All Star Race Qualifying and Pit Crew Challenge

The annual All Star Race has become an All Star Weekend with numerous events and races.

The 2025 All Star Events make a return to the resurrected 0.625 mile North Wilkesboro Speedway.

A NASCAR history buff, Dale Earnhardt Jr was instrumental is seeing the old speedway brought back to life and NASCAR is running their third All Star events this season.

This year 23 drivers will compete for the million dollar prize.  There are 20 drivers who are “automatic qualifiers” with the two winners form the Open races and the fan vote winner to fill out the field.

The weekend begins with all of the drivers making practice and qualifying runs with the annual Pit Crew Challenge a part of the qualifying process.

A qualifying run includes three laps around the track with a mandatory pit stop on lap two that must include a four tire change.

The winner of the Pit Crew Challenge is the fastest stop from the timing line in front of the stall and the timing line after the stall.  The Pit Crew Challenge results will determine pit stall selection order.  The Pit Crew Challenge winners will receive $100,000 prize.

While the Pit Crew Challenge time only includes the timing lines before and after the pit stall; qualifying times include all three laps and the pit stop, including all of pit road.

Each week the pit crews are the center of attention every time a driver comes down pit road.  The Pit Crew Challenge allows those teams to shine and they look for that perfect pit stop.

The starting lineup will be determined by qualifying speeds for the Open and heat race like normal races.

The heat races are 75 laps each with all laps counting.  Each heat race includes a competition caution around lap 30 and if needed, there will one overtime attempt.  The results of heat one will set the lineup for the inside lane with heat two setting the lineup for the outside lane.

The All Star Open race is 100 laps with all laps counting and a competition caution about halfway through the race with one overtime attempt if needed.  The winners of each Open race will join the field for the Main Event; along with the driver who won the fan vote.  If the fan vote winner is already in the race, the next highest vote getter not already in the race will be chosen.

The All Star Main Event is a 250 lap race – 50 laps more than last year – with all laps counting.  A competition caution is planned for around lap 100.  New this year is a promoter’s caution that must be used before lap 220 but will not be allowed if there is a caution flag after lap 200.  Normal overtime rules apply to the Main Event.

Also new for 2025 is the Manufacturer’s Showdown where each manufacturer team will a set number of cars that will be determined by the manufacturer with the fewest number of cars in the All Star main event – to be determined after the Open races.

The manufacturer with the combined lowest finishing positions will win.  In the case of a tie, the best overall finish will determine the winner.

With Kyle Larson in Indianapolis practicing and qualifying for the Indy 500 next week, Justin Allgaier has been named the stand-by driver in the number five car.  However, NASCAR has said that Allgaier cannot compete in the heat races since the heat races are determined by the drivers, not the teams.

The drivers – automatic qualifiers and open drivers – get a 45 minute practice session prior to qualifying.

The teams are using the same tires that were used in The Clash; the softest tire Goodyear makes.

Chase Elliott brushes the wall and has some minor damage to the right rear of his car but the track stays green.

AJ Allmendinger is stopped on the track; bringing out the red flag.  Tyler Reddick tops the leaderboard and is the first driver to top 100 laps.

NASCAR has added two minutes to the practice session after the red flag.

While the drivers are out on the track, the crew members are on pit road stretching out, practicing their moves, and exercising in preparation for the Pit Crew Challenge.

Tyler Reddick topped the leaderboard at the end of practice.

The first driver on the track is Chad Finchum and posts a time of 1:34.025.  Finchum was caught speeding in five sections on pit road and has a 50 second penalty for a total time of 2:24.024.

Riley Herbst was caught speeding in one section of pit road for a 10 second penalty.

Just five drivers have made qualifying runs so far and they are running times faster than last year’s pole sitter.

AJ Allmendinger was charged with going through too many pit boxes on exit.

The lug nut came off on one of Todd Gilliland’s tires.  He was charged with pitting outside of the box to reattach the lug nut and was caught speeding in one section of pit road.

Bubba Wallace was caught speeding in section one coming on pit road.

Open Car qualifying:
Shane van Gisbergen
Carson Hocevar
Noah Gragson
Michael McDowell
Ryan Preece
Zane Smith
Justin Haley
John Hunter Nemechek
Ty Gibbs
Ty Dillon
Cole Custer
Erik Jones
Riley Herbst
Bubba Wallace
Cody Ware
AJ Allmendinger
Todd Gilliland
Chad Finchum

Shane van Gisbergen’s qualifying time is over a second faster than 2024 pole sitter Joey Logano’s time.

After the Open drivers have made their qualifying runs, Michael McDowell’s pit crew tops the leaderboard.

The first All Star driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Harrison Burton in the 51 car and posted a time of 1:34.432.
Daniel Suarez was caught speeding in two sections of pit road and will have 20 seconds added to his time.

Chris Buescher was caught speeding in one section of pit road.

Austin Cindric was caught speeding on pit road.

Ross Chastain was caught speeding on pit road.

Ryan Blaney was caught speeding entering pit road.

After being ranked in 32^nd place, Michael McDowell’s over the wall crew posted the fastest time – 12.70 seconds – earned the $100,000 Pit Crew Challenge!  Every one of the crew members are former college football players and it is the first year they have all worked together.