NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – July 20, 2026 – Team Penske’s Joey Logano won Sunday’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, earning his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2026 season and the 38th win of his Cup Series career. Logano’s triumph marked Ford Racing’s second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory following Ryan Blaney’s win at Atlanta, while also delivering the 400th NASCAR Cup Series points win for Roush Yates Engines.

“Congratulations to Roger, Mike, Paul, Joey and everyone at Team Penske on the win at North Wilkesboro,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “To earn our 400th NASCAR Cup Series points win is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the dedication of everyone at Roush Yates Engines, Ford Racing, and our race teams over the years. Joey and the No. 22 team put together a strong performance throughout the race and we’re proud to provide the horsepower that helped deliver Ford Racing’s second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory.”

“It was just a solid race car. I knew in practice that the car had speed and the balance was really loose. When you have that, its like, ‘OK, if we get the balance right, this thing is really fast, I think.’ So, they did a good job dialing it in overnight and putting it in position at the end of the first stage. That’s when we finally got where we needed to be and was able to just set sail up front. It was just a really solid race car. I was lucky to get to drive this one today and really just being able to manage a lot of things inside the car, so I’m proud of Paul Wolfe. He does a good job. We tested twice over the offseason here when they were testing all of the other stuff with the rules packages and stuff, so just a really good tester,” commented Logano.

After Saturday’s qualifying session was rained out, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney was awarded the pole position for Sunday’s Window World 450 based on the NASCAR rule book. However, Blaney was forced to start from the rear of the field after adjustments to the power steering on his No. 12 Ford before the race. As Blaney worked his way back to the front of the field, teammate Joey Logano steadily climbed into contention after starting 11th. While Ty Gibbs claimed the opening stage, Logano remained among the leaders throughout the first 80 laps and collected valuable stage points with a third-place finish before taking control during the middle portion of the race.

Despite multiple pit strategy cycles and late pressure from Denny Hamlin, Logano maintained control throughout the final stage after winning Stage 2 to sweep the race’s final two segments. The No. 22 team continued to execute on pit road and on restarts, allowing Logano to lead a race-high 323 of 450 laps and hold off Hamlin by 0.376 seconds to secure his first victory of the season. The victory also marked the 400th NASCAR Cup Series points win for Roush Yates Engines.

Three additional Ford Racing drivers finished inside the top 10, with RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski finishing seventh, Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland eighth and RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece 10th.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the Brickyard 400, where Ford Racing will look to extend its winning streak to three consecutive races.

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class AS9100 Rev D/ISO 13485 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Racing in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

Official Printing Partner of Tennessee Titans Goes Racing With RWR

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 20, 2026) – Graphics615, a creative print, design and mailing company that is the official printing partner of the Tennessee Titans, has joined Rick Ware Racing (RWR) and will be featured across the team’s diverse motorsports portfolio.

The Nashville-based organization is now the official printing partner of RWR, with Graphics615 serving as a major associate partner on RWR entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track, FIM World Supercross Championship and grassroots Late Model racing.

In this multiyear agreement, Graphics615 will leverage its role with RWR to build a franchising model where the personalized services and tailored marketing strategies that have made the company so successful in Nashville and its surrounding communities can be recreated in other metropolitan areas.

“Graphics615 has built a tremendous reputation by delivering quality work and outstanding service, and they’ve reached a point where they’re ready to grow beyond their home market,” said team owner Rick Ware. “With the scale of our racing program, we can help introduce their brand to new audiences and create business opportunities in markets across the country and around the world. That’s the kind of partnership we strive to build at RWR.”

With involvement in seven different racing series that touch 26 states and seven countries, RWR delivers unmatched scope and value to its partners.

“Rick Ware Racing gives us a unique platform that reaches a wide variety of audiences across multiple motorsports disciplines in markets throughout the United States and beyond,” said Jeffrey Dillard, chief operating officer, Graphics615. “As we grow our business and develop our franchising model, it’s important that we align ourselves with organizations that share our entrepreneurial mindset. This partnership helps tell our story while creating new opportunities to build relationships in communities where Graphics615 can make a positive impact.”

Even in an increasingly digital world, print remains an essential component of successful marketing campaigns. It augments the speed and efficiency of digital with tangibility that earns trust and improves brand recall.

