“North Wilkesboro, how about that one? That right there was absolutely incredible. North Wilkesboro is the best short track on the schedule. Let’s go,” said Christopher Bell after winning the All-Star race. Now that is a big endorsement coming from a driver who has struggled on short ovals in the Next Gen era. The only points-paying win he bagged came at Martinsville in 2022, so this triumph was indeed a special one for the JGR driver. But, this leads to questions, whether NWS produces a better show than the likes of Bristol, Iowa, Martinsville and Richmond?

It is an open secret that the short track package has produced snooze fests of races on short ovals. While the Bristol spring race was an exception, clearly that was a one-off thing, as NASCAR hasn’t been able to replicate it. Tires are what NASCAR hoped would solve the issue, but the softer red Goodyear tires were discarded after the Phoenix race this year. Between the disappointments of lackluster and short track racing, you get North Wilkesboro, which by far produces a good product, with the Gen 7 car, and everyone is noticing this positive change.

The promoter’s caution, which sounded gimmicky, did the trick. Not only that, the 0.625-mile track had multiple lanes for drivers to work with. And then came the final battle between Christopher Bell and Joey Logano, which had the fans on their seats in the final few moments. The No. 20 Toyota and No. 22 Ford delivered a spectacle, and fans just might have liked it more because Logano was on the losing side. But still, it was as good a race on the short track they had seen with this race car, and the sentiment after the race was clear.

Jeff Gluck, as usual, took to X and put out a poll: “Was the All-Star Race a good race?” 83% of the fan base voted yes, while 16.2% voted no. A ringing endorsement for a short track, which originally was sidelined by NASCAR, had it not been for Dale Jr.’s efforts, fans wouldn’t have been treated to a spectacle like they did last Sunday. It wasn’t just the fans, even those who couldn’t win the $1 million enjoyed the racing, leaving with a thought, what if North Wilkesboro could host a points race?

“I love this racetrack. Really glad we got it back.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted this on X. Once the poll made its way to Reddit, the fans clearly were sold on the thought that NWS is the best short track on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

Can North Wilkesboro save the short track package?

“Really solid. Gimme 400 miles and a day-to-night transition and we’ll be in business,” a fan commented. Imagine 400 miles of racing that stretches from day to night, with the chaos of stage racing, overtime finishes and multiple grooves, this track is ready for a points race. There’s even a new repaved surface, which has only gotten better with time. NASCAR fans wouldn’t want to see another short track lose a Cup date to be replaced by another road course, and right now, NWS is an easy fix for the short track problems.

Some fans offered their perspectives and points of view on the race and also gave a few recommendations on its scope for improvement. “I actually really enjoyed it,” said another. “Perfect and without room for improvement? Of course not, but the racing was decent and I’m always open for a gimmick in the All Star race (every sport does them, calm down), and this one was fine. I would love to see what a points race in the middle of the day, in the heat of the summer would look like with this car and tire. I bet it’d be fun. Spring Bristol becomes late-spring/early summer North Wilkesboro and maybe Rockingham gets the all star race, is my proposal.”

Well, the trip to Bowman Gray was good, but the actual racing on the return to Rock and NWS has exceeded expectations. It won’t be a bad idea if the All-Star race gets pushed to Rockingham, this way it will return to the Cup Series racing for the first time since 2004. But, the tricky part to this proposal is replacing one of the Bristol dates with the North Wilkesboro points race, and that could get tricky. And this is where this next comment by a fan provides the solution to the issue.

“The race itself gets an A+. It was easily the best short track race of the Next Gen era. Let’s have a 400-lap day-to-night race here in 2027,” a fan suggested on Reddit. That is indeed a good way to go about it. In the meantime, NASCAR might have a fair idea if the international race works for them or not. Also, they would want to add another race to the schedule, given that their agreement with the City of Chicago comes to an end this year. So the street race will make the space for the points race, and NASCAR can work out a plan to reserve the spot for a short oval points race. They need to make amends after dropping a points race from Richmond.

There’s another element of NASCAR trying to attract new fans to the sport with the addition of a road course and going the F1 route. But, this racing enthusiast believes that a spectacle like last Sunday’s race at NWS is the sweet spot, and he had his reasons for it. “There could 3 lead changes or 30 and it wouldn’t matter if there’s no real challenge. There was the perfect balance of racing for the lead and other battles being covered when the leader wasn’t being pressured. If anyone wants to introduce someone to NASCAR then this is nearly the perfect race to show them as far as modern races go.”

What are your thoughts about short track racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and does the track deserve a points race on the Cup schedule?