NASCAR TRIPLE HEADER AND ALL-STAR RACE RETURN TO NORTH WILKESBORO IN ’27

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (August 12, 2026) — One of NASCAR’s most historic venues will host one of its biggest weekends ever in 2027, further strengthening North Carolina’s position at the center of American motorsports.

North Wilkesboro Speedway announced Wednesday that NASCAR will return to the historic 0.625-mile short track May 21-23, 2027, for the speedway’s first NASCAR tripleheader weekend. The three-day event will feature the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Friday, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday, and the NASCAR Cup Series and its All-Star Race under the lights on Sunday night.

The weekend represents another remarkable chapter in the revival of a speedway that, just a few years ago, many believed would never again host NASCAR’s premier national series.

For North Carolina, however, the significance extends well beyond the walls of the speedway.

“North Wilkesboro is a fantastic example of what makes North Carolina’s motorsports industry so special,” said Chad Willis, Executive Director of the North Carolina Motorsports Association. “The state has a storied history in this sport, but we’re not just preserving that history. The North Carolina motorsports industry is building on it. Bringing three NASCAR national series together at North Wilkesboro, while also using the All-Star Race as a platform for innovation, connects our heritage to the future of motorsports in a compelling way.

The 2027 NASCAR All-Star Race returns to North Wilkesboro after a one-year stop at Dover Motor Speedway and will commemorate the 35th anniversary of “One Hot Night,” the landmark 1992 All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway that helped usher NASCAR into a new era of racing under the lights. It will be the 38th time the All-Star event will be held in North Carolina (Charlotte Motor Speedway – 34 events; North Wilkesboro Speedway – 4 events).

Innovation could again play a central role in 2027. NASCAR, teams, drivers, and Speedway Motorsports are considering ways to use North Wilkesboro and the All-Star Race to experiment with potential competition and technical concepts.

“I’ve always considered All-Star the race of innovation,” Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said in announcing the weekend. “It’s such a unique opportunity for the race teams, NASCAR, and the speedway to be bold, take some chances, have fun, and just see what happens.”

That combination of history and innovation reflects the larger North Carolina motorsports ecosystem.

The state is home to the majority of NASCAR teams and a vast network of manufacturers, engineering firms, technology companies, suppliers, and specialized service providers that support racing throughout the United States and around the world. Major race weekends also generate economic activity well beyond the motorsports industry, supporting hotels, restaurants, tourism, transportation, and businesses throughout their host communities.

North Wilkesboro’s resurgence has become one of the sport’s most visible examples of that impact.

The speedway closed following the 1996 NASCAR season and remained largely dormant for more than two decades before an extensive restoration led to NASCAR’s return in 2023. Since then, North Wilkesboro has once again become a destination for race fans and an important part of NASCAR’s connection to its roots.

“Four years ago, on the steps of the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, we announced what many believed was impossible—that NASCAR was returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway,” NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Ben Kennedy said. “Today, seeing this iconic venue host a historic NASCAR tripleheader weekend is a testament to just how extraordinary that revival has been.”

The weekend will also coincide with North Wilkesboro Speedway’s 80th anniversary. The track hosted its first race on May 18, 1947, and two years later hosted the final race of NASCAR’s inaugural Strictly Stock season.

The addition of Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race is particularly historic. The series will compete at North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1985, while the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series continues its presence at the speedway with Friday night’s event.

Sunday night will culminate in the NASCAR All-Star Race and its $1 million winner’s prize.

For the North Carolina motorsports community, the weekend will showcase something even larger: a legendary speedway that helped build NASCAR and is becoming an increasingly important part of where the sport is headed next.

Three national series. Three days of racing. Eight decades of history. And once again, North Carolina at the center of it all.