NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — NASCAR teams will be forced to use different types of tires to find victory lane in the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The format for the 2024 All-Star Race was released on Tuesday. The race length will remain unchanged from last year's event. The All-Star Race will be a 200-lap event with caution breaks at laps 100 and 150.
Two heat races with qualified drivers will determine the starting lineup for the All-Star Race. Qualifying for the heat races will be set by a combination of a one-lap trial and a pit crew's time on a mock pit stop. Pit stalls will be given out in order of pit crew time.
The biggest addition to this year's All-Star Race is the introduction of different tire types. Teams will be forced to start with "option tires" that are made with the same rubber as wet weather tires, featuring more grip and faster wear. In the pits, teams will have "prime tires" which are the topline tires used in testing at the track. Teams will get two sets of each tire for the All-Star Race.
Wet weather tires will also be available if conditions prove necessary.
The subject of tires with fast wear has been on NASCAR fans' minds since the March race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Officials laid resin on the track in anticipation of wet track conditions, but the rain held off and caused tires to wear at a rapid pace. Denny Hamlin won the race as drivers experienced in tire management prevailed. The race featured 54 lead changes, a NASCAR Cup Series record at a track under 1 mile.
There are 18 drivers qualified for the main event by winning a race in 2023 or 2024, winning an All-Star Race, or winning a NASCAR Cup Series championship. The top two finishers in the 100-lap NASCAR All-Star Open and the fan vote winner will also be included in the main event.
NASCAR returned to North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2023 for the NASCAR All-Star Race after a 27-year absence from the track. Daniel Suárez started on the pole and led the first 54 laps until Kyle Larson took the lead and dominated the race, winning by over four seconds.
The event was seen as a major success and took years of planning. NASCAR's return to northwest North Carolina proved popular even with elected state officials, who allotted $4 million for the track in the state's budget.
The NASCAR All-Star Race Race will be held on May 19 with the All-Star Open held the night before.
