It was a place left for dead. North Wilkesboro Speedway stood silent for years, its cracked asphalt overrun by weeds, its once-loud grandstands quiet. From its last Cup Series race in 1996 to a brief late model revival in 2010, the track slowly became a memory. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t let it go. He saw value in the ghosts that still haunted the corners of the 0.625-mile oval. In 2019, he led a small group through the rusted gates with weed-eaters and hope. Their mission was simple: clean it up enough to scan the track for iRacing. What seemed like a nostalgic gesture became a turning point for the sport.
That digital resurrection sparked a movement. Fans raced the virtual version. Sponsors took notice. NASCAR itself began to reconsider a track it had long written off. By 2021, Dale Jr. helped lobby for $18 million in state funding to renovate the historic speedway. And in 2022, he brought the CARS Tour and ran a Sun Drop throwback car to honor his past. The crowd packed the place. The energy convinced Speedway Motorsports owner Marcus Smith that North Wilkesboro had a future.
“Everybody talked about missing Wilkesboro. But Marcus needed to see what that looked like,” Dale Jr. recalled. In May 2023, the All-Star Race returned to Wilkesboro. It was Dale Jr.’s vision, now a roaring reality. The story takes another twist as NASCAR heads into Wilkesboro again this week for the third straight All-Star Race. Dale Jr. dropped a massive promise, one that has fans rallying behind him all over again. The same man who brought Wilkesboro back from the dead now says he’ll return to racing…only if NASCAR gives him just one thing.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. demands his favor back!
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shocked the racing world in 2017 when he announced his retirement. At just 43, the most popular driver in NASCAR said goodbye. Health concerns and the toll of a long career caught up with him. His occasional stints on short tracks like Bristol and Richmond in the Xfinity Series gave fans a few moments to cheer their favorite driver on the track. But last year, he announced that Xfinity racing was off from his table for 2025, and with no clarity on when he would return behind the wheel of the JRM Chevy. Well, this could come true, according to Jr., but he will need NASCAR to put North Wilkesboro on the Xfinity Series schedule.
During the recent ZMAX CARS Tour event at Wilkesboro, Dale Jr. joined the broadcast team and dropped the news, which was confirmed by Tobie Christie. “So, @DaleJr says if #NASCAR announces a @NASCAR_Xfinity race at @NWBSpeedway, he’s adding it to his schedule. So, when do we see North Wilkesboro added to the Xfinity Series schedule?” Notably, he’s been there before, in his Sun Drop throwback, racing the CARS Tour to a standing-room-only crowd. But Xfinity is a different beast, and that’s exactly what fans want.
One fan said, “Idk if nascar were thinking about it before, but their eyes definitely turned to dollar signs once Jr said this.” Others hinted at a faster timeline. And why not? Dale Jr.’s pull is unmatched. He won NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award 15 straight times. His part-time Xfinity starts often outdraw full-time competitors. His most recent race at Bristol in 2023 nearly sold out sections of the track.
So, @DaleJr says if #NASCAR announces a @NASCAR_Xfinity race at @NWBSpeedway, he’s adding it to his schedule. So, when do we see North Wilkesboro added to the Xfinity Series schedule?
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) May 16, 2025
Notably, North Wilkesboro is more than a race track. It’s one of NASCAR’s original venues. It hosted Cup Series races starting in 1949 until it was dropped in 1996. The town around it suffered, but the nostalgia never faded. Dale Jr. has been fighting for his return for over a decade. In 2022, he even participated in a late model race at the revived track, finishing 16th in a bright green No. 3 Sun Drop car, an emotional tribute to his 1993 roots. It’s not just Dale Jr. pushing for more at Wilkesboro. Other top drivers agree the track deserves more.
Co-owner of the Cars Tour series, Kevin Harvick, recently said, “North Wilkesboro deserves to be a points race. A full 400-lap race, the whole field, real stakes.” He also suggested combining the All-Star Race with the preseason Clash to free up room. Joey Logano, winner of the 2024 All-Star Race, echoed that. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns into a points race. The fans love it. It feels old-school and real,” he said. That’s why this moment matters. Dale Jr. is the catalyst. The fans are the fuel. And the track? It’s waiting for NASCAR to say yes. Whether it’s an Xfinity return, a points-paying Cup event, or both, North Wilkesboro is ready. And so is Earnhardt.
Fans rally behind Dale Jr.
The internet lit up the moment Dale Earnhardt Jr. dropped his comeback condition. Fans didn’t hesitate, they took to social media with opinions, predictions, and hopes. And nearly all of them had one thing in common: They were behind Junior. “I don’t know why they don’t already. I think the racing there in the Xfinity cars would be incredible,” one fan tweeted. It’s true. Xfinity thrives on short-track drama, and Wilkesboro’s narrow straights and tight corners would deliver fireworks. If NASCAR comes back with a points race at the iconic track, it will surely deliver.
One tweet joked, “BREAKING: Xfinity Series Race Added To This Weekend’s Schedule.” That didn’t happen, but it shows the hunger. Fans aren’t just asking for change. They’re demanding it. Others reflected on Dale Jr.’s past efforts. “North Wilkesboro would be a great place for a Dale Jr. statue out front. Cleaning the track for an iRacing scan doesn’t seem like six years ago.” They remember that cold day in 2019 when Junior showed up with weed-eaters to scan a ghost track. Now it’s hosting national events.
Finally, one more voice hit the core of the issue: “I don’t know why Xfinity doesn’t go there. They’re bound to put on the best show of the top three series.” It’s a popular belief. Cup races at Wilkesboro have faced challenges with track wear and sightlines. But Xfinity cars, lighter and less aero-dependent, might be a perfect fit. Rockingham Speedway got its return this year, so what’s stopping NASCAR from adding an iconic short track back on the schedule?
One fan even painted a hypothetical scenario of how the Xfinity race could lead to another Martinsville-like debacle, or embarrass the Next Gen cars with a splendid display of short track racing. We all know how broken the short track package is in the Cup Series, resulting in a snooze fest on tracks that are supposed to deliver thrilling action. “If they put Xfinity at NWBS one of two things will happen, A) the Xfinity Series embarrasses itself with the stupidity of late race driving or B) the Xfinity Series embarrasses the CUP Series because the NextGen sucks there.”
Given how the Cup Series seems to be unbothered about improving the short track racing, NASCAR can experiment with a return of the historic short track in the Xfinity Series.
The post NASCAR Fans Pin All Hopes on Dale Earnhardt Jr. as He Vows to Carry North Wilkesboro’s Future on His Back appeared first on EssentiallySports.