Enjoy Illinois 300 Preview: Chase Pace Picks Up

For the second race in the Chase, the NASCAR Cup Series visits World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois for the fifth time since its inaugural event four seasons ago. This oval is a moderately-banked 1.25-mile track that is asphalt paved and features 11 degree banking in turns 1 & 2 and 9 degree banking in turns 3 & 4. The track has hosted O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, Craftsman Truck Series and the lower divisions of NASCAR for many years, but NASCAR's top division just began racing at this oval in 2022. That will leave us short on a lot of data and statistics, but we'll lean heavily on the last four races and current performance on intermediate ovals to do some forecasting for the Enjoy Illinois 300.  

The event is 240 laps, divided into three stages of 45 laps, 95 laps and 100 laps. Based on what we've seen in the prior events at WWTR, average speeds are likely to be around 135 mph as the asphalt surface provides decent grip and a lot of potential for side-by-side racing. The oval is somewhat reminiscent of the lower banked intermediate ovals on the circuit like Kansas Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, although modestly smaller in size than most NASCAR intermediate ovals. From its opening in 1997 World Wide Technology Raceway hosted O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races until 2010 and Craftsman Truck Series events until the present day. The facility had never hosted a Cup Series event in its history until four years ago.

Since this is the fifth time racing at WWTR and a relatively new track, we have very little in the way of historical loop stats to examine this weekend. That does put us at a bit of a disadvantage. We will visit each driver's performance this season on intermediate, similar sized ovals for additional analysis. So do note, the loop stats in the table below only cover the last four Cup Series races at Gateway. There are still some good takeaways in these numbers despite the lack of sample size, but we will need to keep them in context and not completely go all-in on these figures. The loop stats in the table below cover the last four Cup Series events at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Four seasons ago, NASCAR made a little history by racing their top touring division at the Madison, Illinois oval for the first time ever. For much of the previous decade, this track has been mostly home to the Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series. That changed when the Cup Series took the green flag here June 5 of 2022. Joey Logano would take advantage of an overtime restart/finish to out-duel Kyle Busch and capture the win in the inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300. The Penske Racing star would lead just 22 laps that day but would peak at the right time and take advantage of the opportunity to secure the win. Given Penske's collective struggles on mid-sized ovals this season it will likely be another driver we see in victory lane this weekend.      

The last three seasons all three manufacturers have traded spots in victory lane at the Midwest oval. Toyota had been completely locked out of winning at the intermediate track until last year's Enjoy Illinois 300. Denny Hamlin would rise late and lead the final green-flag stint to grab his first win at the WWTR oval. What will this Sunday hold in store? For a good idea, the closest comparable race would be the event in late-May at Nashville Superspeedway. Hamlin would win that race in a late-race shootout with Christopher Bell. Joe Gibbs Racing would finish 1-2-3 that day and underscore their dominance on these mid-sized ovals in 2026. We could be in for some more JGR dominance and another thrilling finish at World Wide Technology Raceway. We'll give you the drivers you need to succeed in your fantasy racing games for the Enjoy Illinois 300 in Madison, Illinois.  

The Contenders – Drivers in the Hunt for the Win

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:00 PM ET Thursday

Denny Hamlin (+425) – Our last victor at World Wide Technology Raceway will be happy to return to the Gateway oval. He has three Top-5 finishes in his four starts at the Madison, Illinois track. Aside from the win, the other two Top 5's were runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024. Hamlin led 57 laps and won from the pole at the similar sized oval in Nashville earlier this season. That is a good reference point for potential for the Joe Gibbs Racing star at Gateway. The No. 11 team are coming off a tough outing at Darlington this past Sunday evening and looking to rebound in the Enjoy Illinois 300. Hamlin has what it takes to grab a win at this mid-sized track.  

Christopher Bell (+400) – Bell is coming off his first victory of the season this past Sunday at Darlington Raceway. After many runner-up finishes this year, he finally cashed in for the win, and at what a great time to kickoff the Chase. Bell has finishes of ninth-, 11th- and a pair of seventh-place finishes in his four prior starts here or a solid 8.5 average finish over the span. In this event one year ago this driver and team raced to their second-straight seventh-place in the Enjoy Illinois 300. Runner-up finishes earlier this season at both Nashville and Chicago teases the potential for the No. 20 Toyota team this weekend. Championship implications are on the line and that will be an extra motivator. 

Chase Briscoe (+1000) – The Joe Gibbs Racing star is on a roll after his sixth-place finish at Darlington Raceway this past Sunday evening. Briscoe will look to carry that momentum into the second race of the Chase at WWTR this weekend. A good comparison race to Gateway is the race held at Chicago a few weeks ago. The driver of the No. 19 Toyota led 51 laps and took the victory in the eero 400. That's the potential he has in the Enjoy Illinois 300. Briscoe has not been a big performer at World Wide Technology Raceway to this point in his career, but he did win a pole and lead 27 laps in the inaugural event in 2022. Briscoe also finished runner-up in this event one year ago. Make no mistake, Briscoe will battle among the leaders this weekend.

