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Truck Series Shifts: 18-Year-Old Kleyn Debuts, Elliott Replaces Busch

7/17/2026

Summary

Chase Elliott Substitutes

The NASCAR Truck Series will have lineup changes for the FaithFest 250 at North Wilkesboro.
18-year-old Kasey Kleyn will debut in the No. 27 Chevrolet for Rackley WAR and will run at Richmond and Martinsville later.
Chase Elliott replaces the late Kyle Busch in the No. 7 Chevrolet at North Wilkesboro after a 10th-place start at the 2023 Daytona opener.
Toni Breidinger stays on Rackley WAR’s schedule for Indianapolis, New Hampshire and Talladega.

Summary

NASCAR Returns

NASCAR Cup Series will hold the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, first points-paying Cup race there since 1996 on a 0.625-mile oval with downhill frontstretch and uphill backstretch.
Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace will serve as grand marshal, with eight legends—including Richard Childress and Ray Evernham—appearing in introductions.
Cody Ware warned that heat, humidity and footwork will make the race demanding, while Christopher Bell expects tighter pack racing.

Summary

NASCAR Boosts Purse

NASCAR announced that the Cup purse is $11,233,037, an $8,811,637 rise from 2025, and the Truck purse is $789,700, up $6,800.
Because NASCAR no longer releases individual driver winnings, team payouts for both races remain undisclosed.
The 23rd race weekend of the 2026 season at North Wilkesboro Speedway features 2025 winners Christopher Bell and Chandler Smith seeking repeats, with Joey Logano as a challenger.

History

Historical Context

Jeff Gordon’s 1996 Tyson Holly Farms 400—won on September 29, his tenth victory of the season—was the last NASCAR Cup race at North Wilkesboro Speedway until a points event returned in 2026. The 1996 race marked the track’s final appearance after ownership disputes and capacity limits, and its revival with the Window World 450 signals NASCAR’s renewed focus on historic short tracks.

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Chase Elliott Substitutes

The NASCAR Truck Series will have lineup changes for the FaithFest 250 at North Wilkesboro.
18-year-old Kasey Kleyn will debut in the No. 27 Chevrolet for Rackley WAR and will run at Richmond and Martinsville later.
Chase Elliott replaces the late Kyle Busch in the No. 7 Chevrolet at North Wilkesboro after a 10th-place start at the 2023 Daytona opener.
Toni Breidinger stays on Rackley WAR’s schedule for Indianapolis, New Hampshire and Talladega.

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