Rain Delays Qualifying at North Wilkesboro
A sudden downpour on Saturday afternoon drenched the track at North Wilkesboro Speedway, bringing qualifying to an abrupt halt just as drivers were preparing for their final runs. With the session washed out, NASCAR officials turned to the rule book, applying a metric that combines championship points and results from the most recent race to determine the starting order for the Cup Series event.
Under that formula, Ryan Blaney emerged as the pole sitter, earning the honor despite not having set a lap time in the rain‑soaked conditions. The calculation also placed Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe outside the top 25, meaning they will have to fight through the field to reach the front.
The upcoming race will be broadcast nationally on TNT, with a full‑screen feed also available through HBO Max and the official NASCAR.com streaming platform. Fans who prefer an audio‑only experience can tune in to SiriusXM on channel 90, which will provide live radio coverage alongside the video stream.
A deep roster of teams is set to compete, including the storied entries of Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing, Spire Motorsports, 23XI Racing, Legacy Motor Club, Hendrick Motorsports, RFK Racing, Trackhouse Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Front Row Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, Wood Brothers Racing, Rick Ware Racing and Garage 66. Each organization brings its own lineup of drivers, many of whom are among the sport’s most recognizable names.
Among the drivers listed in the official roster are Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Daniel Suarez, Todd Gilliland, John Hunter Nemechek, Cole Custer, Ryan Preece, Ty Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Josh Berry, Zane Smith, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Connor Zilisch, Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, AJ Allmendinger, Cody Ware and Chad Finchum. Their presence guarantees a competitive field, with several former champions and race winners ready to challenge for the win.
The race at North Wilkesboro will mark a rare appearance of the historic half‑mile track on the Cup Series schedule, and the unusual circumstances surrounding the lineup have added an extra layer of intrigue. While the weather forced an unconventional qualifying process, the resulting grid sets the stage for a potentially chaotic and exciting event, with rain‑affected strategies likely to play a major role in the final outcome.