RIS Gets Taken for a Ride by zMAX CARS Tour Driver
(NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – MAY 13, 2024 – RIS) Broadcaster and NASCAR winner Michael Waltrip, zMAX CARS Tour winner Brenden Queen met with th media today at the newly repaved North Wilkesboro Speedway for a preview of this week’s NASCAR All Star events.
This writer made the drive to Wilkesboro Speedway this morning for a press gathering intro to this week’s activities leading up to the NASCAR All-Star race Sunday. The day started with a discussion of the tires slated for use in the All-Star event. There will be nine sets of tires allotted to each team, three different tires in use: the softer ‘option’ tires with red lettering, which will be mounted to start the race and another set available for use later on; the yellow lettered prime tires, with a harder compound and more like the tires which would be chosen for a points-paying race and the white lettered wet weather treaded tires to be used in case of a wet track. The option and wet tires have the same tread compound but different construction, both internal and slicks vs. treaded. Teams must use the prime tires in qualifying sessions but can choose any tire for the practice sessions and to start the heat races.
zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car driver Brenden “Butterbean” Queen and Michael Waltrip gave attending media rides around the freshly repaved track in the track’s pace ar and the CARS Tour pace car, with Queen drawing this writer as a passenger.
The historic old speedway’s new coat of asphalt is smooth enough for our old steel roller skate wheels, if you remember those. Traction for the races this week should be no problem at all, as the tires on the pace cars made very few protests, no matter how hard Queen or Waltrip pushed.
NASCAR All-Star Race week will include five days or nights of entertainment at North Wilkesboro Speedway including:
- Tuesday, May 14: zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Models Reverend 100
- Wednesday, May 15: zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car Window World 125
- Friday, May 17: All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck and Cup Series practice; the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear; Tim Dugger and Neal McCoy concerts
- Saturday, May 18: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series qualifying and Wright Brand 250; NASCAR Cup Series qualifying heat races
- Sunday, May 19: Warren Zeiders pre-race concert; NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race
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John Davison
Long-time RIS staffer, beginning in the mid-80s. Charlotte, NC area local contact.