NASCAR's All-Star Race returns to historic NC track in 2024
NASCAR officials announced Thursday that its 2024 All-Star Race will again be held at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The organization made its official return to the speedway in May for the 2023 All-Star Race, one of the top events and biggest successes in NASCAR's 75th anniversary season.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps and Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith made the announcement in Raleigh at the legislative building, flanked by state lawmakers from the Wilkesboro area.
"You want sellouts, you want that energy level and excitement and to do it in our 75th anniversary was super special," Phelps said. "If we’re going to have support, we want to stay in places that we have support."
The All-Star race will be held May 19 as part of a three-day weekend of events, including a truck series event on May 18.
The announcement comes as the new state budget sets aside up to $10 million in grants for NASCAR to repave the North Wilkesboro Speedway, as well as potentially millions more in tax breaks and other publicly funded aid.
House Speaker Tim Moore said it’s money well spent.
"Just know you’ve got a lot of support here in this building," Moore said Thursday. "We appreciate the jobs, the folks you employ, and the investment and belief in North Carolina."
The North Wilkesboro track was one of the founding venues for NASCAR, opening in 1947 as a dirt-track speedway. It hosted races until the 1990s, but was abandoned after the circuit moved on, falling into disuse.
The speedway was renovated in 2021 using an $18 million allocation from the state's share of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Lawmakers added $4 million in the recently passed budget to continue improvements at the site. Additionally, the new budget also makes changes to the new sports betting law, passed earlier this year, that will allow sports betting lounges to be opened at tracks including the North Wilkesboro Speedway.
"Feeling the love from the state and its politicians is really important and it influences decisions that we make," Phelps said.
NASCAR and local entities are also available for grant funding from the North Carolina Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund — which was created in the sports betting law — for hosting the All-Star race.
"We were right," said Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln. "If we put a little money upfront, we’re going to get a big return on that investment."
Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton said that while the budget does spend millions of dollars on NASCAR, the North Wilkesboro example is just one example of state legislators helping different parts of the state revive their economies.
"We want every one of the 100 counties here in our state to prosper economically, but every [county] has its strengths," Newton said. "And here's Wilkes County bringing its strengths to the table."
Kyle Larson won the 2023 All-Star race.
Fans who purchased tickets for the 2023 weekend packages will be able to buy tickets for the 2024 event early, and all remaining ticket packages will go on sale Oct. 5. Ticket packages for the three-day weekend start at $229.
