NASCAR Friday schedule at North Wilkesboro Speedway
NASCAR All-Star Race festivities will get under way Friday at North Wilkesboro Speedway with practice and qualifying on the 0.625-mile oval.
The opening session will include the 20 cars locked into Sunday's main event and the 18 cars trying to transfer from the All-Star Open. The qualifying session for the Open will begin at 6:10 p.m., immediately followed by All-Star Race qualifying.
The All-Star Race pole-sitter will start first in Saturday's first heat race and the main event Sunday. The Pit Crew Challenge will be contested with a four-tire pit stop during qualifying that also will determine pit selection for the All-Star Race.
The Friday program will conclude with a 100-lap CARS Tour race.
Dustin Long,
All-Star Race schedule at North Wilkesboro
(All Times Eastern)
Friday, May 16
Garage open
10:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. — Cup
11 a.m. - 4 p.m. — Truck Series
Track activity
5:05 - 5:50 p.m. — Cup practice (FS2, MRN)
6:05 - 6:45p.m. — Cup Open qualifying (FS1, MRN)
7 - 8 p.m. — Cup All-Star Race qualifying/Pit Crew Challenge (FS1, MRN)
8:15 p.m. — CARS Tour race (100 laps, FS1, Flo Racing)Weather
Friday: Cloudy with a stray shower or thunderstorm possible. A high of 86 degrees and winds from the west-southwest at 5 to 10 mph.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Karl-Anthony Towns trade proposal lands Knicks new star
The post Karl-Anthony Towns trade proposal lands Knicks new star appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Eastern Conference is already viewed as much weaker and more talent-depleted than the Western Conference. It could look a whole lot different after the upcoming offseason, too. The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo has already signaled that he is open to being traded. While it wasn't a formal trade request, his days in Milwaukee are likely numbered, especially because Damian Lillard tore his achilles tendon. Karl-Anthony Towns is another superstar who could be moved. Advertisement The New York Knicks traded for the center last offseason. While it is unlikely that he'd be moved again just one year later, especially because the Knicks played in the Eastern Conference Finals, some believe that he could be traded this offseason. Kevin O'Connor is one expert who has advocated for Towns to be traded again. Blockbuster deals are commonplace in the modern NBA, so perhaps Antetokounmpo could be traded for Towns. Giannis Antetokounmpo for Karl-Anthony Towns trade proposal Brad Penner-Imagn Images Knicks receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Ariel Hukporti Antetokounmpo is not only one of the best players in the NBA, but the two-time MVP is arguably the best player in Bucks history. The Bucks will be hesitant to trade him for that reason, but a franchise reset may be necessary. Most have predicted that Antetokounmpo would be traded to the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs. Advertisement These are up-and-coming teams that are ready to take the next step forward, and they have tons of tradable assets, most notably in the form of an excess amount of draft capital. While a surplus of draft picks and young players could entice the Bucks, that kind of trade would lead to a rebuild, and the Bucks may want to avoid that. The alternative would be doing a superstar-for-superstar trade. Antetokounmpo and Towns have nearly identical contracts, so only Ariel Hukporti would need to be added in a deal to make the money work. Towns is only one year younger than Antetokounmpo, so he could come into Milwaukee and offer similar All-Star production, albeit in a completely different style of play. Towns is the best 3-point shooting center ever, whereas Antetokounmpo is a physical freak who thrives getting to the rim. Antetokounmpo has played more center in recent years, and Brook Lopez is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Bucks need somebody who can play heavy minutes at the five, and if they decide against a full-blown rebuild, then a deal for Towns could make sense. Would the Knicks trade Karl-Anthony Towns for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Knicks' head coach, Tom Thibodeau, has a very distinctive coaching style. He loves players who are elite on defense and play with intensity, and he is known to play his starters a lot of minutes. Because of that, Antetokounmpo would be a great fit for the team. Bailing on Towns this quickly after trading for him would be a little bizarre, but in a trade where they don't give up any other assets, the Knicks could view a Towns-for-Antetokounmpo swap as an upgrade. Advertisement The Greek Freak has a Defensive Player of the Year award to his name, whereas Towns was criticized during the Knicks playoff run for suspect defense. The Knicks are filled with lanky players who can guard inside or outside, such as Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, and Antetokounmpo would provide even more of that. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers thrived when Towns shared the floor with Jalen Brunson. If Antetokounmpo replaced Towns, though, the Knicks would have a star duo that would seemingly fit better together. The risk with this trade is that athleticism fades with age, and Antetokounmpo is more reliant on his physical attributes than a skilled player like Towns is. Even so, the Knicks are so close to getting back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and they could view Antetokounmpo as the player who could get them back to championship glory.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Draymond Green doubts Knicks can win title without ‘great player'
