Dale Earnhardt Jr makes NASCAR announcement – ‘Big – Sports News
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is thrilled to see the NASCAR Cup Series lastly return to North Wilkesboro Speedway after 30 years.
On Wednesday, NASCAR introduced its schedule for the 2026 Cup Series season. While Denny Hamlin was satisfied the transfer was a “distraction,” one of the races caught the attention of followers as North Wilkesboro Speedway lastly returned.
The circuit was restored lately and hosted the All-Star Race earlier this yr. Fans and former drivers have known as for its return due to the historical past surrounding the observe forward of its first look since Jeff Gordon’s 1996 win.
North Wilkesboro Speedway is an iconic circuit. Based in Wilkes County, north of Charlotte, it was one of NASCAR’s authentic racetracks and hosted rounds of Cup Series motion till 1996, when it was faraway from the schedule earlier than its return in 2023 following an in depth restoration course of.
Now, after years of debate, North Wilkesboro Speedway is lastly set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule as a factors-paying race. The determination got here following key drivers, like Earnhardt, who’ve helped convey the Cup Series back to Wilkes County.
“The big news for me on the 2026 @NASCAR schedule is @NWBSpeedway getting a points race!” Earnhardt Jr. posted on X. “I can’t wait to call 400 laps of night racing there on July 19. It’s massive for the surrounding community, and every fan of NASCAR is going to feel like a winner next July.”
Having misplaced its Cup Series factors race to North Wilkesboro Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway will take over because the host of the All-Star Race in May. Dover has held a Cup Series factors race yearly since 1969.
NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Ben Kennedy admitted that the suggestions from followers following North Wilkesboro’s All-Star Race made the choice easy. He stated: “We heard from our fans pretty quickly after the All-Star race this year that they wanted to see North Wilkesboro as a points race in the schedule. So, I think between the fan feedback that we’ve seen, and I said this earlier, about 70% of our fans asked for North Wilkesboro via a points race; 80% of 18 to 34 year olds.”
Earnhardt utilized his social media to keep North Wilkesboro alive, enjoying an instrumental function in influencing the governing physique’s determination. Kennedy added, “And on top of that, Dale Jr., who is a very big voice in this sport, has also been a big advocate of it.
DON’T MISS…
“I think it’ll be cool to have Dale Jr. in the booth and great to have his support behind it. He’s behind the resurrection of it, and we need to still have him involved in it, especially calling the race next year.”
The North Wilkesboro Speedway race shall be held on July 19, 2026.
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