Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Brandon Jones Wins Rain-Delayed O’Reilly Series Race at Chicagoland
Brandon Jones (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) captured the rain-delayed Cuervo 300 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night, holding off Chase Elliott in overtime to score his first victory of the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. Jones stole the lead from Elliott’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet on the white-flag lap restart, taking control in Turn 3 as Elliott chose the top lane. Jones crossed the finish line 0.171 seconds ahead of Elliott, with Jesse Love third, Brent Crews fourth, and Austin Hill fifth. The win was Jones’ eighth career O’Reilly victory and his first at Chicagoland Speedway.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Hamlin Claims 52nd Career Pole at Chicagoland, Breaking Tie With Ryan Newman
Denny Hamlin edged Kyle Larson by just 0.001 seconds to claim the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, posting a lap of 30.296 seconds at 178.241 mph. The pole was Hamlin’s fourth of the 2026 season and his 52nd of his career, breaking a tie with Ryan Newman for ninth all-time in Cup Series history. It was also Hamlin’s third consecutive oval-track pole after Michigan and Pocono, and his first ever at Chicagoland. RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski qualified third and fourth, with Ty Gibbs fifth.
Sources: NASCAR.com Jayski Racer.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Larson and McDowell Hit With Pre-Race Inspection Penalties at Chicagoland
NASCAR officials levied penalties against two teams Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway after pre-race inspection failures. The No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Michael McDowell failed inspection three times; McDowell was denied a qualifying lap, will start 38th, and must serve a pass-through penalty on the race’s opening lap. Car chief Travis Young was ejected for the weekend. Defending champion Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet failed inspection twice, costing the team pit-stall selection and resulting in the ejection of car chief Jesse Saunders. Both teams forfeited their right to choose pit road position.
Sources: NASCAR.com Jayski Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Ty Gibbs Stakes Championship Claim Entering Chicagoland Weekend
Ty Gibbs entered the Chicagoland weekend fourth in the Cup Series standings, and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is making no secret of his title ambitions. “I think we’re easily a championship contender, honestly,” Gibbs said ahead of Sunday’s eero 400. The 24-year-old has posted a win at Bristol Motor Speedway in April and the fifth-best average finish this season, crediting second-year crew chief Tyler Allen’s growing chemistry with the No. 54 team. As the defending In-Season Challenge tournament champion, Gibbs also enters Chicagoland as a top competitor in the second round of that competition.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Aging Chicagoland Pavement Poses Bumpy Challenge for Cup Crew Chiefs
Seven years away from NASCAR racing have given Chicagoland Speedway’s asphalt a distinctive character: aggressive bumps that crew chiefs are scrambling to tame ahead of Sunday’s eero 400. “There’s a big spike bump in Turns 3 and 4 at the tunnel, which has a huge amplitude,” said crew chief Chris Gayle. Crew chief Rudy Fugle noted the bumps are severe enough to cause cars to bottom out against the track surface itself. The Cup Series has never raced at Joliet’s 1.5-mile oval with the Next Gen car, making setup unknowns particularly significant as teams balance speed with mechanical stability.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Chicagoland Becomes New Territory for NASCAR’s Next Gen Car
Despite 19 prior Cup Series races at Chicagoland Speedway dating back to 2001, Sunday’s eero 400 marks the first time NASCAR’s Next Gen car has raced on the 1.5-mile Joliet oval. The track’s worn, bumpy surface has gone unraced since 2019 — seven summers and winters of asphalt aging — creating conditions very different from the smooth intermediate tracks where the Next Gen has accumulated most of its history. Drivers face an unusual combination of multiple available grooves, heavy tire wear from the worn pavement, and track bumps that force cars to ride their suspension limits on nearly every lap.
Sources: Motorsport.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
Standings after Sonoma (Race 18 of 36). Chase begins after Race 26.
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 837 pts
2. Chevrolet — 739 pts
3. Ford — 592 pts
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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