2026 Window World 450
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 21 of 36 in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | July 19, 2026 | ||
| Location | North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.625 miles (1.006 km) | ||
| Distance | 450 laps, 281.25 mi (452.63 km) | ||
| Average speed | 88.397 miles per hour (142.261 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Team Penske | ||
| Grid positions set by competition-based formula | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Joey Logano | Team Penske | |
| Laps | 323 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | |
| Time | 18.665 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNT | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte | ||
| Nielsen ratings | 2.4 million | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | PRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Brad Gillie and Nick Yeoman | ||
| Turn announcers | Pat Patterson (4) | ||
The 2026 Window World 450 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on July 19, 2026, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Contested over 450 laps on the 0.625-mile-long (1.006 km) asphalt short track, it was the 21st race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, as well as the fourth race of the 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge.
Joey Logano won the race.[8] Denny Hamlin finished 2nd, and Chase Briscoe finished 3rd. Ty Gibbs and Shane van Gisbergen rounded out the top five, and Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Todd Gilliland, Daniel Suárez, and Ryan Preece rounded out the top ten.
Ryan Blaney officially clinched his spot in The Chase.[9]
Report
Background
North Wilkesboro Speedway is a 0.625 miles (1.006 km) paved oval short track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1947; primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. It has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 2007 with Ronald Queen serving as director of operations. North Wilkesboro Speedway is served by U.S. Route 421.
The track has a current capacity of 25,000 as of 2023, down from its peak of 60,000 in 1996. NWS retains a vintage aesthetic from the 1990s as part of an effort to preserve the historical value of the track. As a result, the facility retains some of its original buildings built before the track's first closure in 1996, including buildings featuring Winston Cigarettes sponsorship and suites built in the 1980s. Developers in recent years have also added other amenities as part of a revival effort that started in 2022.
When the race returned to the schedule, it was originally scheduled as a 400 lap event, being dubbed as the "Window World 400".[10] However, on December 4, 2025, North Wilkesboro track officials announced the race would be extended by 50 laps, being dubbed as the "Window World 450".[11]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Practice
Christopher Bell was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 18.222 seconds and a speed of 123.477 mph (198.717 km/h).
Practice results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 18.222 | 123.477 |
| 2 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 18.236 | 123.382 |
| 3 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 18.283 | 123.065 |
| Official practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying for the race was canceled due to inclement weather. Ryan Blaney was awarded the pole for the race as a result of NASCAR's pandemic formula.[12]
Qualifying results
Race
Stage 1
Ty Gibbs, with a push from Carson Hocevar, pulled away at the front. Christopher Bell held third, and Erik Jones moved up to fill the fourth position. Bell moves around Hocevar for second and Tyler Reddick moved up to the inside of Jones and ran multiple laps side-by-side.
Ross Chastain’s 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, 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 tapped the car of John Hunter Nemechek, causing him to spin out.
Most cars took four tires on their pit stop under the caution. Shane van Gisbergen opted for just two and improved his track position into the top five. Connor Zilisch and Kyle Larson collided on pit road, causing damage to the right front wheel on Larson’s car.
Denny Hamlin 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.
Stage 2
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 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 replaced Hocevar in the fifth position.
On lap 163 of the race, Logano put Gibbs a lap down.
Nearing the halfway point of Stage 2, green flag pit stops was coming up. Christopher Bell was the first of the leaders to hit pit road on lap 173. A. J. 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 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 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 2, 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.
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 was his most impressive of the season. His victory in Stage 2 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. 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.
Race results
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 80
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage Two Laps: 185
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 185
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 450 | 73 |
| 2 | 7 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 450 | 51 |
| 3 | 30 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 450 | 45 |
| 4 | 2 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 450 | 43 |
| 5 | 8 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 450 | 47 |
| 6 | 26 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 450 | 38 |
| 7 | 23 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 449 | 34 |
| 8 | 18 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 449 | 31 |
| 9 | 17 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 449 | 29 |
| 10 | 21 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 449 | 27 |
| 11 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 448 | 29 |
| 12 | 15 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 448 | 26 |
| 13 | 4 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 448 | 35 |
| 14 | 14 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 448 | 25 |
| 15 | 27 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 448 | 22 |
| 16 | 22 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 448 | 21 |
| 17 | 10 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 447 | 24 |
| 18 | 34 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 447 | 19 |
| 19 | 3 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 447 | 23 |
| 20 | 9 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 447 | 17 |
| 21 | 6 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 447 | 16 |
| 22 | 29 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 447 | 15 |
| 23 | 12 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 446 | 14 |
| 24 | 16 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 446 | 13 |
| 25 | 31 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 446 | 12 |
| 26 | 25 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 446 | 11 |
| 27 | 13 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 446 | 11 |
| 28 | 20 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 446 | 9 |
| 29 | 36 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 446 | 8 |
| 30 | 5 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 445 | 7 |
| 31 | 19 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 445 | 6 |
| 32 | 32 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 443 | 5 |
| 33 | 33 | 33 | Austin Hill (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 442 | 0 |
| 34 | 24 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet | 442 | 3 |
| 35 | 37 | 66 | Chad Finchum (i) | Garage 66 | Ford | 303 | 0 |
| 36 | 28 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 199 | 1 |
| 37 | 35 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 190 | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 17 among 9 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 5 for 43
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 2 hours, 50 minutes and 54 seconds
- Average speed: 88.397 miles per hour (142.261 km/h)
Media
Television
TNT covered the race on the television side. Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. Marty Snider, Shannon Spake, Danielle Trotta and Mamba Smith handled pit road for the television side.
