North Wilkesboro Speedway will host a NASCAR Cup Series points race for the first time in 30 years this weekend. The .625-mile short track in Wilkes County, North Carolina, will see the green flag drop for the Window World 450 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19.
The Return of a Historic Venue
The revival of North Wilkesboro is the result of significant investment from NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports, the State of North Carolina, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The track had not held a NASCAR-sanctioned race since 1996, and drivers such as Chris Buescher and Zane Smith noted the poor condition of the facility prior to its restoration.
Originally opened in 1947 as a red dirt oval, the track was built for moonshiners in western North Carolina to determine who had the fastest machines. It became a legendary stop on the circuit, with Richard Petty securing 15 victories and Darrell Waltrip capturing 10. However, as NASCAR expanded toward the north and west in the 1990s, older tracks were phased out. The final Cup Series race at the venue took place on Sept. 29, 1996, won by Jeff Gordon.
From Digital Preservation to Racing
The path back to competition began in 2019 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. initiated a cleanup effort. The original goal was to tidy the facility enough to have it scanned for the iRacing video game, which restored the track to its 1987 version. Earnhardt Jr. was joined by more than a dozen people, including Chris Buescher, to remove debris and clear weeds.
Following this effort, North Wilkesboro hosted NASCAR’s All-Star Race for three years before returning to the Cup Series points schedule. Veteran driver Denny Hamlin compared the venue to Martinsville, describing it as a grassroots track that is essential to both the history and future of the sport.
In-Season Challenge and Driver Outlook
The weekend also serves as the site for the In-Season Challenge’s top four remaining survivors. The field has seen the elimination of top seeds Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin, as well as Alex Bowman. The four drivers remaining in the tournament are:
- Ryan Blaney: A North Carolina native who has nine top-10 finishes in his last 10 events.
- Christopher Bell: The winner of last year’s All-Star race at North Wilkesboro.
- Chase Elliott: A former winner of a Super Late Model Pro All Stars Series race at North Wilkesboro at age 14.
- Todd Gilliland: The lowest remaining seed and a two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion.
The average age of these four drivers is 29.7. Notably, Gilliland had not yet been born when the speedway closed in 1996, and the other three were 24 months old or younger at the time.
Track Characteristics and Competition
The 0.625-mile speedway features a unique layout where the front stretch travels downhill and the backstretch travels uphill. Experts suggest that short-track backgrounds will be beneficial; Elliott, Blaney, and Gilliland all have experience in Legends Cars or Late Models, while Bell brings a background in dirt racing and national Midget championships.
The upcoming event will feature representation from three manufacturers, with Ford fielding two entries and Chevrolet and Toyota each having one entry in the In-Season Challenge matchups.
Find more reporting in our Entertainment section.
