Nascar news

• Brad Keselowski credits Toyota's unity while seeking Ford, RFK improvement

  03-07-2026 22:35 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  JOLIET, Ill. — Through the first half of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Toyota teams have combined to win 11 of 18 races.RFK Racing team co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski said Friday at Chicagoland Speedway he believes the manufacturer has earned its flowers. But he also sees lessons Ford and Chevrolet can learn from what a rival Original Equipment Manufacturer is accomplishing behind the scenes.MORE: Chicagoland schedule | Cup standingsWith 10 weekly entries from Team Penske, RFK Ra
  
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• Chase Elliott Says Seven Years Away Has Changed Everything at Chicagoland

  04-07-2026 04:32 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Chase Elliott isn’t convinced anyone has a true advantage entering NASCAR’s long-awaited returnFor the first time since 2019, the NASCAR Cup Series is back at Chicagoland Speedway.That means drivers are returning to one of the sport’s most popular intermediate tracks, but according to Chase Elliott, nobody should assume previous success will automatically translate into speed this weekend.Even drivers with years of experience at the 1.5-mile oval are essentially learning the tr
  
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• Denny Hamlin Finally Believes a NASCAR Championship Is Within Reach

  04-07-2026 04:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  For nearly two decades, Denny Hamlin has chased the one accomplishment missing from his Hall of Fame résumé: a NASCAR Cup Series championship.Despite becoming one of the winningest drivers of his generation, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran has repeatedly watched title opportunities disappear because of late cautions, untimely restarts, and the randomness that defined NASCAR’s former winner-take-all Championship 4 format.That experience changed the way he approached every season.
  
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• 5 Things NASCAR Cup Practice at Chicagoland Taught Us About Sunday’s Race

  04-07-2026 03:58 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NASCAR Cup Series teams finally got their first opportunity to put the Next Gen car on Chicagoland Speedway Friday, ending a seven-year absence from the 1.5-mile oval. While Riley Herbst topped the speed chart with a lap of 30.326 seconds, the practice session offered far more insight than a simple leaderboard.Several teams showed race-winning speed, drivers learned plenty about the aging racing surface, and one organization may have quietly established itself as Sunday’s team to beat.Here
  
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• Chicagoland represents the return the old Atlanta after Cup practice

  04-07-2026 03:07 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoUpon climbing out of the 23XI Racing No. 45, and despite being amongst the fastest in practice on Friday at Chicagoland Speedway, Tyler Reddick seemed puzzled."In general, pretty happy,” Reddick said in a way that sounded anything but. “Feeling pretty good about where we're at. I guess the only thing I'm holding back on -- just confused about -- I thought we were going to be ripping the top today, but it just took forever to clean up. Hopefully those O'Reilly boys wil
  
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• Kyle Larson looks to break winless drought as NASCAR returns to Chicagoland

  04-07-2026 01:57 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — When it comes to 1.5-mile tracks, Kyle Larson is always confident. With NASCAR returning to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, there is even more reason for optimism for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.Larson has a successful history on the bumpy asphalt of Chicagoland, a D-shaped oval circuit. He has four top-five finishes in six Cup Series starts at the speedway about 50 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. His 6.17 average finish is tops in track history among driver
  
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• Riley Herbst leads Cup practice in NASCAR's return to Chicagoland

  04-07-2026 01:08 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoFor the first time since 2019, NASCAR is racing at Chicagoland Speedway. Because of that fact, series officials went with a more traditional race weekend format through a 50-minute practice on Friday.Topping the speed charts was Riley Herbst in the No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota, followed by teammate Bubba Wallace. Herbst lapped the intermediate oval in 30.326 seconds (178.065mph), just 0.023s ahead of Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota.Kyle Larson was one of three Cup drivers who took part
  
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• How Did Kyle Busch Perform at Chicagoland Speedway? A Look Back at His Record

