NASCAR finally confirmed what had been a badly kept secret on August 12, with the All-Star Race heading back to North Wilkesboro in 2027. It’s where NASCAR introduced two of its boldest gimmicks in recent All-Star history. Multi-tire compounds in 2024 and the promoter’s caution in 2025.
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This year, Dover hosted the All-Star Race, and it was a lackluster event, to say the least. There was plenty of criticism throughout the weekend, with the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. even calling for the event to be scrapped altogether. In 2027, with Marcus Smith and his company, Speedway Motorsports Inc., backing the event, there could be a hugely exciting new gimmick on the horizon to spice things up.
“2027 may feature another twist as the industry considers how North Wilkesboro could be the ultimate Cup Series test track for future improvements,” a statement released by SMI (shared by journalist Jordan Bianchi on X) read.
What this twist is could be anyone’s guess, but Smith, whose company owns the North Wilkesboro Speedway, just weeks ago had something bold to say about what he would like to see in All-Star races. Wet tracks.
On The Dale Jr. Download podcast, Smith suggested that “sprinklers” on the track could make the All-Star Race more exciting. Having all the drivers run on wet tires in difficult conditions would almost certainly lead to the kind of chaos that casual viewers would love to tune in to.
Of course, in the same podcast, Smith acknowledged that it won’t be easy to get everyone on board with the idea. Other racing promotions like F1, in the past, have tried to manufacture wet-weather conditions to create action on the track. These ideas have almost always been shut down.
But NASCAR is actively looking for ways to make the All-Star Race exciting again. Dover was a snoozefest. No one wants to see a driver “manage tires” for over 300 laps on a weekend whose whole purpose is to entertain fans. Even 2026 winner Denny Hamlin said it didn’t feel like the All-Star Race that most of the garage grew up watching.
SMI’s statement included some moments from the past that, although experimental and bold, made the All-Star Race worth watching.
“One Hot Night,” in 1992, was a defining moment in modern NASCAR history. It was the first superspeedway race held under the lights at Charlotte. In that very same race, officials decided to invert the top finishers from the opening segments and send them to the back of the pack.
Smith’s company also shed light on how NASCAR introduced one-off paint schemes, double-file restarts, and under-car neon lighting, among other things, in previous years.
They will talk to NASCAR and the teams over the coming months to decide on the best course of action. North Wilkesboro’s return to NASCAR in 2023 was widely praised. At the same time, fans have been calling for it to become a points race in the Cup Series. To win over fans, SMI and NASCAR need to come up with an event that’s worth remembering.