North Wilkesboro Speedway got a shave and has a smooth new look.
The once-shuttered track, which was renovated by owner Speedway Motorsports with retro style over the past few years and hosted the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race with great success, has had its racing surface repaved for the first time since 1981.
At the behest of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who helped lead the effort to resurrect the historic track, old surface was intentionally left in place for the All-Star Race to enhance the throwback feel for the first NASCAR Cup Series event since held there since 1996.
Kyle Larson was the winner and celebrated with an epic burnout around the entire track.
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The repaving process required the milling of two inches of asphalt off the top and laying down 2,000 tons of a new mixture specially formulated for the .625-mile track that will allow it to get “worn-in” more quickly than traditional materials.
The hope is it will provide less, but more uniform grip than the old patched track across its entire width to promote two-wide and three-wide racing.
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Jars full of the old milled aggregate will be sold next year for $60 or $75 with a limited-edition numbered jar to raise money for local nonprofits through Speedway Charities.
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The 2024 All-Star Race is scheduled for Sunday, May 19 and will be proceeded that week by a Cars Tour late model event and a regular season NASCAR Truck Series race on Saturday.
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NASCAR will be returning to another oval track in 2024, but a very different one. After racing for the past three season on the Indianapolis Road Course, the Cup Series is returning to the oval track for a 30th anniversary revival of the Brickyard 400.