Joey Logano held off Denny Hamlin for his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season Sunday night in the first points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 30 years. Logano won for the 38th time in Cup, ending a drought that went back to May 2025 at Texas Motor Speedway. The 36-year-old extended his streak of winning at least one race to 15 consecutive seasons, the longest among active drivers.

Logano took the lead in Stage 2 and dominated, leading 323 of 450 laps in a race with just five cautions. Hamlin finished second, followed by Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Shane Van Gisbergen. The win vaults Logano into playoff contention after he entered the race outside the top 16.

The 0.625-mile track, built in 1947, sat dormant after its last points race in 1996 before Speedway Motorsports refurbished it. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney and Todd Gilliland advanced to the $1 million In-Season Challenge finals, set for next week's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Tyler Reddick wrecked on lap 184 after contact with Alex Bowman on pit road, while Blaney overcame a power steering issue and speeding penalty to reach the semifinals.