“Maybe one day”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. happy but not satisfied with All-Star race at NWB
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his thoughts on the NASCAR All-Star Race returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the second consecutive year. He was happy with the race but wished for the 0.625-mile short track in North Carolina to host a regular points-paying Cup race one day.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a 26-time Cup Series race winner. He is also a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. A two-time Daytona 500 winner, Junior has served as a color commentator for NASCAR on NBC from 2018 to 2023. However, in 2025, he will be joining Amazon Prime and TNT as a NASCAR analyst as their contract with NASCAR begins next year.
"Fun race to watch. Had its moments," Junior said on X, recalling the 40th running of the All-Star event. "Definitely wanted more of a battle up front. BUT! This @NWBSpeedway track is awesome with the repave. Need a full field of cars on it to stifle the leader with lap traffic. Maybe one day it’ll get that points race."
Last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the Chief Executing Officer at Speedway Motorsports, Marcus Smith, played a major role in bringing North Wilkesboro back to NASCAR's schedule for the first time since 1996. The All-Star race is expected to return to the iconic ghost track of NASCAR for the third straight year in 2025, as reported by ESPN.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. sheds light on his theory about Michael McDowell exiting Front Row Motorsports
A lot of theories have stemmed when the news of Michael McDowell moving to Spire Motorsports from Front Row Motorsports came out in public. Like many other racing pundits, Dale Earnhardt Jr, too, had his share of opinions on it.
Although he did not have any solid information to back his claim, he did have a hypothesis on the same. According to Earnhardt Jr., it could have something to do with the rumor about Stewart-Haas Racing exiting the Cup Series arena.
In a recent episode of the Dale Junior Download, he said,
"You know the Stewart-Haas charters are available or the rumors is that there are maybe one or two of those charters that could come onto the market. I’m only guessing here, I have no insight but I’m just feeling like Front Row – some sort of a Front Row, Stewart-Haas connection happens, and one of the drivers that’s at Stewart-Haas may end up in that 34 car.”
"Then one or two of those charters that are currently at Stewart-Haas end up getting sold out to someone else like Trackhouse, 23XI..." he added, as reported by on3.com.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. contemplated that one of the current SHR drivers might start driving McDowell's ride at FRM under some sort of an alliance between Front Row Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing.