CONCORD, N.C. - Jeff Gordon, who won the last points-paying race to be held at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996, will serve as the honorary pace car driver in a Chevrolet Camaro for the NASCAR All-Star Race at the venue.
Gordon dominated the 400-lap September 1996 race by leading 207 circuits en route to the win. The victory was the 19th of 93 triumphs that the four-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer would collect in the sport's top series.
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The May 19-21 All-Star weekend will mark the first Cup Series events at the .625-mile track in nearly 27 years. The events will be capped off by celebrating NASCAR's 75th anniversary season at the historic venue with the All-Star Race on Sunday, May 21, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
Gordon now serves as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. All four of the team's cars are already locked into the All-Star Race.
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Joining Gordon as dignitary for the event will be NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham, who was his crew chief for that win and for three of his four championships. Evernham will wave the green flag as the honorary starter. Together with Gordon, the two teamed up to win 47 races from 1993 to 1999.
NASCAR legends and Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip have previously been announced as co-grand marshals.
North Wilkesboro hosted 93 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1949 to 1996 with Hendrick Motorsports’ sweep of the final season of points-paying races among its four wins at the facility. In addition to Gordon's fall race win in 1996, Terry Labonte won the spring races in 1994 and 1996 and Geoff Bodine won the fall race in 1989.
Hendrick Motorsports has won the non-points All-Star event 10 times in its history. Jimmie Johnson’s four wins (2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013) are the most in event history. Gordon’s three wins (1995, 1997 and 2001) are tied for the second-most with Dale Earnhardt. Labonte (1999), Chase Elliott (2020) and Kyle Larson (2021) each have won one All-Star Race for the team.
