The first NASCAR Cup Series points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996 is set to go green shortly after 7 p.m. ET on Sunday evening. Here’s what you need to know before the 21st race of the 2026 Cup Series season. 

Favorite: Christopher Bell (+185, per DraftKings)

It feels like a win has to be coming soon for Bell, who has five runner-up finishes this season and two straight. Despite still racing with a banged-up wrist, Bell topped Cup practice at North Wilkesboro on Saturday. He’ll roll off the grid in third as he looks to win at Wilkesboro for the second straight year. 

Underdog: Chris Buescher (+5500, per DraftKings)

Buescher was 10th-fastest in practice and will start ninth on Sunday. He’s been the strongest RFK Racing driver this season, and while Ford has struggled to find speed overall, Sunday’s short-track race should see the Blue Oval perform better than it has for most of the year. Don’t be surprised if Buescher grinds out a solid top-10 finish or if he finds his way into contention for the win at the end of a grueling 450-lap affair. 

Atlanta winner Ryan Blaney will start on the pole Sunday night after qualifying at North Wilkesboro was rained out. He’s looking for back-to-back wins, but more importantly, an opportunity to further close in on points leaders Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick. With six races left in the regular season, Blaney is only 65 points behind Hamlin for the lead. 

Can Ross Chastain rebound from an early penalty?

If there were ever a race where Ross Chastain needed a fast car, it would be Sunday. Chastain will start the race at the rear of the field and serve an early pass-through penalty after failing inspection three times on Saturday. He’ll be at least one lap down early in the race, but was third-quickest in practice on Saturday. He’ll need to make up ground quickly to ensure his night isn’t a total wash. 

Can big names come through the field?

With the starting lineup being set by the rulebook, several big names who had poor results at Atlanta will have to come from the back on Sunday night. That includes Bubba Wallace (26th), defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson (27th) and Chase Briscoe (30th). Ryan Preece (21st), Brad Keselowski (23rd) and Alex Bowman (25th) will also start in the back half of the field.