  04-07-2026 00:51 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Kyle Busch was one of Chicagoland Speedway’s most successful NASCAR Cup Series drivers, winning twice and leading more than 500 laps before the track left the schedule after 2019. Here’s a look back at his record as NASCAR returns this weekend.As the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway for the first time since 2019, many fans are remembering one of the track’s greatest competitors.Since Kyle Busch’s death in May, NASCAR fans have continued searching for stor
  
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• Denny Hamlin is starting to believe a championship is possible

  04-07-2026 00:50 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoFor much of this decade, Denny Hamlin hasn’t wanted to talk about that elusive NASCAR Cup Series championship, but instead reaching various goals focused on number of victories.  Under the old playoff format, it would either happen or it wouldn’t, and there was extraordinarily little he could do with so much variability. For example, Hamlin dominated the championship race last year under the old Final Four format at Phoenix Raceway but was denied the title due to
  
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• 18-Year-Old JGR Driver Opens Up After Denny Hamlin Backs Him As Potential No. 11 Replacement After Retirement

  03-07-2026 21:52 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  18-Year-Old JGR Driver Opens Up After Denny Hamlin Backs Him As Potential No. 11 Replacement After RetirementNASCAR’s future shifted on its axis when Denny Hamlin openly endorsed that rising teenage phenom Brent Crews as the leading candidate to inherit his iconic No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota once he steps away from full-time racing. For 18-year-old Crews, who currently drives the No. 19 for JGR in the O’Reilly Series, Hamlin’s statement completely caught him off guard and be
  
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• Riley Herbst, 23XI fastest in Friday practice at Chicagoland

  03-07-2026 21:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst topped the leaderboard in Friday evening’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at Chicagoland Speedway, as the premier series hit the 1.5-mile Joliet track for the first time since 2019.The driver of the No. 35 Toyota posted the fastest lap at 178.065 mph in the closing minutes of practice, leading a 23XI 1-2 with teammate Bubba Wallace second-fastest (177.930 mph). All four 23XI Toyotas were inside the top eight.RELATED: Practice resultsKyle Larson (177.877 mph), De
  
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• NASCAR purse for O'Reilly Series race at Chicagoland in July 2026

  03-07-2026 19:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NASCAR is gearing up for the 20th race weekend of the 2026 season at Chicagoland Speedway, and the O'Reilly Series is bound to put on a show. The O'Reilly Series hasn't competed at the venue since the 2019 season. Now, the sport will head to Chicagoland with a substantial amount of money on the line.The purse for the O'Reilly Series race at Chicagoland will be $1,661,806 on Saturday evening. NASCAR no longer releases the earnings for the winning driver, making it impossible to determine how much
  
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• NASCAR purse for Cup Series race at Chicagoland in July 2026

  03-07-2026 18:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NASCAR is gearing up for the 20th race weekend of the 2026 season at Chicagoland Speedway, and the Cup Series is bound to put on a show. The Cup Series hasn't competed at the venue since the 2019 season. Now, the sport will head to Chicagoland with a substantial amount of money on the line.The purse for the Cup Series race at Chicagoland will be $11,233,027 on Sunday evening. NASCAR no longer releases the earnings for the winning driver, making it impossible to determine how much of the $11,233,
  
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• NASCAR qualifying order for O'Reilly at Chicagoland in July 2026

  03-07-2026 18:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NASCAR O'Reilly Series is set to arrive at Chicagoland Speedway for its 20th race of the 2026 season. It is the only date in Chicagoland, as NASCAR visits the venue once per season. In 2025, no one won the pole because NASCAR hasn't competed at Chicagoland since the 2019 season.First, the O'Reilly Series needs to qualify for the event at Chicagoland, and the qualifying format is simple. Every driver will make a one-lap run, with the best overall lap times determining the starting lineup
  
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• NASCAR qualifying order for Cup Series at Chicagoland in July 2026

  03-07-2026 17:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NASCAR Cup Series is set to arrive at Chicagoland Speedway for its 19th race of the 2026 season. It is the only date in Chicagoland, as NASCAR visits the venue once per season. In 2025, no one won the pole because NASCAR hasn't competed at Chicagoland since the 2019 season.First, the Cup Series needs to qualify for the event at Chicagoland, and the qualifying format is simple. Every driver will make a one-lap run, with the overall lap times determining the starting lineup. There will on
  
