For the first time in seven years, the NASCAR Cup Series is back at Chicagoland Speedway. Chicagoland was on the schedule in 2020 initially, but after it was replaced due to various COVID-19-related restrictions, it didn't not return in 2021.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin continued his impressive form on ovals and took the pole position for Sunday's 267-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Joliet, Illinois oval by recording a top lap speed of 178.241 miles per hour in his No. 11 Toyota.
Hendrick Motorpsports' Kyle Larson, whom Hamlin beat to the top spot by exactly one one-thousandth (0.001) of a second, is set to start beside him on the front row behind the wheel of his No. 5 Chevrolet.
Hendrick Motorsports' Alex Bowman, the track's most recent Cup Series race winner from 2019, qualified 12th behind the wheel of his No. 48 Chevrolet.
Here's a look at the full starting lineup for Sunday's eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, which is the first race of the second half of the 2026 season as well as the second race of the five-race In-Season Challenge tournament. Note that pre-race penalties are not factored into the chart below.
Full NASCAR Cup Series starting lineup at Chicagoland
Order | Driver |
|---|---|
1 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
2 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
3 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford |
4 | Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford |
5 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
6 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
7 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
8 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
9 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
10 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
11 | A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
12 | Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
13 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota |
14 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
15 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
16 | Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
17 | John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
18 | Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota |
19 | Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
20 | Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford |
21 | Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
22 | Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
23 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford |
24 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
25 | Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
26 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
27 | Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
28 | Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota |
29 | Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
30 | Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
31 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
32 | Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
33 | Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet |
34 | Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
35 | Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
36 | J.J. Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet |
37 | Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
38 | Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
Live coverage of the eero 400 from Chicagoland Speedway is scheduled to begin on TNT at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 5. Don't miss any of the action from Chicagoland's first NASCAR Cup Series race since 2019!
