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North Wilkesboro Concerns & Excitement | Ross Chastain Addresses “Difficult Conversations”

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Ross Chastain acknowledges the "difficult conversations" he and Trackhouse have had this week. Kyle Busch says Kyle Larson got the Indy 500 ride he was hoping for. And let's talk about the North Wilkesboro All-Star Race!

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Thumbnail Cred: Getty

0:00 Chastain
3:44 Kyle Busch on doing the Indy 500
6:18 North Wilkesboro

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45 comments

John Vandeventer May 17, 2023 at 9:11 pm

I’m worried about the track surface. I knew they should’ve re-paved it before the All-Star race

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Uncensored May 17, 2023 at 9:16 pm

Nah. That would’ve taken NW away from NW IMO

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Eric Estepp May 17, 2023 at 9:22 pm

I’m glad they’re trying to race on the old surface, but I am worried it won’t hold up the whole week.

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The Race Center May 17, 2023 at 9:25 pm

Are you going to the coke 600?

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Justin Fitch May 17, 2023 at 9:29 pm

I agree! The track is already coming apart wait until the heavier cup guys get on it!

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Mason Ward May 17, 2023 at 9:39 pm

​@Eric Estepp Well it can’t be worse than Atlanta. I mean Atlanta had constant racing over it. This track hasn’t been in service though

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JGR4LIFE May 17, 2023 at 9:16 pm

My concern for the all star race is the racing package. What a shame it would be if one of the most hyped and anticipated races in NASCAR history doesn’t even put on a great race.

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John Haas May 17, 2023 at 9:47 pm

It’s going to be depending upon the track holding up a good race as The track is going to eat tires

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S.KullRandom May 17, 2023 at 9:48 pm

Hopefully not to a Brickyard in the recession year-level

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Sulphurous May 17, 2023 at 10:16 pm

@S.KullRandom GoodYear tyres already seem to be at a rock bottom with this new car, surely it can’t get any worse.

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SMunger May 17, 2023 at 10:24 pm

@Sulphurous it could get worse, I know that blowing out a tire every 40-50 laps isn’t good but at least it’s every 40-50 and not every 4-5 like that 2008 Brickyard 400 race….again, I totally get your point, these tires have been pretty much junk on this next generation car except for maybe at the plate tracks, oddly enough they’ve held up better there than other tracks but it may have something to do with them cutting the stages in half and running a 1 stop strategy like that only putting a max of 40 laps on the tires, but I’m not knowledgeable enough to know for sure on that aspect

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Dean Tait May 17, 2023 at 11:17 pm

@John Haas in the 80-90’s most tracks ‘ate’ tires and it made, IMO for better racing. It was a combination of rough tracks and soft tires …

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Holden McMillen May 17, 2023 at 9:36 pm

If FOX wanted to get a large viewership number, then why is the All-Star race on FS1 but the truck race is on main FOX? Both should be on main FOX imo. Otherwise, I’m excited for the weekend. Never watched a race on North Wilkesboro so I’m excited to learn about this track

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John Haas May 17, 2023 at 9:39 pm

The All-Star races on FS1 because it’s on that channel every year. There’s no way in hell they’re going to put the All-Star race on a Sunday night on the big fox and give up regular primetime programming that would still get better ratings

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S.KullRandom May 17, 2023 at 9:44 pm

They’re gonna end up cancelling whatever’s there after 1 season, so it’s not gonna matter much. It’s a miracle Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, and Family Guy made it this long, so why not take a chance at that slot?

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Grandpa Shark May 18, 2023 at 3:25 am

@John Haas I can’t argue with that, but I just looked at the TV guide, and it is several animated comedy shows on FOX on Sunday. Are there really more viewers for “The Great North” than for Nascar? That may be the case, but if it is, Nascar is screwed.

