NASCAR confirms track change for All-Star Race
By Asher Fair
NASCAR has confirmed that this year’s All-Star Race has been moved from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway.
For the first time since the 1986 season, the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race is set to take place at a track other than Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith has confirmed that Bristol Motor Speedway is the new location for the All-Star Race and the accompanying All-Star Open on Wednesday, July 15. He also confirmed that up to 30,000 fans will be allowed in attendance for this race.
“The NASCAR All-Star Race is an event known for making history, and we will enhance that legacy by hosting the event at Bristol Motor Speedway,” Smith said in a release. “While Charlotte will always be recognized as the birthplace and traditional home for the All-Star Race, the current data surrounding the pandemic in North Carolina makes Bristol a better option for fan access this summer.”
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This event was originally scheduled to take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 16, but it was one of the many races that had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead of taking place the weekend before the Coca-Cola 600 at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Concord, North Carolina, which did end up taking place as planned on Sunday, May 24, it was moved to between the originally scheduled race at Kentucky Speedway on Sunday, July 12 and the race at Texas Motor Speedway, which was postponed from Sunday, March 29 to Sunday, July 19.
Even with the date change, which was announced as a part of the third installment of the return to racing schedule, the race was still slated to be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway until now.
Additional details on the format will be announced at a later date, although it has also been confirmed that the prize for the winner will still be $1 million.
NASCAR Executive Vice President of Racing Development Steve O’Donnell was excited to share this news with the fans.
“We are excited to take one of the most unique races in our sport to one of the most unique race tracks in our sport,” O’Donnell said in a release. “Bristol Motor Speedway puts on classic short-track action every time we race there, and we’re anticipating an elevated level of intensity for the NASCAR All-Star Race.”
Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted 34 of the 35 All-Star Races that have been contested since the event was introduced back in the 1985 season. Atlanta Motor Speedway is the only other track to ever host the race, doing so the following season.
This year’s race will end a streak of 33 consecutive years with the All-Star Race being held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Fox Sports 1 is set to broadcast the All-Star Open live from Bristol Motor Speedway beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 15, with the All-Star Race set to follow on the same channel.