Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Friday, July 3, 2026
NASCAR Returns to Chicagoland After Seven Years: Track Analysis Reveals Next Gen Unknowns
The NASCAR Cup Series makes its long-awaited return to Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday for the first time since 2019, and the data suggests a genuinely unpredictable weekend. A track analysis published Thursday on NASCAR.com found that Chicagoland features more lead changes per lap than a typical intermediate, fewer cautions, and longer green-flag runs. A spring Goodyear tire test revealed more grip than anticipated and less tire degradation than expected, complicating setup strategies after a seven-year absence. With no Next Gen car data from Joliet, Illinois, engineers are working from outdated baselines heading into Friday practice, making tire and handling choices unusually speculative.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
In-Season Challenge Round 2 Bracket: Hamlin, Bowman Headline Chicagoland Matchups
Round 2 of the 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge arrives at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, with 16 drivers competing in head-to-head bracket matchups for a share of the one-million-dollar prize pool. Among the key matchups, second-seeded Denny Hamlin faces 15th-seeded Erik Jones, while 32nd-seeded Alex Bowman — who stunned top-seeded Tyler Reddick at Sonoma — takes on Chase bubble driver Austin Cindric. Teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron square off in an intrasquad Hendrick clash, while Chris Buescher meets Christopher Bell. NASCAR confirmed that among more than 75,000 fan bracket submissions, zero perfect brackets remain after Round 1’s upsets at Sonoma.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Almost Half the Cup Field Will Race Chicagoland for the First Time on Sunday
Nearly half of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series field will race at Chicagoland Speedway for the very first time in a Cup car, according to Jayski. The 1.5-mile Joliet oval last hosted a Cup race in 2019, meaning many of the sport’s younger talents have zero experience at the venue. Only 10 drivers in the current field have logged five or more career Cup starts there, and just three active drivers — Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and Alex Bowman — have won at Chicagoland. Crew chiefs and engineers face the same void, leaning on pre-2019 data and this spring’s Goodyear tire test rather than any direct Next Gen race experience.
Denny Hamlin Opens as Chicagoland Favorite Ahead of Sunday’s eero 400
Denny Hamlin opened as the heavy favorite for Sunday’s eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, carrying +320 odds, according to Fox Sports. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver leads the Cup Series points race and boasts the best average running position on intermediate tracks this season at 3.89, with a 2.5 average finish on intermediates in 2026. Hamlin is one of only three drivers in Sunday’s field who has won at Chicagoland, having done so in 2015, and he participated in a Goodyear tire test at the track this spring. Tyler Reddick follows at +550, Kyle Larson at +600, and Christopher Bell at +850.
Sources: Fox Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Garage 66 Forced to Withdraw From eero 400 After Failing to Land Sponsorship
Garage 66 has withdrawn its No. 66 entry from Sunday’s eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway after failing to secure race sponsorship, according to Jayski. Josh Bilicki had been set to drive the entry. The team turned to social media in the days before race weekend publicly seeking a primary sponsor but was unable to attract funding in time. Garage 66 has made eight Cup starts in 2026 with a variety of drivers. The withdrawal reduces the Chicagoland field to 38 entries. A Motorsport.com report confirmed the withdrawal, noting the team had been seeking sponsorship as recently as June 30 before ultimately pulling the entry from the event.
Sources: Jayski Motorsport.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
eero 400 Statistical Breakdown: Caution Rates, Lead Changes and Key Driver Profiles
A statistical preview of Sunday’s eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway from Jayski highlights several tendencies that could shape the outcome. The Joliet, Illinois, 1.5-mile oval historically produces more lead changes per lap than a standard intermediate with shorter caution periods and longer green-flag runs. The polesitter has outperformed the field average historically, lending importance to Saturday qualifying. Denny Hamlin leads all drivers with 14 career Cup starts at Chicagoland and an historically strong average finish there, while Brad Keselowski and Alex Bowman are the other former winners. Kyle Larson and William Byron rank as the top-rated intermediate-track performers through 18 races in 2026.
Richard Petty Turns 89 During NASCAR’s Return to Chicagoland
Richard Petty celebrated his 89th birthday on Thursday, July 2, as NASCAR returned to the Midwest for the Chicagoland Speedway race weekend. NASCAR.com marked the occasion with a photo gallery spanning the career of The King, who won 200 Cup Series races over a storied career and captured seven championships. Petty raced from 1958 through 1992 before transitioning to team ownership. He remains one of NASCAR’s most visible ambassadors and continues involvement with the sport through Richard Petty Motorsports. His birthday falling during a race weekend reconnected the holiday festivities with the sport he helped define over six decades as driver, owner, and ambassador.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Bowman Returns to Chicagoland as ISC Upset Hero After Eliminating Top Seed Reddick
Alex Bowman arrived at Chicagoland Speedway as the In-Season Challenge’s most compelling story, having entered Round 1 as the 32nd and final seed before eliminating top-seeded Tyler Reddick at Sonoma Raceway. Bowman finished 10th at Sonoma while Reddick suffered a power-steering failure that handed the No. 48 driver the upset. Now Bowman faces Chase bubble driver Austin Cindric in Round 2 at a track he knows well — he won at Chicagoland in 2019, making him one of three former winners in the field alongside Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski, per NASCAR.com’s preview of the Round 2 matchups.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
TNT Sports Names Broadcast Team for In-Season Challenge Round 2 at Chicagoland
TNT Sports, truTV, and HBO Max will carry Sunday’s In-Season Challenge Round 2 from Chicagoland Speedway, with the broadcast team confirmed for the July 5 event starting at 6 p.m. ET. Adam Alexander will handle play-by-play duties, joined by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte as analysts, according to Jayski. Pre-race and post-race coverage will feature Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray, and Marty Smith. The Chicagoland event is the second round of the 16-driver ISC bracket competition for the one-million-dollar prize pool. Race coverage runs exclusively on the TNT Sports family of networks Sunday evening.
Hamlin Leads Reddick by One Point as Chicagoland Weekend Begins
Denny Hamlin leads Tyler Reddick by a single point in the NASCAR Cup Series standings heading into Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway, after one of the most dramatic reversals of the 2026 regular season. Hamlin entered Sonoma four points behind Reddick on June 28 but moved ahead when Reddick suffered a power-steering failure that left him last, while Hamlin recovered from late-race splitter damage to finish 26th. Reddick had led the championship for most of the season to that point. Hamlin boasts a 2.5 average finish on intermediate tracks in 2026, the best in the field. Eight races remain before the playoff field is set, according to Jayski.
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
* Bubble position — After Race 18, Sonoma (June 28, 2026)
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 837 pts
2. Chevrolet — 739 pts
3. Ford — 592 pts
After Race 18, Sonoma — 2026 Season
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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