Noah Gragson | Todd Gilliland | Zane Smith
North Wilkesboro Speedway NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
North Wilkesboro 450
Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026
Event: Race 23 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: North Wilkesboro Speedway (0.625-miles)

FRM Finish:

● Todd Gilliland (Started 18th, Finished 8th / Running, completed 449 of 450 laps)
● Zane Smith (Started 29th, Finished 22nd / Running, completed 447 of 450 laps)
● Noah Gragson (Started 31st, Finished 25th / Running, completed 446 of 450 laps)

FRM Points Standings:

Todd Gilliland (23rd)
Zane Smith (24th)
Noah Gragson (31st)

Todd Gilliland Key Takeaways

Stage One: 15th / Stage Two: 9th / Race Result: 8th

“Overall, that was just a very solid night for us,” said Gilliland. “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.”

Zane Smith Key Takeaways

Stage One: 29th / Stage Two: 28th / Race Result: 22nd

“Tough one out there today, that was miserable inside the car with the heat,” said Smith. “Proud of my guys for helping us gain some positions there towards the end. We ran pretty good at the Brickyard last year, hoping we can get back on that swing of things we had in May and June and start competing up front again.”

Noah Gragson Key Takeaways

Stage One: 26th / Stage Two: 25th / Race Result: 25th

“Tough night for our No. 4 A&W Ford Mustang Dark Horse, but I’m proud of the team for fighting through it and making adjustments all race,” said Gragson. “We lost some power late but kept digging and will take what we learned to come back stronger next week.”

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.

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.