NASCAR veteran leaves no doubt about his verdict on North Wilkesboro Speedway’s alternative

Brad Keselowski wants big changes to NASCAR’s All-Star Race format. After earning pole position for Sunday night’s 250-lap All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the 2012 Cup Series champion made it clear that he believes the race should go back to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s oval. According to him, North Wilkesboro should be made a points-paying race in its place.

Keselowski shared his thoughts during a media session after qualifying on Saturday, where he and his No. 6 RFK Racing crew put together a flawless run. The veteran driver was almost a full second faster than anyone else, earning the top starting spot for the NASCAR exhibition event.

The strong performance came at a time when Keselowski has struggled badly to start the 2025 season. When asked what he would like to see from North Wilkesboro Speedway going forward, Keselowski said he believes the track deserves a more meaningful spot on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

"I think this needs to be a points racetrack," Keselowski shared (via Speedway Digest).

"I'd like to see the All-Star Race most likely return to Charlotte. That's my personal opinion. I think the Charlotte racetrack, particularly since it only has one race on the oval, I think that's a miss for our sport. It's a great racetrack and puts on some of the best racing, so it would make sense to me if we were to revert back to that and make this a season race, and probably get rid of a race like the Roval or something like that."

When told the Roval has produced some good moments, Keselowski disagreed, saying:

"Has it really? I look at the stands and there are more fans that come to the oval race and better ratings too, than come to the Roval races. I thought that's what we judge the sport by. I'm very strong about the Roval has got to go."

Keselowski will lead the field to green on Sunday, May 18, at 8:00 pm ET and will have a great chance to get his season back on track.

---

Brad Keselowski is having one of the worst NASCAR seasons of his career

Brad Keselowski’s 2025 season has been a struggle from the start. The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion is 33rd in the standings after 12 races, with no top-10 finishes and five DNFs. He has crashed out of the last three races and has not found any consistent pace or luck.

His best finish so far this year came at Las Vegas, where he placed 11th. Outside of that, he has finished worse than 30th in nearly half the races. Week after week, new problems have kept him from turning things around.

At Kansas Speedway, things were finally looking better. Keselowski passed Kyle Larson and was chasing down Chase Elliott for the lead in the final stage. However, on Lap 194, a right-rear tire blew, sending him hard into the outside wall. His day ended in 37th place.

Speaking afterward, Keselowski said (via Motorsport.com):

"It was going to be a great day. Felt like we had a shot to win with our Ford Mustang. Pretty car, but it's not pretty anymore. I didn't really have much of a warning. Just went into Turn 1 and I heard a big 'boom,' and around it went. It's unfortunate."

Despite the bad luck, the RFK Racing driver still has a chance to salvage the season. A strong performance in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and a win could be the boost he needs. The $1 million prize and a victory might help reset his momentum and get him back in the hunt for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.