Josh Berry won Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Open race, and Berry, Ty Gibbs and Noah Gragson advanced to Sunday night’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Berry, racing for the injured Alex Bowman, and Gibbs advanced to the feature by finishing first and second. Gragson, who finished seventh in the Open, won the fan vote to complete the All-Star starting grid.
Gibbs jumped into the lead from the pole and led every lap until NASCAR slowed the race with a competition caution at Lap 40.
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Berry’s team returned him to the track first during the pit-stop round, and he and Gibbs wrestled for the lead much of the rest of the way.
On Lap 54, a five-car crash damaged the cars of Todd Gilliland, Ryan Newman, Gragson, AJ Allmendinger and Chandler Smith.
With 43 laps to go, Michael McDowell and Justin Haley crashed while being passed by Gibbs. Later in the race, McDowell slowed Gibbs’ progress as the leaders moved past lapped cars. Berry took the lead.
McDowell was upset at Gibbs’ move, saying Gibbs “plowed” through him while making the pass.
“I don’t have the budget for the fine. Otherwise, I’d be standing down there (near Gibbs), not here,” McDowell told Fox Sports after the race.
The Wood Brothers team took an unusual approach during one of its pit stops, changing only rear tires on Harrison Burton’s car. Burton finished 11th.
The All-Star Race is scheduled to take the green flag at 8:14 p.m. ET Sunday on FS1.
North Wilkesboro All-Star Open results
#NASCAR … Michael McDowell on his incident with Ty Gibbs and McDowell’s reaction on track pic.twitter.com/VV8PddZyZx
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) May 21, 2023
#NASCAR … So how did the car feel after changing only rear tires in the All-Star Open? Harrison Burton says “there’s a reason why no one has tried it in a while.” pic.twitter.com/23Hz4X4GwA
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) May 21, 2023
