RADIO
Ryan Blaney Awarded Pole at North Wilkesboro After Washout
Heavy rain cancelled qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend, which means Ryan Blaney will lead the field to the green for the Window World 450 on Sunday evening. Blaney got the top starting spot thanks to the order being set by the metric. And with North Wilkesboro being a short, flat track, it can be expected that the No. 12 Ford will be strong all evening. Blaney won at Phoenix earlier this season (another flat track) and his Penske teammate, Joey Logano, has arguably had the best car here at North Wilkesboro over the last two years in the All-Star Races. This weekend, Blaney looked strong in practice, ranking sixth-best in 15-lap average. The In-Season Challenge is also continuing this weekend, and Blaney is matched against Christopher Bell, who is the favorite to win this race. That should be a good battle to watch on Sunday night as well, as both cars should contend for the race win.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
Christopher Bell the Favorite to Win at North Wilkesboro
When it comes to short, flat tracks, Christopher Bell is always one of the favorites. And after a very impressive practice session at North Wilkesboro this weekend, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the unanimous favorite to win Sunday evening's Window World 450 race. In practice, Bell led the way in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average. He's also the defending winner here at North Wilkesboro (last year's All-Star Race) and had the dominant car at Phoenix earlier this season (another flat track) before finishing runner-up to Ryan Blaney in that race. Bell starts third for this weekend's event at North Wilkesboro and should be the driver to beat. In DFS, he's a slam-dunk pick, and he comes in at an affordable price on DraftKings ($10.2K) as well--compared to his upside anyway.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Joey Logano Needs a Strong Run at North Wilkesboro
Heading into the 21st race of the season (North Wilkesboro on Sunday night), Joey Logano is 17th in the points standings and eight points behind the cutline for the final spot in the Chase. In other words, Logano needs a good run this weekend if he wants to keep his postseason hopes alive--and this is the perfect track for him to do so. Short, flat tracks are where Team Penske really thrives, and with North Wilkesboro being a 0.625-mile flat oval, it definitely fits that category. Over the last two All-Star Races here at North Wilkesboro, Logano has arguably had the best car, and the No. 22 Ford was strong in practice for the Window World 450 this weekend, ranking fifth-best in 30-lap average during the session. Logano will start from 10th-place for this weekend's race and should be able to run inside that mark all night. He's a solid DFS play on DraftKings at an affordable $9.5K salary.
Source: Catchfence
Source: Catchfence
Ty Gibbs an Interesting Option at North Wilkesboro
Ty Gibbs has been one of the strongest drivers all season long--thanks in big part to Toyota overall being so fast--and there's no reason to think that the No. 54 Toyota won't have speed again at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday evening. Despite starting back in 14th at Phoenix earlier this year (another flat track like North Wilkesboro), Gibbs rallied to a fourth-place finish and even led 12 laps. This weekend at North Wilkesboro, Ty will start from the outside pole, and his Toyota was very strong in practice on the long run, ranking fourth-fastest in 30-lap average. When it comes to DFS, Gibbs comes in at a very affordable $8.5K on DraftKings, making him a very interesting tournament option in the daily fantasy contests this weekend.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Ross Chastain Should be Avoided at North Wilkesboro
Ross Chastain was set to start from 13th place for the Window World 450 race at North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend, but an inspection penalty will nullify that. Since the No. 1 Chevrolet failed inspection three times, Chastain will have to drop to the rear for the start of the North Wilkesboro race and then also serve a pass-through penalty in the pits once the race goes green. For DFS and fantasy purposes, though, Chastain will still be scored from his 13th-place official starting spot. This will obviously make it difficult for Chastain to be competitive on Sunday night, as the No. 1 team will be in a big hole to start the race. When it comes to DFS this weekend, it's likely going to be best to stay away from Ross Chastain ($8.1K on DraftKings).