“Social media builds reach and engagement, and print deepens trust and keeps brands memorable. Racing really embodies this,” Dillard added.

“Social media is a massive component for teams and their personalities and the brands aligned with them to reach fans, but then at the track, that reach becomes real, from fans getting hero cards signed in the garage or out at the merch rig, to signage directing fans to experiential events, and then QR codes and coupons at those events that activate the fan connection.

“That’s what we do at Graphics615. We help brands turn outreach into engagement, and we’re proud to partner with Rick Ware Racing to drive that point home.”

To learn more about Graphics615, please contact sales@graphics615.com or call 615-370-5005.

About Rick Ware Racing:

Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age 6 when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with wife Lisa by his side, Ware transitioned out of the driver’s seat and into full-time team ownership. He has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that competes full-time in the elite NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning winning teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track (AFT), FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) and zMAX CARS Tour.

Event: Window World 450

Location: North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026

Start: 28th

Finish: 36th

For a portion of Sunday night’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse were making steady progress through the field before another stroke of misfortune ended their night before the halfway point.

After qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather on Saturday, the starting lineup was set by the NASCAR performance metric, placing Berry 28th on the grid. Undeterred, Berry methodically worked his way through the field, climbing to 17th by the conclusion of Stage 1 on Lap 80.

Berry’s charge continued when the green flag waved to begin Stage 2. Displaying the short-track prowess that has become one of his trademarks, he advanced to 12th before making a scheduled green-flag pit stop.

On a track the size of North Wilkesboro, green-flag pit stops typically leave drivers multiple laps down while the field cycles through. Berry’s stop was clean, but a caution flag flew before the remaining frontrunners could complete their stops, trapping the No. 21 and significantly altering the team’s strategy.

Despite battling to recover, Berry’s night came to an abrupt end on Lap 199 when Christopher Bell’s No. 20 car slid up the racetrack and made contact with the left side of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, sending Berry into the outside wall.

The damage proved too extensive to continue, relegating Berry to a 36th-place finish.

“It looked like the 20 just got loose and chased it up into us and we wrecked,” Berry told reporters at the track, adding that it was especially frustrating given that his Mustang was so fast. “We drove up to probably just outside the top 10.

“We had top-five lap times, the car was good, and then we pit and the caution of course comes out and we get trapped two laps down, wave around, just back there in the crap and just get wrecked.

“It’s disappointing. I felt like tonight was the night we certainly could have gotten a good finish like it looks like our teammates are going to do, but that was tough. I’m aggravated at the 20, but he’s in the same position I am. He was back there and just got loose.”

Berry said this season’s string of setbacks has been unlike anything he has experienced in his racing career.

“I’ve never lived through a season like this when it’s just one thing after another,” he said. “Things that people don’t see that don’t make it on TV. I don’t go on social media every week and post about every little thing that went wrong in our race.

“We just can’t catch a break, flat out. Even this week, we were eighth in practice and had a good car and, of course, qualifying gets rained out. If we get to qualify, I felt like we would have had a much better starting spot, a much better pit stall.

“It’s just one thing after another and it’s certainly discouraging.”

Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team will look to rebound next weekend in the Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Window World 450
North Wilkesboro, N.C. – July 19, 2026

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 FREIGHTLINER FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE

START: 14TH STAGE 1: 9TH STAGE 2: 18TH FINISH: 14TH POINTS: 16TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse team battled throughout Sunday night’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway before finishing 14th after an untimely caution during the Stage 2 pit cycle cost the team valuable track position. With qualifying canceled Saturday due to inclement weather, the starting lineup was set according to the NASCAR Rulebook, placing Cindric 14th on the grid for the first NASCAR Cup Series points race at the historic short track since 1996. Cindric methodically worked his way into the top 10 during the opening stage, earning a ninth-place finish in Stage 1 after reporting he was pleased with the balance of the Freightliner Ford before it tightened up over the course of the second run. Crew chief Brian Wilson called for an air pressure adjustment during the stage break to address the concern. After restarting 14th for Stage 2, Cindric continued to race around the top 15 before making a scheduled green-flag pit stop. Moments later, the caution flag flew in the middle of the pit cycle, trapping the No. 2 team and forcing Cindric to take the wavearound. The loss of track position proved costly as he finished Stage 2 in 18th while the team continued making adjustments to improve the car. Wilson and the No. 2 team continued to fine-tune the Freightliner Ford throughout the final stage, making additional adjustments during the team’s final pit stop. Ultimately, when the checkered flag waved, Cindric was scored 14th in the No. 2 Rusty Wallace tribute scheme.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “I thought we had a pretty solid Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse to start the race and were able to work our way forward. Unfortunately, the caution during the pit cycle really put us behind, but the guys kept making adjustments all night and never quit. It was also pretty cool to be able to drive the throwback scheme and represent everything Rusty (Wallace) and so many others accomplished with the No. 2 at Team Penske.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/DURACELL FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE