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Easy E Network May 18, 2023 at 8:14 am

@John HaasOX does not have a huge Sunday night show do they? They do mainly the Simpsons and Family Guy. Those are staples, but moving those out of the late night slots for one week should have been easier with the writer’s strike.

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Easy E Network May 18, 2023 at 8:16 am

@Grandpa SharkYou might be surprised. Animated shows are pretty popular.

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Ford Engine Builders V8 Power May 17, 2023 at 9:40 pm

North Wilkesboro is a special track for Many of us old timers! Just wish Junior Johnson could be with us to see it! Our guys are already there! I fly out tomorrow! Dale Jr says the track is in good shape

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S.KullRandom May 17, 2023 at 10:01 pm

Or Benny Parsons. Guy practically fought for the speedway to be revived til his dying breath, he would be jumping up and down like crazy had he still been alive and heard that the speedway is coming back
Edit: And he and Dale Jr should be honored in one way or another in the revived facility(Benny Parsons Blvd or the Dale Jr Backstretch are a couple of ideas)

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Ford Engine Builders V8 Power May 17, 2023 at 10:33 pm

@S.KullRandom I agree

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donna browder May 17, 2023 at 9:59 pm

Eric, You left out a prime mover in the refurbishhment….. Benny Parson’s wife. At his death, Benny left her a “wish list”. Bringing racing back to a refurbished North Wilkes boot Speedway was #3 on that list. His wife has worked tirelessly for this for many years.

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FishNFoolLures May 18, 2023 at 12:57 am

Before the FS1 special where she took all the credit I never heard a word about her. Without Dale Junior this would have never happened and HE alone deservers all the credit.

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Daniel Chai May 18, 2023 at 4:40 am

@FishNFoolLures there’s a reason dale jr says he didn’t do it all. He was obviously a big part but just because you never heard of her doesn’t mean she wasn’t extremely important.

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Easy E Network May 18, 2023 at 7:57 am

@FishNFoolLuresWell, without the aid from the state, they never have a good motivation to do this financially speaking. Pretty sure Dale Jr is friendly with Governor Cooper and so is SMI and Marcus Smith. Marcus is different from his dad, it seems he does not buy tracks just to shut them down eventually. Though Kentucky being gone is concerning. But Jr won’t take too much credit.

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RedShiftRider May 18, 2023 at 3:29 pm

@Daniel Chai Dale Jr literally orchestrated a team and physically went to the track and cleaned it up with his bare hands. They pain stakingly cleaned the track so it could be laser scanned. Dale is humble and will never admit it, but without him pushing so hard for the track to be laser scanned for iRacing, and actually going out and DOING it with his bare hands, this never would have happened.

Great for Benny’s wife. But advocating for something, and going out and actually making it happen, are two very different things.

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Daniel Chai May 18, 2023 at 3:32 pm

@RedShiftRider I know which is why I said dale is huge for it, and IMO dale was the biggest piece of the puzzle, but even just missing one of the many pieces of the puzzle means that this doesn’t happen.

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Dennis Palmer May 17, 2023 at 10:02 pm

I’m really concerned about the racing surface at North Wilkborough. I’m psyched for the entire week and wish them success. On the Ross Chastain story, I am certain that there will be changes made. Mr. H speaks and Chevrolet listens, which means Marks listens and Ross will have to listen and adjust his style.

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Dick Nd balss May 17, 2023 at 10:20 pm

Nah he just needs to be told to not do stupid moves

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J D May 17, 2023 at 10:25 pm

I don’t think the racing or event has to be all that great in itself for North Wilkesboro to be a tremendous success in a lot of ways. This has to be one of the biggest “listen to fans” moment in all of sports. Everyone hated Texas, the gimmicky garbage last year, and everyone who has been around long rough go remember it pined for the old track’s someday return… and they dropped a high end event right into the middle of it and great or less than great, I like that they pulled the trigger on it.

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Lori Allen May 17, 2023 at 11:10 pm

Just got through watching part 1 of Wilkesboro on FS1. I’m getting even more excited after this fabulous special.

