2023 NASCAR All-Star Race: How to Watch, TV Schedule, Preview & More

Left for dead in 1996, North Wilkesboro Speedway has been revitalized to host the most anticipated NASCAR race of the 21st century.

When North Wilkesboro Speedway was removed from the NASCAR schedule after the 1996 season to be replaced with the newly-built Texas Motor Speedway, a historic part of the sport died that day. The short track located in the hills of Wilkes County, North Carolina had been on the NASCAR beat since the inaugural season in 1948.

But times were changing. NASCAR was no longer a niche southern sport. The world’s top stock car drivers were now traveling to some of the biggest markets in the country such as Southern California, Las Vegas, and Dallas, and there was no room in NASCAR’s backyard for a run-down half-mile track that could only seat roughly 20,000 fans. So, on September 26, 1996, the checkered flag flew on the final race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and the track shut its doors. The abandoned raceway gradually fell into further decay in the following years.

But now, the unthinkable has happened. With the help of local government money, North Wilkesboro Speedway has been revived, had the weeds pulled, given a fresh coat of paint, and is ready to host the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race on Sunday, May 21 at 8pm ET on FS1, which you can watch with Sling Blue (including upcoming NASCAR races on USA, as well as FOX and NBC in select markets). It truly is a full-circle moment, one that has been praised by drivers and fans alike for a sport that has struggled to find its identity after coming down from the mid-2000s boom in TV viewership and track attendance.

Like a lot of other major sports, the all-star event in NASCAR has been lacking for some time - it hasn’t been worth watching in nearly 15 years no matter what gimmicks or special tricks have been tried. After more than 35 years as a companion event to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, officials finally moved the All-Star Race in 2020 and tested it at Bristol Motor Speedway, a half-mile short track in the Appalachian Mountains that normally hosts two points races. But the results at Bristol didn’t move the needle, so the race was then moved across the country to (ironically) Texas Motor Speedway in exchange for its spring points race, but back-to-back lackluster events in 2021 and 2022 sealed its fate there.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/OxAmItVGKZk

The transformation of North Wilkesboro Speedway from pretender to contender over the past few years has warmed even the coldest hearts of the most cynical NASCAR fans. Everyone agrees that the move back to the Wilkes County racetrack is the right thing to do, and the improvements and remodeling aren’t temporary - construction will continue after Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race and Sunday’s All-Star Race to bring amenities up to par with what you might find at other racetracks on the NASCAR schedule. You know what they say - you always find your way back home, and in this case, we’re very happy we did.

Below is the TV schedule for All-Star weekend. Watch all the action on FS1 with Sling Blue (FOX is available with Sling Blue in select markets).

NASCAR All-Star Weekend TV Schedule

Before Sunday's race goes green at 8pm ET on FS1, here's a replay of the last NASCAR Cup Series race from North Wilkesboro. Times sure have changed!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/JdRBI6H5jng

To watch the most NASCAR racing across the top three series, sign up for Sling Blue below!

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