| TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE North Wilkesboro Speedway July 18-19, 2026 |
| MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
| 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 RESUMESince 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 FOURHendrick 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 CONTINUESIn 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 PICTUREThe 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 450Sunday, July 19, at 7 p.m. ETTNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Faith Fest 250Saturday, July 18, at 12:30 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 |
| QUOTABLE QUOTES:Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhen 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 ChevroletNorth 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 ChevroletWhat 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 ChevroletYour 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 ChevroletTalk 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 ChevroletHow 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 ChevroletWhat 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 ChevroletAre 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.” |
| TEAM CHEVY ADVANCENorth Wilkesboro SpeedwayJuly 18-19, 2026 |
| MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
| 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 RESUMESince 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 FOURHendrick 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 CONTINUESIn 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 PICTUREThe 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 450Sunday, July 19, at 7 p.m. ETTNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Faith Fest 250Saturday, July 18, at 12:30 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 |
| QUOTABLE QUOTES:Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhen 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 ChevroletNorth 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 ChevroletWhat 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 ChevroletYour 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 ChevroletTalk 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 ChevroletHow 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 ChevroletWhat 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 ChevroletAre 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): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest 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): 34First 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: 6Poles: 4Laps Led: 1,548Top-Fives: 37Top-10s: 71Stage Wins: 15 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 887 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 770Laps led to date: 258,282Top-fives to date: 4,473Top-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 |
LARSON’S STOUT SHORT-TRACK RESUMESince 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 FOURHendrick 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 CONTINUESIn 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 PICTUREThe 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. 




July 12th, 2026 – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA secured their first podium finish of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, with Will Stevens and the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R taking the checkered flag in P3. Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA had locked out the front row of the grid at Interlagos, with the No.12 in pole position and the No.38 in P2. Both cars made a clean start and held position. The first pitstop proved to be unlucky for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, with the No.12 experiencing a stuck wheel nut and the No.38 being slightly out of position when entering the box. Having lost almost 20 seconds each, both cars returned to the track and fought hard to make up track position. Both cars recovered well and made good progress through the field. In the final hour, the cars were running P3 and P4 and pushing for P2. However, the No.38’s earlier 5-second penalty (for contact with another car) was added post-race, and late mist in the final 30 minutes, prevented any further gain on the second-place. The No.12 crossed the finish line in P3, with the No.38 just behind in P4. 