The post Draymond Green doubts Knicks can win title without 'great player' appeared first on ClutchPoints. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green cast doubt on the New York Knicks' championship outlook in the aftermath of their Eastern Conference Finals exit, emphasizing the need for a true star to lead the franchise to a title. Advertisement Green addressed the Knicks' future on a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, stating bluntly that New York is still not equipped to win it all. 'As far as the Knicks going forward, I think going forward in order to win it ain't there yet,' Green said. 'I just don't foresee it. I think in order to win the Knicks need to bring in a great player. I can't talk specific names because I'm not going to give my money away for that, but if the Knicks want to compete for a championship I think they need a great player.' The comments follow the Knicks' elimination by the Indiana Pacers in six games, cutting short a postseason run that saw the franchise reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Despite making key additions last offseason — most notably Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns — New York ultimately fell short in its bid to return to the NBA Finals. Despite Jalen Brunson's playoff brilliance, Draymond Green says Knicks need a 'great player' Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Jalen Brunson once again delivered an elite postseason performance. The All-NBA guard averaged 29.4 points, seven assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 46.1% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range across 18 games. He played 37.8 minutes per contest and carried much of the offensive load. Advertisement Still, the absence of another top-tier shot creator or All-NBA-caliber star appeared to loom large in the series loss to Indiana. In the aftermath of the season-ending defeat, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on SportsCenter that the Knicks are conducting internal meetings this week to evaluate their path forward. 'I'm told the Knicks have internal meetings this week to really evaluate everything from their coaches to their players and just see how they move forward to continue to compete for a championship in the Eastern Conference,' Charania said. 'But if we've seen the last year and a half as any indication, for Leon Rose, the Knicks president, went out and got OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns to elevate this team. I do expect the Knicks to be aggressive to see, is there a move out there, a landmark move, potentially, that takes this team over the top, or do they just make moves around the edges for their bench?' Knicks part ways with Tom Thibodeau as pursuit of star talent like Giannis or Durant looms New York has already made a significant change, firing head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, according to Charania. Thibodeau, hired ahead of the 2020-21 season, led the team to four playoff appearances in five years, missing only in 2021-22. Advertisement Ian Begley of SNY reported that the organization holds 'great respect for Thibodeau and what he did for [the] Knicks, but simply felt a new voice was needed.' The Knicks have been linked to potential trade pursuits of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. As the team prepares for the 2025-26 season, Green's remarks reflect a broader belief that one more elite player may be the missing piece.


New York Post
26 minutes ago
- New York Post
Mets fans have no excuse — it's time to back Francisco Lindor at the ballot box
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free LOS ANGELES — All-Star balloting starts Wednesday, and Mets fans need to step up this voting season. It's on you fans to finally send to the All-Star Game chronically overlooked superstar Francisco Lindor — who's statistically the best shortstop in the National League, and arguably the best player on the best team. Facts count, but Lindor has to know at this point that he can't count on player voting. For whatever reason, the players around the league apparently don't get Lindor, one of the best power-speed-defense combos going. Thanks mainly to fellow players, Lindor has taken the All-Star collar in Queens since he was shipped there by the Guardians, where he was an All-Star four straight years. He's actually played slightly better as a Met, but the count is up to zero-for-four in All-Star appearances. He won't campaign, but friends say he'd love to be an All-Star again. And more to the point: He deserves it. Once again, he deserves it.