Blaney on North Wilkesboro NASCAR Pole After Qualifying Rain Out
NASCAR set the lineup by performance metric after rain washed out qualifying, giving defending champion Ryan Blaney the pole and Ty Gibbs the outside front row.
- On Saturday, July 18, rain forced NASCAR to cancel qualifying for the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney secured the pole position for Sunday's race using the sport's performance metric.
- Persistent rain and lightning in the North Carolina foothills prompted officials to cancel the session after a weather-related hold. NASCAR utilized its established performance metric, which calculates starting positions using 70% of the previous week's finish and 30% of owner points standing.
- The 450-lap event, featuring three stages of 80 and 185 laps, serves as the semifinal round of the In-Season Challenge. Officials opted to forego qualifying, allowing teams to complete a full practice session instead.
- Kyle Larson starts 27th, Bubba Wallace rolls off 26th, Chase Briscoe begins 30th, and AJ Allmendinger lines up 35th for the Sunday night race. Several drivers face a challenge working through the field to contend for the win.
- Forecasts for race day carry a 30 to 40 percent chance of scattered showers and storms, though afternoon chances are lower than overnight projections. The green flag is scheduled for 7:14 p.m. ET on TNT, which will broadcast the race nationally.
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NASCAR Qualifying Results and Starting Lineup for North Wilkesboro (2026)
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NASCAR Qualifying Results: Window World 450 Starting Lineup at North Wilkesboro Speedway 2026 - FlurrySports
A look at the NASCAR qualifying results and starting lineup for the 2026 Window World 450 NASCAR Cup Series Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on July 19th. Add us as a preferred source on Google searches! NASCAR is heading somewhere it has not been for a points-paying race in 30 years. North Wilkesboro Speedway returns to the Cup Series schedule on Sunday for the Window World 450 — the first points race at the iconic 0.625-mile short track in No…
Who Starts Up Front at North Wilkesboro? Full NASCAR Cup Qualifying Results Inside
By Neha Dwivedi, Staff Writer Mother Nature had the final say at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday, preventing the NASCAR Cup Series from completing qualifying for Sunday’s Window World 450. Persistent rain forced officials to cancel the session after delaying the schedule. Hence, the starting lineup was instead determined by the NASCAR Rule Book. As a result, Ryan Blaney will lead the field to the green flag in the first NASCAR Cup Series p…
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