North Wilkesboro Speedway is clearly one of the iconic NASCAR tracks. It was missing from action for a long time. However, it is readying up to come back to action next season, thanks to a committed Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Junior was a major driving force behind not only the restoration of the racetrack but also drawing the limelight back on it from a commercial and official point of view.

All of this led NASCAR to award North Wilkesboro Speedway with the honor of hosting the 2023 All-Star Race.

To make sure they host a successful event as their first NASCAR event in decades, NWS is leaving no stone unturned. It may take a million-dollar paycheck to ensure that they protect the track and the crowd from strange driver maneuvers.

Maneuvers like Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’.

NWB Speedway’s official Twitter account recently cracked a joke on their preparations being Chastain-proof for the All-Star race. “Back in 1996 we didn’t have to worry about some guy named @RossChastain,” the tweet read. 

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Dale Earnhardt Jr on Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ move

Speaking about Ross Chastain‘s internet-shattering ‘Hail Melon’ move in Martinsville that booked his ticket in the final four for Phoenix, Dale Earnhardt Jr, just like almost everyone, was left in awe.

The Hall of Famer believed the #1 driver should get all the praise and credit which came his way. And the fact that one move really amplified NASCAR’s appeal overnight, landing the sport and brand in unfamiliar territories, was also something that wasn’t lost on Earnhardt Jr.

“Ross should be really credited because only those unique things can take you outside your own bubble and your own world,” the JR Motorsports co-owner said.

“And for a moment this week, we were in a lot of places we usually don’t exist.”

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