The NASCAR All-Star Race is set for Sunday, May 31. The race will be live streamed on fuboTV (free trial).

William Byron has driven past North Wilkesboro Speedway on his way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. So has Brad Keselowski and many other North Carolina-based NASCAR drivers.

Like most, they’d never been inside the track before this week. And none of the drivers on the NASCAR circuit have raced a Cup Series car here.

That should make the All-Star race on Sunday night at the restored .625-mile track all the more interesting — and unpredictable — when 24 drivers vie for a $1 million first-place prize at the refurbished track.

The last time the track hosted a Cup Series race was in 1996 when Jeff Gordon won.

It has sat mostly dormant and unused for the better part of 27 years until Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith spearheaded an effort to bring it back to life for NASCAR’s 75th anniversary celebration.

Some drivers have tried to get a feel for the track using a simulator leading up to this weekend, and others came earlier in the week to race late-model cars just to get in a few laps.

The practice session on Friday left some to speculate the lack of grip on the track could make it difficult to pass. Others said it could lead to more spinouts.

Despite racing on a asphalt track that hasn’t been paved in more than three decades and had weeds growing up through the cracks four years ago, drivers are embracing the great unknown.

The track has already been patched in several areas and could receive more patchwork during breaks in the race, if pieces start coming up.

When is the All-Star Race?

The All-Star Race is set for 7 p.m. (8 p.m. ET) on Sunday, May 21.

Streaming options

FuboTV

The game will be live streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic of plans is the “fubo pro” package, which comprises 146-plus channels for $74.99 per month. Like all cord-cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

There is also the “fubo elite” package, which comprises 205-plus channels for $84.99 per month. It comes with fuboExtra (48 more channels) and News Plus (11 more channels). Plus, more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

The “fubo premiere” package is “fubo elite” with the addition of Showtime for $94.99 per month.

What TV channel is game on?

The All-Star Race will be broadcast on FS1.

Preview

HARVICK RETURNS TO 29 CAR: It will be an emotional Sunday night for Harvick, who’ll run his final All-Star race in the No. 29 car with his old white Busch Light paint scheme.

After Dale Earnhardt’s death at the Daytona 500 in 2001, Harvick took over Earnhardt’s role for owner Richard Childress Racing, who changed the car number from the iconic No. 3 to 29. Harvick went to win later that year at Atlanta, en route to a standout career that will come to an end when he retires after this season.

“Dale’s passing changed our sport forever, and it changed my life forever and the direction it took,” said Harvick, who normally races the No. 4 car for Stewart Haas-Racing. “Looking back on it now, I realize the importance of getting in that car.”

Harvick pushed to ride the No. 29 car one more time and thanked SHR and RCR for agreeing to make it happen.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to drive it one last time,” Harvick said.

ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS: Corey LaJoie is one of the few drivers who has visited North Wilkesboro Speedway, sneaking into the track in 2018 for some engagement photos with his then-fiance, Kelly.

He admitted that took some “persuading” to convince her to come to an old, abandoned track for pictures.

“It’s got to have the right lighting and the whole thing,” LaJoie said. “It had to fit the look that my wife wanted.”

Getting into the track proved to be more difficult.

LaJoie arranged for the shoot, but when he got to the track he was greeted by “a grumpy guy out front in the trailer with a chocolate lab,” who apparently hadn’t been informed of the event.

“I rolled up and he was not too impressed that some people showed up with a makeup artist, a photographer and some people who were done up in nice clothes,” LaJoie said. “So I had to call Marcus (Smith) up and say, ‘No, no… I promise. I’m allowed to be here.’”

ALL STAR RULES: As usual, the 200-lap All-Star race will have a unique format.

Twenty-one drivers have already qualified for the All-Star race by virtue of their past achievements, while two others will advance through Sunday’s All-Star Open and a third through the fan vote.

Alex Bowman will not race due to an injury.

ODDS AND ENDS: Kyle Larson, who had the fastest lap at practice on Friday, is the favorite to win the All-Star race at 7-1 odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. He’s followed closely by William Byron, last week’s winner at Darlington Raceway, and Harvick at 15-2.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.