NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 18: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford, Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Mobil 1 Toyota, and Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 18: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford, Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Mobil 1 Toyota, and Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

50 laps added to 2026 NASCAR Cup race at North Wilkesboro

Race fans visiting one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks will get even more bang for their buck next year, as North Wilkesboro Speedway officials announced Thursday that 50 additional laps have been added to what is now the Window World 450 NASCAR Cup Series points race on July 19, 2026.

The first 450-lap Cup Series race in North Wilkesboro history marks the first time NASCAR’s premier series has hosted a 450-lap race since 1974.

The decision to add an extra 50 laps to what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested events on the Cup Series calendar was an easy one to make, according to North Wilkesboro Speedway Executive Director Graig Hoffman.

“North Wilkesboro Speedway is all about the fans, and adding more laps per dollar to the Window World 450 is sure to create a better experience for everyone who enters the gates,” Hoffman said.

“Sunday-night races are made to be a spectacle. The Window World 450 will be an electric night at America’s throwback race track, and the stakes will be higher than ever before with the winner punching a ticket to the NASCAR Playoffs.”

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series also returns for a 250-lapper on Saturday, July 18, with the zMAX CARS Tour taking center stage for a doubleheader of short-track activity on Friday, July 17 – giving fans maximum value with a three-day weekend ticket package.

Competition schedules and race-week entertainment will be announced at a later date.

Affordable tickets and camping are on sale now at www.northwilkesborospeedway.com.

— North Wilkesboro Speedway —