Last weekend’s Southern 500 was another excellent test of endurance at one of the most iconic tracks in all of NASCAR. Once the dust settled, Christopher Bell finally emerged victorious after so many runner-ups this season. Now The Chase standings have really tightened up with Denny Hamlin’s challenges and the field of Cup Series Championship contenders scoring well. William Byron is a noteworthy exception to this point given his mechanical issues. That said, the hype certainly looks to be real with the rebirth of The Chase. Only nine races separate 16 teams from a shot at hoisting the trophy at Homestead.
Race #2 of the 2026 Chase heads west to greater Saint Louis where the Darlington-esque World Wide Technology Raceway (a.k.a. Gateway Motorsports Park) awaits. It’s a 1.25-mile egg-shaped oval with two different ends mimicking New Hampshire and Phoenix. It’s no surprise that the ifantasyrace.com Similar Track Guide calls on both of those tracks as primary comps with Iowa and Richmond as secondaries at lower weighting. The Cup Series began running here in 2022 with the introduction of the Gen-7 car, crowning Denny Hamlin, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, and the late Kyle Busch as race winners.
Enjoy Illinois 300 – Race Details
- Track type: shorter flat track
- Track length: 1.25 miles
- Laps/total miles: 240 / 300
- Stage lengths (laps): 45/95/100
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