Joey Logano Wins in NASCAR’s Return to Points Racing at North Wilkesboro

North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, NC — July 19, 2026

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first points-paying race at the track since 1986. North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race from 2023 to 2025. The venue holds a special place in NASCAR history and in the hearts of serious stock car racing fans.

North Wilkesboro Speedway is located in Wilkes County, North Carolina — “The Moonshine Capital of the World” — and is often associated with the inspiration for the establishment of stock car racing.

• North Wilkesboro Speedway opened as a dirt track in 1947 by founders Enoch Staley, Lawson Curry, Jacob Combs, and Charlie Combs, with Bill France assisting with promotion.
• The first event, a modified race promoted by Bill France Sr., was expected to only draw around 3,000 people, but over 10,000 fans showed up to see Fonty Flock win over his brother Bob Flock.
• From 1951 to 1996, the track hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races per year (except for 1956, as the track was busy with converting the track to pavement).
• The track hosted the final race of the 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Series (now the Cup series). The 1949 Wilkes 200, the first NASCAR race with an established name, was won by Bob Flock over Lee Petty, while Red Byron won the 1949 championship.
• In 2019, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spearheaded a cleaning effort at the track, removing weeds and debris, to get North Wilkesboro laser-scanned into iRacing. The track was released on iRacing in May 2020 and was used during the COVID-era eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The project, which included a YouTube documentary on cleaning the track that
  brought interest in a track revival to an all-time high.
• Prior to the clean-up effort, The Lasco Press visited the Speedway to document its condition and the amount of work needed to make the dream of restoration possible.

• In November of 2021, an $18M allocation from federal American Rescue Plan funds was designated for infrastructure improvements at North Wilkesboro Speedway through the North Carolina state budget. Wilkes County awarded construction contracts for the forthcoming work. The General Assembly agreed in principle to provide a $4M economic grant the following year toward additional facility improvements to host the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race and future special events.

The ultimate dream of returning the Cup Series to North Wilkesboro as a regular stop on the circuit comes true tonight.

Tonight’s Race

Mother Nature could have been more cooperative. Rain washed out qualifying, and a thunderstorm blew through the speedway before the scheduled 7:00 pm start. That did not put a damper on fan enthusiasm as a sold-out crowd filed into the grandstands after the lightning passed.

Ryan Blaney was set to start on the pole. However, a power steering problem necessitated a repair, and he will have to start at the rear of the field. Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell will start on the front row. Carson Hocevar and Tyler Reddick line up behind them.

The Window World 450 will run 281.25 miles around the 0.625-mile asphalt oval with Stages set for 80/185/185 laps.

The competition for the NASCAR Regular Season Championship has heated up with Denny Hamlin edging ahead of Tyler Reddick by 24 points. But Ryan Blaney has gained 100 points on Hamlin over the last four races and trails the points leader by just 65 points.

For fans unfamiliar with the layout of North Wilkesboro Speedway. Heading down the front stretch, cars are actually traveling downhill. On the backstretch, they climb back up the hill. Brake wear could be a critical factor during tonight’s race.

Stage One

Ty Gibbs(54), with a push from Carson Hocevar(77), pulled away at the front. Christopher Bell(20) held third, and Erik Jones(43) moved up to fill the fourth position. Bell moves around Hocevar for second and Tyler Reddick(45) moved up to the inside of Jones and ran multiple laps side-by-side.

Ross Chastain’s(1) crew had several issues with pre-race inspection. As a result, he was relegated to the rear of the field for the start and had to make a drive through penalty down pit road after taking the green flag. Chastain went a lap down in the process. It took only 22 laps for Gibbs to catch the rear of the field and begin lapping cars.

Halfway through the first Stage, Ryan Blaney (12), who started 35th, had advanced to the 26th position, working to stay on the lead lap. The first caution of the night came out on lap 40 when Zane Smith(38) tapped the car of John Hunter Nemechek(42), causing him to spin out.

Most cars took four tires on their pit stop under the caution. Shane van Gisbergen(97)(SVG) opted for just two and improved his track position into the top five. Connor Zillish(88) and Kyle Larson(5) collided on pit road, causing damage to the right front wheel on Larson’s car.