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• 2026 Chicagoland Speedway pit stall assignments

  03-07-2026 16:37 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers will pit this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.NASCAR Cup SeriesThis will be updated once pit stalls have been determined.NASCAR Cup Series eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, truTV, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).RELATED: Chicagoland weekend schedule | How to watch NASCAR on TNT Sports/truTV/HBO MaxNASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesNASCAR O’Reilly Au
  
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• NASCAR Odds: Who Are the Favorites to Win at Chicagoland Speedway?

  03-07-2026 16:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend for the first time since 2019, bringing one of the sport’s most anticipated throwback events with it. After seven years away, drivers will once again tackle the 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Illinois, and oddsmakers have already identified the favorites heading into Sunday’s race.Several of NASCAR’s biggest stars enter the weekend with momentum, but the betting board also features a handful of intriguing longshots ca
  
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• NASCAR News: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals Potential 2027 Plans for Chicagoland, Chicago Street Course

  03-07-2026 15:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NASCAR Cup Series is back at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend for the first time since 2019. It’s been a return long-awaited by fans and drivers, but the lingering question has been whether this will be a one-off.On this week’s episode of Bless Your Heart, co-host Dale Earnhardt r. revealed that the word he’s heard around the sport is that NASCAR wants to return to Chicagoland and it might not be the only racing in the city.Related: NASCAR Qualifying Order at Chicagoland S
  
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• Why NASCAR Hasn’t Raced at Chicagoland Speedway Since 2019

  03-07-2026 15:28 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  When the NASCAR Cup Series takes the green flag at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, it will end one of the longest absences for a former Cup Series venue in recent memory.The 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Illinois, hasn’t hosted a NASCAR national series race since June 30, 2019. In the seven years since, fans have repeatedly wondered the same thing: Why did NASCAR stop racing there in the first place?The answer wasn’t just one decision. It was the result of several major changes that re
  
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• NASCAR entry list for O'Reilly Series race at Chicagoland in July 2026

  03-07-2026 15:01 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The NASCAR O'Reilly Series is ready to take on the 2026 Cuervo 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, and the entry list has been revealed. NASCAR released the 2026 eero 400 and O'Reilly Series entry list for Chicagoland on Monday afternoon. This is NASCAR's first race at Chicagoland since the 2019 season, before the COVID-19 pandemic took it off the schedule. The NASCAR Truck Series will have an off-weekend.There will be 38 entries for the 2026 Cuervo 300 on Saturday afternoon, meaning zero dri
  
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• NASCAR Qualifying Order for Chicagoland: Groups 1 and 2 for Cup Series Qualifying

  03-07-2026 14:53 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The road courses are in the rearview mirror for the 2026 NASCAR season and we’re now at the halfway point of the regular season. With this weekend’s return to Chicagoland Speedway for the Eero 400, qualifying position will be key in the final races before The Chase.Let’s dive into the NASCAR qualifying order this weekend for Chicagoland.Related: NASCAR Weekend Schedule at ChicagolandNASCAR Qualifying Order This Weekend: ChicagolandHere is the table from Screenshot 2026-07-
  
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• NASCAR Chicagoland full weekend track schedule, TV schedule for the eero 400, other races

  03-07-2026 12:02 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NASCAR returns to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois for the first time since 2019 with a full weekend of racing, headlined by the eero 400 Cup Series race on July 5.The ARCA Menards Series and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series will also run races at the 1.5-mile oval over the weekend.NASCAR re-added the 25-year-old track to the schedule while the Chicago street course was dropped from July 4 weekend.Here is the full on-track schedule at Chicagoland Speedway:POINTS BEFORE CHICAGOLAND:NASCAR point
  
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• Can't hide those crying eyes: Kyle Busch's Chicagoland moment wasn't just an act

