2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Format
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — NASCAR unveiled the format for the 2024 All-Star Race and All-Star Open next month at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Friday, May 17 will feature practice and qualifying for each event. Saturday will feature the All-Star Race heats and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Sunday will feature the All-Star Open and All-Star Race.
Multiple tire compounds in play
- Prime/Yellow: Standard slick tire (must be used during qualifying)
- Option/Red: Slick tire with wet weather tire rubber
Teams will get three sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires for practice, qualifying, the Heats and the Open. They must qualify with the prime tires but can use any compound during the other sessions.
No matter what, all four tires on the car must be the same compound.
NASCAR All-Star Race
- 200 laps (All laps count, overtime rules)
- Cautions – Laps 100, 150
- Two sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires
Teams must start the race with the option tires. Then, during the caution on lap 100, they can put on whichever tire compound they desire.
During the lap 150 caution, teams can choose to stay out.
The automatic eligibility for the All-Star Race is:
- 2023 and 2024 NASCAR Cup Series points race winners
- Past All-Star Race winners who race full-time
- Past Cup champions who race full-time
Eligible drivers: AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suárez, Martin Truex Jr., and Shane van Gisbergen.
These drivers will compete in heat races. Each heat race will be 60 laps long with a halfway caution featuring a mandatory four-tire pit stop. All laps will count and overtime rules are in effect.
Heat 1 will determine the inside row for the All-Star Race. Heat 2 will determine the outside row.
All-Star Open
- 100 laps (All laps count, overtime rules)
- Caution at lap 50 (all teams must make a four-tire pit stop)
The top two Open finishers and the fan vote winner will advance to the All-Star Race. Fan voting is now open here.
Qualifying
All-Star Race drivers will take the green flag and run a full lap. Then, on lap two, they must pit for a four-tire stop with mock fuel delivery.
After the crew completes the stop, drivers will return to the track and race back to the checkered flag.
The qualifying time is the total elapsed time from green flag to checkered. The pole sitter will start on the pole for Heat 1 and the All-Star Race.
The fastest pit crew without a penalty will win the Pit Crew Challenge. The challenge results will determine the pit stall picking order.
The drivers who qualify in the odd-numbered spots will race in Heat 1. Even-numbered qualifiers will race in Heat 2.
Qualifying for the All-Star Open will be a traditional qualifying session with two laps for each driver. The fastest lap counts and sets the lineup for the Open.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com