Qualifying sets the starting lineup, but it also determines something that can be just as important at North Wilkesboro Speedway: pit stall selection.
With passing expected to be at a premium during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, clean pit stops and easy access on pit road could play a major role in deciding who leaves with the trophy.
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Ryan Blaney’s Team Penske No. 12 Ford earned the first pit stall after winning the pole, giving the defending race winner one of the most desirable positions on pit road. Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar and Tyler Reddick also secured premium locations after qualifying inside the top five.
Prime pit stalls belong to several championship contenders
Blaney’s No. 12 team will pit in the first stall entering Turn 1, an opening that provides clear access in and out of the box with no neighboring stall on one side.
Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota, Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet and Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford all landed favorable positions near the front half of pit road as well.
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Several other playoff hopefuls, including William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric and Daniel Suarez, also avoided the more congested sections of pit road.
Some contenders face a tougher pit road challenge
Not every championship hopeful was as fortunate.
Kyle Larson will start 27th and also pits deeper in the lineup, while Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe and AJ Allmendinger will have longer climbs through traffic if cautions bunch the field.
Brad Keselowski, who continues to battle back from the broken right femur he suffered during the offseason, will pit from the middle portion of pit road after qualifying 23rd.
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Pit stall location doesn’t guarantee success, but at a short track where track position often outweighs raw speed, even a small advantage entering or exiting pit road can prove significant over 450 laps.
Full NASCAR Cup Series pit stall assignments
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Pole Stall: Ryan Blaney (No. 12)
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Front row: Ty Gibbs (No. 54)
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Other top-10 qualifiers: Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott.
Further back on pit road are Kyle Larson (27th), Bubba Wallace (26th), Chase Briscoe (30th), AJ Allmendinger (35th) and Chad Finchum (37th).
Teams selected their pit stalls Saturday after qualifying, with higher qualifiers receiving first choice based on starting position.
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