JOLIET, Ill. — For the first time in more than seven years, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, bringing one of the sport’s most popular intermediate tracks back to the schedule for Sunday’s eero 400. The 267-lap race marks the track’s first Cup event since June 30, 2019, a span of 2,562 days.
The 1.5-mile oval hosted a Cup race annually from 2001-19 and produced some of NASCAR’s most memorable finishes, including several late-race passes for victory. Nine of the last 13 Cup races on 1.5-mile tracks have seen the winning pass occur in the final seven laps, a trend that could continue upon Chicagoland’s return.
The weekend arrives with a tightening championship battle between Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick. Hamlin enters Chicagoland holding the regular-season points lead by a single point over Reddick after erasing a 129-point deficit over the last six races.
Hamlin has been the benchmark on intermediate tracks this season. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran owns six consecutive top-five finishes on 1.5-mile tracks, has led in each of the last 10 races on that track type and carries a series-best 2.5 average finish on intermediate ovals in 2026.
Reddick remains one of Hamlin’s strongest challengers despite recent setbacks. The reigning Daytona 500 winner has four top-five finishes in his last six starts on 1.5-mile tracks and ranks second only to Hamlin in average running position on intermediates this season.
Kyle Larson could also be poised for a breakthrough at a venue that statistically ranks among his best. Larson owns a series-best 6.17 average finish at Chicagoland and has collected five top-five finishes in the last six races overall. However, the 2021 Cup champion remains winless in his last 42 starts, his longest drought since joining Hendrick Motorsports.
Among former Chicagoland winners entered this weekend are Brad Keselowski, Hamlin and Alex Bowman, who captured the speedway’s most recent Cup race in 2019. Keselowski may be a sleeper despite sitting outside the current playoff cutline. The RFK Racing co-owner has finished in the top 10 in each of the last nine Cup races at Chicagoland and owns 14 career victories on 1.5-mile tracks.
Ryan Blaney enters the weekend carrying momentum as well. The Team Penske driver has six consecutive top-10 finishes and a chance to establish a career-best streak with a seventh straight. His 9.8 average finish at Chicagoland is his best at any 1.5-mile track.
The race also carries playoff implications with just eight races remaining before the postseason. Drivers including Ryan Preece, Austin Cindric, Erik Jones, Keselowski, AJ Allmendinger and Joey Logano are locked in a fierce battle around the playoff cut line. Only 33 points separate positions 15 through 21 in the standings.
Toyota has dominated intermediate racing in 2026, leading 773 laps and posting 12 top-five finishes on 1.5-mile tracks. Ford, meanwhile, enters the weekend amid a 14-race winless streak.
As NASCAR returns to Joliet for the first time since before the pandemic, the combination of a restored fan-favorite venue, a razor-thin points battle and mounting playoff pressure should make Chicagoland one of the most anticipated races of the season.