It’s All-Star weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series. That gives us two races to bet on, the All-Star Open as well as the All-Star Race. In total, 23 stars of NASCAR will compete for the 1-million-dollar prize and the opportunity to be crowned the champion of the All-Star race on Sunday. Let’s dive into the format for the All-Star race. Along with this week’s NASCAR picks, odds, and best bets for the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro.
The only things on the line this weekend are pride and 1-million-dollars. No points are awarded, and victory will not count towards playoff points or eligibility. One more quick note before we dive in. Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is taking place the same day as the All-Star race. If Kyle Larson were to make the final six “Fast 6,” that qualifying session will likely bleed into the All-Star event. Larson has said he’ll forgo the chance at the pole for the 500 in order to be at the All-Star event. Should he choose to stay, he and the #5 Chevrolet may not compete in the race. Make sure to check your book’s rules or be warned if you decide to bet on Larson. Hendrick Motorsports also confirmed the #5 car will not compete in the heat races and Larson will start at the back of the All-Star Race.
Hendrick Motorsports says it will skip the heat races for its No. 5 car Saturday at North Wilkesboro. Justin Allgaier will practice and qualify Friday. And team will start in the back for the all-star race with Larson.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 15, 2025
All-Star Format
20 drivers are already locked into Sunday’s main event. Any driver who won a points-paying race in 2024 or 2025, any driver who’s previously won the All-Star Race, or is a NASCAR Cup Series champion and is competing full time in 2025. The other 18 entries for the weekend will attempt to make the race through the All-Star open race. A 100-lap event with a competition caution around lap 40, the first two finishers in that race move on to the main event. The final spot will be given to the driver who wins the “fan vote.” You can vote HERE for your favorite driver up to 5 times each day through Saturday, May 17th.
All-Star and Open drivers will compete in a combined qualifying session. With the Pit Crew Challenge expanded to include all teams. A three-lap qualifying effort will include a mandatory four-tire pit stop on the second lap. The total time will set both the All-Star Open starting lineup and the starting grid for Saturday’s pair of 60-lap All-Star heats.
The main event (this is the race you are betting on when you bet on the All-Star Race itself). Will consist of a 250-lap race around the .625-mile track. A competition caution will fly around lap 100. This year, a “promoter’s caution” has been added that can be used by the promoter before lap 220. However, if there is a natural caution after lap 200, there will be no promoter’s caution allowed.
NASCAR Picks: All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Format, Odds, and Best Bets
All-Star Open Odds
Ty Gibbs +170
Bubba Wallace +300
Carson Hocevar +550
Ryan Preece +600
Noah Gragson +1200
Erik Jones +1800
Todd Gilliland +2000
Michael McDowell +2000
Zane Smith +2000
Justin Haley +2500
AJ Allmendinger +3500
John Hunter Nemechek +3500
Cole Custer +5500
Riley Herbst +7500
Shane Van Gisbergen +10000
Ty Dillon +10000
Cody Ware +35000
Chad Finchum +50000
All-Star Race Odds (All of these drivers are locked into the main event)
Kyle Larson +500
Denny Hamlin +575
Christopher Bell +600
Ryan Blaney +650
William Byron +800
Joey Logano +850
Chase Elliott +1000
Tyler Reddick +1600
Chase Briscoe +1800
Alex Bowman +2000
Ross Chastain +2000
Chris Buescher +2000
Josh Berry +2200
Kyle Busch +2500
Brad Keselowski +2800
Austin Cindric +3300
Daniel Suarez +7500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +15000
Austin Dillon +15000
Harrison Burton +35000
.@HBurtonRacing earned his #AllStarRace spot with his win last August at @Daytona. RWR just guaranteed his spot. Harrison Burton will drive the No. 51 @MortonBuildings Ford Mustang at @NWBSpeedway! pic.twitter.com/2efhCjdngL
— Rick Ware Racing (@RickWareRacing) May 12, 2025
NASCAR Picks: All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Format, Odds, and Best Bets
Ty Gibbs to Win the All-Star Open (+170)
Gibbs cruised to an easy victory in this race last season and is two for two racing his way into the All-Star event. This is pretty simple, there are no Hendrick cars, no Penske cars, and no other Gibbs cars in this race. Gibbs easily has the best car, and is a talented driver. I expect him to qualify well and have a chance to run away with this 100-lap event as he punches his ticket to the big dance.
Chase Elliott Top 3 (+275)
Moving over to the All-Star race proper, I love Chase Elliott this week. The driver of the #9 impressed in the season-opening exhibition race, which was also on a short track, winning the Clash at Bowman Gray. Last week at Kansas, he showed speed in the car that should have him feeling good. Elliott has finishes of fifth and eighth in the two All-Star events at North Wilkesboro, and I expect him to be in the mix Sunday.
Josh Berry Top 3 (+550)
Berry is a driver I find myself excited to bet on this week. Penske Racing has found their speed lately, and this Wood Brothers car has been right with them. Now, we head to a short track, the exact type of racing where Berry cut his teeth. After a sixth-place run last week where Berry had one of the fastest cars in the field, they’ve shown they can compete with a win at Las Vegas and a fourth-place finish at Phoenix. I’ll also be taking Berry to win the race at 21/1.
Chase Elliott to Win (+1000)
Back to Elliott for the same reasons we bet on him to finish inside the top three. He already proved in these short exhibition races that if he’s given the track position up front, he can hold onto it and execute. He’s always performed well at tracks like Martinsville. Now he’s coming off a race last week where they had a chance to win before a late pit road mistake. Look for the 9 car to have a shot at victory lane, and at 10/1, he’s too good not to bet on.
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