START: 1ST STAGE 1: 12TH STAGE 2: 8TH FINISH: 11TH POINTS: 3RD

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang team overcame significant adversity to finish 11th in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. After the starting lineup was set according to the NASCAR rulebook, the team was forced to drop to the rear of the field and start 37th due to unapproved changes made following Saturday night’s 50-minute practice session. Undeterred, Blaney steadily worked his way through the field, climbing to 28th by Lap 25 before making a four-tire, fuel and air-pressure adjustment pit stop on Lap 42. After restarting 21st, he continued his charge, advancing to 17th by Lap 60 and finishing Stage 1 in 12th. Following a strong restart from 11th, Blaney broke into the top 10 by Lap 109 and advanced to sixth by Lap 150. As the race progressed, he reported needing additional lateral grip, particularly off Turn 2. After a pit stop on Lap 187, Blaney remained a factor near the front of the field, running fifth on Lap 218. He later reported the car had become looser on corner entry and freer off the corner, slipping to seventh by Lap 248 before finishing Stage 2 in eighth. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler and the Menards team made air-pressure and wedge adjustments during a Lap 269 pit stop, helping Blaney climb back to sixth by Lap 292. He continued his charge during the closing stages, advancing to fourth by Lap 336. Unfortunately, Blaney’s strong run was compromised by a speeding penalty on pit road during his final stop, forcing him to serve a drive-through penalty. Despite the setback, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion rallied to secure an 11th-place finish. By virtue of his result, Blaney advanced to the championship round of the NASCAR In-Season Tournament, where he will face fellow Ford driver Todd Gilliland next weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the $1 million prize on the line.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I thought we did a really good job of coming from the back and where we got to. Midway through stage two I thought was good and I just settled into fourth to sixth place. I kind of felt like that’s where I was at and then I just sped getting onto pit road on the green flag stop. That hurt our night. That’s a bummer. I thought we could have run in that fourth to sixth range where we were at, but it’s still a decent day overall. We’re moving on. I didn’t really know out there where the 20 (Christopher Bell) was at, but we’ll go for it at Indy.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE

START: 11TH STAGE 1: 3RD STAGE 2: 1ST FINISH: 1ST POINTS: 15TH

RACE RUNDOWN: It was a performance for the ages as Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang team put on a clinic to win Sunday’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The victory was the 38th of Logano’s NASCAR Cup Series career and extended his streak to 15 consecutive seasons with at least one victory. Starting 11th, Logano and the No. 22 team methodically worked their way through the field, advancing to seventh by Lap 18 and fourth by Lap 37 while reporting the car was becoming free. Following a four-tire and fuel stop with no adjustments on Lap 42, Logano remained among the frontrunners, running fourth at Lap 60 and moving to third just four laps later as one of the first drivers on fresh tires. The No. 22 Ford finished Stage 1 in third place before gaining a position on pit road during the stage break with four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Logano inherited the lead for the ensuing restart and, after briefly settling into second behind Shane van Gisbergen, reclaimed the top spot on Lap 114. From there, he controlled much of the race, reporting he was pleased with the balance of the car. After a four-tire and fuel stop with no changes on Lap 187, Logano continued to pace the field through Lap 220, noting the car was slightly free off the corner. He added valuable stage points by winning Stage 2 and maintained the lead following a four-tire, fuel and slight air-pressure adjustment stop on Lap 269. As the race entered its final laps, Logano reported the car had tightened up before making another four-tire and fuel stop on Lap 360. The closing laps evolved into a showdown between two of the sport’s foremost short-track racers, Logano and Denny Hamlin. Despite persistent pressure, Logano maintained his advantage and led the final 70 laps to cap off a dominant evening. His race-high 323 laps led marked the most laps he has ever led in a Cup Series victory, surpassing the 309 circuits he paced in his 2018 fall win at Martinsville Speedway. The triumph also represented the 400th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory for Roush Yates Engines.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “It was just a solid race car. I knew in practice that the car had speed and the balance was really loose. When you have that, its like, ‘OK, if we get the balance right, this thing is really fast, I think.’ So, they did a good job dialing it in overnight and putting it in position at the end of the first stage. That’s when we finally got where we needed to be and was able to just set sail up front. It was just a really solid race car. I was lucky to get to drive this one today and really just being able to manage a lot of things inside the car, so I’m proud of Paul Wolfe. He does a good job. We tested twice over the offseason here when they were testing all of the other stuff with the rules packages and stuff, so just a really good tester.”