| TNT | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap: Adam Alexander Color-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Color-commentator: Steve Letarte | Marty Snider Shannon Spake Danielle Trotta Mamba Smith |
Radio
The race was broadcast on radio by the Performance Racing Network and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Brad Gillie and Nick Yeoman called the race from the booth when the field races down the front stretch. Pat Patterson called the race from outside of turn 4 when the field races on turn 4. On pit road, PRN was manned by Brett McMillan, Andrew Kurland and Wendy Venturini.
| PRN | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Brad Gillie Announcer: Nick Yeoman | Turn 4: Pat Patterson | Brett McMillan Andrew Kurland Wendy Venturini |
Standings after the race
|
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NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket
| Sonoma | Chicagoland | Atlanta | North Wilkesboro | Indianapolis | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | #45 Tyler Reddick | 36th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32 | #48 Alex Bowman | 10th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32 | #48 Bowman | 5th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | #2 Cindric | 13th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | #2 Austin Cindric | 13th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | #6 Brad Keselowski | 15th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32 | #48 Bowman | 22nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | #34 Gilliland | 19th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | #7 Daniel Suárez | 31st | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | #34 Todd Gilliland | 29th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | #34 Gilliland | 16th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | #77 Hocevar | 22nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | #77 Carson Hocevar | 11th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | #38 Zane Smith | 18th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | #34 Gilliland | 8th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | #9 Elliott | 17th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | #19 Chase Briscoe | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | #16 A. J. Allmendinger | 16th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | #19 Briscoe | 1st | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | #54 Ty Gibbs | 8th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | #54 Ty Gibbs | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | #3 Austin Dillon | 27th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | #19 Briscoe | 36th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | #9 Elliott | 13th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | #23 Bubba Wallace | 22nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | #71 Michael McDowell | 9th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | #71 McDowell | 29th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | #9 Elliott | 11th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | #9 Chase Elliott | 17th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29 | #4 Noah Gragson | 32nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | #34 Gilliland | 24th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | #12 Blaney | 26th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | #11 Denny Hamlin | 26th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 31 | #10 Ty Dillon | 35th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | #11 Hamlin | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | #43 Jones | 15th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | #43 Erik Jones | 23rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | #22 Joey Logano | 24th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | #11 Hamlin | 12th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | #20 Bell | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | #17 Chris Buescher | 19th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 | #42 John Hunter Nemechek | 25th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | #17 Buescher | 19th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | #20 Bell | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | #20 Christopher Bell | 5th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | #1 Ross Chastain | 14th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | #20 Bell | 19th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | #12 Blaney | 11th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | #24 William Byron | 12th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | #47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 21st | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | #24 Byron | 4th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | #5 Larson | 34th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | #5 Kyle Larson | 4th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27 | #35 Riley Herbst | 30th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | #24 Byron | 16th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | #12 Blaney | 1st | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | #97 Shane van Gisbergen | 1st | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | #60 Ryan Preece | 8th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | #97 van Gisbergen | 25th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | #12 Blaney | 7th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | #12 Ryan Blaney | 6th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 | #21 Josh Berry | 28th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ "2026 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
- ↑ "NASCAR releases 2026 schedule, adding Chicagoland and shifting All-Star to Dover". NASCAR. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ↑ "North Wilkesboro Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ↑ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 13, 2026. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Window World 450 Results". Racing-Reference. July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ Page, Scott (July 21, 2026). "North Wilkesboro TV ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Joey Logano wins Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro". Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 20, 2026. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- ↑ Mackenzie, Maggie (July 20, 2026). "NASCAR Chase Field Grows to Three Drivers After Ryan Blaney Clinches Spot". MotorBiscuit. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Window World 400 Marks North Wilkesboro's First NASCAR Cup Series Points Race Since 1996". North Wilkesboro Speedway. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ↑ "50 laps added to 2026 NASCAR Cup race at North Wilkesboro". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ↑ DeGroot, Nick (July 18, 2026). "NASCAR Cup North Wilkesboro starting lineup: Blaney on pole with qualifying cancelled". Motorsport.com. North Wilkesboro, North Carolina: Motorsport Network. Retrieved July 18, 2026.