TC Daily Pit Stop: Larson Not Competing in All-Star Heat Race; Will Brown Making NCS Debut for RCR at Sonoma; Atlanta Moving to June Night Race; CARS Tour at Wilkesboro Postponed
TC Daily Pit Stop: Larson Not Competing in All-Star Heat Race; Will Brown Making NCS Debut for RCR at Sonoma; Atlanta Moving to June Night Race; CARS Tour at Wilkesboro Postponed
TC Daily Pit Stop: Thursday, May 16, 2024
Kyle Larson Will Not Compete in All-Star Heat Race; Will Start at Rear
During a media bullpen at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday morning, Kyle Larson confirmed that he will not travel back to North Wilkesboro Speedway from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, and as a result, will forgo the NASCAR All-Star Race Heat Qualifying Race.
Larson, who won the NASCAR All-Star Race last season, will compete in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race and will have to start from the rear in the $1-million payout exhibition event.
It was expected that the month of May would be a logistical nightmare for Larson, who will attempt the Memorial Day Double (Indianapolis 500, and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day) for the first time in his career. Larson had already announced that he would be a no-go in NASCAR All-Star Practice and Qualifying and that Kevin Harvick would pilot the No. 5 machine in his place on Friday at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
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Atlanta Motor Speedway Shifts Second Race Date to June Night Race in 2025
Atlanta Motor Speedway, which has one of its two race dates in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs this season, will move its second race date, the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart, to June 28, 2025. The change in the race date will also mark the return of the night race at Atlanta.
AMS, which featured a thrilling three-wide photo finish between Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Busch earlier this season, says that the track has been asked repeatedly about when the night race would return at the 1.54-mile facility.
“The energy and the atmosphere a night race at Atlanta brings is second to none,” said AMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison. “That’s why our fans have been telling us they want the night race back in Atlanta and we’re thrilled to make it happen.”
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Supercars Star Will Brown Making NASCAR Cup Debut at Sonoma with RCR
Will Brown, an eight-time race winner in the Australian Repco Supercars Championship Series, will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut for Richard Childress Racing in the Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 9.
The 25-year-old driver made the initial announcement in the form of a social media post on Wednesday evening. In the post, Brown states, “Absolutely incredible opportunity to be able to head stateside and race at the highest level in America with RCR Racing!! Can’t wait to get to Sonoma and have been working hard to prep, but first we’ve got Supercars in Perth this weekend!”
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CARS Tour at North Wilkesboro Postponed Due to Persistent Rain
The zMAX CARS Tour event at North Wilkesboro Speedway has been postponed to a later date to be announced.
Ticketholders can visit northwilkesborospeedway.com to request a full credit towards any race event at North Wilkesboro Speedway through May 2025 or a full refund, according to the CARS Tour’s statement regarding the postponement.
Rain plagued the event throughout its two scheduled dates. Originally, the CARS Tour Pro Late Models were intended to race on Tuesday, May 14, with the Late Model Stock Cars competing on Wednesday, May 15. The Pro Late Model event was then postponed until Wednesday, only for rain to interrupt Pro Late Model qualifying.
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