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 26 for the Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG. Coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. ET on TNT, IMS Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

RFK RACING
NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: July 19, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: North Wilkesboro Speedway (.625 mile ‘Oval ) – North Wilkesboro, NC
Format: 281 miles / 450 laps with three stages. Stage 1: Ends at lap 80, Stage 2: Ends at lap 265, Stage 3: Ends at lap 450

***NOTES: Qualifying was cancelled due to weather and the starting order was established by the rule book.

RFK Racing RACE SUMMARY: The NASCAR Cup Series’ first points-paying race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 30 years delivered a memorable night for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing. Two of the organization’s teams finished among the top ten and all showed competitive speed. Brad Keselowski turned a 23rd-place starting spot into a strong seventh place finish. Ryan Preece continued to prove he is a force on short tracks, finishing tenth. Chris Buescher ran inside the top ten during much of the race’s first half but an untimely caution during a pit cycle altered the trajectory of his race and he finished 20th.

DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS

Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finish:7th
Start: 23rd
Laps Led: 7
Stage Results: S1- 16th, S2 -7th
Headline takeaway: Perfectly timed and executed pitstops along with a fast car proved to be the combination Brad Keselowski needed to charge from 23rd to seventh place finish. Keselowski captured stage points and led laps in what was one of his best races of 2026.

Keselowski Quote: “It was a good day for us with the Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang. We got a top 10, seventh here, some stage points. We just executed really well. The car was not the fastest, but we didn’t beat ourselves. We had good strategy by Jeremy Bullins and solid stops. We’re missing our jack man, Dustin Lineback. We’re thinking about him, but the guys stepped up and did a good job.” DO PERFORMANCES LIKE TONIGHT GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE YOU CAN MAKE THE CHASE? “We’re gonna have to earn it. We had a really difficult two month stretch, where we dropped from in the top 10 in points to 19th, and we need to rebound from that. Days like today give us hope that we can do that.”

Ryan Preece – No. 60 SimpleTire Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finish: 10th
Start: 21st
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1- 22nd, S2-13th
Headline takeaway: Another short track, another solid run for Ryan Preece, who put the SimpleTire Ford in the top 10. From the drop of the green he consistently pick off positions, gaining 11 spots from where he started the night.

Preece Quote: “It was a long night. We had a caution go our way, so that was nice. I’m just proud of Derrick’s (Finley) calls and we had a good day.

Chris Buescher – No. 17 Kroger / Coca-Cola Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finish: 20th
Start: 9th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1- 19th, S2-27th
Headline takeaway: Chris Buescher looked poised for a top 10 finish until an untimely caution during a green flag pit cycle in Stage Two trapped him a lap down. While Buescher pitted under green, much of the field benefited from the caution, allowing them to pit under yellow. Despite the bad break, he battled back to finish 20th.

Buescher Quote: “We started strong but we struggle a bit on the long runs and it was challenging trying to get around this place toward the end there. Kind of just the battle of this place.”

Point Standings:

Buescher: 9th
Preece: 18th
Keselowski: 19th

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5 Mile Speedway – Speedway, IN). The race begins at 2:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by TNT and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.

