Anyone who has followed the NASCAR Cup Series knows never to count out Joey Logano.
And that is especially true at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Logano, who won the All-Star Race at the track in 2024, dominated the first points race at the historic 0.625-mile asphalt oval in 30 years by leading 323 of the 450 laps on his way to his first victory in 2026.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Logano Bursting Bubble
Joey Logano got his first victory of the 2026 season at North Wilkesboro.
Logano was eight points behind The Chase cutoff entering the race. Thanks to the victory, he now sits 49 points to the good, with five races remaining before NASCAR’s postseason field is set.
The Team Penske driver and three-time Cup champion has had a bad year. His season now has a new life.
“It’s been a tough year, no doubt,” Logano said in his post-race news conference. “Any time you kind of lack in speed, you start to question a lot of things around you, what the process is, what we’re doing, yourself. All those things come to mind on why there’s not speed.
“When you come to a track like North Wilkesboro, if we didn’t have speed, we’d really be scratching our heads because we feel like this is our best racetrack.”
2. Denny Hamlin’s Solid Second
Denny Hamlin’s solid second at North Wilkesboro complemented his already stellar season.
Denny Hamlin certainly wished he could have won, but his second-place finish now gives him a 68-point lead on Tyler Reddick for the regular-season title.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver ran second to Logano and had hoped that pitting one lap earlier than Logano would be what he needed (with the extra grip of new tires) to get by. But it wasn’t good enough and Logano didn’t seem to have too much trouble keeping Hamlin at bay.
“There was a lot of time where it felt like my car was kind of close where it needed to be [but] just a smidge off,” Hamlin said on the race telecast. “It was a great battle. At least we could keep him honest there.”
3. Todd Gilliland The Millionaire?
Todd Gilliland could become a million dollars richer if he wins the in-season tournament.
The in-season tournament final round is set and it will be Todd Gilliland vs. Ryan Blaney racing for the $1 million prize that will be awarded to whoever finishes best next Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Gilliland? Yup. Gilliland has advanced through the NASCAR version of an in-season tournament, and an eighth-place finish won his matchup with Chase Elliott, who finished 17th.
Elliott was among those who short-pitted in the second stage (pitting before they needed fuel but to get enough fuel to make it to the end of the stage) and ended up a lap or two down when the caution came out.
Gilliland had not pitted.
“I was definitely very proud of the strategy and kind of the way we executed the whole race,” Gilliland said after the race, according to a Ford news release. “That was probably about as good as it could have gone. It’s crazy.
“We’ve got to beat one more guy for a million dollars.”
4. Surprise! SVG Finishes Fifth
Shane van Gisbergen finished fifth at North Wilkesboro.
Shane van Gisbergen finished a surprising fifth and even led laps at North Wilkesboro.
Known for his road-course prowess, van Gisbergen said his road-course technique could work at the short track.
“It’s a bit like a road course,” he said, according to a Chevrolet news release. “I tried right-foot braking for a bit.
“Half of the race, I right-foot braked and I just feel comfortable doing that. It’s a real balanced track and you can really affect the car with your driving technique, so I felt comfortable doing that.”
4 ½. What’s Next: Indianapolis
One of the biggest races of the season, the Brickyard 400, is next up for NASCAR Cup teams. The race is the 22nd of the 26 regular-season competitions. And drivers are jockeying for position as it comes before an off-weekend — the last off-weekend prior to a 14-race stretch to finish the season.
