LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
NORTH WILKESBORO PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Window World 450

DATE: July 19, 2026
Race: NASCAR Cup Series 21 of 36
TRACK: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway | .625-Mile Oval

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT NORTH WILKESBORO: John Hunter Nemechek spent an early portion of his career at North Wilkesboro in the Allison Legacy Racing Series. This weekend will be his first points-paying NASCAR national series start at the 0.625-mile oval and his third overall. Nemechek has been to the short track twice before this weekend for the NASCAR All-Star race weekends in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, Nemechek finished the All-Star Open in 14th. In 2025, he finished the Open in second allowing him to qualify for the main event where he ultimately finished 19th.

T-MACK AT NORTH WILKESBORO: Sunday’s race will mark crew chief Travis Mack’s 34th career short track race atop the pit box in the NASCAR Cup Series, and his first points-paying race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. In the 2025 All-Star race, Nemechek and Mack finished second in the 100-lap All-Star Open, earning them a spot in the main event. The duo finished the race 19th.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“North Wilkesboro will be a fun one this weekend. It’s fun to go back to our roots as a sport and North Wilkesboro is a key part of my early racing career, so it’s a special place. I’m excited to get back to a short track, because I feel like those are a test for us at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. We’ve had fast cars the past couple of weeks so I’m ready to see what we can put together this weekend.”

TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:
“The No. 43 team tested at North Wilkesboro back in January, and I think that gave us a solid baseline to build from. We’ve continued to work on our short track package, and we’re looking to put together another strong run this weekend. We’ve built some momentum over the past several races, and hopefully we can keep that going over the next few weeks as we continue working our way into the top-20 in the point standings.”

ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES NWB STATS: Sunday’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway will mark Jones’ fourth time at the track – three non-points paying races with the NASCAR All-Star Race and now his first points-paying at the 0.625-mile oval. When the NASCAR Cup Series first returned to the track in May 2023, Jones was already locked into the main event by virtue of his Southern 500 victory in September 2022. He started the race 21st but finished an impressive eighth in the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE. In 2024, Jones had to race his way into the main event via the All-Star Open. Jones qualified 11th for the 100-lap race but fell back to finish 18th. He did not advance to the 2024 All-Star Race. Last year, Jones started the All-Star Open in 12th and worked his way up to fourth by the checkered flag.

TESTING AT NWB: Prior to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Jones and the No. 43 team participated in the NASCAR organizational test at the .625-mile track of North Wilkesboro. Him along with drivers from other teams evaluated a new 750-horsepower engine package for tracks under 1.5-miles along with some different tire configurations.

ALEXANDER AT NORTH WILKESBORO: This Sunday’s race at North Wilkesboro, crew chief Justin Alexander will make his first start on top of the box at the .625-mile oval. Despite not having called a race at North Wilkesboro, Alexander has called 45 races on short tracks with one win in August 2024 at Richmond Raceway with Austin Dillon. In total, he earned three top-fives and nine top-10s at North Wilkesboro.

ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“I think North Wilkesboro has changed so much over the last couple of years when we held the All-Star Race there. It’s exciting for it to get a points race on the NASCAR schedule now. North Wilkesboro is a tough place with the repave as it changes year by year. Unlike the past couple of years, there’s now points on the line so you want to perform well here. We’re building our cushion on our spot in the Chase and a good finish would help with that. Hopefully we have another fast car so we can continue to protect our spot. I’m looking forward to getting up there again and seeing what we can do.”

JUSTIN ALEXANDER QUOTE:
“Looking forward to North Wilkesboro this weekend. We’ve been to this track for a few years now, but this will be the first time were going to do a full race. There will be a lot of unknowns for all the teams, and since we were able to do a tire test here this past winter, we feel like we learned a few things that we can take with us this weekend. We have six races left until the Chase cutoff, so our plan is to go out and continue the momentum we’ve had these last few months and keep ourselves above the cutline.”

CLUB MINUTES:
JJ ON SHORT TRACKS: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson knows how to find victory lane at tracks less than a mile in length. In 113 total short-track starts, Johnson won 14 times and earned 63 top-10 finishes while leading 4,307 laps in his career. In total he earned three wins at Richmond Raceway, nine at Martinsville (Va.) Raceway, and two at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. He has an average finish of 12.7 on short tracks in his career.

KENSETH – A SHORT TRACK WINNER: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB competition advisor and 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth has had his own share of success at short tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series. In 115 starts, Kenseth won six races and earned 53 top-10s. He won four races at Bristol Motor Speedway and two at Richmond Raceway.

THE KING AT NORTH WILKESBORO: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ambassador and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty owns 66 starts at North Wilkesboro. In total, he earned 15 wins, 33 top-fives, and 42 top-10s at the historic short track. He also led 5,315 laps at North Wilkesboro. Petty earned his first victory at the .625-mile oval in September 1962 and his final in April 1981.