About RFK Racing 

RFK Racing, in its 39th season in 2026, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit https://www.rfkracing.com/ and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

RICK WARE RACING
Window World 450
Date: July 19, 2026
Event: Window World 450 (Round 21 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway (.625-mile oval)
Format: 450 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/185 laps/185 laps)

Race Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 36th, Finished 29th / Running, completed 446 of 450 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (35th with 177 points)

Race Notes:

● This was the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro in 30 years, a span of 10,885 days. The track’s previous points-paying race came on Sept. 29, 1996, when Jeff Gordon beat Dale Earnhardt by 1.73 seconds. After sitting dormant for 27 years, North Wilkesboro was revitalized and hosted the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race from 2023 through 2025. The Window World 450 marked its 94th points-paying Cup Series race.

● Joey Logano won the Window World 450 to score his 38th career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his first of the season. His margin over second-place Denny Hamlin was .859 of a second. It was Logano’s second overall victory at North Wilkesboro, as he also won the 2024 All-Star Race.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 43 laps.

● Only six of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Hamlin remains the championship leader after North Wilkesboro with a 68-point advantage over second-place Tyler Reddick.

Sound Bites:

“Overall, we had a pretty solid night here at North Wilkesboro. Team did a great job with strategy and we fought on the lead lap for the first half of the race. We took the same gamble in the final stage that we did early on in the race but, unfortunately, it didn’t pan out. Still, I think it was worth the risk as the upside was pretty high. Proud of everyone on this Rocket Doctor Chevrolet tonight.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Rocket Doctor AI Chevrolet

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by TNT and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR Cup Series
North Wilkesboro Speedway
Window World 450
Team Chevy Post-Race Report
July 19, 2026

Van Gisbergen Leads Chevrolet with Top-Five Finish at North Wilkesboro Speedway Matches Career-Best Oval Finish in NASCAR’s Premier Series
 
In a historic night under the lights at North Wilkesboro Speedway, it was Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen that led Chevrolet to the checkered flag with a fifth-place finish in the Window World 450. The impressive run matched the New Zealand native’s career-best oval finish in NASCAR’s top division, with it also marking his first top-five result on a short-track. The effort was accompanied by 49 laps led – the second highest of the race – and a pair of top-five stage points to leave the North Carolina short-track with a 54-point advantage over the Chase cutline. Spire Motorsports’ Daniel Suarez rallied to a ninth-place finish – his sixth top-10 of the season – to round out the Team Chevy top-10.

RACE RECAP:

Stage One:

With the starting lineup set by the rulebook, Carson Hocevar led Team Chevy to the green flag from the fourth position for a historic night under the lights at North Wilkesboro Speedway. A stellar start for the Michigan native saw the No. 77 Chevrolet reach the second position on the opening lap of Stage One. With a long green flag run to open the race, the leaders were well into lap traffic when the first caution of the day flew right at the halfway mark of the stage for a spinning John H. Nemechek. Early pit strategy came into play as the top-10 saw a split call for two versus four tire stops. Shane van Gisbergen, who maintained a top-10 running position throughout the run, opted for a pair of right-side tires only to jump up into the second row for the restart. Prime track position saw the New Zealand native get to second on the restart and takeover the lead just a few laps later. The top-three drivers pulled away to a 3.5-second lead with Van Gisbergen seeing a hard-charging Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano in his rearview mirror. Continuing to pace the field until the final lap of the stage, a side-by-side battle with Gibbs saw Van Gisbergen just miss the stage win by a mere 0.074-seconds.

Stage Two:

