In the foothills of North Carolina, once the old tobacco country of Winston-Salem gives way to the beginnings of the western part of the state and its mountains, the very soul of NASCAR racing lies. Where bootleggers once roamed by the cover of darkness,

It's surprising to see Larson, who also run the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, be declared the favorite simply for the fact that he'll already have 500 miles under his belt by the time the green flag waves at Charlotte. Nonetheless, the 2021 Coke 600 winner will undoubtedly have a fast car, and if exhaustion doesn't get to him, he'll be in the mix.

The NASCAR Cup Series begins the All-Star race weekend with practice and qualifying for Sunday's All-Star Race and All-Star Open. Follow here as the Cup Series sets the North Wilkesboro lineup.