THE SHORT TRACK KING: Richard Petty was “The King” when it came to winning on short tracks. Of his 200 total wins in the Cup Series, 107 of them came at short tracks. In 448 starts, he also earned 259 top-fives and led 30,984 laps on the smaller tracks. He has an average finish of 8.4 on short tracks in his legendary career.

SHOP TOURS WITH THE CLUB: On Thursday, July 16 and Friday, July 17 prior to the North Wilkesboro weekend, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will be hosting shop tours for members of the CLUB. For more information or to sign up for the CLUB, click HERE.

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:

What happens when NASCAR pit crew athletes take on the biggest race in IndyCar? When Tony Kanaan called ‪Jimmie Johnson looking for help ahead of the Indianapolis 500, Legacy Motor Club answered.

CLUB APPEARANCES:
Both drivers will visit the Dollar Tree display in the fan zone for an autograph session this weekend. John Hunter Nemechek will stop by on Sunday, July 19 at 3:45 p.m. local time. Erik Jones will also visit the display on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. local time. 100 wristbands will be handed out at the display prior to each signing for fans.

TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, July 19 at 7 p.m. EDT on TNT Sports, MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ford Racing Media Zoom Call
Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is currently in a battle to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Chase, which will begin at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 6. Preece goes into this weekend’s race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 18th place, 26 points below the cut line for the final spot. He spoke about that and Sunday’s first points race at the track in 30 years during a Ford media call this morning.

RYAN PREECE, No. 6 RKF Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse – IS THIS A BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR RFK TO CAPITALIZE ON ALL OF THESE SHORT TRACKS COMING UP? “Yeah. I’m biased, for sure, when it comes to short track racing and the racing that it provides, especially with the way the tire and all of that has gone. So, I feel really good about it. North Wilkesboro, Iowa, New Hampshire, those are all places that I’ve had success at and I look forward to going to, and I feel like attrition and taking care of your tires and the things you learn throughout the steps to get to Cup level, these are where they really come into play. I did a little bit of studying last night watching the Open and the All-Star last year and what you’re gonna really have to focus on, so one week at a time and feeling prepared.”

DO YOU EXPECT A LOT OF ATTRITION THIS WEEK WITH A LONGER THAN USUAL NWS RACE AND A BIGGER FIELD? “Yes. I think that there’s nowhere to hide at North Wilkesboro. It’s not Bristol, but it’s very similar. In the pack, the front of the pack is gonna be coming. The nice part that we saw in the All-Star and in the Open is it got really wide, so we’re not gonna hear, I mean dirty air is a thing, there’s just a lot of groove at North Wilkesboro to navigate and try and get out of somebody’s way can make speed, so with that comes the potential of guys lapping very quickly and if you’re struggling, it’s gonna be a long, long day.”

WHAT IS THE DYNAMIC IN THE CUP SERIES RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT DRIVERS SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T SAY ON THE RADIO OR RESPECT ON THE RACETRACK? “That’s a great question. Listen, everybody on this call as well as a lot of people who know who I am as a race car driver, and, really, the way I was raised to be and race. By no means am I saying I’m a saint because I’ve made mistakes like many, many others. I think the thing for me is I race on the racetrack with a level of respect. I came into the Cup Series and I really didn’t want to get into Martin Truex or your Kevin Harvicks, your Denny Hamlins. Like, you made it a point to not do anything stupid around them so that when you were racing around them you felt like you earned a level of respect back. So, for me, I race people the way I want to be raced. Now, can I take my gloves off and get rough? The background that I come from racing against the Ted Christophers and the many others from the weekly side up here in the northeast, yeah, I’m fully capable of getting rough and doing those things, it’s just that you don’t need to do that. So, for me, I don’t know how to correctly answer this, to be honest with you, but I would agree a lot with what I guess Chase said about you’re punished for honesty and not punished for lying. For me, I know how I want to be as a race car driver. I know how I want to be raced and if you race me like I feel like we all should, there’s not gonna be any problems, but I do believe in the best way that we as a sport need to be is – you’re not gonna hook somebody down the straightaway. You’re not gonna do those things, but what I’ve seen over the past few years is accidents and somebody saying that, ‘Hey, man, I made a mistake.’ At the end of the day, when somebody gets out and apologizes and it repeatedly happens, it’s not OK, so the guy who ends up getting wrecked is really just, how do you ever end up getting that one back? I’m not sure, so I think, yes, there’s a lot of things that I’m unsure about, especially over the past week, but all eyes are focused on North Wilkesboro and going into that, race hard. This is my background. That’s why I’m going up to Stafford Speedway tonight racing with a lot of these guys and rub nerf bars.”

WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT ON A CARSON HOCEVAR, WHO PEOPLE LOVE THE AGGRESSIVENESS BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU HAVE THE VETERANS AND OTHERS WHO KNOW HE GETS TIED UP IN STUFF. “Here’s what I’m gonna say, Carson and I have certainly had our run-ins. There definitely have been times where we won’t have a run-in and I think to myself when I watch I’m like, ‘OK, maybe he’s figuring it out.’ Carson hasn’t done anything wrong to me since Texas last year, and I feel like him and I have an understanding right now, so I’m not gonna come in here and slam him at all because I feel like he’s earning my respect back. But, what I will say is when I see him do things to others, it’s harder to keep gaining that respect and to be treated like you want to be raced a certain way one day, you’ve got to earn it. As much as he’s entertaining for the fans, I would agree with Denny that you’re not racing the fans, you’re racing us and we’re all very, very capable of doing some of the things that he does and I’m sure with time, maturity, age, he’ll figure it out, but how much time? That’s the question.”

YOU WERE 13 POINTS ABOVE THE CUT TWO WEEKS AGO AND NOW YOU ARE 26 BEHIND. HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW? “I’m fine. I’m going to three short tracks, Indianapolis, where we finished really well last year and Daytona, my favorite place that I’m gonna try to keep all four tires on the ground. For me, like you said, 26 or 28 or whatever, I don’t know, to me I look at every week as an opportunity to go out and have strong runs and ultimately you go out and get a lot of stage points and a win or top five, you’re talking about being above the cut line. It took two weeks to get plus-13 or plus-whatever, so I’m looking at it for sure, but all it is is just helping me understand what our goal needs to be that week. Right now, I don’t want good luck, I don’t want bad luck, I don’t want any luck. I just want to have a solid week and North Wilkesboro is a place that we can do that, so I feel good about it. In owner’s points we’re only about two points or whatever it is out, so we’re gonna work hard to get back above that cut line.”

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE POINTS EVERY WEEK ARE YOU STRESSED OR IS IT JUST WHAT PROFESSIONAL SPORTS IS? “You just answered it. It’s what professional sports is. I’m used to the highs of highs and the lows of lows and I’ll be honest with you, nothing in life – I’ve been through championship battles, I’ve done all that. Just because I’m racing to get in the Chase, this isn’t any different from the feeling of when you’re 22 years old and at the time the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is your Cup Series and you’re in an absolute grind with whoever it is you’re racing. We’ve been through these scenarios before, it’s just that this one is on a national stage. When I think back to 2017, I risked a lot of money financially to bet on myself, so I’m used to it. I’m numb to it. So, moving forward, every week is an opportunity to go out and succeed. I love when people bet against me. That’s what I live for, so I’m looking forward to the next few weeks.”

DID YOU LEARN ANY SPECIFIC LESSON COMING THROUGH THE RANKS THAT SHAPED THE WAY YOU SEE SITUATIONS? “I think a lot of it comes from your background or the style of racing. Everybody looks at me as a modified guy. I was born and raised in the northeast and that’s primarily what I raced when I was 15 years old and on, but before that I raced micros on dirt a little bit. I raced out in Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Speedrome in a Kenyon midget and I ran some midget stuff, so the open-wheel background of you try not to hit each other because you go flying is something that’s engrained in me, but, to the flip side, I grew up in the northeast where I raced against Ted Christopher, Keith Rocco, Woody Pitkat, Doug Coby, Ron Silk and many other guys that it’s a battle, where nerf bars are used to move people out of the way. You don’t use what we call the chrome horn, but it’s there. I kind of prided myself for 2011 and so on that we wouldn’t replace bumpers. I went an entire season with the same front bumper on the car, so, yes, I’ve gone through lessons. I remember what we call using somebody up – when you driver it into the corner and have no intention of giving them a lane through the outside and you just kind of move up and take it on him. It’s like the northeast slide job the only difference is you’re not sliding in front of him, you’re sliding with him. They joke that eight tires are better than four. Well, I did that to Ted Christopher in 2011 and he completely moved me the next corner, and I lost more than I gained by trying to go by him that time. There was that. There was Mike Stefanik. In 2009 at the Ice Breaker, and this is almost 20 years ago. This is crazy, I’m dating myself. But I was running down the leaders and he was second and I didn’t want to waste time and I used him up. I did the whole northeast slide job thing and after the race I looked at him like most young kids that were 18 or 17 and I looked at him and said, ‘Hey, I’m sorry, but my guys, I had to go.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Well, what about my guys?’ And, very much, that resonated with me and I thought to myself, ‘You know what, you’re right.’ I think that’s what we see in interviews a lot now is we hear the I’m sorrys, but you’re not really sorry, you’re just saying it to the guy to his face. So, from that day forward, I’ve wrecked people. I’ve made mistakes, but my intentions are never to do that. I think that’s the difference, where you can see and watch when people are racing a certain way and you know what their intentions are at that moment. I’ve learned a lot along the way and I’ve made my mistakes. The difference was is it was at a weekly level, a regional level, where I feel like a lot of those things should be made. Once you get to a national stage in the Truck Series, the O’Reilly Series or the Cup Series, you’re expected to be a professional. You’re not really supposed to be learning at that point. You’re learning the car. You’re learning the aerodynamics, but not the fundamentals of racing.”

DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE TO STOP THE BLEEDING AND RESET AT ALL OR DO YOU FEEL YOU PUT THE PAST RACES BEHIND AND FOCUS ON WHAT’S AHEAD? “We can definitely move forward. I felt like Chicagoland was gonna probably be a good one for us and we just never made it past the first corner. There are just times in racing where it’s peaks and valleys and you’ve got to manage the good days and the bad days. That’s the thing about racing. The highs are highs and the lows can be really low and this is part of it, so, yeah, moving forward. I feel like I’ve just had it engrained in me that the clock resets at midnight. After Sunday when you get rolling, or in this past case since it was 2 a.m., the clock reset at 3 a.m., but you need to move forward. As good as yesterday could have been, we need to make tomorrow even better, so that’s really where our focus is and North Wilkesboro, going back and watching the Open and how we were last year and moving forward, I felt like it just reminded me that it’s still racing and just understand what we’ve learned along the way and go and make it a really good one.”

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF POINTS YOU WANT TO GET PER RACE TO GET BACK ABOVE THE CUT LINE? “Some people are very much about analytics and looking at numbers and all those things. I’m very much a fly by the pants guy. If I go out and run top five all day at Wilkesboro or contend for a win or ahead of the guys that I’m racing, the points are gonna take care of themselves. I’ll let the people who try to figure a points per race analysis, I’ll let them worry about that. I’m just gonna drive that car as fast and as hard as I can.”

FANS ENJOYED THE BILLBOARD LAST WEEK. WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED NEXT FOR CHRIS AT NORTH WILKESBORO? “Listen, that whole billboard piece, I didn’t put a ton of thought into it. It was more along the lines of I was with the EchoPark Speedway guys promoting the event the week before and I just casually brought up, ‘Hey, do you know anybody that works with billboards,’ and then they just really helped liaison the conversation and the artist that the billboard company had really made a lot of it possible. We just kind of gave them the idea and the pictures and they made it come to life, so that made it very easy. What I can tell you is Chris has been tagging me and ignoring my phone calls the past 24 hours because he’s put something up about a caterpillar, and then today it was about a butterfly. Well, I’m in Connecticut. I’m not in North Carolina, so I don’t know what he’s done or did with whatever is going on, but he picked a good time to get me back because now I’m having to wait until I get back Friday at midnight to find out exactly what he did. What I can say is he’s been a real champ with how he’s taken a lot of this, so I’m very, very interested to see what. There were points yesterday I was worried that he buried one of my trucks with an excavator or something. I don’t put anything past him.”

DO YOU THINK ECHOPARK IS STILL A ROLL OF THE DICE, OR CAN A DRIVER’S TALENT PREVAIL AT A TRACK LIKE THAT? “There’s definitely skill involved. You need all the pieces there, I will say that. It’s not your Daytona, your Talladega, where you can have an ill-handling car and still kind of make a really good day out of it. EchoPark, as a driver, I can tell you that that place is a handful if you’re struggling in the handling and trying to navigate around there. Is it a wild card? I still consider somewhat of a wild card because there still is a pack and there still could potentially be a big one, so that’s the only wild card part about it. But there’s more of an opportunity to drive from 30th to the front at EchoPark Speedway than there is at Daytona or Talladega, and just because the runs are so big, handling is a really big issue there. You really need to focus on making your car handle well, so it’s really grown into its own. I don’t really know what to classify it as other than we were on a superspeedway style package with an intermediate style racetrack. It makes it challenging. Do I want to see anymore? I don’t. I know it’s exciting for everybody and it’s exciting for us, but that’s all the excitement I need in one year in the Cup Series is twice a year. I enjoy that in our series, in the NASCAR Cup Series, we have road courses, we have superspeedways, short tracks, we have intermediates and then we have EchoPark Speedway, so let’s leave it at that.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
North Wilkesboro Speedway
July 18-19, 2026

It was just three years ago that one of the sport’s most iconic venues, North Wilkesboro Speedway, was revived to welcome NASCAR back to its hallowed grounds. After a three-year stint of hosting the All-Star Race, North Wilkesboro Speedway has earned its long-awaited spot back on the Cup Series’ regular season schedule with Sunday’s Window World 450 marking the first time in three decades that the North Carolina short-track will host a points-paying race for NASCAR’s premier series.

But first, it will be the Craftsman Truck Series that will take on the .625-mile circuit Saturday afternoon in the Faith Fest 250 – bringing the countdown to just four races remaining in the series’ regular season. Along with its full-time competitors, Team Chevy Cup Series regulars – Chase Elliott, Shane van Gisbergen and Carson Hocevar – will complete Spire Motorsports’ three-truck roster for a double-duty weekend.

 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro:

Enriched in history as one of NASCAR’s first tracks, the .625-mile oval has hosted 93 points-paying races for the sport’s premier series. Chevrolet has collected a series-leading 32 all-time Cup Series victories at North Wilkesboro Speedway, with its first coming in Oct. 1957 with Jack Smith’s win in the Wilkes 160. Over four decades of racing at the historic venue, Chevrolet’s victories include its milestone 300th all-time Cup Series win with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Childress Racing in 1986, as well as wins in the final two points-paying events courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports’ season sweep in 1996 with Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon. Since its revival, Kyle Larson is one of just three active past winners at the track – an effort completed during the 2023 season when he cashed in on his third career All-Star Race victory.

