The annual All Star race in the NASCAR Cup Series is more than just another race; it is a time for the crews to shine with special events of their own.

The race typically features special formats, heat races, and sometimes even flipping parts of the field.

NASCAR has announced the format for the 2023 All Star Race set for May 21 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

North Wilkesboro is a short track just over half a mile in length (.625 miles) that lay abandoned for many years and has been refurbished.  The last time a NASCAR event was run on the track at North Wilkesboro was 1996.

Racing is a team sport but it’s the driver that is usually in the spotlight.  This year the pit crews will help to set the field for the qualifying races with the pit crew challenge.  Each qualifying lap must include a complete four tire pit stop.

The main event will look very similar to a normal race day with a 200 laps race that will have just a single break midway through the race.  Both green flag and caution flags will count and the overtime rules are in play.

While the crews will start the race with three sets of sticker tires in the pits, they will be allowed to use only one of them after the mid-race break.

Speedway Motorsports president and CEO Marcus Smith spoke on the stripped down format saying, “we wanted it to be simple. We wanted the speedway to be part of the star factor of this event.  Being there, if you were there this past summer, and you saw the way that the fans kind of interacted with the race track, and the time they could see the old building and the old signs and just the way everything worked together. The fans are woven into the fabric of this race track, and the drivers appreciate that. And so it’s all going to work together. We didn’t want the format to be the story. We wanted the race to be the story, and the race track, and it’s going to really provide I think a great platform for the NASCAR All-Star race.”

Once the field is set for the qualifying races with the pit crew challenge, the drivers take over with two 60 lap qualifying heats that will follow the Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday night.

Drivers who have not already qualified for the main event on Sunday night will have an opportunity to make into the race with the All Star Open race.  The 100 lap race will include a break after 40 laps.  Overtime rules will also be a part of the race.  The top two finishers in the Open will move on to the 200 lap main event.  The final spot in the field will go to the top fan vote selection.

All of the drivers in the two 60 lap heat races will make the race with the heat one drivers starting on the inside lane and the heat two drivers starting on the outside lane.

Drivers who have won a points race in 2022 or 2023, previous All Star Race winners, and a past Cup Series champion are all eligible for the All Star Race.  Drivers must also be a current full time driver in order to earn a spot in one of the two qualifier races.

Currently 22 drivers are eligible for the All Star Race:
Christopher Bell
Ryan Blaney
Alex Bowman
Chase Briscoe
Chris Buescher
Kyle Busch
William Byron
Ross Chastain
Austin Cindric
Austin Dillon
Chase Elliott
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Erik Jones
Brad Keselowski
Kyle Larson
Joey Logano
Tyler Reddick
Daniel Suarez
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Martin Truex Jr
Bubba Wallace

Any new race winner between now and the week of the All Star Race will also become eligible to participate in the race.