Ryan Blaney (+450) – This oval has been an exceptional track for drivers of Penske Racing. This team has had its struggles in 2026, however, Blaney has been the best of the Penske stable and improving going into the Chase. A win at Atlanta earlier this summer and recent Top 5 at Darlington this past weekend are good indicators for the No. 12 Ford team. In addition, Blaney needs a win to ensure a deep run into this season's playoffs. He's led 120 laps in his four prior Gateway starts, so Blaney has had a lot of experience racing up front at this oval. He qualifies well here (3.8 average start) and finishes well here (75-percent Top-10 rate). Don't be surprised if we see Blaney standing in victory lane at Gateway this Sunday afternoon.    

Solid Plays – Near Locks for Top 10 with an Outside Shot to Win

Tyler Reddick (+1200) – Reddick is coming off a strong third-place finish at Darlington and looking to make a deep drive into the Chase in pursuit of the championship. He has five wins on the season but the last of those came way back in April at Kansas. The 23XI Racing star doesn't have great Gateway stats, but he did earn his best finish at the oval in this event two years ago. Reddick piloted the team's No. 45 Toyota to a strong fourth-place finish in the Enjoy Illinois 300 in 2024. The notes from that outing should come in very handy for this driver and team. Top 10's earlier this season at Kansas, Nashville and Atlanta give us good vibes for the No. 45 Toyota team in this very important playoff race.  

Kyle Larson (+750) – The Hendrick Motorsports star's fifth-place finish at Darlington this past Sunday came with 99 laps led and a flirtation with victory lane. That has moved us to upgrade him from the sleepers to the solid plays this round. The urgency of the Chase is kicking in and is the number one motivator this time of year. Larson will look to stay in the groove this week at World Wide Technology Raceway. The really good news is that this driver and team have already collected Top 5's at two similar ovals to WWTR with the runner-up finish at Kansas and seventh-place finish at Las Vegas. Larson's four prior starts at Gateway have fetched finishes of 12th-, fourth-, 10th- and 12th-place for a sound 9.5 average finish. This is a facility where Larson and the No. 5 team can give us a good performance.

Bubba Wallace (+2500) – Speaking of streaking drivers, Wallace fits that description well. His two Top-10 finishes in the last three races and 60 combined laps led over the span, including his eighth-place at Darlington on Sunday have him riding high coming into World Wide Technology Raceway. The oval at Gateway hasn't held much success for the 23XI Racing driver with only a 21.3 average finish in his four starts. However, he led a whopping 73 laps and finished a solid eighth-place in this event one year ago. We believe this season's indicators on intermediate ovals could give a good clue of Wallace's potential in the Enjoy Illinois 300. Las Vegas, Kansas, Chicago and most recently Darlington have all rewarded the No. 23 Toyota team with Top 10's. These really have been his best tracks in the schedule and Wallace is surging coming to Gateway this weekend.

Joey Logano (+700) – Logano has experienced a real mixed bag for a season to this point. A couple wins on short tracks during the summer have kept him alive in the championship picture and it's this time of the year that this Penske Racing driver usually turns things up a notch. Logano was Top 10 last weekend at Darlington Raceway, so the intermediate ovals are coming into focus for the No. 22 Ford team. You won't find another driver with more impressive stats at WWTR than Logano. He won the inaugural event here in 2022 and he has Top-5 finishes in all four starts at Gateway. The fifth-place finish in this event one year ago is a confidence booster heading into this weekend.   

Sleepers – Drivers with Good History of Intermediate Oval Racing & Solid Upside

William Byron (+1600) – Byron is coming off a disappointing race at Darlington Raceway this past week, so urgency will be on full display in the Enjoy Illinois 300. He looked sure to crack the Top 10 at Darlington before a late-race engine failure ended his evening. Byron has a high ceiling but does carry some risk. The reason for our optimism is the Top 10's he collected at tracks like Las Vegas, Kansas and Chicago earlier this season. Byron's inconsistency this year has been maddening at times, but he's been a sharp instrument on these mid-sized ovals for the most part. The Hendrick Motorsports star has not been super sharp at WWTR in the past, but his one Top-10 and three Top-15 finishes work out to a respectable 13.3 average finish at the Gateway oval.    

Ty Gibbs (+1200) – Gibbs' runner-up finish at Darlington this past week puts him squarely in the championship conversation coming to World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. We believe it's a good indicator this team may be turning things up a notch late in the season. With his 10th- and 11th-place finishes at Gateway the past two seasons, there's good reason for optimism coming into this second race of the Chase. The driver of the No. 54 Toyota has been a Top-10 driver recently at tracks like Atlanta, Chicago and Charlotte, so expectations will be high for Gibbs coming into Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300. He certainly has Top-10 potential in this race and is a deep sleeper to contest the win at the Gateway oval. 