LARSON’S STOUT SHORT-TRACK RESUME

Since North Wilkesboro Speedway’s recent return to the NASCAR circuit, it has been a track that has fit right into Kyle Larson’s wheelhouse. Heading into the weekend, the California native is the only active driver that has a victory in both the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series – both of which were earned in the track’s revival season (2023). The weekend sweep was highlighted by his third, and most recent, All-Star Race victory – an effort that saw the two-time champion turn an early-race pit road penalty into a race-high 145 laps led en route to the one-million-dollar grand prize. One day prior, the Truck Series race saw a very similar outcome when Larson drove a Spire Motorsports-prepared Silverado RST to a race-high 138 laps led to capture his third of four career wins in the division.

Larson’s short-track success really took off when he joined the Hendrick Motorsports stable. With six career short-track wins under his belt in NASCAR’s top division, five have been earned with Cliff Daniels and the No. 5 Chevrolet team. Overall, throughout his 66 short-track starts in the series, his wins have been accompanied by an impressive 22 top-fives and 36 top-10s.

IN-SEASON CHALLENGE: ELLIOTT ADVANCES TO ROUND FOUR

Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott ended his homecoming weekend at EchoPark Speedway with a 13th-place result, but it was enough to knock his opponent, Chase Briscoe, out of the In-Season Challenge and advance into the semifinal round. Representing Team Chevy in Round Four at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Elliott will face off against the No. 25 seed Todd Gilliland. With his short-track statistics, Elliott is an arguable favorite to find his way into the finale race. A 23-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series, the Georgia native has earned two career short-track wins – one of which came earlier this season at Martinsville Speedway when he drove the new Camaro ZL1 racecar to its first win since its competition debut. His short-track prowess has paid dividends towards a stout North Wilkesboro resume, with Elliott earning a pair of top-fives and an eighth-place finish in the three All-Star events held at the track.

VAN GISBERGEN’S OVAL PROGRESSION CONTINUES

In the NASCAR Cup Series return visit to EchoPark Speedway, Shane van Gisbergen once again proved that he is getting his footing on the circuit’s oval tracks. With a solid points day on the agenda, the Stephen Doran-led team executed just that by earning points in Stage Two and the track position needed late in the race to contend for the win – ultimately settling for a strong sixth-place finish to maintain a spot above the Chase cutline. The New Zealand native has earned a top-15 finish in 50 percent of the points-paying races thus far this season, including his career-best oval result of fifth that came at Nashville Superspeedway at the start of the summer stretch. Van Gisbergen has made just one appearance at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which came in the 2025 All-Star event weekend. Despite just missing the transfer into the main event, the Trackhouse Racing driver was able to tally an impressive 54 laps led in the Open.

ENFINGER ENTERS THE CHASE PICTURE

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ trip to Lime Rock Park ended in a season turnaround performance by Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team. Amidst the late-race chaos, the veteran driver capitalized on prime track position and a masterful restart to snap a 40-race winless streak and bring Chevrolet to just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time victory in the division. On top of the win, it was the strong points day that the Alabama native needed as the series sits just four races away from the Chase. Enfinger put together a stellar 65-point race to vault up to ninth in the standings and make his first appearance above the cutline of the season. The race-winning momentum, on top of his robust North Wilkesboro history, serves as the perfect opportunity for the No. 9 team to continue its climb up the standings this weekend. Enfinger has finished in the top-10 in all three of his starts at the North Carolina short-track, with his best finish of second coming in the 2024 event.

 BOWTIE BULLETS:

• In 93 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races held at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 32 victories. Since its revival season, Kyle Larson is the only active driver to earn a victory in both the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series – an effort completed in a weekend sweep during the 2023 season.
• With Grant Enfinger’s win at Lime Rock Park, Chevrolet sits just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.
• With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.
• In 163 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 73 victories – a winning percentage of 44.8%.
• Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.
• With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 887 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

 TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series
Window World 450
Sunday, July 19, at 7 p.m. ET
TNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Faith Fest 250
Saturday, July 18, at 12:30 p.m. ET
FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

 QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

When did you first hear about North Wilkesboro Speedway?

“Probably when I was really young. I remember driving up toward Boone and we always passed it while we were on our way to the mountains to go snowboarding. My dad has a win at North Wilkesboro Speedway so my knowledge of that place probably first came from my dad telling me about the track. He took an elevator ride at North Wilkesboro Speedway and I haven’t done that yet, so he holds that over my head. So, that’s one thing I need to do – win at North Wilkesboro so that I can take an elevator ride.”

If someone has never been to a NASCAR race before, why is North Wilkesboro Speedway a great place to experience a race for the first time?

