“What are we doing? If we’re Bailey and Barnum (the circus), then let’s just freaking call it Bailey and Barnum. I mean, they went out of business,” questioned Kyle Busch. When NASCAR introduced the promoter’s caution, the NASCAR community had a big question mark on their minds. What was the governing body thinking? But when the caution flag flew, chaos erupted, and fans loved it! That’s the magic of the All-Star Race. Every year, it brings something new to the table. And this year’s installment is no different, as Kevin Harvick gave his stamp of approval to one such change.
We’re not talking about the caution, but the practice sessions that came before the race. A recap of the aggressive All-Star Race heats was given by Kevin Harvick as the driver-cum-commentator called it the ‘best practice of the year,’ and NASCAR’s changing rules might just be the reason behind it.
“It was by far the best practice that we we have had all year because of all the cars being on the racetrack, they had 2 sets of tires, they had 45 minutes and the teams were trying things, the drivers were not afraid to move around the racetrack on that first set of tires because they knew they had another set of tires, so that everybody was really aggressive and it kind of gave us a snapshot of what it might look like with all the cars on the racetrack because when all 38 cars were on the racetrack, there wasn’t a lot of space,” said Harvick on the Happy Hour.
NASCAR’s goal this weekend could have been to experiment with the short track formula. Remember the ‘Run What You Brung’ concept? It was meant to encourage teams to experiment with the setups, different aero packages, and see what solutions could improve the short-track problems. However, practically speaking, it would have become very expensive, as Denny Hamlin explained. “The research and development itself would just cost a lot of money. I think initially, when they had conversations, it was Chad Knaus and Travis Geisler that met with NASCAR and said, ‘It’s gonna cost a lot.’And you gotta trust those guys. They’ve been doing this for far longer than I have. Gibbs — same thing. They would spend a lot of money.” But that’s not all.
Harvick went on to explain, “They didn’t split everybody up and it was by far the best practice that we have had all year,” said Harvick. Unlike standard race weekends, the All-Star Race offered a unique blend of preparation and unpredictability. Practice sessions were changed up to allow all cars on the track at the same time — an uncommon decision made before the most important event of the year.
This change to the Cup Series format was made in 2022 with the debut of Next Gen cars, where NASCAR decided to cut down practice time to reduce team costs and prevent excessive wear on the new cars and tires. Usually, practice sessions are limited to 15-20 minutes per group, and drivers are split into Group A and Group B with a single-car qualifying in each. But this rule is no longer applied to the NASCAR All-Star Race, which included all 38 cars on the field together.
The real result of this practice session was seen during the race when the drivers battled hard to pass each other on the track, the most aggressive rivalry being that of Christopher Bell and Joey Logano, fighting for the lead as Bell finally took the lead for good on Lap 241 of 250.
Despite Christopher Bell declaring his support for the North Wilkesboro Speedway, there have been questions regarding point races on the track. Harvick also emphasized the importance of these strategies. “That will be the big difference when we have a points race here, hopefully we do,” said Harvick. “That leader is going to catch the back of the pack really quickly and you’re going to start to immediately see, have to go through those lapped cars.”
The last Cup Series at the track came in 1996, with Jeff Gordon as the winner after defeating Dale Earnhardt Sr. But after its revival, the track has not returned for any Cup Series points race but continues to hold the exhibition event of the All-Star Race.
If you ask Christopher Bell, Harvick‘s prediction will come true, as he explained, discussing a potential points race. “Oh, I think it would be absolutely amazing. Like, just the amount of rubber that’s going to get smeared on the racetrack, you’re literally… line and everywhere in between. And I think it has potential to be serious magic. I would love to have a points race there, go have more cars on the track and adding lap traffic.
The All-Star Race was one for the history book, but not everything coming out of North Wilkesboro is positive.
All-Star Race 2025 Gets Unfortunate News Post-Race
According to Bell, “North Wilkesboro is the best short track on the schedule.” But if you see the numbers, they tell a different story. What was supposed to be a night full of energy, aggression, and enthusiasm turned out to be a great disappointment for the viewers sitting at home and waiting for the great race to unfold. According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, the All-Star Race saw a significant drop in viewership from last year’s 2.573 million to 1.965 million.
While some attribute the drop to the other ongoing competitions premiering live simultaneously, including the Indianapolis 500 qualifying run, others also reported to be displeased by the episode of the promoter’s caution flag that led to Christopher Bell passing Joey Logano on track just before the chequered flag was waved.
However, the audience who tuned in on the race also enjoyed the exhibition, which was visible through a poll run on social media by The Athletic’s reporter Jeff Gluck, where 83.8 percent of respondents called it a good race. The ratings that reported a minor bump at the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway increased to a significant amount and posted some of the best All-Star numbers in a while.
Will this create a significant impact on NASCAR to change up its game for the remaining season?
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