Josh Berry (+2200) – Berry's short track hot streak has blown through the small ovals and right into the much larger ones. With Top 10's at both Daytona and Darlington the last two weeks, the Wood Brothers Racing driver rides a six-race Top-10 streak into Gateway this weekend. While Berry is not a part of the championship picture, that doesn't mean he doesn't present great fantasy utility in this race. The driver of the No. 21 Ford only has two Cup Series starts at World Wide Technology Raceway, and they haven't been noteworthy efforts. In fact, both have ended prematurely in crashes and DNF's. We're willing to look past those struggles and instead focus on the red-hot driver entering this weekend.   

Austin Cindric (+2000) – The driver of the No. 2 Ford has picked up two of his six Top-10 finishes for the season in this last four-race stretch heading into the Chase. Cindric has heated up and it has resulted in finishes of third-, 12th-, sixth- and 13th-place in the last four weeks. He'll look to carry that momentum into Madison, Illinois this weekend. The Penske Racing driver has performed very well in his four-career starts at the WWTR oval. Cindric won this event two seasons ago in a bit of a shocking upset, and he's claimed Top-15 finishes in three of his four Gateway starts. The laps led stand at 79 and the average finish stands at a respectable 11.0. This driver and team make good fantasy racing considerations for the Enjoy Illinois 300.

Alex Bowman (+10000) – He has awakened from a late-summer slump and posted two Top-10 and four Top-15 finishes in the last four events. That gives Bowman some momentum heading into these final races of the 2026 season. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet has never been a big performer at World Wide Technology Raceway. Bowman has just one Top-15 finish in his four-career starts and a disappointing 23.3 average finish at the track. Don't let that statistic deter you from fantasy deployment. Bowman's 12th-place finish at Darlington this past weekend is a good target to circle for Gateway this Sunday.

Ryan Preece (+6500) – Riding a three-race Top-10 streak into this weekend is certainly an eye-catching footnote. That string includes his big victory at Daytona a couple weeks ago. Preece brings some fantasy racing value into the Enjoy Illinois 300. The driver of the No. 60 Ford has fared better on the intermediate ovals this season than the larger ovals or even the short tracks. 11th-place finishes at tracks like Las Vegas and Kansas earlier in the year and Top 10's recently at Darlington and Indianapolis tease the potential for this driver and team. Preece has not cracked the Top 10 at WWTR in three attempts but he did collect a track-best finish of 13th-place in this event one year ago. We believe he'll be even better Sunday at Gateway.   

Slow Down - Drivers to Avoid This Week

Chase Elliott (+2200) – Elliott is the Chase driver most at risk for not delivering a good performance this weekend at Gateway. He has just one Top-10 finish in his last eight races coming into this second race of the Chase and is limping a good bit after his subpar 14th-place at Darlington this past Sunday. The Hendrick Motorsports star has three prior starts at World Wide Technology Raceway. He missed his 2023 start there due to injury. In those three prior starts Elliott has just one Top 10 (12.3 average) and just 4 laps led in those starts. This has not been the best oval for the No. 9 Chevrolet team to this point and that hangs like a cloud over any fantasy racing expectations of Elliott this weekend.

Brad Keselowski (+4000) – The owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford has been in a slump in recent weeks. Keselowski has no Top-10 finishes in his last five races, including his disappointing 23rd-place finish this past week at the Track Too Tough to Tame. He'll bring that slump into Madison, Illinois this week. Keselowski started 23rd on the grid and finished 17th-place with 13 laps led in this event one year ago. That's been a typical Gateway performance for him. Keselowski's Top-10 rate here is 25-percent and his average finish is a subpar 17.0. He's not a driver in the championship picture, and that's another factor that will affect his performance in the Enjoy Illinois 300.  

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+35000) –  The HYAK Motorsports driver is stone cold entering this second race of the NASCAR Chase. Stenhouse has just one Top-10 finish in the last 13 events and his average finish over this recent span stands at an ugly 24.5. We're not saying this driver and team have "mailed it in" on this season, but certainly that appearance is difficult to ignore. The 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois has not been a good facility for Stenhouse. In his four prior starts he has just two Top-20 finishes and a 26.0 average finish across the span. The driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet is usually reasonably good on intermediate ovals, but not this one. He's also about as slumping as a driver can get right now, so keep him on the fantasy bench for this one.  

Shane van Gisbergen (+15000) – Van Gisbergen proved his fantasy worth earlier in the season with his two road racing victories and various Top 10's on intermediate and smaller ovals. A late-summer swoon for the No. 97 Chevrolet team would punt him from the Chase and here we are. Van Gisbergen has failed to crack the Top 10 in his last six races and is limping into World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. The Trackhouse Racing veteran will be making just his second-career start at the Gateway oval and last season's debut was a disappointing 25th-place finish for the team. The last two weeks at Daytona and Darlington have left this team looking pretty clueless as to their recent woes, so we'd avoid van Gisbergen this weekend in Madison.