that took place after. There was a lot more that went on during the weekend that will have impacts on the rest of the season.
It was a week without any Xfinity Series action. Which is a shame, I think that the series would be fantastic on the North Wilkesboro track, especially after the repave. Despite being just a double-header weekend, there was a lot to keep track of.
Unforutnately, the weather played a role throughout last week. It led to the cancelation of the CARS Tour races that were supposed to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. That wouldn’t be the last we saw from Mother Nature, either.
Truck Series gets off to shaky start
Things were not great for the weekend’s outlook from the jump. It wasn’t just the rain during the week, it was the weekend rain as well.
Truck Series qualifying was rained out, butthat wasn’t the only thing. When the rain decided to set in on Wilkes County, it let down with a fury.
Weather stops NASCAR race after 80 laps
The big issues started when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series got on the track to race. At first, things were fine. Drivers were able to race for 80 laps.
Then, it started to come down. Heavy enough to stop the race. In a matter of a couple of hours, the track experienced 4-5 inches of rain andclogged drains caused the track to flood with a couple of feet of water.
Corey Heim runs away with the win, heat races called off
The Truck Series race had to be postponed to Sunday. Despite getting in the qualifying sessions for the All-Star Race and Pit Crew Challenge, the Heat races were canceled.
Once it got to Sunday, things were just fine. Corey Heim was once again a force on the track and was able to run away with the win over the final 170 laps. Third win of the season for Heim.
Kyle Larson falters but recovers at Indy 500 Qualifying
Meanwhile, over in Indianapolis, Kyle Larson was trying to qualify for the Indy 500. To win the race, you have to make the race.
Despite an issue on his first official qualifying run, Larson rebounded. He went on to qualify P5 for the race, earning top rookie honors in qualifying.
Logano wins pole, Bell crew wins pit stop challenge
The qualifying session at North Wilkesboro is a lot of fun. Drivers have to do three laps plus a pit stop. Fastest total time wins the pole.
But the pit stop challenge is the race inside of the race. Logano won the pole for the race, but the 20 crew won the race on pit road.
Gibbs, Wallace advance from Open, Gragson wins fan vote
With the rain gone, the festivities were underway at North Wilkesboro. The Open race is my favorite part of the weekend. These drivers really do put it all out on the track for a shot at the main event.
Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace went 1-2 to advance to the final race of the night. Meanwhile, Noah Gragson won the fan vote for the second year in a row to make the race.
NASCAR fans tracked Kyle Larson to North Wilkesboro
Of course, Kyle Larson was qualifying at Indianapolis. He had a shot at the pole in the Fast 6 but the Penske cars were just elite.
Larson had to take two helicopters and a private jet to make it to the All-Star Race in time. NASCAR fans by the thousands were online tracking his flights, too.
Kyle Busch wrecks Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Stenhouse vows revenge
When it came to the All-Star Race itself, things started off hot but cooled quickly. Kyle Busch sent Ricky Stenhouse Jr. into the wall after incidental contact on Lap 1.
So, Stenhouse was out of the running for $1,000,000 on just Lap 2. A hard way to end the night, but that’s the thing – his night wasn’t over yet.
Joey Logano leads (almost) every lap, wins $1,000,000
Leading 199 of 200 laps, Joey Logano ran away with the $1,000,000. Unfortunately, either due to nighttime weather or other reasons, NASCAR and Goodyear’s softer option tire didn’t work as intended.
The two tire options were too similar after so many laps. But perhaps this gives them enough data to create the tire they want in the future.
Stenhouse Jr. gives NASCAR a highlight fight
Just as he vowed to fight, Stenhouse Jr. followed through. The NASCAR driver waited for Busch at his hauler since he couldn’t leave the infield.
Stenhouse Jr. threw the first punch and then things devolved into chaos. People fell and were pushed over, Stenhouse SENIOR started to fight Busch at one point. It was a mess. But, it had people talking.
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