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Dale Earnhardt Jr is aware that Sunday's All-Star competition at North Wilkesboro Speedway will be emotional, despite how amazing it was to compete there in August. The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the storied track this weekend for the first time since 1996.
Since it was revealed in September of last year that the Cup will be held in North Wilkesboro this year, anticipation has grown. For the All-Star Race, an approximate 30,000-person capacity audience is anticipated.
Earnhardt Jr acknowledges that until Marcus Smith, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports, the track's owner, informed him of the intentions, he didn't anticipate the Cup to race there.
It's likely that a repaved race track will host NASCAR Cup Series. The track, which was last paved in 1981, already required minor repairs from track authorities this week. Speaking about the surface, Dale Earnhardt pointed out the problems and insisted that it is a big risk for Sunday's race.
"Our cars, our program and our style of race can deal with a lot of imperfection, but the Cup crowd, it will not put up with problems and problematic surfaces. One little problem, one car has any kind of an issue from a rock going through their radiator or whatever, you can’t have that going on." Earnhardt said to Fox's Bob Prockrass.
He then continued:
"It’s a big risk that they’re taking now with this surface for this Sunday. I think they won’t want to take that risk again. I’ll be surprised if they do.”
The NASCAR All-Star Race will be held at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the sixth time. There have been 34 previous All-Star races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, two at Texas Motor Speedway, and one each at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR will suffers a significant loss with Dale Earnhardt Jr's retirement
A devastating blow to a sport that has seen its star power decline in recent years is Dale Earnhardt Jr's impending retirement at the end of this season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr will join a Hall of Fame list of drivers and passionate fan favorites. They have recently permanently pitted when he competes in what he hopes will be his final race in November.
The only NASCAR driver now who possesses that radiant sheen of stardom, the only one with crossover appeal, is Dale Earnhardt Jr, the son of Dale Earnhardt Sr. The seven-time Cup winner died in a last-lap wreck in the 2001 Daytona 500.
In the 69-year history of NASCAR, just 30 other drivers have won 26 races in their careers. But he's had trouble this year. His average finish through eight races is 23.8, which is on course to be the worst of his career. It is likely that NASCAR will further fade into the background of the American athletic landscape once Earnhardt retires at the end of 2017.
