On September 29th, 1996, Jeff Gordon led 207 laps to win in North Wilkesboro. He left a mark at a venue where other legends like Dale Earnhardt, Terry Labonte, and Richard Petty had excelled earlier. However, his victory marked the end of the short track’s status as a NASCAR Cup Series points race. Now, after 30 years, fans can finally look forward to welcoming North Wilkesboro as a points-paying race – in exchange for possible chaos.

After Dale Jr. and Co. revived North Wilkesboro in 2023, NASCAR picked it for its All-Star Race festivities. And fans loved the grassroots short-track racing in the venue, demanding an upgrade. So in 2026, Dover Motor Speedway will replace the 0.625-mile track as the All-Star Race venue. And a top executive put forth the preparatory phase.

NASCAR’s jaw-drop

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