Source: Motorsport
Source: Motorsport
Ryan Blaney Dominates at Atlanta for his Second Win of 2026
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney was the dominant driver of the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Blaney started in the pole position in first and went on to lead every lap and dominate the first stage. During the stage break, Blaney lost the lead after coming out third after pit stops, but he was back fighting for the lead after a few laps. Although he faced challenges from Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Carson Hocevar, and Bubba Wallace, Blaney went on to dominate most of the second stage and eventually win it as well. Blaney lost his track position with a slow stop during the stage break before the final stage. He restarted the third stage from 16th, and it was not until midway through the stage, around lap 202, that Blaney returned to the front. From there, Blaney continued to trade the lead with several drivers until the final overtime restart. Although he fell behind Hocevar by the white flag, Blaney regained the lead and received a push from Christopher Bell to pass Hocevar and Wallace to seal his second victory of the 2026 season. Blaney remains third in the regular season standings after 20 races, but he gained points against Denny Hamlin for the regular season title, as he is only 65 points behind Hamlin.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Christopher Bell Gets his Fifth Runner-Up Finish of the 2026 Season at Atlanta
Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell finished in second place in the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. The No. 20 Toyota driver started the race from 32nd and spent the first two stages slowly gaining positions through the pack. By the end of the first stage, he was 15th, while at the end of the second stage, he made it up to seventh and scored four stage points. In the final stage, Bell made it up to the top five and ran there throughout the entire stage while being a factor for the win. While he kept fighting Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, and Ty Gibbs for the lead, Bell led a total of five laps. Bell ended up being the deciding factor for Ryan Blaney's victory on the final restart, as when Bell could not make a move for the win on the final lap, he pushed Blaney ahead of Wallace and Carson Hocevar and put himself into second. This would be Bell's fifth time finishing in second this year, and he now moves to ninth in the regular season standings after 20 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Carson Hocevar Falls Short of Winning at Atlanta
Carson Hocevar was one of the main contenders to compete for the win throughout the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. In the first stage of the race, Hocevar went from his starting position of 14th to competing for a top-5 finish. However, he did fade back slightly and ended the first stage in sixth, earning five stage points. In the second stage, Hocevar ran inside the top five through most of the stage and even took the lead from Ryan Blaney at a few points. At the end of the second stage, Hocevar got a flat tire in his car and fell all the way back to 30th, leaving him with no further stage points. In the final stage, Hocevar slowly recovered and returned to the front of the pack to trade the lead with Blaney and Bubba Wallace throughout the stage. Although Hocevar led during the white flag, Blaney got past him in turn one. Despite mounting a charge to regain the lead, Christopher Bell pushed himself and Blaney ahead of Hocevar, leaving Hocevar in third as his finishing result. With 20 races now completed in the 2026 season, Hocevar is eighth in the regular season standings with six races to go before The Chase begins.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ty Gibbs Scores his First Top-Five Finish in his Cup Career at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs finished fourth in the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Gibbs started the race from 23rd and steadily advanced to the front as the race progressed. In the first stage, he went from 23rd to 12th at the end of the stage, falling short of stage points. The second stage saw Gibbs advancing into the top 10 and running there the whole time. He finished the second stage in sixth and earned five stage points as he hit Bubba Wallace and spun him out before the stage ended. Gibbs stayed out of pit road during the stage break between the second and third stages and inherited the lead as a result. The No. 54 Toyota driver went on to lead 32 laps until a lap 194 caution, where A.J. Allmendinger spun after contact from Michael McDowell. Gibbs lost the lead through the next set of pit stops during this caution and then spent the rest of the race rallying back to what would be his first career top-5 finish at EchoPark in the Cup Series. With his fourth-place run at the Atlanta track, Gibbs sits fourth in the regular season standings after 20 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Last-Lap Penalty Negates Bubba Wallace's Strong Finish at Atlanta
