Ryan Blaney Leads Metrics-Powered Grid for North Wilkesboro

Ryan Blaney arrives at North Wilkesboro Speedway on a high after capturing the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta last weekend. With Saturday’s qualifying washed out by rain, NASCAR fell back on its “metrics” system, weighing last week’s result at 70% and the season’s point total for the remaining 30%. As the third‑highest driver in the points standings and the winner from the previous race, Blaney earned the title “King of the Metrics” for this event. He will roll off turn one first in the Window World 450, setting the tone for the field.

Ty Gibbs sits alongside Blaney on the front row, locking in the second spot for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Toyota. Denny Hamlin, currently the points leader, will start seventh, while Tyler Reddick—second in the standings—fields out of fifth. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. Eastern on TNT, giving fans a night‑time showdown from North Wilkesboro.

Complete Starting Grid for the Window World 450

• Row 1: 1. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford – 2. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
• Row 2: 3. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – 4. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
• Row 3: 5. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota – 6. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
• Row 4: 7. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – 8. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
• Row 5: 9. Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford – 10. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
• Row 6: 11. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford – 12. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
• Row 7: 13. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – 14. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
• Row 8: 15. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 16. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
• Row 9: 17. Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – 18. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
• Row 10: 19. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota – 20. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
• Row 11: 21. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford – 22. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
• Row 12: 23. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford – 24. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
• Row 13: 25. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 26. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
• Row 14: 27. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 28. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
• Row 15: 29. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford – 30. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
• Row 16: 31. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford – 32. Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
• Row 17: 33. Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet – 34. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
• Row 18: 35. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – 36. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
• Row 19: 37. Chad Finchum, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

The metrics-based setup replaces a traditional qualifying session when weather interferes, giving NASCAR a quick way to populate the grid based on recent performance and overall standings. This method has become a regular fallback when rain wipes out weekend practice or qualifying. For fans, it adds a fresh layer of strategy, as a driver’s recent win can outweigh a higher points position for the day’s lineup. As the night unfolds on TNT, the field will test whether last week’s momentum holds up on the historic North Wilkesboro circuit.