Ryan Blaney grabs pole at North Wilkesboro after qualifying washed out

Ryan Blaney will lead the field to green in Sunday’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway after rain washed out Saturday qualifying.

What happened?

Rain drenched the 0.625-mile short track on Saturday, forcing NASCAR to cancel qualifying for the Window World 450. That left Blaney, who won last Sunday at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta), slotted into the top spot on the grid. The race kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on TNT, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Blaney is third in the Cup Series standings, 65 points behind Denny Hamlin and 41 behind second-place Tyler Reddick. Starting up front gives him a shot to cut into those gaps before the Next Gen car’s softer noses become a factor.

Why it matters for Ryan Blaney

Blaney admitted the new bumper structure makes the cars “flimsy” up front. “All the foam is gone,” he said. “It’s just body work, so they’re going to be pretty flimsy, for sure.” He warned drivers to be careful in tight packs where contact could crumple the front ends.

Ty Gibbs starts second, with Christopher Bell third and Carson Hocevar fourth. Reddick is fifth, followed by Erik Jones, Hamlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott. Blaney faces Bell in the semifinals of the $1-million In-Season Challenge, while Elliott takes on Todd Gilliland.

What comes next?

Blaney’s short-track pedigree looms large. “They run really good on short tracks,” he said. “We have a history of running really good on short tracks.” Bell won last year’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, so the battle figures to be fierce.

Three teams drew inspection scrutiny on Saturday. Austin Hill’s No. 33 RCR Chevy and Connor Zilisch’s No. 88 Trackhouse entry failed twice, costing pit selection and car chief support. Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Trackhouse car failed three times, forcing him to start at the rear and serve a pass-through penalty after the green flag.