Bubba Wallace was one of the top contenders for the win in the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Wallace began the race from the 22nd position and quickly climbed through the field early in the first stage and challenged for a top-5 running position, but faded back to 10th by the end of the first stage for one stage point earned. In the second stage, Wallace continued to run well and even traded the lead back and forth with Ryan Blaney several times. However, on the last lap of the second stage, he spun off turn four thanks to contact with Ty Gibbs and missed out on further stage points. Wallace did not receive any damage and spent the final stage recovering from his spin to get back into the top 10. Thanks to a faster car than most and some pit strategies, Wallace returned to the top 10 and became one of the main contenders for the win. When the race went into overtime, Wallace pushed Blaney to the lead and looked to contend for the win on the final lap, but he moved too far down the track past the yellow line and had a penalty after the race finished. As a result, Wallace placed 29th instead of second. After 20 races completed this season, Wallace is now 13th in the regular season standings with six races to go before The Chase begins.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ryan Blaney Will Start in Pole Position for Atlanta
Ryan Blaney of Team Penske scored the pole position for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in qualifying. This is Blaney's second pole at Atlanta after he scored one previously in February 2025. In nine Cup races at the site since 2022, Blaney has had seven top-10 finishes and led in eight different events. After 19 races completed for the 2026 season, Blaney has one win, 14 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.1. In 27 races since 2022 at drafting tracks, Blaney has 13 top-10 finishes, including two wins. Although Blaney has no upside for Place Differential since he starts first, he is in prime position to lead laps and has been one of the top drivers at finishing drafting tracks well. Even though he is a DFS risk, Blaney is a solid driver to consider for tournament lineups only.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Kyle Larson Presents Plenty of Risk for Atlanta DFS Lineups
Kyle Larson will start third for this week's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. This matches the best starting position of Larson's Cup career at Atlanta. In nine Cup races at the site since 2022, Larson has only one top-5 finish, but he did lead 48 laps in the previous race at the Atlanta track earlier in the season before being involved in an accident. Through 19 races this season, Larson has 11 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.0. In 27 races at drafting tracks since 2022, Larson has five top-10 finishes, with his last one being in the August 2025 Daytona race. Larson is known for his struggles with drafting tracks, and he has a high starting position, giving him plenty of DFS risk based on his starting position. Outside of tournament lineups, Larson is not recommended for most DFS lineups as a result.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Chase Elliott at Atlanta?
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will start seventh for this week's Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway, the Quaker State 400. With his second top-10 start at the site of the year, Elliott has scored consecutive top-10 starting spots at Atlanta in his Cup career for the first time since 2022. In eight races at Atlanta since 2022, Elliott has two wins and four top-10 finishes. He never placed outside of the top 20 in that span at Atlanta. After 19 races this season, Elliott has two wins, eight top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.2. In 26 races at drafting tracks since 2022, Elliott has 13 top-10 finishes, including three victories. Even if Elliott is one of the best statistical drivers at Atlanta and other drafting tracks, his high starting position makes him difficult to recommend for DFS outside of tournament lineups due to his Place Differential risk. However, if there is any driver to recommend for tournament DFS lineups who can stay in the top 10, Elliott is one of the top drivers to maintain a top finish.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
William Byron has Plenty of Upside for Atlanta DFS Lineups
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the 26th position for this week's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Byron is the only driver from Hendrick to qualify outside the top 10 in this week's race. In nine races at Atlanta since 2022, Byron has two wins and three top-10 finishes. Through 19 races so far this year, Byron has nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.8. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver has 10 top-10 finishes in his last 19 starts at drafting tracks. Byron has plenty of upside while being aligned with one of the top teams in the field. Fantasy players should target Byron as a driver worth rostering in all formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Joey Logano Score a Top Finish at Atlanta?
Team Penske's Joey Logano will start on the outside of the front row in second for this week's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. It is Logano's fifth front-row start at the site since the track's reconfiguration in 2022. In nine previous races at Atlanta since 2022, Logano has two wins and three top-10 finishes. He also led in each of the last seven races at the site. In 19 races completed this season, Logano has five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 20.3. Since 2023, Logano has led in every single race at a drafting track with two wins in that span. Despite Logano's incredible ability to get to the lead in drafting track races, he has been inconsistent in finishing races at the track type and has almost no upside for Place Differential due to starting in the front. While Logano may have the speed to compete for the win, he is also a huge risk for DFS and is only playable in tournament lineups.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