Denny Hamlin(11) stayed out and inherited the lead. Gibbs, Bell, and SVG followed. SVG got a good jump and ran up next to Hamlin on the first lap after the restart. However, he could not hold the top spot, as SVG bumped past him into the lead. With the old tires, Hamlin began dropping back into the pack.

With four fresh Goodyear tires, Joey Logano was the car on the move, charging up into the third spot.

SVG, Gibbs, and Logano raced to the green and white checkered flag with Gibbs just nosing out SVG for the Stage win.

Results of Stage One

Stage Two

Gibbs, Logano, SVG, Hamlin, and Hocevar led the field off pit road. However, Gibbs was caught speeding on pit road and sent to the rear of the field for the restart. SVG and Logano raced side-by-side until SVG was able to pull ahead and block a crossover by Logano. Hocevar came up to join the lead battle, driving under Logano. The #77 car could not make the pass and dropped behind Logano. Chase Elliott ran fourth, and Hamlin sat fifth.

Ryan Blaney joined the top ten for the first time since being kicked to the rear of the field at the start. Logano went to the outside of SVG and retook the lead. Bubba Wallace(23) replaced his boss, Denny Hamlin, in the top five.

As the leaders began moving through lapped traffic, Elliott drove into the second spot, and Hamlin found new life running back in third ahead of SVG. Chase Briscoe(19) replaced Hocevar in the fifth position.

On lap 163 of the race, Logano put Gibbs a lap down.

Nearing the halfway point of Stage Two, green flag pit stops will be coming up. Christopher Bell was the first of the leaders to hit pit road on lap 173. AJ Allmendinger hit the outside wall while being lapped by Logano. He broke the right rear toe link and was able to nurse the car to pit road without bringing out a caution.

On lap 183, Alex Bowman(48) and Tyler Reddick collided trying to get to pit road, and the caution was displayed. This could be a nightmare for teams that have already pitted.

Logano and Hamlin led the field back to the green. Only 15 cars remained on the lead lap, as those teams that had pitted were a lap down. Just after the restart on lap 199, Christopher Bell and Josh Berry(21) collided, and the caution came out again. Bell complained to his crew that the brake pedal on his car was going to the floor.

Again, it was Logano and Hamlin leading the field back to the green flag.

With 30 laps to go in Stage Two, Logano, Hocevar, Hamlin, SVG, and Blaney were the top five.

With laps winding down to the green and white checkered flag, Logano was pulling away at the front of the pack. Hamlin was well-positioned in second. Briscoe, Hocevar, and SVG were battling for the most Stage points they could gain.

Results of Stage Two

The Final Stage

Logano, Hamlin, Wallace, Briscoe, and SVG are the top five heading to the restart. Ty Gibbs got his lap back, and 15 cars remain on the lead lap for the final Stage.

With 150 laps to go in the race, the top five remain the same, with Logano building his advantage at the front consistently. Logano has performed well at the All-Star races held at North Wilkesboro. Tonight’s performance is his most impressive of the season. His victory in Stage Two was Logano’s first of the season, and he has led more laps tonight than all of 2026 combined.

With 115 laps to go, Carson Hocevar’s car had completely lost the handle. He dropped to 13th place, the last car on the lead lap.

With 90 laps to go, Hamlin was the first of the leaders to pit. Logano followed him a lap later. When Ryan Blaney came in, he was caught speeding on pit road and had to return to pit road as the penalty. That mistake takes what has been the best Ford Mustang in 2026 out of contention for the win.

With all pit stops completed, only five cars remained on the lead lap. Logano, Hamlin, Briscoe, SVG, and Wallace remained in the hunt for the win. With 50 laps to go, the interval between Logano and Hamlin was a half-second.

With 30 laps to go, the leaders were catching heavy lapped traffic. Logano had built a one-second advantage. Logano worked his way quickly through lapped traffic until he reached the car of Riley Herbst(35). Who is Herbst’s car owner? Denny Hamlin, who closed to within less than a half-second. Logano made the pass with 10 laps to go, stretched the advantage again, and drove away to the win. He led 323 of the 450 laps at North Wilkesboro.

Next week, the Cup Series moves to Indianapolis. The Lasco Press will be live to bring you all the action from the Brickyard.

NASCAR Cup Series Points Standings

Results of the Window World 450 from North Wilkesboro Speedway