“North Wilkesboro Speedway has a ton of history behind it. You feel the nostalgia when you walk into the track. It’s really cool how tight the racing is. The track is probably one of the best repaves that I’ve ever been a part of. We’ve already moved up to the top of both ends, and then you’re also going to see guys digging around the bottom. I think you’re going to see two and three-wide racing there during the long runs. We don’t know what to expect when we really get into a long tire run, but I think it’s going to be an impactful race.”

What does old school NASCAR mean to you, and how does North Wilkesboro compare?

“To me, old school NASCAR is seeing the sights, smelling the smells, and you know, walking into some of the history of a track and experiencing it first-hand. The faded paints, the nostalgia of it all. We’re fortunate enough to play in the playground of some of the greatest drivers of all time, and experiencing some of the old school stuff that you see at historic tracks like North Wilkesboro Speedway is just special.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

North Wilkesboro has always been a special venue for NASCAR, and now it becomes even more significant as a points race. What are your expectations and goals heading into this weekend?

“North Wilkesboro is a special place because you can feel the history the moment you get there. The fans, the atmosphere, and the meaning behind racing at a track like that make it different from anywhere else we go. Last year was a tough night for us at the all-star race after we were caught up in an accident, but that’s part of racing. You learn, you move forward, and you come back stronger. I’m excited for the opportunity to come back, compete, and be part of bringing great memories back to a track that means so much to NASCAR.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

“I think North Wilkesboro Speedway is probably the most unique short track that we go to. Both ends are completely different from each other—the way you drive them, the way they feel, and the way they look. So it’s definitely a really unique racetrack. The conditions will be quite different this time. Hopefully, we can use some of our notes, even though the conditions will not be the same. I feel like our short-track program is getting a little bit better, but yeah, I feel like it’s going to be another race we’ve got to grind out. Hopefully, we can run inside the top 20 and have a good day.”

Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts about racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time in your career?

“I’ve never raced at or even been to North Wilkesboro before, so I’m leaning heavily on Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team entering this weekend. I’ve watched a lot of SMT, in-car camera footage, and race coverage of past All-Star races there. This group was good last year in the All-Star race, so we will use that package as something to build off of for our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet. I don’t know what I don’t know right now, but we will learn quickly in the 25-minute practice session on Saturday and do our best to adjust during the race.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“I’m excited to have Jack Link’s back on our No. 47 Chevrolet this weekend at North Wilkesboro. It’s a fun, old-school short track where track position is everything. Hopefully we can stay up front, have a clean race, and give Jack Link’s a strong finish.”

Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

Your experience at North Wilkesboro consists of the 2025 All-Star Open. From those 100 laps, what did you learn about the racetrack?

“It’s definitely a driver’s track, where it’s a lot about managing your car with the right foot, not burning off your rear tires, and just how important consistency is and the different ways the rubber builds up in different lanes of the track, to just making sure you’re hitting your same marks every time because it’s easy to overdrive, easy to get two tires out of the place where you want them to be. So, consistency definitely pays off at a track like North Wilkesboro.”

Did you notice going downhill down the frontstretch and uphill up the backstretch? More specifically, did the layout affect your respective entries into turns one and three?

“It definitely was interesting. We don’t really have any tracks like that, so we had to get used to just how different both entries were on either side of the track.”

450 laps will North Wilkesboro’s longest race – ever. Do you expect it be a bit of a wrestling match inside the car, where your leg is getting a workout punching the brake pedal, and your upper body is getting a workout turning the wheel and shifting?

“Yeah, absolutely. I do believe that even though it’s 50 laps shorter than our long Martinsville or our Bristol races, I think it’s going to be more physically demanding. I don’t believe you can make as many mistakes as you can make at a place like Martinsville or Bristol, so you’ll just be punished with losing lap time too aggressively at North Wilkesboro compared to like Martinsville and Bristol. I think overall, from a mental and physical standpoint, it’s probably going to be one of the toughest races of the year. You throw in a hot day on top of that, it could be pretty brutal.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Talk about the history of North Wilkesboro and the importance of qualifying well at short tracks.

“North Wilkesboro is a fun weekend and it’s a cool racetrack. Obviously, we have been there for All-Star Weekend. Having a longer race is going to be different, but it is a track that has been a lot of fun. The lines move around and you have to manage tires. It is a cool weekend all together. North Wilkesboro is a great town. The city embraces us. It feels like a little time capsule and we get back to the grassroots of the sport. The scoreboard, the walls, the fans – it’s just fun. Every lap counts and everything matters when it comes to short track racing. It’s an elbows-out kind of grind at North Wilkesboro and I am looking forward to it.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How do you think a points race at North Wilkesboro will race differently than the All-Star Races we have seen in the last couple years?

“I think we are going to be running an inch off the wall or all the way at the bottom when the track rubbers up. If it goes green, there’s going to be a lot of cars either off the lead lap or the whole field will be on top of each other because the leader will be stuck in lap traffic. I think it will look like a sprint car race.”

How does the track’s elevation changes affect how you approach the corner?

