Enjoy Illinois 300 Preview: Playoff Pace Picks Up

For the second race in the playoffs, the NASCAR Cup Series visits World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois for the fourth time since its inaugural event three 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 Xfinity 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 three 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 two 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 Xfinity 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 three years ago. The wrinkle for this weekend is that WWTR has moved from the mid-season schedule and into the crucial date of the opening round of the playoffs. This will be a make or break race for many drivers as the look to advance into round 2 of NASCAR's postseason.   

Since this is the fourth 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 three 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 three Cup Series events at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Three 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 Craftsman 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 this season it will likely be another driver we see in victory lane this weekend.      

The last two seasons Ford and Chevrolet drivers have traded spots in victory lane at the Midwest oval. Toyota has been completely locked out of winning at the intermediate track to this point. What will this Sunday hold in store? For a good idea, the closest comparable race would be the event in mid-May at Kansas Speedway. Kyle Larson would win that race in dominant performance. We could be in for some more Hendrick Motorsports 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

Chase Briscoe – The Joe Gibbs Racing star is on a roll. Briscoe has won or finished runner-up five times since his first victory of the season at Pocono a few weeks ago and he's coming off the big win at Darlington this past Sunday night. Briscoe is on fire. A good comparison race to Gateway is the race held at Iowa a few weeks ago. The driver of the No. 19 Toyota won the pole and led 81 laps before finishing runner-up to William Byron. 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. Make no mistake, Briscoe is very likely the driver to beat this weekend.

William Byron – 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. From a playoff advancement perspective, a win helps cure a lot this weekend for the No. 24 Chevrolet team. Byron has a high ceiling but does carry some risk. The reason for our optimism is that he won at Iowa recently and finished Top 5 at Nashville back in the summer. Those are good comps to this race at Gateway. Byron's inconsistency this season 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 he did lead 30 laps and grab a Top 10 in this event two seasons ago. He'll be a contender to win Sunday in Madison, Illinois.   

Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has a pair of runner-up finishes in his last two starts at World Wide Technology Raceway. That foreshadows good things for the Joe Gibbs Racing star this weekend. He won the pole and finished seventh this past weekend in Darlington so he's just a tick off what it takes to win one of these playoff races. Hamlin led 79 laps and was Top 3 at Nashville earlier in the summer, so a good performance would seem to be in the cards. The No. 11 team are coming off a tough stretch leading up to their good effort at Darlington this past week, so don't rule them out carrying that momentum into the Enjoy Illinois 300. Hamlin has what it takes to grab a win at this oval.

Ryan Blaney – This oval has been an exceptional track for drivers of Penske Racing. And while this team has had its struggles in 2025, Blaney has been the best of that stable and improving going into the NASCAR playoffs. A win at Nashville earlier this season and recent Top 5 at Iowa are good indicators for the No. 12 Ford team. In addition, Blaney needs a win to punch his ticket into the round of 12 of the playoffs. He's led 115 laps in his three prior Gateway starts, so Blaney has had a lot of experience racing up front at this oval. He qualifies well here (3.3 average start) and finishes well here (67-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 a Top 10 with an outside shot to win

Brad Keselowski – The owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford has been on a heater in recent weeks. Keselowski has racked two Top-10 and three Top-15 finishes in the last five races, including his strong third-place finish at Iowa. He'll ride that momentum into Madison, Illinois this week. Keselowski started seventh on the grid and finished third-place with 17 laps led in this event one year ago. It's the best of his three Gateway outings and a sign of potential for this Sunday. He's not a driver in the playoff picture, but Keselowski is looking to make an impact down the stretch, nonetheless. Mid-sized ovals have been good to this driver and team as his finishes at Atlanta, Charlotte and Iowa attest.

Kyle Busch – Busch's eighth-place finish at Darlington this past week halted a skid and lengthy dry spell for the veteran driver. We believe it's a good indicator this team may be turning the corner late in the season. With his win and runner-up finishes previously at WWTR and 202 laps led, he'll attract a lot of eyes and interest this weekend. The Richard Childress Racing star has registered three Top 10's this season on intermediate ovals, and that includes his performance this  past Sunday. While inconsistency seems to be the trademark of Busch's 2025 campaign to this point, we still believe he's a solid play on his best tracks. No worries with deploying him in fantasy racing lineups this Sunday.

Bubba Wallace – Speaking of streaking drivers, Wallace fits that description well. His three Top 10's and 134 laps led in the last five events, including his sixth-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 25.7 average finish in his three starts. However, we believe this season's indicators on intermediate ovals could give a good clue of Wallace's potential in the Enjoy Illinois 300. Atlanta, Homestead, Nashville, Iowa 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 – Logano has experienced a real mixed bag for a season to this point. A win earlier in the season at Texas has him qualified for the playoffs and it's this time of the year that this Penske Racing driver usually turns things up a notch. Logano was Top 5 recently at Richmond and Top 10 at Iowa, so the ovals have played well to 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 three 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

Kyle Larson – The Hendrick Motorsports star's 19th-place finish at Darlington this past Sunday has us downgrading him to the sleepers list this week. The urgency of the playoffs should kick in soon as playoff advancement is the number one motivator this time of year. Larson will look to get back into the groove this week at World Wide Technology Raceway. The really good news is that this driver and team have already won earlier this season at two similar ovals to WWTR with the wins at Homestead and Kansas. Larson's three prior starts at Gateway have fetched finishes of 12th-, fourth- and 10th-place for a sound 8.7 average finish. This is a facility where Larson and the No. 5 team can give us a good performance.