With a four-tire call by crew chief Stephen Doran, a clutch stop by the No. 97 pit crew saw the New Zealand back on the front row to lead the field to the green flag for Stage Two. The restart saw Van Gisbergen on the door of Logano for three laps around the .625-mile circuit before clearing the driver to inherit the lead once again. The effort saw the driver surpass 600 career laps led in NASCAR’s premier series, making him the 126th driver in history to accomplish the feat. With another long green flag run at hand, Logano was able to capitalize on lap traffic to trade positions with Van Gisbergen. In the meantime, his Team Chevy teammate, Chase Elliott, made a quiet climb into the top-five to reach up to the runner-up position near the one-third mark of the stage. While struggling with the handling of his Chevrolet in lap traffic, Elliott fell to the fourth position as the first green flag pit cycle got underway. But amidst the cycle saw the second natural caution of the evening, ultimately resulting in just the top-15 cars remaining on the lead lap. Among those on the positive side of the cycle were Van Gisbergen and Hocevar. Making their stops under the caution, the pair rejoined the top-five for the restart. With 30 laps to go in the stage, Hocevar made a quick report that he was struggling with the handling of his Chevrolet on the long runs. While holding onto a sixth-place finish in the stage, it was Van Gisbergen that continued his impressive run by collecting back-to-back top-five stage points and lead the Bowtie brigade to the second green-white checkered flag.

Final Stage:

The inside lane continued to be a strong suit for Van Gisbergen with the Team Chevy driver quickly finding the top-five once again on the opening lap of the final stage. With the race falling into a long green flag run once again, Van Gisbergen held onto a running position within the top-six as then race leader, Logano, began the green flag pit cycle as the race hit 90 laps to go. Just five laps into the run, Doran made the call to bring his driver to pit road for four tires and fuel, ultimately cycling back up into the fourth position. Going caution-free to the end, Van Gisbergen navigated through lap traffic to lead Team Chevy with a top-five finish and his career-best short-track showing.

 
Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Results
Pos. Driver

5th – Shane van Gisbergen
9th – Daniel Suarez

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 21 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 6
Poles: 4
Top-Fives: 38
Top 10s: 73
Stage Wins: 15

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on TNT Sports and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 27th

“We dug ourselves a little hole for tonight by having to serve a pass-thru penalty on Lap One. We worked our way back onto the lead lap at the first stage break, but the handling of the Busch Light Chevy just wasn’t what we needed on the long green flag runs. It makes it difficult when you don’t have much time to make adjustments. The guys worked hard to make some changes and we gambled on some pit strategy that didn’t fall our way. It makes for a tough day of short-track racing.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 23rd

“I’m proud of the fight from everyone on the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Supreme Long Range Chevrolet team tonight at North Wilkesboro Speedway. We had a fast Chevy and raced our way into the top-10 but unfortunately an untimely caution after our first green flag stop put us two laps down. We were battling our way back, making the corrections needed to combat the looseness the car was developing, and were hoping for a caution late in the run, but didn’t catch the break we were hoping for. We’ll leave here with the 23rd place finish and focus on the upcoming short tracks on the schedule.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 9th

It was a quiet night for the No. 7 team. What was it like running 450 laps around North Wilkesboro Speedway?

“It kind of reminded me a little bit like Bristol (Motor Speedway). It was a grind-type of day. The car was never perfect, but you had to get the most out of it that you could. A ninth-place finish, that’s not what we’re here for, but the No. 7 Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Chevrolet team did a good job and executed all night. We didn’t have a car to win or run top-five, but we had a top-10 car and that’s where we ended up. Proud of the effort by the whole team. Ryan (Sparks, crew chief) did a good job on the strategy and they made good calls on adjustments. We just have to keep pushing.”

With the field as tight as it was, were you surprised that it went green the entire last stage?

“No, not really because everyone is just really good, especially when you start getting into a run. Very few people make mistakes, so I’m not surprised.”

Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 16th

“Honestly, we didn’t do much different than what we’ve been doing. Since the All-Star Race at Dover (Motor Speedway), we’ve just had good execution. We had one little slip up on a pit stop, but we rebounded really well. We had some things go our way. I think that’s why it’s so important to focus on the recipes of success and don’t be so focused on the results because you can’t really control the results. They’ll swing like a pendulum and it’s in our favor right now. This is who we really are when things go right, so it’s nice to see the fruits of our labor.”

Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 33rd

“Tough night for our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen team. Our Chevrolet was tight, really tight, from the start. Andy (Street, crew chief) and the guys kept making adjustments throughout the night but nothing seemed to help get it on the loose side. It was a grind out there, but there will be nights like this in the learning process. We will shift our focus to next week.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 5th

“It was an awesome night for the No. 97 Wendy’s Chevrolet team. It was pretty cool to get the lead. I just wasn’t good enough on the long run. But overall, I had a lot of fun. Thank you to Wendy’s, Chevrolet, everyone at Trackhouse Racing for the support. Everyone on this team did a great job. It was a good points race, which is what we really needed.

