There is something special about the NASCAR All-Star Race when it feels rooted in North Carolina.
That is why, even with the event sitting at Dover Motor Speedway this year after North Wilkesboro Speedway received a points date, a lot of longtime racing fans still feel like the exhibition belongs back home in NASCAR country.
Point blank, if NASCAR is going to have an All-Star Race, it needs to be in North Carolina.
That does not mean Dover is a bad racetrack. Far from it. Dover is one of the toughest places in stock car racing and absolutely deserves big events. As a matter of fact, it’s a disservice to that market to give them an exhibition and not a points date. Nobody wanted it this way.
But the All-Star Race is supposed to feel different. It should feel like a celebration of the sport itself, not just another stop on the schedule and it should be at night.
That is why the best solution might already be sitting right in front of NASCAR.
Put the Clash back at Daytona and make Speedweeks feel massive again. Heck, I would be just fine with New Smyrna too, but I want it in the general vicinity of Speedweeks.
Fans miss when Daytona felt like a full-blown festival of racing for weeks instead of just a race weekend. The buildup used to matter. Every practice, qualifying run and support race felt important. Returning the Clash to Daytona would immediately restore some of that magic while avoiding the weather risks that come with running an outdoor short-track exhibition in early February.
Because as much as fans loved the energy and atmosphere of the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the reality is early February weather in that region is always going to be a gamble.
So move the Clash south. Then bring the All-Star Race to Bowman Gray in May.
A Saturday night All-Star Race at Bowman Gray before Coca-Cola 600 week could become one of the coolest traditions in motorsports. Build an entire grassroots celebration around it. Let local short-track racers be part of the week. Turn it into a showcase of NASCAR’s roots before the sport heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coke 600.
And if Bowman Gray is not the long-term answer, then put it at Rockingham Speedway. Or rotate between the two. Either way, keep the event in North Carolina where it naturally fits within the rhythm and identity of the sport.
There is also a practical side to it. Holding the All-Star Race in North Carolina gives drivers and teams something rare during the grind of the season: a week close to home. Less travel. Less chaos. More time for teams to recharge before the summer stretch begins.
Most importantly, it helps make NASCAR’s crown-jewel events feel bigger again.
As a diehard motorsports fan, that matters. The Daytona 500 should feel larger than life. The Coca-Cola 600 should feel like the centerpiece of Memorial Day weekend. Right now, NASCAR has the pieces in place to create that atmosphere again if it fully leans into the tradition, the geography and the culture that built the sport.
Look at what the Indianapolis 500 does with the Month of May. The buildup itself becomes part of the spectacle. Fans feel the momentum building for weeks.
NASCAR can create its own version of that feeling. Daytona can own February. North Carolina can own May. The All-Star Race can become a true celebration of stock car racing culture instead of a wandering exhibition still trying to define itself.
That is the path that feels right for the fans who grew up loving this sport.
Save Dover, save Speedweeks and save racing around the Coca-Cola 600.
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