The NASCAR All Star Race returned to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the third consecutive season with a few question marks this time. The main event, which has been a 200-lap race for each of the first 2 years, was extended by 50 laps with an added caveat that was met, as you might expect, with mostly negative reviews – the Promoters’ Caution.
In short, Marcus Smith, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports (aka the race promoter) and son of the late Bruton Smith, was given the power to call for a caution at any point he chooses before a set point in the race. Regardless of opinions, It is arguable that this “gimmick” may very well have “saved” the race from being viewed as yet another dud.
Brad Keselowski won the pole in qualifying on Friday night as well as the first heat race on Saturday evening, leading it wire to wire. The second heat race was also a flag-to-flag victory, this one by Christopher Bell, who started it from P1. In essence, after seeing the heats, people were wondering if there might be a case of deja vu with the pole sitter leading the entire race without a challenge, especially at this track where position is such a big key. But, one thing stood out from both the Craftsman Truck Series Race and the first Heat Race that would end up telling half of the story of the main event – the track widened.
No, Speedway Motorsports Inc did not repave the track and literally make it wider. The asphalt that was brand new for this event last year aged nicely, which played a factor in the widening phenomenon. Goodyear also introduced a new tire for this race that is said to be the softest compound they can possibly make. What does all that have to do with the quality of racing or “widening”?
Simply put, the tire wears easier, which helps to put rubber on the track and make for better grip. With that increased grip comes a boost in the ability to change lines and actually race people around you rather than the cars looking like a train running around the bottom of the track with no passing and one driver leading the whole race. When you add in the fact the weather cooperated for the first time since the race was moved to North Wilkesboro with nothing but hot sunny weather, it only made things more conducive to better grip and tire wear, subsequently helping the on-track product.
“The tire helps us run closer together”, said Christopher Bell. “I think it is a big help and hopefully it is a good step in the right direction. Goodyear has been doing a good job of getting softer tires for the short tracks and I think the intermediates need to start going that same direction. It is working.”
Bell also affirmed that the asphalt was a factor.
“Whenever we go to other repaves, the track stays very narrow and slippery until it rubbers up. Once it rubbers up, it gains grip. Here, the rubber smears down and it gets really wide. The whole track becomes usable. Normally when we go to repaves, it is single file and once the preferred groove rubbers in, that’s all you get. But this asphalt mixed with the progressive banking makes for a great race track.”
The first 56 laps of the “A Main” were a long green flag run in which Keselowski and Bell traded back and forth for the lead, neither able to get much separation. At lap 57, Daniel Suarez brought out the first yellow of the night when contact to his left rear quarter panel from Chase Briscoe sent him into the outside wall going into turn 1, cutting down the right front. After a round of pit stops, Joey Logano was able to outgun Keselowski on lap 79 and take the lead using his strong drive off the corners. It was that speed off the turn that made it seem from that point that the fear of another domination was going to come true.
Joey went on to lead 139 laps, holding the point for a total of 7 times despite 4 more cautions, and with each restart, Logano eventually prevailed and built a fairly comfy advantage.
At lap 113, Austin Cindric brought out the third yellow of the night when in three wide traffic, he clipped Ross Chastain in the left rear, sending him bouncing off the wall and back into Cindric. Pole sitter Brad Keselowski was the cause of the 4th slowdown when he got loose and went into the wall off turn 4 at lap 175.
Fast forward to lap 216– Marcus Smith used the Promoters Caution – signaling it with flare. Michael Waltrip came up the flagstand dressed like Kendrick Lamar when he came out for the Super Bowl halftime show and literally threw the yellow flag onto the track while fireworks went off behind turn 2. All that noisy fanfare would lead to a key strategy moment that factored in the way the race ended.
Logano stayed out along with Ryan Blaney, Chastain, Carson Hocevar, and Harrison Burton. Christopher Bell led the race off pit road having taken 2 tires. It did not take long after the restart, which came with 29 laps remaining, for Bell to get back to the front to challenge Logano, and after some physical racing, Bell finally completed the pass for the lead at lap 241, going the rest of the way for the win and the million dollar prize.
“Joey made things difficult on me. As he should”, said Bell of the effort to run down Logano in the closing laps. “I got my run and took my moment as I should. I don’t think I did anything Joey hasn’t done before and I have seen him do much worse.”
“When I got into second place, I closed the gap on him quickly. I thought it was going to be an easy pass. But when I got to him, he changed his line to take my air and line away and it worked. I got loose on the outside of him in three and four and he got away. It hurt my pace for a while. But I thought I could get back to him. I just had to regroup. He did a great job of defensive driving. He did everything he could do to keep me behind him, but with my tire advantage I was a little faster than him and generated a run. Once I got position on him, I had to take it in that moment to win the race. And that is what I did”, added Bell in summary of his race-winning move.
With a wildly successful All Star Weekend in the books, the cup series will head home to Charlotte next week for the annual Memorial Day Weekend Tradition – the Coca-Cola 600. Green flag drops at 6:00 PM and you can watch it streaming live on Amazon Prime.
