North Wilkesboro lands first NASCAR tripleheader for 2027 All-Star weekend
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 12, 2026
North Wilkesboro tripleheader
North Wilkesboro Speedway will stage its first NASCAR tripleheader weekend, and the All-Star Race will anchor the weekend under the lights. The track will add the Craftsman Truck Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series to the card, giving North Wilkesboro three national-series races across one weekend and a lineup it has never hosted before. The Truck Series race opens the event, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race follows and the All-Star Race closes the weekend in prime time. That setup gives the speedway its first weekend with both the Truck Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series since 1985 and gives NASCAR a full showcase at a track that has become a central part of the All-Star format. North Wilkesboro also will not host another Cup Series points race in the season ahead, which keeps the emphasis on the exhibition race instead of a points-paying stop. NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports said they plan to work with teams, drivers and the track on a unique innovation element for the event, adding another layer to a weekend built around more than a standard race schedule. The return of the All-Star Race to a nighttime setting at North Wilkesboro keeps the event tied to one of NASCAR’s most familiar short tracks and strengthens the track’s role in the sport’s showcase weekend.
North Wilkesboro milestone
The weekend carries added weight because it falls against two major markers for North Wilkesboro Speedway, its 80th birthday and the 35th anniversary of “One Hot Night.” Those milestones give the track’s latest All-Star weekend a clear place in its history. North Wilkesboro also just came off a sold-out Cup Series points race, the track’s first Cup Series points race since 1996, which showed how quickly the venue has reestablished itself with fans after its return to the schedule. The new tripleheader keeps that momentum in place and gives the speedway another chance to deliver a packed weekend without another Cup Series points race on the docket. The All-Star Race now becomes the headliner at a venue that has already proven it can draw a full house and handle a major event. For NASCAR, the move keeps North Wilkesboro in a spotlight role while still giving the track a distinct identity. It is the kind of weekend that mixes history, novelty and a strong fan response in one setting. The anniversary of “One Hot Night” adds a direct link to the track’s past, while the birthday marker and the recent sold-out points race underline how much the venue has changed in a short span. The result is a weekend that reaches back to North Wilkesboro’s legacy and forward to its next chapter.
Dover and Martinsville
Dover Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway round out the broader national-series picture around North Wilkesboro. Dover will return to the Cup Series points schedule and will also host the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, a switch that sends the All-Star Race back to North Wilkesboro after Dover staged it the previous season. That change gives Dover its place back on the points-paying Cup calendar and leaves North Wilkesboro to own the exhibition spotlight. Martinsville stays central on the schedule as well, with Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races on one spring weekend and championship-weekend races for all three national series later in the year. That gives Martinsville a dual role, first as an early-season stop and then as the stage for the title races. Together, Dover and Martinsville help shape the rest of the calendar around North Wilkesboro’s tripleheader. Dover supplies the Cup points race that North Wilkesboro will not host, while Martinsville adds balance with a mix of spring races and championship-weekend finales. The schedule leaves North Wilkesboro with a clear identity, a three-race showcase built around the All-Star Race and supported by two national-series companion events.