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Jakob Buckles May 18, 2023 at 3:06 am

Where can I rematch this

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Lori Allen May 18, 2023 at 11:32 pm

@Jakob Buckles just saw part 2

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SquirtPack May 17, 2023 at 11:19 pm

I have a feeling Ross got pulled aside, not because Mr H said anything, but just because Chevy probably did. He got into a scrum with Gragson at Daytona and Kansas and screwed Larson out of a good finish twice this season, and I’m sure from what I hear about Chevy, they (Trackhouse) don’t wanna get on Chevy’s bad side and end up back where they began during the Ganassi days.

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L Alex 34 May 17, 2023 at 11:49 pm

Don’t matter how big the supposed market is at some the tracks currently on the schedule if all the seats are empty. Just my opinion but I think more races at tracks that made NASCAR successful and areas is a much more popular sport would be great.

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Daniel Chai May 18, 2023 at 4:41 am

Luckily nascar seems to be going in this direction more and more.

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Easy E Network May 18, 2023 at 8:02 am

Even if I don’t think it will be great, going back to the Chicago market was good, though not at the expense of Road America, which I liked as a road course.

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Adam Frahm May 18, 2023 at 12:09 am

Guys I’m telling you,my daughter and I went last fall to see junior race and my sun and I went to an open house they had last week and there is something absolutely magical about being at this place. I’ve been to quite a few tracks across the south east and all them fall short of how special this place feels. I can’t wait for everyone to experience this. Get in a car a plane a bike even a unicycle if you have too you and get to North Wilkesboro!!

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Andrew W May 18, 2023 at 12:27 am

I’m extra excited that the old surface gets to host cup cars one last time. Teams will manage tire falloff, and SMI will handle the “track falloff” as it comes apart. Patch ‘er up and let them run!

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Devin Aschenbrenner May 18, 2023 at 12:40 am

I think Managment expected the possibility of the track coming up and from what I hear they have everything on hand to address this as/if it arises as quickly as its physically possible.

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Beavis May 18, 2023 at 3:33 am

I think everyone needs to take a step back, take a breath and calm the hell down. Don’t get caught up in procedures this week, there will be a few hiccups, and the staff will be there to get it handled. The surface is old, they knew there was a possibility of the track coming up in spots. The old worn out surface is/was part of the appeal to coming back. Hopefully everybody can enjoy the experience this week, you never know if this could be the last hoorah.

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Jonathan Ramsey May 18, 2023 at 4:45 am

As a 35 year old who’s watched nascar for 30 years I remember North Wilksboro so well and hope this race is great I am so excited to see it it feels like a trip back to the good ole days. Kudos to everyone at the track who bought this track back from the dead

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Adam french May 18, 2023 at 5:34 am

I just got back from a day full of late model racing at Wilksboro. What a amazingly good day of racing. Compared to last August this was just as special and will bring up emotions

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Charles Hamlin May 18, 2023 at 6:27 am

I’ve been driving past NWS on US421 for the past 5 years since we got the place in Boone, watching nature re-claim the speedway, watching YouTube drone videos of the ruins, and watching the hopeful cleanups by Dale Jr and his crew. I was at the race last fall which was supposed to be the last race on the old surface. Sitting high up, one row from the top of the bleachers between turns 1 and 2, after the paratroopers flew in the flag and the sun was setting my buddy looked around at the track, the colors of the sunset, and the colors of the mountaintops in the distance and just marveled at how beautiful it all was. Then the racing started! Heading out tomorrow to see all that it has to offer now. We’ll be in Section EE (Eric Estepp?) and cheering on the return of a legend.

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James E. Morris May 18, 2023 at 3:47 pm

I’m stoked about the truck race… The truck series is some of the best racing out there… With Craftsman back and short track racing at Wilkesboro…. What more could a real race fan want ?

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