Dale Earnhardt Jr. is returning to North Wilkesboro on May 17 to race in the CARS Tour before NASCAR All-Star weekend features the first NASCAR event at famed speedway since 1996.

Earnhardt Jr. is one of several marque NASCAR drivers competing at the event, which is hosting NASCAR’s All-Star event after being revived following a decades-long  dormant period. 

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The CARS Tour, which features an ownership group consisting of Earnhardt and Kevin Harvick, who is also racing in the event, began in 2014 and has been the launching pad for many of NASCAR’s top emerging drivers. 

Now it will be launching pad for the North Wilkesboro Speedway's revival. 

Here’s what to know about CARS Tour race at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway

When Is The CARS Tour Race At North Wilkesboro 

The race is scheduled for May 17. Race time has not been announced yet. 

The event helps kick off NASCAR’s All-Star weekend and will feature the ECMD 150 for the ASA STARS National Tour on Tuesday, May 16. That event is also on FloRacing and the FloSports app. 

When Is The NASCAR All-Star Race?

The All-Star race is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on Sunday, May 21 and will follow the NASCAR All-Star Open at 5:30 p.m. 

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How To Watch The CARS Tour At North Wilkesboro Speedway Featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

The CARS Tour is streaming all year long on FloRacing and the FloSports app. FloSports and FloRacing is also the home for race archives.

When Did North Wilkesboro Speedway Reopen?

The North Wilkesboro Speedway first opened in 1947 and became one of the premiere tracks on the NASCAR circuit. It has hosted 93 cup races and featured star drivers like Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, among others, winning numerous times on the track. 

But the race track hasn’t held a NASCAR event since 1996, a race Jeff Gordon won, and the track became mostly dormant until 2019. 

The track reopened in August of 2022. 

How Dale Earnhardt Jr. And iRacing Helped Restore North Wilkesboro Speedway

Earnhardt helped revive the track in 2019 when he assisted in clearing the track of debris and weeds, according to North Carolina Public Radio station WUNC 91.5, so the track could be scanned for a racing simulation. Makers of iRacing restored the track to its 1987 form. 

Then funds from the American Rescue Plan Act helped pump $18 million into the speedway for further improvements

In September of 2022, NASCAR announced that North Wilkesboro Speedway would host the NASCAR All-Star Race. 

Has Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ever Raced At North Wilkesboro?

Yes. Earnhardt raced in a Lake Model stock car event last year, finishing third in a 125-lap race. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. describes the feeling of racing again at North Wilkesboro Speedway. pic.twitter.com/q3X9U5a4Xk

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 1, 2022