Christopher Bell – Bell is in the sleepers list for much the same reason that Larson is as well. Great potential, but recent inconsistency has cast a bit of uncertainty over his potential. We believe a rebound effort is in order this week at World Wide Technology Raceway. Bell has finishes of ninth-, 11th- and seventh-place in his three prior starts here or a solid 9.0 average finish over the span. In this event one year ago this driver and team led a whopping 80 laps before finishing seventh-place in the Enjoy Illinois 300. A runner-up finish earlier this season at Kansas Speedway teases the potential for the No. 20 Toyota team this weekend. Playoff advancement is on the line and that will be an extra motivator.  

Tyler Reddick – Reddick is coming off a strong runner-up finish at Darlington and looking to make a deep drive in the NASCAR playoffs. He's still winless for the season but somehow getting it done. Timely performances are key in the final 10 races. The 23XI Racing star doesn't have great Gateway stats, but he did earn his best finish at the oval in this event one year ago. Reddick piloted the team's No. 45 Toyota to a strong fourth-place finish in the Enjoy Illinois 300 last season. The notes from that outing should come in very handy for this driver and team. Top 10's earlier this season at Homestead, Nashville and Atlanta give us good vibes for the No. 45 Toyota team in this very important playoff race.   

Austin Cindric – Cindric won this event one year ago in a pretty sizeable upset. He'd start on the outside pole and lead 53 laps en route to the victory in the Enjoy Illinois 300. Cindric also started on the outside pole of the inaugural Gateway event in 2022 so he qualifies very well here with an average start of 4.7. The average finish of 8.3 isn't too shabby either. The Penske Racing driver is a part of the playoff field and will be looking to race into the Round of 12 this weekend. Recent Top 15's at Iowa and Darlington are good indicators as well as his Top 5 at Richmond a few weeks ago. We believe Cindric has very high upside potential at World Wide Technology Raceway. His win in this event one year ago was no fluke.   

Chris Buescher – The driver of the No. 17 Ford has been a bit hit-or-miss on the intermediate ovals this season, but he's been trending up big of late. Buescher has collected three Top 10's in his last four races and that's a good look heading into Gateway this weekend. He's coming off a steady 10th-place finish this past Sunday at Darlington Raceway. The veteran driver has made two prior starts at World Wide Technology Raceway and he's earned reasonable finishes of 12th- and 14th-place. Buescher has shown the ability to race from the rear of the field to the front at this oval, so qualifying poorly hasn't hurt him here.  

Ross Chastain – With the prospect of boom-and-bust potential, we've slotted Chastain in the sleepers list this week. However, he's been picking up the pace of late. In his last five races the Trackhouse Racing veteran has earned one Top 10 and four Top 15's for a reasonable 13.2 average finish across his most recent span. Chastain posted a steady 11th-place finish at Darlington this past Sunday, and we believe he has that potential at Gateway also. The oval at World Wide Technology Raceway has yielded one Top-10 and two Top-15 finishes in three starts to the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet for a decent 14.0 average finish. He's not led a single lap at this oval but Chastain has spent a lot of time racing inside the Top 15 here as the loop stat table above indicates. He's poised for that type of blue collar effort in the Enjoy Illinois 300.

Slow Down – Drivers to avoid this week

Chase Elliott – Elliott is the playoff driver most at risk for not delivering a good performance this weekend at Gateway. He has just one Top-10 finish in his last six races coming into this second race of the playoffs and is limping a good bit after his disappointing 17th-place at Darlington this past Sunday. The Hendrick Motorsports star has two prior starts at World Wide Technology Raceway. He missed his 2023 start there due to injury. In those two prior starts Elliott has 21st-place and 13th-place finishes (17.0 average) and zero laps led. This has not been a good 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.

Alex Bowman – Another Hendrick driver that has cooled considerably recently is Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team. He has just one Top 10 in his last four races and is in need of a good playoff performance if he hopes to advance in the postseason. Bowman struggled qualifying and finishing at Darlington this past weekend and that's a major concern heading to Gateway. The veteran driver has not raced particularly well at World Wide Technology Raceway and his three efforts there are 13th-, 26th- and 28th-place finishes for an inflated average of 22.3. For whatever reason this mid-sized oval in Madison, Illinois has been a real puzzle for this driver and team. From a fantasy perspective you have a slumping driver visiting one of his poorer intermediate ovals this Sunday afternoon.        

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. –  The HYAK Motorsports driver is stone cold entering this second race of the NASCAR playoffs. Stenhouse has no Top-20 finishes in the last five events and his average finish over this recent span stands at an ugly 28.8. 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 three prior starts he has just one Top-20 finish and a 28.0 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.  

Cole Custer – Custer proved he has some fantasy worth with his recent Top 5 at Daytona a couple weeks ago. However, this Sunday is not superspeedway racing at all. Intermediate oval racing is another animal all together and World Wide Technology Raceway presents an entirely different set of challenges than Daytona. Custer's best, most recent comp is likely his 26th-place finish at Iowa Speedway a few weeks ago. That's probably a good mark to expect for the Enjoy Illinois 300. Custer doesn't have much experience racing a Cup car here as his only start came in the 2022 inaugural season. He would earn a disappointing 29th-place finish in that event so there's no need to expect any upticks from the No. 41 Ford team this weekend.