Window World 450 Preview: Return to NASCAR's Roots

This Sunday evening the stars of NASCAR will descend upon North Wilkesboro Speedway for the Window World 450. The 0.625-mile oval in Western North Carolina hosted Cup Series races from 1949 up until 1996. NASCAR made the decision to stop racing at the historic short track and it became grown over with two decades of vegetation and neglect. However, a movement started in earnest in 2020 and again in 2022 to bring racing back to North Wilkesboro Speedway. With major renovations and a lot of investment in the track, NWS hosted the Cup Series All-Star Race in 2023 and has been running that exhibition event there for the last three seasons. It has been a successful relaunch of a very historic short track. With those successful All-Star Races behind us, NASCAR has made the decision to start hosting points races once again at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The return after three decades is unprecedented and is a major nod to NASCAR's roots. Roots in both the south and in short track racing. Sunday evening's 450-lap battle will be historic, nostalgic and hopefully very competitive.   

The 5/8's-mile asymmetrical oval has 13 degrees of banking in the corners and 3 degrees of banking on the straightaways. The surface is asphalt and the track has a noticeable twist. The front stretch was graded during the original construction in a downhill slope and the backstretch was graded on an uphill slope. That gives the driver a feel of "running uphill" when racing the backstretch. Needless to say, all these characteristics make North Wilkesboro a unique experience in the Cup Series lineup of short tracks. We'll have no historical data to rely on this week for driver predictions, but we'll have to take a close look at recent short track performance as a key indicator for success.

Since this will be our first and only race of the season at North Wilkesboro Speedway and first race since 1996 at the oval, we need to visit the recent performance statistics on Cup Series short tracks. While North Wilkesboro is similar to many of the small ovals on the circuit, it still has enough characteristics which make it unique. So, we'll need to study the  stats very carefully but also realize NWS could produce a unique winner and unique Top 10 given its characteristics. When we combine that information with current hot streaks and how drivers have fared in the three All-Star Races at North Wilkesboro, we should be able to develop this week's driver selections. The standard stats shown below cover the last 10 races on ovals one-mile in size and less.

This Sunday night's race will be 450 laps total, divided into stages of 80, 185 and 185 laps. That's a far cry from the 250 laps run at North Wilkesboro in last season's All-Star Race. From both a strategy side and performance side we'll be venturing into unknown territory as far as this track goes. We've had three short track races thus far in the 2026 season, so we're also short on current short track performance. However, we should have just enough data to make some solid predictions for performance potential in this new event in the Cup Series schedule. Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet have each won the past three All-Star events at North Wilkesboro Speedway. We certainly could see that type of parity this Sunday night in the Window World 450.  

Last season we would see Joey Logano dominate much of the All-Star Race at NWS only to be upstaged late by Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell, who would take the win. Brad Keselowski would lead quite a few laps from the pole as well but would run into trouble and not finish. It would seem Ford should have a fighting chance this weekend despite only having one victory thus far in the 2026 season. We've had three short track races to this point in the campaign and Ford, Toyota and Chevrolet have each won one. We could be in for some unpredictability in the Windo World 450. We'll take a look at this season's short track races and the last three All-Star Races at North Wilkesboro and give you the drivers you need this weekend to win your league in the Window World 450.

The Contenders – Drivers in the hunt for the win

Ryan Blaney – He's been one of the most dominant drivers the past two seasons on the short track circuit. Blaney has three wins, including this season's race earlier at Phoenix. He leads in terms of laps led and average finish on these small ovals the last two seasons combined. The Penske Racing star has fifth- and sixth-place finishes in two of the last three All-Star events at NWS. While he's not won any of those, he's raced at a high performance level and battled among the leaders in those events. Blaney is positioned well to win the first points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in over two decades.

Denny Hamlin – The driver of the No. 11 Toyota hasn't been overly impressive in his prior three All-Star Races at North Wilkesboro, but he did finish runner-up to Joey Logano in the 2024 installment of that race. However, let's set aside his NWS exhibition races and focus mainly on his short track experience. Hamlin owns two poles, one win, one runner-up finish and six Top 10's in the last 10 short track races. The average finish sits at a respectable 13.5 but his laps led are a whopping 575, second only to Ryan Blaney. That much time at the front is how you convert Top 5's into victories. We expect Hamlin to qualify extremely well in the Window World 450 and make good use of that good starting track position.

