The NASCAR Cup Series will travel to North Wilksboro Speedway this weekend for their first points paying race at this iconic, short track since 1996. The Cup Series held their All-Star Race at North Wilksboro last year. It was cool to see this old-school track come back to life. Now we get to see 450 action packed laps at North Wilksboro. It should be fun to see how it all plays out this weekend. The Window World 450 can be seen Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.
DFS STATS FOR NORTH WILKSBORO
This is the first full race at North WIlksboro in 30 years, but the Cup Series did have the All-Star Race at this track in 2025. I used the stats from the All-Star Race last year and my primary data point for the picks. Martinsville is the closest track in size and speed to North Wilksboro, so I used the data from the race at Martinsville this year too. Phoenix is larger and shaped different from North Wilksboro, but both tracks are short tracks and the same aero package is used. I used the stats from Phoenix too. Richmond is also similar to North Wilksboro, so I used the stats from the race at Richmond last year to help handicap the race Sunday night.
Here are the stats from the All-Star Race at North Wilksboro last year and similar tracks to North Wilksboro, sorted by DraftKings Points…
PRACTICE / QUALIFYING
The Cup Series practice was rained out so the starting lineup was set “per the rule book.” NASCAR decided to give the teams some extra track time during practice. The teams got two sets of tires and 50 minutes to dail in their cars for Sunday night’s race. The drivers who posted the fastest long-run speed are the drivers we want in our lineups at North Wilksboro.
Here are the lap times from Saturday’s practice session at North Wilksboro Speedway….
STRATEGY FOR NORTH WILKSBORO
The race at North Wilksboro will be the highest scoring race of the season. The race is scheduled for 450 laps (281 miles). That means there are 112.5 points available for leading laps and 202.5 points available for fastest laps (315 dominator points). That is the most dominator points this year.
I looked at the races at Martinsville and the other short tracks to see how the dominator points may play out. One driver will likely lead 50% of the laps (225 laps), another will likely lead 25% of the laps (110 laps), a third leads 15% of the laps (66 laps) and a third driver should lead 10% of the laps (45 laps). We MUST have the top-two dominators in our lineup Sunday night. They are likely to score 138 dominator points.
DRAFTKINGS MODEL (Prediction Based on Stats)
Finish = Finishing Points PD = Position Differential Fastest = Fastest Laps Led = Laps Led
* The number in front of the driver is his projected finishing position based on stats.
DRAFTKINGS CASH CONTEST LINEUP
KYLE LARSON ($10,500): Larson is a lock for all Cash Contest lineups. He starts 27th and he had the second-fastest car in practice. Larson has been good on the short tracks this year. He finished 3rd at Phoenix and Bristol and 9th at Martinsville. Larson has a good chance to score the most place differential points and add in 50-70 laps led too. That is just too good to pass up Sunday night.
CHRISTOPHER BELL ($10,200): Bell is another lock for all Cash Contest lineups. I expect a lot of people to click on Ryan Blaney’s name since he starts on the pole. I will save $500 and pivot to Bell. He clearly has the fastest car in the field and it wasn’t even close. Bell won the All-Star Race at North Wilksboro last year. He has a great chance to win again this week.
JOEY LOGANO (%$9,500): This is the first time in a long time that I am excited about playing Logano. He has used North Wilksboro as his personal playground over the last two seasons. He led 199 of the 200 laps in 2024 and then Logano came back and led another 139 laps last year. The No. 22 team showed up with some speed again this weekend. Logano has a good chance to score some place differential points and be one of the top-three domiantors in the race.
CHASE BRISCOE ($8,900): Briscoe wasn’t great in the previous races at North Wilksboro, but he starts 30th Sunday. His Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota should have the speed to finish in the top-15, with top-10 upside. Briscoe finished 5th (Bristol) and 14th (Martinsville) in his last two short track races. Briscoe has a great chance to score the second-most place differential points (behind Kyle Larson), so he gets a spot in my Cash Contest lineup.
RILEY HERBST ($5,800): Herbst was the surprise of the practice session. He posted. 10th fastest 10-lap speed, the 6th-fastest 20-lap average speed and the 2nd-fastest 30-lap average speed in practice. His car just kept getting faster. Herbst is a lock from the 34th starting position Sunday night.
TY DILLON ($5,000): Dillon will be my punt play in my Cash Contest lineup. I was hoping he would start deeper in the field, but I think Dillon is fine from the 22nd starting position Sunday night. His long-run speed in practice was faster than Tyler Reddick, Carson Hocevar and many others. I will take my chances with Dillon so I can pay up for the top drivers for Cash Contests this weekend.
DRAFTKINGS TOURNAMENT CONTEST LINEUP
RYAN BLANEY ($10,700): Blaney is going to be one of the highest owned drivers Sunday night, but I do not care. I want the top-three dominators in my Tournament Contest lineup and Blaney is one of them. He is one of the best drivers in the Cup Series on the short tracks. He starts on the pole and has the No. 1 pit stall. Blaney should lead 100+ laps and score 70+ DK Points.
CHRSITOPHER BELL ($10,200): I am eating up a lot of ownership by playing Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell together, so I like this lineup more for single-entry contest. Bell had the fastest car on Saturday. Will that speed transfer to Sunday? I see no reason why it shouldn’t. Blaney and Bell are my top-two dominators for the Window World 450.
JOEY LOGANO ($9,500): Logano is my third domitor Sunday night. He has led the most laps in the last two races at North Wilksboro. The No. 22 car was fast enough to do it again Sunday. I am banking on Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Joey Logano leading 100+ laps each Sunday night. I will not need much from the rest of the lineup if that happens.
ALEX BOWMAN ($7,000): Here is where we start to get contrarian. Bowman has a bad reputation in DFS. People just do not like to click on his name. He has given them plenty of reasons to feel that why, but Bowman does have some tracks where he is good. North Wilksboro is one of them. Bowman finished 4th at North Wilksboro last year. He also had the 9th-fastest car on the long-runs in practice. Bowman should score well from the 25th starting position this weekend.
RILEY HERBST ($5,800): I just cannot fade Herbst. He is too cheap and too fast this weekend. I will play Herbst in both lineups at North Wilksboro.
ZANE SMITH ($6,500): Smith wasn’t blazing fast in practice, but he wasn’t one of the slowest drivers either. Smith is one of the smoothest young drivers in the Cup Series. He may not post a fast lap, but he knows how to tack care of his tires and his car. This is an old-school race and Smith is an old-school driver. Do not be surprised if you look at the final results from the Window World 450 and say, “How did Smith finish 10th?”
FANDUEL MODEL (Prediction Based on Stats)
FANDUEL CASH CONTEST LINEUP
FANDUEL TOURNAMENT CONTEST LINEUP
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