All-Star North Wilkesboro Confidence Rankings / Post Heat Race Predictions

On Sunday night, get ready for some NASCAR All-Star beating and banging action at North Wilkesboro! North Wilkesboro was last visited by the Cup series in 1996, and last paved in 1981! Tire wear will be extreme, and the winner will be a team that has a fast car but also executes pit strategy perfectly in the final Stage where teams are only allowed ONE set of tires.

On Friday evening, teams had 1-hour to practice for North Wilkesboro. Here’s a look at our North Wilkesboro Practice Notes, North Wilkesboro Practice Speed Cheat Sheet and North Wilkesboro Lap By Lap Average Speed Rankings.

Here’s the North Wilkesboro Starting Lineup/ Qualifying Results

North Wilkesboro Full Field Rankings

1) William Byron
Start 6th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Speed Rankings| 10 Lap Avg – 1st | 20 Lap Avg – 15th
North Wilkesboro Scoop – William Byron will be one of the drivers to beat at North Wilkesboro. The #24 was fast in practice having the best 10-lap average, and Byron liked how his car felt. In practice, Byron said his car was pretty good, and he didn’t fall off too bad. Also, late in practice his team told him that he had good pace. I view Richmond as having the most correlation and at that venue this spring, Byron had the best Total Speed Ranking, led a race high 117 laps, was tied for having a race best 3.4 average running position and was poised to finish in the top five until late problems led to his asterisk mark 24th. In his Heat Race, Byron finished 3rd.
DraftKings $9,100 / FanDuel $13,000 / DK Odds To Win +800

2) Christopher Bell
Start 7th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Speed Rankings| 10 Lap Avg – 7th | 20 Lap Avg – 5th | 25 Lap Avg – 9th
North Wilkesboro Scoop – In the All-Star Race, look for Christopher Bell to be a factor. Bell is arguably the premier short track racer in NASCAR, and his tire management skills are on par with the best in the sport. Richmond is arguably the best barometer for who’ll be good this weekend, and over the last five races at “The Action Track” he’s finished between 2nd to 6th and has a 3.8 average finish. This spring at Richmond, Bell finished 4th, had the 3rd best Total Speed Ranking and ranked 3rd for Speed Late In A Run. Over the last nine races held at short tracks since 2022, Bell has the best average finish in the series (6.8) and the best driver rating. In practice, the #20 was fast and Bell had the 5th best 20-lap average. In his Heat Race, Bell looked great late and rallied to finish 4th. I think he seemed pretty happy with his car following his Heat Race.
DraftKings $9,500 / FanDuel $11,500 / DK Odds To Win +850

3) Joey Logano
Start 3rd / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium
Speed Rankings| 10 Lap Avg – 15th | 20 Lap Avg – 16th | 25 Lap Avg – 13th
North Wilkesboro Scoop – In the All-Star Race, look for Joey Logano to be a factor. Logano has a knack for winning at debuting ovals, and in recent years he’s won the first races held at Bristol Dirt, Gateway and The Coliseum. I could easily see Logano adding a North Wilkesboro “W” to his resume. Another variable I like about Logano is his short track prowess. I view Richmond and Martinsville as the two tracks with the most correlation, and Logano is always one of the best default picks you can make at those venues. This year at them, Logano finished 7th at Richmond and snuck in a 2nd at Martinsville (pit strategy late). Another variable I like about Logano is that he’s not shy about getting aggressive in a race that will likely be heavy with contact. In practice, Logano had the 13th best 25-lap average. In his Heat Race, Logano finished 2nd.
DraftKings $9,700 / FanDuel $10,000 / DK Odds To Win +1600