“You definitely get free into Turn 1 because you’re going downhill, but then you catch the banking. When you get into Turn 3 you’re uphill so you can drive it in further, but the banking falls away a little. You’re constantly racing the elevation more so than you are grip.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What do you expect from North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend and how excited are you to be racing there?

“I’ve raced late models at North Wilkesboro, and I’ve always enjoyed the history of the place. This is the first points race in the Cup Series at North Wilkesboro in 30 years, so that’s really cool. It’s going to be a long race. I remember racing 125 laps in my late model and thinking that was a lot so I can only imagine what 450 laps is going to feel like. I’m excited to see what we can do at Wilkesboro. I was pretty good there at the test we had earlier this year and I feel like that will be a help for me to be able to fire off in practice with a little bit of knowledge and experience.”

Do you expect the groove to widen out over the course of the weekend?

“At the test we were running up near the fence in Turns 1 and 2. Turns 3 and 4 are a little bit different and it’s going to take a little longer for that side to widen out. We saw at the All-Star race last year that when the groove widens out that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to pass.”

Is there a chance you might be at the track early this week to watch the Craftsman Truck Series and late model races?

“It depends on how my schedule is, but I’d love to go watch the late model races on Friday. My teammate Shane (van Gisbergen) is in the Truck race on Saturday, so it’d be cool to cheer him on. I’ll probably get up there at some point to hang out and watch some of the racing.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Are you looking forward to North Wilkesboro this weekend?

“Yeah, I had a good time there last year. It was a fun track, cool with the elevation and stuff, with the breaking, gear changing sometimes. I enjoy that place. I’m doing the Truck race there this weekend too, so it will be really cool.”

How important is the sixth-place finish at Atlanta last weekend and the momentum it gives your team heading into North Wilkesboro?

“Oh, it’s everything. I was thinking about it at the end of the race, there was no one around me that I was racing for points so really needed to consolidate where I was. It didn’t change my approach. Got a P6 out of it and it gives us really good momentum heading to North Wilkesboro. It’s a short track, those seem to be good for us, so hopefully we are able to grab some points and get a good result.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturer Championships:

Total (1949-2025): 44

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Most recent: 2025

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

Driver Championships:

Total (1949-2025): 34

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)

Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2026 STATISTICS:

Wins: 6

Poles: 4

Laps Led: 1,548

Top-Fives: 37

Top-10s: 71

Stage Wins: 15

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 887 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 770

Laps led to date: 258,282

Top-fives to date: 4,473

Top-10s to date: 9,222

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,221

       Chevrolet: 887

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 850                                                                               

       Ford: 750

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 215

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

This Week in Motorsports: July 13 – 19, 2026
NCS/NCTS: North Wilkesboro Speedway – July 18-19

PLANO, Texas (July 15, 2026) – NASCAR’s Cup and Truck Series head back to North Wilkesboro Speedway for an action-pack weekend of short track racing. Sunday night’s 450-lap Cup Series race culminates the weekend – the first Cup Series points race at North Wilkesboro since 1996.

NASCAR National Series – NCS/NCTS

Bell advances to In-Season Challenge semifinals … After last weekend’s race at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta), Christopher Bell has advanced to the semifinals of the NASCAR Cup Series In-Season Challenge – the lone Toyota Camry XSE remaining in the tournament. Bell will go up against Ryan Blaney Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver has also been on a strong run of late in the Cup Series, with three consecutive top-five finishes and two consecutive runner-up results, which has propelled him up to ninth in the series point standings. Bell also won the All-Star Race which was held at North Wilkesboro last season.

Wallace makes 200th Toyota start … Sunday’s race at North Wilkesboro will be the 200th in Bubba Wallace’scareer driving a Toyota Camry. The 23XI Racing driver made his first start with the manufacturer at the 2021 Daytona 500, and has since captured three victories (Talladega 2021, Kansas 2022 and last season’s Brickyard 400), 28 top-fives, 60 top-10s, along with three pole positions, in that timespan. In three of his first five years with Toyota, Wallace made the Cup Series Playoffs and is pushing for a spot in “The Chase” this season.

Honeycutt continues impressive 2026 … With a third-place finish last weekend at Lime Rock Park, TRICON Garage’s Kaden Honeycutt added another impressive result to an already stellar 2026 Truck Series season. After 14 races, the Toyota Development driver has one win (Watkins Glen International), nine top-fives and 10 top-10s, along with three pole positions. Honeycutt sits second in the series point standings, 44 points behind the lead, as he chases a regular season title with four races remaining.