Just like in the Truck race, I could roll the bottom really well. I was loose-in, which hurt. We had one good stage where I could run up in the top lane, but I was married to the bottom for most of it. It just seemed to work for our car.”

What is it about North Wilkesboro Speedway that suits your driving style?

“Yeah, it’s a bit like a road course. I tried right-foot braking for a bit. Half of the race, I right-foot braked and I just feel comfortable doing that. It’s a real balance track and you can really effect the car with your driving technique, so I felt comfortable doing that.”

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.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Window World 450 — North Wilkesboro Speedway
Sunday, July 19, 2026

JOEY LOGANO CAPS FORD WEEKEND NASCAR SWEEP WITH NWS CUP VICTORY

• Joey Logano won his first race of 2026 today and second at North Wilkesboro Speedway after winning the All-Star Race in 2024.
• The win is Logano’s 38th of his Cup Series career and 36th with Ford.
• Those 36 wins put him third on the all-time Ford win list.
• In addition, it’s Logano’s 50th victory with Ford and Team Penske in all three top series combined (36 Cup, 12 NOAPS and 2 NCTS).
• Tonight’s victory also marks the 400th points victory for the Roush Yates Engine shop in NASCAR’s top three series combined (208 Cup, 165 NOAPS, 27 NCTS).
• Logano’s win completes a Ford weekend sweep after Chandler Smith won Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race for the second year in a row.
• Team Penske has now won 110 times in the Cup series with Ford.
• Today’s win is Ford’s 751st all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – HOW DO YOU FEEL AFTER GETTING THIS WIN? “It was just a solid race car. I knew in practice that the car had speed and the balance was really loose. When you have that, its like, ‘OK, if we get the balance right, this thing is really fast, I think.’ So, they did a good job dialing it in overnight and putting it in position at the end of the first stage. That’s when we finally got where we needed to be and was able to just set sail up front. It was just a really solid race car. I was lucky to get to drive this one today and really just being able to manage a lot of things inside the car, so I’m proud of Paul Wolfe. He does a good job. We tested twice over the offseason here when they were testing all of the other stuff with the rules packages and stuff, so just a really good tester.” WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK WITH SO MANY LAPS LED AND THE ALL-STAR WIN? ARE YOU THE WILKESBORO WHISPERER? “I hadn’t heard that one. I don’t want to be a one track wonder, but right now it’s a good one to be good at and last year you feel like you had one taken away there at the end. Even the old pavement I felt like we had a chance of winning that All-Star Race as well. We just have always had fast cars here and was able to manage the short track stuff. That’s definitely in our wheelhouse right now.”

Ford Finishing Results:

1st – Joey Logano

7th – Brad Keselowski

8th – Todd Gilliland

10th – Ryan Preece

11th – Ryan Blaney

14th – Austin Cindric

20th – Chris Buescher

22nd – Zane Smith

25th – Noah Gragson

35th – Chad Finchum

36th – Josh Berry

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It used to be 500 or so here I’m told by the guys who have been around here for a long time and I respect them after today because 450 is a long time, 500, that must have been grueling. It was a good day for us with the Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang. We got a top 10, seventh here, some stage points. We just executed really well. The car was not the fastest, but we didn’t beat ourselves. We had good strategy by Jeremy Bullins and solid stops. We’re missing our jack man, Dustin Lineback. We’re thinking about him, but the guys stepped up and did a good job.” DO PERFORMANCES LIKE TONIGHT GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE YOU CAN MAKE THE CHASE? “We’re gonna have to earn it. We had a really difficult two month stretch, where we dropped from in the top 10 in points to 19th, and we need to rebound from that. Days like today give us hope that we can do that.” THERE ARE MORE SHORT TRACKS COMING UP. HOW STRONG DO YOU THINK THE FORDS ARE OVERALL AT THIS STYLE OF TRACK? “The short tracks and superspeedways are the best chances for the Fords and we need to capitalize on that for sure. That doesn’t mean we’re gonna throw away the other races, we still have to make the most of those too.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I thought we did a really good job of coming from the back and where we got to. Midway through stage two I thought was really, really good and I just settled into the fourth to sixth place. I kind of felt like that’s where I was at and then I just sped getting onto pit road on the green flag stop. That hurt our night. That’s a bummer. I thought we could have run in that fourth to sixth range where we were at, but it’s still a decent day overall. We’re moving on. I didn’t really know out there where the 20 was at, but we’ll go for it at Indy.” YOUR OPPONENT IS TODD GILLILAND, A FELLOW FORD DRIVER. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS? “Ford is gonna get it, so that’s good. The Blue Oval is gonna win the In-Season Challenge. It’ll be a good race. That group at FRM does a really good job and Todd is a really talented race car driver, so it’ll be a tough one. Indy, a lot of strategy goes on there and a lot of things can happen, so we’re gonna have to be on top of our game like every week. But it’s nice that a couple of Blue Ovals have a shot at it.”

