Overview
- Qualifying was washed out on Saturday, July 18, so NASCAR used its rulebook metric based on recent finishes and points to set the Window World 450 starting grid.
- Ryan Blaney was awarded the pole and will lead the field for Sunday’s 7 p.m. ET race on TNT as he chases more regular-season points and a spot in the In-Season Challenge.
- Christopher Bell topped the only 50-minute practice session, posting the fastest lap and long-run speed charts that make him a leading threat from his third-place start.
- Ross Chastain failed inspection three times and will start at the rear, serve a pass-through penalty after the green flag, lose pit-stall choice and lose a crew member; Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch each failed twice and lost pit selection and their car chiefs.
- The Window World 450 is a sellout at the restored 0.625-mile North Wilkesboro Speedway, a return that matters for championship math with six regular-season races left and a $1 million In-Season Challenge semifinal between Blaney and Bell still on the line.