Leitz, Heim to pilot No. 1 and No. 5 Tundras … For this weekend’s Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro, Nick Leitz and Corey Heim will be behind the wheel of the No. 1 and No.5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pros, respectively, for TRICON Garage. Leitz makes his 10th career Truck Series start and second of 2026 after running the No. 5 for TRICON Garage at Daytona International Speedway to open the season. For Heim, this will be his sixth Truck start of the season, where he has three wins (Darlington Raceway, Rockingham Speedway and Michigan International Speedway), four top-fives and four top-10s. This weekend also marks Heim’s 95th career Truck Series start.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs approximately 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 36 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Front Row Motorsports
Noah Gragson | Todd Gilliland | Zane Smith
North Wilkesboro Speedway NASCAR Cup Series Race Advance

Event Details:

Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway
Track Size / Surface: 0.625 mile / Asphalt
Track Location: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Race Date: July 19th, 2026
Race Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Race Information: 450 Laps (Stages – 80 / 265 / 450) – 281.25 Miles
Television: TNT
Radio: SiriusXM / PRN

Event Notes:

• 21st points-paying event of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. 23rd on-track event overall this season for the series.
• First and only NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway this season.
• Fourth round of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, with four drivers remaining.
• Six races remaining until The Chase, the NASCAR Cup Series postseason.

No. 4 Team Details

Driver: Noah Gragson

Crew Chief: Grant Hutchens

Primary Sponsor: A&W Restaurants

Standings: 30th (-205 Points to 16th Place)

Recent Season Results:

EchoPark Speedway (July 12th) – 27th
Chicagoland Speedway (July 5th) – 27th
Sonoma Raceway (June 28th) – 32nd

Driver Track History (NASCAR Cup Series)

Starts: 3 (All-Star Race)

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top-10 Finishes: 2

Laps Led: 0

Average Finish: 15.7

Driver and Team Event Notes

Noah Gragson is set to make his fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at the North Wilkesboro Speedway.

A&W Restaurants Event Notes

This will be A&W Restaurants first primary sponsorship race of the 2026 season on the No. 4 car.

A&W Restaurants will use the event to promote their annual National Root Beer Float Day program.

National Root Beer Float Day is to occur on August 6th.


Visitors at participating A&W Restaurants on National Root Beer Float Day will be rewarded with a free, small root beer float from 2-8 p.m.
Visitors can also receive a collector’s mug in exchange for a $10 donation to DAV (Disabled American Veterans). 100% of mug proceeds will be donated to DAV, to support its mission of assisting over one million veterans and their families each year through no-cost services.

No. 34 Team Details

Driver: Todd Gilliland

Crew Chief: Chris Lawson

Primary Sponsor: Ruedebusch Development & Construction

Standings: 24th (-93 Points to 16th Place)

Recent Season Results:

EchoPark Speedway (July 12th) – 19th
Chicagoland Speedway (July 5th) – 16th
Sonoma Raceway (June 28th) – 29th

Driver Track History (NASCAR Cup Series)

Starts: 3 (All-Star Open Only)

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top-10 Finishes: 0

Laps Led: 0

Average Finish: N/A

Driver and Team Event Notes

Todd Gilliland is set to make his fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the two previous starts occurring in the NASCAR All-Star Open event (did not advance to All-Star Race).

Following a 19th place finish, and ahead of Alex Bowman, at the EchoPark Speedway last Sunday, Gilliland and the No. 34 will face off against Chase Elliot and the No. 9 team in NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge semi-finals.

If Gilliland advances this week in the In-Season Challenge, he will compete for the $1 million prize in the final round of the bracket, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ruedebusch Development & Construction Event Notes

This will be Ruedebusch Development & Construction’s third primary sponsorship race of the 2026 season.

Ruedebusch Development & Construction has knowledge and experience in all aspects of the commercial real estate field. From locating new rental space for your business, to finding the perfect piece of land for your new corporate headquarters; from the turn-key facility to the architectural and interior design that will best reflect your company’s culture, Ruedebusch is with you every step of the way.

No. 38 Team Details

Driver: Zane Smith

Crew Chief: Ryan Bergenty

Primary Sponsor: Long John Silver’s

Standings: 23rd (-90 Points to 16th Place)

Recent Season Results:

EchoPark Speedway (July 12th) – 30th
Chicagoland Speedway (July 5th) – 28th
Sonoma Raceway (June 28th) – 18th

Driver Track History (NASCAR Cup Series)

Starts: 2 (All-Star Open Only)

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top-10 Finishes: 0

Laps Led: 0

Average Finish: N/A

Driver and Team Event Notes

Zane Smith is set to make his third NASCAR Cup Series start at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the two previous starts occurring in the NASCAR All-Star Open event (did not advance to All-Star Race).

Smith has one NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, in 2023, where he had an early exit from the event after being involved in a wreck on lap 204 and finished 32nd competing for Front Row Motorsports.

Long John Silver’s Event Notes

This will be Long John Silver’s fourth primary sponsorship race of the 2026 season on the No. 38, including primary sponsorship at Bowman-Gray Stadium, in February.

Long John Silver’s will feature its iconic “Fish Yeah” scheme on Smith’s No. 38.

Fans traveling to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the race can visit the Long John Silver’s location in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to grab some of their summer seafood specials for tailgating.

Not attending the race? Visit LJSilvers.com to place an order for your race-viewing party!

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit FrontRowMotorsports.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.