NASCAR All-Star Weekend Preview at North Wilkesboro Speedway

This year, Kyle Larson will be the center of attention in the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Despite being one of the 17 NASCAR Cup Series drivers already qualified for the race, Larson will have little time to get familiar with the newly repaved 0.625-mile track.

Former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, now an analyst with FOX Sports, will practice and qualify Larson’s car while Larson prepares for the Indianapolis 500 with his McLaren IndyCar, getting ready for the double duty that includes the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26.

Larson will not compete at North Wilkesboro until Sunday, after the Top 12, Last Chance, and Fast Six qualifying sessions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If the weather and transportation cooperate, Larson will face the other 19 drivers in the NASCAR All-Star Race with significant milestones on the line.

Last year, Larson dominated the race at North Wilkesboro, leading 145 of the 200 laps. A victory would place him in the select group of consecutive winners of this race, currently consisting of Davey Allison (1991-1992) and Jimmie Johnson (2012-2013). With three victories in the NASCAR All-Star Race, Larson is the only active driver with more than one, and a fourth win would tie him with Johnson for the most all-time.

Larson appears calm about the logistics of traveling between Indianapolis and North Wilkesboro. "I’m not stressed out by logistics at all," Larson said on Wednesday during a video interview with reporters. "I feel like we’ve got a good plan."

The 17 drivers already eligible for the main event have qualified either by winning a race in 2023 or 2024, or by being a former All-Star winner racing full-time, or a former NASCAR Cup champion racing full-time. Two additional spots will go to the top two finishers in the NASCAR All-Star Open, which precedes the All-Star Race at 5:30 p.m. ET, and the final spot will go to the Fan Vote winner.

Qualifying on Friday will determine the starting order for a pair of heat races on Saturday, which will then set the starting lineup for the All-Star Race. The top qualifier on Friday earns the pole position for Heat No. 1.

In addition to the drivers, Goodyear tires will be crucial in the race. Each team will receive two sets of faster "option" tires and more durable "prime" tires. All drivers must start the race on the option tires, and there will be planned cautions at approximately Lap 100 and Lap 150, offering strategic opportunities for crew chiefs. During the Lap 100 caution, all teams must execute four-tire pit stops.