A couple years ago, the thought of North Wilkesboro Speedway returning to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in any capacity would have been viewed as a pipe dream. But the revitalization project officially became a success in 2023, when it was given its first race date since 1996.
The four-turn, 0.625-mile (1.006-kilometer) North Wilkesboro, North Carolina oval hosted the All-Star Race in 2023, and it was brought back as the host of the exhibition event in both 2024 and 2025, making in only the second track in Cup Series history to host the All-Star Race for more than two years in a row.
For 2026, the revitalization project of one of NASCAR's most historic venues has taken an even bigger step forward: it is set to host one of the sport's 36 points-paying championship races.
North Wilkesboro Speedway finally back on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule
You have to go back to Jeff Gordon's win in September 1996 to find the most recent instance of a points-paying race at North Wilkesboro, but that is set to change this weekend after North Wilkesboro was given the regular season date that belonged to Dover Motor Speedway a year ago.
Dover instead hosted the mid-May All-Star Race for the first time in its history, making the 2026 season the first since the track opened in 1969 without a Dover points race.
Before North Wilkesboro was removed from the calendar in 1997, it hosted not one but two races each year going all the way back to 1951. The only exception was 1956, when it hosted just one race, a race won by Tim Flock.
As a result, the 2026 season is set to be the first in seven decades to feature exactly one single points-paying race at North Wilkesboro. The track also hosted exactly one race in both 1949 and 1950, its first two years on the Cup Series schedule.
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney took the pole position for Sunday's race by virtue of the qualifying metric, since Saturday's qualifying session was canceled due to storms.
The Window World 450, which was extended from its initial 400-lap length to 450 laps, is set to be shown live on TNT from North Wilkesboro Speedway beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19. This race is also set to serve as the semifinal round of the second annual In-Season Challenge tournament. Don't miss NASCAR's first points race at the track in three decades!
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