After 30 years of absence on the NASCAR schedule of points-paying races, North Wilkesboro Speedway is back and in a big way. After a stint of hosting the annual NASCAR All-Star Race, that honor was passed off to Dover this year so that this historic NASCAR track could make its triumphant return. Heading into tonight’s race, there were a lot of eyes on the Fords, specifically the Blue Ovals of Team Penske. After Brad Keselowski said in the press that RFK Racing were the best Fords in the field, excluding Ryan Blaney, the defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Joey Logano, had a lot to prove. So far, it’s been a Luke-warm season for the No. 22 team and all of Team Penske, really, except for Blaney. But Wilkesboro is the type of track that team has seemingly figured out–the backbone of NASCAR, the short, flat oval.
The Penske Fords, including Logano, fired off strong but it was Ty Gibbs and Shane van Gisbergen who dominated the opening stage, resulting in a Ty Gibbs stage win. However, with Gibbs speeding on pit road, Logano became the new favorite as many of the heavier hitters, like Chase Elliott, got trapped a lap down due to the caution coming out amidst green flag pit stops in Stage 2. Many of those unfortunate drivers were never able to recover.
This virtually handed the race control into the hands of Joey Logano with his only major challenger seeming to be points leader Denny Hamlin. Taking 50 laps to go, Joey Logano led with Denny Hamlin fast in toe, within a second back. As Logano wormed his way through lapped traffic, Hamlin remained right there. But the 11 couldn’t get to the bumper ot the 22. Joey Logano, after dominating the last two All-Star races at the track, leading all but one lap in the 2024 running of the race, went on to score the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996. That race was won by Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon.
With this victory and ride in the elevator up to victory lane, Joey Logano scored his 38th career NASCAR Cup Series victory. It’s also his first win of the season, snapping a 45-race winless streak. It’s his first Cup win since Texas last spring.
Due to qualifying being washed out on Saturday, Ryan Blaney, last week’s winner who is currently 3rd in the points standings, rolled off from the pole position. Starting alongside was Bristol winner, Ty Gibbs. However, due to the No. 12 team changing a steering rack, Blaney had to fall to the rear of the field to start the race. Joining him out back was Ross Chastain, who had to serve a pass-through penalty to start the race. This resulted in him losing a lap at the drop of the green flag.
Ty Gibbs became the control car and led the field to the green to start the 450 lap race. Gibbs took the race lead with his teammate Christopher Bell behind him. He led all 40 laps of the first half of the stage before we got our first caution of the day as John Hunter Nemecheck went spinning off the nose of the No. 33 of Austin Hill.
The field came down pit road with the exception of Denny Hamlin, who assumed the race lead. Ty Gibbs lined up behind him in 2nd after winning the race off pit road. During pit stops, Kyle Larson and Connor Zilisch collided on pit road. This resulted in a broken wheel for Larson and significant damage on the left from of Zilisch.
Denny Hamlin led the field to the green on 49 lap old tires over his teammates Gibbs and Bell. Hamlin managed to lead a number of laps before Shane van Gisbergen wrestled the lead away on fresher tires. They ran a couple more laps before Gibbs was finally able to get around Hamlin for 2nd. The 54 set his sights on the leader, SVG. On the final lap of the stage, Ty Gibbs passed SVG narrowly on the outside coming to the line. Gibbs wins the stage.
The following drivers earned points in the opening stage: Ty Gibbs (10), Shane van Gisbergen (9), Joey Logano (8), Denny Hamlin (7), Carson Hocevar (6), Christopher Bell (5), Chase Elliott (4), Chase Briscoe (3), Austin Cindric (2), and William Byron (1).
During pit stops, Ty Gibbs was clocked as speeding. He had to serve a pass-through penalty and restarted the second stage in the rear of the field. Shane van Gisbergen assumed the race lead and maintained it for several laps. However, his Trackhouse Chevy started to fade late in the long green flag run, allowing a number of drivers by him, including Joey Logano to first and Chase Elliott in 2nd.
They ran around 100 laps under green when green flag pit stops started to commence. During the cycle, Alex Bowman got into Tyler Reddick while attempting to pit. They both spun, causing the third caution of the evening.
During the caution for the Bowman/Reddick incident, the leaders spitted while a number of heavy hitters, including Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs, were trapped a lap down. They’d have to take the wave around and start at the rear of the longest line. Joey Logano won the race off pit road over Denny Hamlin and his teammate Ryan Blaney.
Logano led the field to the green with a number of drivers trapped a lap down. They didn’t get to get into a groove, however, as on Lap 199, Christopher Bell got loose and made contact with Josh Berry. That sent the No. 21 car around and into the outside wall. Ty Gbbs in 16th earned the free pass.
The race restarted with Logano in the lead. He stretched the lead to around three and a half seconds over Denny Hamlin and Carson Hocevar as the second stage started to draw to a close. Logano went on to score the stage victory without any major apparent challengers.
These drivers earned stage points in Stage 2: Joey Logano (10), Denny Hamlin (9), Chase Briscoe (8), Bubba Wallace (7), Shane van Gisbergen (6), Carson Hocevar (5), Brad Keselowski (4), Ryan Blaney (3), Todd Gilliland (2), and Daniel Suarez (1).
In an upset, Todd Gilliland advances to the In-Season Challenge Finals next week at Indianapolis at the No. 25 seed after No. 4 seed Chase Elliott was trapped multiple laps down due to an unfortunate caution and green flag pit stop cycle. Gilliland will go head-to-head against Ryan Blaney next week after Blaney advanced over No. 10 seed Christopher Bell.
No. 3 Ryan Blaney vs. No. 10 Christopher Bell
No. 4 Chase Elliott vs. No. 25 Todd Gilliland
*Note: Names BOLD advance to the final round at Indianapolis.
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