Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Hamlin Takes NASCAR Cup Points Lead by Single Margin Entering Chicagoland
Denny Hamlin enters Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday leading the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship by a single point over Tyler Reddick. Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota moved to the top spot after 18 races when Reddick suffered a power-steering failure at Sonoma Raceway on June 28, resulting in a 36th-place finish. Hamlin himself was not without drama, spinning from seventh on a Lap 64 restart and finishing 26th. The ultra-tight battle arrives at a track historically suited to Hamlin, who owns five top-10 finishes in his last six Chicagoland appearances, including a victory in 2015.
Sources: Motorsport.com NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
NASCAR Returns to Chicagoland Speedway for First Time in Seven Years
The NASCAR Cup Series races at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday for the first time since June 2019, ending a seven-year absence from the 1.5-mile Joliet, Illinois oval. NASCAR previously ran three seasons of street-course events through downtown Chicago before dropping that format and restoring Chicagoland to the 2026 schedule. Thirty-nine drivers are entered for Sunday's eero 400, with practice set for Friday and qualifying Saturday. The Independence Day weekend program also includes NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA Menards Series racing. NASCAR released qualifying groups on July 1, confirming the full field for the first Joliet Cup race in seven years.
Sources: NASCAR.com Jayski Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
In-Season Challenge Round 2 Brings 16 Drivers to Chicagoland for $1 Million Showdown
The NASCAR Cup Series' 2026 In-Season Challenge advances to Round 2 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, with 16 drivers remaining in contention for the $1 million prize. The 32-driver bracket was cut in half following Round 1 at Sonoma Raceway, where upsets and close calls defined the competition. Headline matchups for Chicagoland include Kyle Larson versus William Byron — two Hendrick Motorsports teammates squaring off on a 1.5-mile oval — and Alex Bowman facing Austin Cindric in a high-stakes battle. The Chicagoland race counts toward both regular-season championship points and In-Season Challenge advancement, adding strategic complexity for drivers managing multiple objectives.
Sources: NASCAR.com NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Six Drivers Separated by 33 Points Battle for Final NASCAR Chase Spots at Chicagoland
Just 12 points separate 16th-place Austin Cindric from 17th-place Erik Jones at the current NASCAR Cup Series Chase cutline entering the Chicagoland race, with only nine regular-season races remaining. The broader bubble is even tighter: 33 points cover positions 15 through 21 in the standings, with Ryan Preece (402 pts), Cindric (401), Jones (389), Brad Keselowski (376), AJ Allmendinger (375), and Joey Logano (370) all in contention. Chicagoland's 1.5-mile oval format historically produces close intermediate racing, meaning Sunday's eero 400 could significantly reshape the playoff picture for drivers battling around the postseason cutoff.
Sources: Motorsport.com FOX Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Shield AI Joins 23XI Racing as Technology Partner, Brands Corey Heim's No. 67 at Chicagoland
Shield AI, a San Diego-based defense artificial-intelligence company, has been announced as an official technology partner of 23XI Racing, with the collaboration debuting on Corey Heim's No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE at Sunday's eero 400. The partnership integrates Shield AI's Hivemind Benchmark software, which collects and visualizes performance data to support driver development and post-race analysis. 23XI Racing will evaluate correlations between modeled and live race performance, generating insights for race strategy and driver coaching. The partnership was confirmed July 1, making Shield AI one of the more distinctive technology-sector sponsors in the Cup Series paddock.
Sources: Jayski 23XI Racing Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Zane Smith Eyes First Cup Win in Milestone 100th Career Start at Chicagoland
Zane Smith will make his 100th NASCAR Cup Series start Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse, his career milestone yet to include a Cup victory. Smith enters in career-best form: six top-10 finishes in 2026's first 18 races, including a fourth-place result at Naval Base Coronado. 'I hope to get my first Cup Series win,' Smith said ahead of Sunday's eero 400. 'It would be a great place to do it.' The Chicagoland race also marks the first Cup event at the 1.5-mile Joliet oval since 2019, a track type that has suited Smith's recent pace.
Sources: NASCAR.com Speedway Media Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Bowman Returns to Site of Breakthrough Win at Chicagoland Amid Unresolved 2027 Contract
Alex Bowman returns to Chicagoland Speedway as the track's most recent NASCAR Cup winner, having claimed his first career victory there in June 2019 by leading the final laps over then-teammate Kyle Larson. In 2026, Bowman pilots the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from 29th in points — his season interrupted by four missed races due to vertigo — but his Chicagoland history adds significance to Sunday's return. Bowman's 2027 contract with Hendrick is also unresolved: the driver told reporters he does not feel like he is racing for his job but that conversations with the team are ongoing as both sides weigh his future.
Sources: NASCAR.com NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Corey Heim Returns to No. 67 at Chicagoland for Second Start Since Breakthrough Win
Corey Heim makes his second Cup Series appearance since winning his first race at Naval Base Coronado on June 21, returning to the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday. Heim, the 2024 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion who joins 23XI full-time in 2027, claimed that breakthrough in just his 13th Cup start, passing teammate Tyler Reddick in the closing laps of the Anduril 250. At Chicagoland, Heim's No. 67 carries Shield AI branding as part of a new technology partnership announced July 1. Three 23XI entries will compete Sunday: Heim's No. 67, Tyler Reddick's No. 45, and Bubba Wallace's No. 23.
Sources: Jayski NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
1. Denny Hamlin — 719 pts
2. Tyler Reddick — 718 pts
3. Ryan Blaney — 615 pts
4. Ty Gibbs — 589 pts
5. Kyle Larson — 571 pts
6. Chase Elliott — 554 pts
7. Chris Buescher — 518 pts
8. Carson Hocevar — 509 pts
9. Daniel Suarez — 484 pts
10. Christopher Bell — 472 pts
11. Chase Briscoe — 468 pts
12. William Byron — 446 pts
13. Bubba Wallace — 444 pts
14. Shane van Gisbergen — 425 pts
15. Ryan Preece — 402 pts
16. Austin Cindric — 401 pts
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 747 pts
2. Chevrolet — 650 pts
3. Ford — 528 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency