Ryan Blaney will start from pole for Sunday’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway after NASCAR canceled Cup Series qualifying due to inclement weather.
A severe thunderstorm in the afternoon prompted officials to cancel qualifying, and according to the rulebook Blaney was awarded the pole being the most recent winner from EchoPark Speedway.
“A great lap,” the Team Penske driver joked. “I look forward to Sunday; I’ve enjoyed coming here the last few years for the All-Star Race. I was excited when they announced there was going to be a points race here because I feel like this place has done a really good job not only revitalizing the facilities, but they do a really good job of fan experiences, and it puts on a really good race, too.
“It’s a long race, for sure, tomorrow night – 450 laps is a long way. But it’s going to be a good show, so I’m excited, and I think it’s very well deserving of a points race.”
Blaney will share the front row with Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Christopher Bell starts from third, followed by Carson Hocevar in fourth and Tyler Reddick in fifth, giving the front half of the grid a mix of championship-caliber veterans and hungry challengers.
Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Chris Buescher, and Chase Elliott round out the top ten.
NASCAR North Wilkesboro schedule: Start time, TV info
Full 2026 NASCAR Cup North Wilkesboro starting lineup
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske Ford |
| 2 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 3 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 4 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 5 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 6 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
| 7 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 8 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 9 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing Ford |
| 10 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 11 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske Ford |
| 12 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
| 13 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 14 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske Ford |
| 15 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 16 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 17 | 7 | Daniel Suarez | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 18 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 19 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
| 20 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team Chevrolet |
| 21 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing Ford |
| 22 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
| 23 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing Ford |
| 24 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 25 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 26 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 27 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 28 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
| 29 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 30 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 31 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 32 | 88 | Connor Zilisch # | Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 33 | 33 | Austin Hill(i) | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
| 34 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 35 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
| 36 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
| 37 | 66 | Chad Finchum(i) | Garage 66 Ford |
