All-Star weekend has arrived for the NASCAR Cup Series. North Wilkesboro Speedway will host the prestigious event for the third year in a row. What can fans expect from this weekend’s action? Standard Gen7 short track racing. While the vibes of North Wilkesboro are top class, the racing has been subpar. The tire experiment last year failed to delivery a more exciting product, but it did pave the way for the option tire at Richmond and Phoenix. Hopefully, this weekend will see a better tire that will allow for more competitive racing throughout the field. Joining the Cup Series at North Wilkesboro is the Craftsman Truck Series. Out of all the action this weekend, only the Truck Series has the points paying race. Between the Truck race and two main All-Star exhibitions, who will be the Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch in North Wilkesboro?
While the Cup Series has their issues with short track racing, the Truck Series has been mostly salvaged from it. Short tracks are still a favorable attraction with the trucks. North Wilkesboro has been a reliable solid affair for the third NASCAR series. Obviously, the competition will be focused on keeping Corey Heim away from victory lane again. Carson Hocevar (and the 11 pit crew) helped prevent third straight Kansas win. This weekend will see some more outside reinforcements entering the fray. Kyle Busch, Sammy Smith, and Norm Benning feature as special guests for the Window World 250. Throw in the short track aces already in the field and you have a highly competitive list of competitors. Will any of them feature as one of the Drivers to Watch?
All-Star Race
Kyle Busch
Although Kyle Busch is driving for Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series race, the attention for this article will be on the All-Star Race. Busch won his only All-Star Race back in 2017. Since this race started to shift around from Charlotte, Busch has failed to secure numerous solid finishes. 2020 Bristol marks Busch’s best result, which does not come as a surprise. When the race was at Texas Motor Speedway in 2022, Busch led 47 laps. However, that race also marked his 6th DNF in this event. At North Wilkesboro, the most notable thing Busch has done was be on the receiving end of a Ricky Stenhouse Jr haymaker.
Does Kyle Busch have a shot to win this year? You can never rule Rowdy out but the odds are not great. Considering qualifying for the heat races is partially dependent on pit crew performance, that might put Busch deep in the field to begin. With North Wilkesboro being a short track, Busch’s 2025 does not bode well for race winning speed. He has picked up decent finishes at similar tracks, but there is nothing in the numbers to predict a Busch win. That said, Richard Childress Racing has a tendency to pull speed from out of nowhere. If Austin Dillon can have a rocket ship randomly at Richmond, surely Busch can get one a North Wilkesboro. If anything though, Busch might be worth a gander if he gets frustrated while racing near Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Josh Berry
The move to the Wood Brothers has been a perfect match for both driver and team. With Josh Berry behind the wheel, the 21 car has been a competitive entry in the Cup Series. Qualifying for this All-Star Race via his win at Las Vegas, Berry has not been a stranger to strong runs throughout the season. Last week, the 21 team was arguably the fastest Ford in the field. That speed should translate to this weekend, especially since Team Penske/Wood Brothers have been fast on the short tracks. Additionally, Berry’s primary strength is the short tracks.
In 2023, Josh Berry won the All-Star Open while filling in for Alex Bowman. During that race, he led 46 of the 100 laps. Last year, Berry nearly got his Stewart-Haas Racing team into the main event as well. A fourth place finish was an impressive effort with the struggling team. With a good resume in the Gen7 at this track, Berry could be an underdog threat to win the $1 million prize. Wood Brothers look to be a fourth Penske team once again. Matching that speed with Berry’s prowess on a short track should be a recipe for success. If the 21 team can qualify well on Friday night, then the odds of a Berry win only increase.
All-Star Open
Ryan Preece
When considering which drivers will be the 2 to race their way into the All-Star Race, one of the favorites has to be Ryan Preece. While there were doubts about putting Preece in the third RFK entry, the Connecticut driver has proven that the decision was a wise one. After the Chris Buescher penalty, Preece leads the team in points and currently sits within the cutline. That position would be improved had it not been for the Talladega disqualification. The 60 team has been impressive with their performance thus far, but the best maybe left to come.
Similar to Josh Berry, Ryan Preece cut his teeth racing on short tracks. Anytime the Cup Series heads to one, Preece usually is considered one to watch. North Wilkesboro should be no different. Although his All-Star Open races with Stewart-Haas Racing did not prove fruitful, the difference this year might be the pit crew. The starting order for the Open is strictly down to Friday’s qualifying. A major factor into the final time is the pit crew. The 60 team has been strong this year, consistently gaining Preece spots on the track. Unless something unusual occurs with the racing, starting at the front might be the most pivotal factor into winning the Open. For Preece, his odds of a good starting spot are better than they were with SHR.
Zane Smith
Looking for an under the radar pick for the All-Star Open? Look no further than Zane Smith. Although Smith has only 1 Top-10 on the season thus far, the key is where that Top-10 occurred: Phoenix. Although the option tire played a role (a bit) in the results of that race, Smith and the 38 team were fast that weekend. Similarly, the 38 team was fast at Martinsville as well. Those 2 races should be a good indicator that Smith could grab one of the two transfer spots to the All-Star Race.
As mentioned numerous times, qualifying is the key factor in all of those. On car speed, Smith should be solid. Both Martinsville and Bristol saw Smith qualify inside the Top-20. While the 38 pit crew has not been elite, they limit mistakes and rank near the middle of the pack. Based on last year, a clean pit stop is huge. Any mistake can lead to a devastating penalty that will ruin a qualifying run. If Smith is able to have a decent starting spot for the Open, then he is definitely one to watch on Saturday.
Window World 250
Layne Riggs
Fresh off a disqualification at Kansas, Layne Riggs will certainly be looking to recover those lost points. Lucky for him that North Wilkesboro is the next track on the schedule. After finishing third here last year, Riggs should be one of the players on Saturday. Last year, Riggs had to claw his way through the field after qualifying was rained out. Riggs’ drive to the front last year was impressive. If he does not have to overcome that obstacle this year, then he could be the favorite. As long as they are able to qualify, Riggs should not face the same predicament this year.
Based on how well he drove his truck last year, North Wilkesboro fits perfectly into Layne Riggs’ wheelhouse. His 2 career wins were on short tracks that differed in style. However, this season has seen his better results come on the intermediates. While his short track results have not been bad, he has scored 2 second place finishes at Homestead and Kansas (pre-disqualification). Still, there is an expectation that Riggs will flex his short track muscle once again. North Wilkesboro last year was the first race that made people notice Riggs. Perhaps this year will be the one where he earns his third career win.
Dawson Sutton
So far, Dawson Sutton’s rookie season has been a middling one. Through the first 9 races, Sutton only has a single Top-10 and ranks 17th in points. However, that lone Top-10 was picked up recently at Texas. Although Sutton has not been blowing anyone away with his results, he has been quietly consistent where a rookie needs to be. So far, Sutton has no DNFs while only finishing off the lead lap twice. When attempting to learn as a rookie with little practice, keeping the truck on the track for every lap is important.
With his background in the ASA STARS Tour, North Wilkesboro should be a strong track for Sutton. While there is no expectation for a win, another Top-10 should be the goal for the young driver. His previous two short track starts were some of his better runs. The more experience he gains, the more improvement he should see in his results. He did run this race last year in additional entry for Rackley WAR. Marred by a rained out qualifying, Sutton started last without any practice and had little chance of driving through the field. Hopefully, there will be practice and qualifying. Under that assumption, a Top-20 starting spot is certainly feasible, which could see Sutton make moves to earn his second Top-10.
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