TODD GILLILAND, No. 34 Ruedebusch Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Overall, that was just a very solid night for us. I’m pretty happy with how we unloaded. My crew chief felt pretty confident and we worked hard the whole weekend, and I feel like we got it closer to where we needed to be. It was a completely different short track package for us, and I’m excited for here and then something similar maybe like Richmond and places like that. We’ll keep chipping away, but I’m really proud of my team for digging in. What we’ve had here hasn’t been good and just going out on an island and, luckily, it was a little bit better.” YOU ADVANCED TO THE IN-SEASON CHALLENGE FINAL WITH A GOOD EFFORT TONIGHT. “Yeah, absolutely. We definitely caught a big lucky break there at the beginning, but that was strategy. We knew there was a risk with short pitting and everybody did, so I was definitely very proud of the strategy and kind of the way we executed the whole race. That was probably about as good as it could have gone. It’s crazy. We’ve got to beat one more guy for a million dollars.” AND THAT’S ANOTHER FORD GUY IN RYAN BLANEY. “Yeah, the 12 is pretty good. That’s for sure. That’s the reason why they’re at this point in the bracket, so I’m excited about it. That’s the crazy thing is that anything can happen. We have to do what’s best for the 34 team and race all the way to the checkered flag because you never really know. We’ll keep grinding away. It’s pretty wild. I’m pretty excited.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 SimpleTire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a long night. We had a caution go our way, so that was nice. I’m just proud of Derrick’s calls and we had a good day.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It looked like the 20 just got loose and chased it up into us and we wrecked.” ANYTHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE TO NOT BE IN THAT POSITION? “I don’t know. I can’t put into words the amount of stuff that’s happened this year. I mean, we drove up to probably just outside the top 10, we had top five lap times, the car was good, and then we pit and the caution of course comes out and we get trapped two laps down, wave around, just back there in the crap and just get wrecked. It’s disappointing. I felt like tonight was the night we certainly could have gotten a good finish like it looks like our teammates are gonna do, but that was tough. I’m aggravated at the 20, but he’s in the same position I am. He was back there and just got loose.” IS THIS THE BEST CAR YOU’VE HAD THIS YEAR? “Yeah, I would say so. Martinsville, we were pretty good too, but I feel like to start where we did and move through the field, we passed a lot of cars. Both pit stops we had early we got blocked in on pit road and lost a bunch of spots and then had to keep re-passing a bunch of cars, too. I felt like our car was pretty good. It definitely had speed and was just a couple tweaks away from being really, really good. We just needed some track position.” HOW HARD IS THIS WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO SELL YOURSELF FOR NEXT YEAR AND YOU’RE NOT GETTING CHANCES TO FINISH RACES? “It’s tough. I’ve worked my whole life to get in this position and now I feel like people view me completely differently after this year compared to what I’ve done up until this point. I’ve never lived through a season like this when it’s just one thing after another. Things that people don’t see that don’t make it on TV. I don’t go on social media every week and post about every little thing that went wrong in our race. We just can’t catch a break, flat out. Even this week, we were eighth in practice and had a good car and, of course, qualifying gets rained out. If we get to qualify, I felt like we would have had a much better starting spot, a much better pit stall. It’s just one thing after another and it’s certainly discouraging.”