Inclement weather washes out Cup qualifying at North Wilkesboro; practice on hold

Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at North Wilkesboro Speedway has been canceled due to inclement weather. Late-afternoon storms rolled over the Wilkes County short track shortly after the conclusion of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and lingered, washing out Saturday's time trials. NASCAR still intends to conduct a practice session Saturday evening. MORE: North Wilkesboro schedule | At-track photos In lieu of qualifying, the starting lineup will be set by the NASCAR Rule Book, placing last week’s EchoPark Speedway winner and 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney on the pole position for Sunday’s Window World 450 (7 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Sunday’s race marks the first points-paying event at North Wilkesboro since 1996, when Jeff Gordon held off Dale Earnhardt for the victory. The 0.625-mile oval is the site of an unlikely revival that culminated in hosting the NASCAR All-Star Race from 2023 through 2025 before returning in full to the NASCAR Cup Series calendar this season. This story will be updated.