Christopher Bell – The reigning All-Star Race winner has also been a strong short track performer the past two seasons. With a victory and Bristol and runner-up finish earlier this season at Phoenix, Bell and his No. 20 Toyota team have been powerful contenders on the bull ring circuit. With over 250 laps led and a strong 11.7 average finish on the tracks one-mile in size and less, the Joe Gibbs Racing star has been quite a contender in these short track battles. Coming off the All-Star Race win last season, Bell and his crew chief should have some very good notes to jump start their weekend.

Kyle Larson – The 2023 All-Star Race winner at North Wilkesboro has 150 combined laps led in his three exhibition races at NWS. That's a lot of time spent racing up front here and he's grabbed a pair of Top 5's in those events as a result. While last season's All-Star outing was a forgettable affair for Larson, we're willing to toss that one out as an outlier. He should very likely be Chevrolet's best shot at victory lane in the Window World 450. Larson's 80-percent Top-10 rate on short tracks the last two seasons is elite and his 10.0 average finish over that span is a strong figure. The first points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in a very long time is an excellent opportunity for Larson to get back into the win column.

Solid Plays – Near locks for a Top 10 with an outside shot to win

Joey Logano – The 2024 All-Star Race victor has also finished runner-up and 10th-place in his other two exhibition races at North Wilkesboro Speedway. That's a pretty strong three performances when taken into consideration. Logano has also been a very strong and consistent performer on the short track circuit the last two season. His five Top-5 and eight Top-10 finishes work out to a strong 8.9 average finish and well over 200 laps led on these small tracks. This driver and team haven't had the best campaign in 2026 but the short tracks are a bit of a field equalizer and give Logano a pretty fair chance to pull into victory lane or at least challenge the Top 5.  

Tyler Reddick – Reddick didn't have the best season in 2025 on the bull ring circuit, but he's turned things up a notch this season on the short tracks. The 23XI Racing star has eighth- and fourth-place finishes at both Phoenix and Bristol and he's been much improved overall in this discipline of stock car racing. Reddick finished a strong third-place in the 2023 All-Star race at NWS and he was a seventh-place finisher in last season's event at the North Carolina oval. That's a good last look for the driver of the No. 45 Toyota before returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway. The extra laps and points stakes should only motivate Reddick to a very good finish.  

Chase Elliott – The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet has been impressive and consistent in his All-Star outings the last three seasons at NWS. Elliott has claimed fifth-, eighth- and fifth-place finishes at North Wilkesboro. Those are good performances and carry that potential into Sunday's Window World 450. As for the short tracks, Elliott has been a strong performer the last two seasons. He won earlier this season on the small oval in Martinsville and he has a strong 50-percent Top-10 rate in his last 10 short track starts. After some big ovals and a few road circuits, this driver and team will be happy to see a bull ring this Sunday evening.      

Chase Briscoe – The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has two starts in the last three North Wilkesboro All-Star Races. Briscoe has fetched steady fourth- and ninth-place finishes in those efforts at the North Carolina oval. The driver of the No. 19 Chevrolet is looking to rebound from a poor performance this past weekend at EchoPark Speedway. North Wilkesboro Speedway should provide a perfect opportunity to get his momentum back. Briscoe has three Top-5 (30-percent) and five Top-10 (50-percent) finishes in his last 10 short track races. His last time out was a strong fifth-place finish at Bristol earlier this season. He'll be a strong fantasy pick for this return to points racing at NWS.     

Sleepers – Drivers with good history of short track racing & solid upside

William Byron – Byron led 12 laps and finished sixth-place in his last All-Star start at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet has gotten progressively better with each start there. The Hendrick Motorsports star has been a steady hand on the small ovals the last two seasons with two victories, over 500 laps led and five Top-10 (50-percent) finishes in his last 10 short track starts. This season alone Byron has picked up seventh- and fifth-place finishes at Phoenix and Martinsville. This driver and team is trending in the right direction coming into the Window World 450. Byron should be a Top-10 driver in this short track battle under the lights.  

Ty Gibbs – Our last short track winner (Bristol) checks in on the sleepers list this week. Gibbs pulled an impressive victory at the Tennessee short track back in the spring. He's collected fourth-, fourth- and first-place finishes on the short track circuit in 2026 and that's very impressive. As to North Wilkesboro Speedway, Gibbs has a win and runner-up finish in the 2023 and 2024 All-Star Opens. So, he's had plenty of experience and success running exhibition races on this track in recent seasons. Given how well Gibbs and the No. 54 team have performed this season on the short track circuit, we expect big things from them this Sunday night at NWS.     

