Christopher Bell emerged victorious and called North Wilkesboro Speedway “the best short track on the schedule.” And why not? The 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race was a total thrill ride that had fans jumping out of their seats. This 0.625-mile short track in North Carolina, brought back to NASCAR in 2023 after years of being forgotten, showed everyone it’s one of NASCAR’s brightest stars. Bell snagged the $1 million prize after an epic battle with Joey Logano, and the JGR driver was not alone in singing praises for the short track.

Even after a late-race wreck ended his shot at the win, Kyle Larson couldn’t stop talking about how awesome North Wilkesboro is. The race was wild from the get-go. Bell, driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, went toe-to-toe with Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford, which led 139 of the 250 laps. Kyle Larson was also in the mix at one point, as he rallied from the back of the field into the top 5. This is probably why the 2021 Cup Series Champion gave a bold verdict in appreciation of this track.

Kyle Larson details what made North Wilkesboro so great

What makes North Wilkesboro so special is that after its 2023 repave, the track has settled into something amazing, with tons of grip and different racing lines for drivers to choose from. That led to 18 lead changes throughout the race, a record for the All-Star Race. Brad Keselowski, who started on pole after winning his heat race, swapped the lead with Logano early, keeping the action hot. Ross Chastain spun out but still battled to third. It’s a track that lets drivers go all-out, and fans loved every second.

For Kyle Larson, the night was a mix of highs and lows, but he stayed pumped. Larson told Bob Pockrass, “It was a really fun race. I really enjoyed it. That’s by far the best short track we have in NASCAR. Like, it’s really racy, and we have grip, and you know, can run multiple lines. So yeah, it was fun.” This statement is huge coming from Kyle Larson. The #5 driver won the most recent short track race at Bristol by leading 477 out of 500 laps, and despite that, he feels North Wilkesboro is the best, and it isn’t hard to see why.

Unlike Bristol, the track has aged beautifully and developed multiple racing grooves. While the top lane is certainly the most favorable, as it was the preferred line for race leaders, any mistake would make you pay, as we saw with Kyle Larson himself running into the wall, which ended his race. Larson added, “Just, you know, got to—we were running third after taking two tires and was just starting to rip the top really fast and got loose in and smashed the wall, ended our race.” Yung Money was flying in third after a two-tire pit stop when he pushed too hard on the top line, crashed on lap 215, and set off a caution. This is what short-track car racing is about. Risk and reward. And no other short track in the Next-Gen era provides such entertainment.

Kyle Larson wasn’t alone in his admiration for the track. His HMS teammate and fifth-place finisher, Chase Elliott, feels the track deserves a point-paying race in the future. Elliott said, “I don’t see why not. I think it’s plenty capable of hosting, and obviously, the crowd seems extremely receptive to the idea, too. Whatever NASCAR decides on that, I’m good with. It put on a good race for sure, so it’s hard to argue against that.” The driver’s sentiment is clear, and the fans certainly got their money’s worth at North Wilkesboro.

The night was not devoid of any drama, as the promoter’s caution turned the tables on the race leader. Joey Logano was in the lead with Christopher Bell hot on his tail when the caution was called on Lap 215. Logano decided to stay out while Bell pitted, adding two tires and gearing up for a battle to the checkered. Bell and Logano traded blows throughout, but it was the #20 who cleared Logano after sliding him up the track and took the race win in dramatic fashion.

Logano was less than pleased with everything that went down. From the caution to Bell’s move, the #22 was fuming in his post-race interview, as he said, ” I’m p—- off right now. Just dang it, we had the fastest car… [Bell] Kind of just ran me up into the wall, and if I could’ve got to him, he was going around after a move like that, I just couldn’t get back to him.” 

After threatening to wreck Bell if he got the chance, he diverted his attention to Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, who ideated this caution, saying, “Yeah, I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution. I am all about that. Me and Marcus Smith aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, OK? I’ve got to have a word with him.” North Wilkesboro has everyone hooked. From race-deciding cautions to electric battles up front, the short track proved why it deserves a spot in the points-paying calendar.

For Kyle Larson, the crash might’ve hurt, but his focus is elsewhere at the moment. As NASCAR heads to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600, Larson is gearing up to tackle ‘Double Duty.’