  03-07-2026 11:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The crying eyes gesture wasn’t new for Kyle Busch.At least twice before — after wins at Bristol Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International — “Rowdy” had gleefully pantomimed the supposed tears of the detractors who were resigned to his inevitability.But this time was different — and not only because it became perhaps the defining episode of Busch being cast in the role of NASCAR’s greatest villain.Walking down the banking while clutching the checkered
  
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• How to watch NASCAR at Chicagoland: Weekend schedule, start time, TV

  02-07-2026 22:41 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoNASCAR is racing at Chcagoland Speedway for the first time in seven years, as it replaces the Chicago Street Course on the 2026 schedule. TNT Sports is broadcasting the event, with all races simultaneously streamed on HBO Max along with live on-board cameras.Shane van Gisbergen just won the final road course race on the schedule at Sonoma Raceway, further complicating the battle around the cut-line to make the Chase. At the very top of the standings, the points lead cha
  
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• How to watch IndyCar 2026 at Mid-Ohio: Weekend schedule, start time, TV

  02-07-2026 20:09 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoRound No. 11 of the 2026 IndyCar season is here, with the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.Alex Palou leads the championship standings by 60 points over David Malukas, while Christian Lundgaard is the most recent race winner at Road America.Scott Dixon, who just announced a shock exit from Chip Ganassi Racing after 25 years, is the defending winner of the IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio.Now, here's how to watch all the action this weekend as America celebrates its 250th anniversary as a natio
  
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• Josh Bilicki and No. 66 team withdraw from NASCAR Cup race at Chicagoland

  02-07-2026 19:54 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoThere were 39 cars on the entry list for the NASCAR Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, which is the first NASCAR event at the track in seven years. Among those were three open teams: the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota of Corey Heim, the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet of J.J. Yeley, and the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford of Josh Bilicki.However, the Carl Long-owned No. 66 announced on Thursday that they would be withdrawing from the event, bringing the entry list down to 38 cars."Unfortunately,
  
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• “You should ask him” - Felipe Nasr keeps the pressure on Roger Penske for IndyCar seat

  02-07-2026 18:18 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoFelipe Nasr continues to push for an opportunity to get a seat in the IndyCar Series.The 33-year-old Brazilian has been a dependable luxury insurance policy for Team Penske, consistently on active standby as Josef Newgarden has been nursing a lingering foot injury sustained during his dramatic crash at the Indianapolis 500 in May. Nasr was on the pit wall and ready to jump into the cockpit during opening practice in Detroit, and remained ready throughout the recent race week
  
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• Alex Bowman Says He Doesn’t Feel Like He’s Racing for His Hendrick Motorsports Future

  02-07-2026 17:41 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Alex Bowman knows the questions are coming.After nine seasons with Hendrick Motorsports, the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet is entering the final year of his current contract while enduring one of the toughest stretches of his NASCAR Cup Series career. With Silly Season beginning to heat up, speculation surrounding Bowman’s future has only intensified.But despite the outside noise, Bowman says he isn’t approaching every weekend as though his job depends on it.“I definitely don&
  
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• Top Fantasy NASCAR Picks for the Eero 400: Key Sleepers and Fades at Chicagoland

  02-07-2026 17:16 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  NASCAR travels to Illinois for the eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, July 5. It will be the first time NASCAR has raced at the track since 2019, when Alex Bowman won. It will also be the first oval race in three weeks, as the Cup Series went back-to-back on road-course setups (San Diego, Sonoma). The race features Denny Hamlin as its early betting favorite, narrowly ahead of Tyler Reddick. Longshots will be capable of winning with strong practice and qualifying sessions. Who knows what
  
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• IndyCar driver Louis Foster to make NASCAR Truck debut at Lime Rock

  02-07-2026 17:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Motorsport photoIndyCar driver Louis Foster will make his NASCAR debut in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Lime Rock Park, driving the No. 76 Freedom Racing Enterprises Chevrolet Silverado with Droplight sponsoring the effort. The event takes place on July 11 as a standalone race, separate from the other two national divisions.Foster has never raced at any level of NASCAR before, but the British racing driver is currently competing in his second full-time season as an Indy Car driver. Dri
  
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