Brad Keselowski – The owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford is has been a steady short track performer in the last two seasons. With three Top-5 and five Top-10 finishes he checks in at a steady 50-percent rate. The 11.1 average finish shows the consistency and reliability of this driver and team on small ovals. Keselowski won the pole and led 62 laps in last season's All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. However, he would crash out before that race could end and didn't get the finish he deserved. Keselowski has the experience and ability to grab a Top-10 finish in NASCAR's return to North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend.

Ryan Preece – Preece has quietly racked up finishes of fourth-, eighth- and 11th-place in the three All-Star events at North Wilkesboro Speedway. That average finish is checking in at a respectable 7.7 in those exhibition races. When we combine that with his 11.0 average finish on short tracks thus far this season, we see steady and consistent performance. To demonstrate the high-end potential this driver and team have this weekend in NASCAR's return to NWS, Preece grabbed a surprising win on the small, short track of Bowman Gray Stadium in the preseason Cook Out Clash. He should have high ceiling potential in the Window World 450.     

Bubba Wallace – He's been a bit of an up-and-down performer on short tracks this season, but Wallace's potential is quite clear. Sixth- and 11th-place finishes at Phoenix and Bristol show the No. 23 Toyota team's capability. His short track performance over the last two seasons only shows a 30-percent Top-10 rate, so that's the primary reason we've slotted Wallace in the sleepers list this round. His North Wilkesboro experience has been strong and a good reason for big optimism. Between All-Star Opens and Races Wallace has collected second-, second-, sixth- and eighth-place finishes. He's really taken to this small oval since NASCAR resumed competition here.    

Carson Hocevar – Riding eighth in the driver standings coming to North Wilkesboro and coming off a strong third-place finish at Atlanta this past Sunday, we can't overlook Hocevar coming back to North Carolina this week. The Spire Motorsports youngster led 46 laps and won the 2025 All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway and he would go on to finish a respectable 11th-place in that same season's All-Star Race after racing his way into the event. Short tracks have been a bit of a mixed bag for this driver and team the past two seasons, but most recently, Hocevar grabbed a strong 10th-place finish at Bristol. He's surging and has great potential at North Wilkesboro.

Slow Down – Drivers to avoid this week

Shane van Gisbergen – While van Gisbergen has been dominant on the road and street courses, and he's made good progress on intermediate ovals, he's still weak on the short tracks. He did not make any of the All-Star events between 2023-2025 at North Wilkesboro and that lack of experience can only be seen as a potential weakness. The small ovals have only held four Top-15 finishes and an inflated 22.7 average finish over the last two seasons for the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing team. Van Gisbergen has plenty of fantasy value at other tracks, but this is clearly a week to keep him on the bench.                           

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – With finishes of 24th-, 20th- and 15th-place in his three All-Star Races at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the finishes have fallen short of high expectations. This particular short track has been a tough puzzle to solve for the HYAK Motorsports driver. Stenhouse's last 10 starts on ovals one-mile in size and less has only yielded two Top-20 finishes and a disappointing 23.9 average finish. It's more likely that the driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet runs into trouble and falls off the lead lap than he stays among the Top 15 and battles his way to a good finish in the Window World 450.      

Cole Custer – Custer has had a tough season and comes to North Wilkesboro a distant 32nd-place in the driver points. He's yet to rack up a Top 10 this season through 20 races. While big ovals and superspeedways are his best tracks, this weekend's short track has been a difficulty for the No. 41 team. With limited experience from two All-Star Opens at NWS, Custer has limited (150 laps) experience on this track. That will be a challenge going into the Window World 450. The last two seasons of short track racing have only yielded one Top 20 in 10 starts for a disappointing 27.2 average finish on the series' short tracks.    

Erik Jones – Jones has mixed results in the exhibition races we've had at North Wilkesboro Speedway and that's the first strike against the Legacy Motor Club driver. Short tracks the last two seasons have been a drop in his competitive results. While Jones has done well on the intermediate and larger ovals, the short tracks have been his short coming. With only one Top-10 and three Top-20 finishes, his average finish stands at an inflated 22.1 on the series' short tracks. Most recently Jones has 21st- and 23rd-place finishes at both Martinsville and Bristol. We don't have high expectations for him in NASCAR's return to North Wilkesboro Speedway.