Kyle Larson tops NASCAR All-Star Race practice at North Wilkesboro

After the practice session at North Wilkesboro, it is Kyle Larson who is the fastest. Although that won’t matter much regarding the starting order. We have two Heat races lined up and before those get going, there is going to be the Pit Crew Challenge. So, a lot going on this Friday for the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.

Kyle Larson opened up as the odds-on-favorite. He was also one of our Drivers to Watch this week heading into the race. So far so good on that front. Larson made sure that he got everything out of his No. 5 Chevy Camaro. An All-Star Race win this Sunday would be his third career win in the event. But it comes with the honor of winning at North Wilkesboro.

Being fastest in practice doesn’t always translate to a good race. However, with the way the qualifying is being set, the single lap times from practice are about all we have to go on for this weekend.

Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic also noted the fastest in the long-run segments. Denny Hamlin had the best five-lap average. William Byron had the best 10-lap average. Then Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney were fastest at 15 and 20 laps, respectively.

0.625 of a mile and he's got speed. #AllStarRace pic.twitter.com/w8zvJV8ivV

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 19, 2023

With Kyle Larson showing speed early, we should expect to see him up front on Sunday. Yes, there is a lot that has to happen between now and race time on Sunday night. However, he’s shown he has a knack for riding the wall, he doesn’t care to find the best groove if he has to.

So, with his single-lap speed, Larson will worry about what he can do to make his car better in the long run.

Keep an eye on Kyle Larson

With a beat-up race track and a lot of unpredictability about the surface overall, maybe Kyle Larson has an even better chance at a win. This feels like it plays into that dirt racer mentality that Larson and other Cup Series drivers have. They will try to find the best grip on the track and exploit it however possible.

We know that Larson is really good at racing short tracks. He showed off at Richmond and Martinsville. He should have won at Phoenix if his teammate William Byron wasn’t so good on the restarts.

The point is, Larson remains one of the best drivers in the series and that will show this weekend. A track no one else has raced a Cup car at, one that is rough and eats up tires, adaptability is going to be the name of the game.

Given that Kyle Larson is one of the most versatile racers in the world, I wouldn’t put it passed him to go out and master this North Wilkesboro track on Sunday as he drives to a win.