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Chase Briscoe piloted his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry to a commanding victory at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, marking a triumphant return for NASCAR’s premier Cup Series to the historic Illinois venue and delivering a dominant 1-2-3 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing. The win, Briscoe’s sixth career Cup Series triumph and his first of the 2026 season, saw him expertly fend off a late surge from teammate Christopher Bell, who secured second place. Denny Hamlin completed the JGR sweep, finishing third.
"How about that race?" Briscoe exclaimed in post-race ceremonies, his voice filled with elation. "Was that a good race? It felt awesome. Yeah, what an unbelievable weekend. I feel so American winning in the Bass Pro Shop’s red, white, and blue car, 4th of July weekend, 250 years. Man, just what an unbelievable race car. James [Small, crew chief] did a great job. The team did a pretty good job. Honestly, I did not see this coming." Briscoe admitted to feeling challenged during practice and qualifying sessions, highlighting the exceptional execution by his team in overcoming those early hurdles. The victory also served as a significant birthday gift for crew chief James Small, a sentiment Briscoe readily acknowledged. "Me and him are about the two most polar opposites in the world," Briscoe remarked. "He stays on me and makes me be perfect each and every lap and does a great job of keeping me honest. He told me if I win today, I can get some chocolate, so I’m pretty fired up about that."
The strong performance from Joe Gibbs Racing was a clear indicator of the team’s early season form. This result further solidifies their position as championship contenders. Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman rounded out the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, showcasing the continued competitive landscape within the Cup Series. The remainder of the top ten was filled by Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Corey Heim, and Riley Herbst, indicating a diverse set of teams and manufacturers represented at the sharp end of the field.
In the championship standings, Denny Hamlin’s consistent performance at Chicagoland propelled him to a more comfortable lead. After taking the championship lead by a single point in the previous race, Hamlin’s strong showing, coupled with an issue for Tyler Reddick, has extended his advantage. Reddick, a prominent contender from 23XI Racing, suffered a significant setback during the race with a radiator issue, impacting his points accumulation. Hamlin now holds a 44-point lead over his teammate at 23XI Racing, underscoring the importance of each race in the long championship battle.
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The highly anticipated return to Chicagoland Speedway was not without its early drama, as Stage 1 witnessed immediate disruption. On the opening lap, a chain reaction initiated by John Hunter Nemechek pushed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. into the wall. Ryan Preece attempted to evade the incident but was collected from behind, leading to his car sliding to a halt with flat tires. Connor Zilisch also spun while trying to avoid the melee, ultimately pounding the inside wall and marking his fifth DNF in the last seven races. Preece, though able to return, lost significant track position, falling four laps down. Kyle Larson initially assumed the lead before Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 car came alive on the long run.
Midway through Stage 1, frustrations began to surface amongst competitors. A collision between Noah Gragson and Hocevar sent both cars into the outside wall, though they were able to continue. Shortly after, a contentious moment unfolded when Shane van Gisbergen made contact with rival Austin Hill, sending Hill into the outside wall. This incident carried significant weight, given the history between the two drivers, with Van Gisbergen having previously blamed Hill for separate incidents. Hill’s team expressed certainty that the contact was an act of retribution, and Hill confronted Van Gisbergen before retiring from the race. The ensuing caution proved beneficial for Preece, who, after taking a wave-around, received the free pass, reducing his deficit to two laps down. However, pit road also proved to be a challenging environment, with Bell and Gilliland colliding, resulting in a spin for Gilliland and damage to Bell’s front-right quarter. Hamlin also experienced a compromised pit stop, dropping him outside the top 20. Five drivers, led by Ryan Blaney and Riley Herbst, opted to stay out during the caution, while others utilized two-tire strategies to gain track position. Following a chaotic restart, Hendrick Motorsports emerged at the forefront, with William Byron leading Kyle Larson. Byron ultimately secured the victory in Stage 1, followed by Larson, Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Herbst, Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, and Tyler Reddick.
Stage 2 commenced after NASCAR addressed repairs to the pit road surface. Upon reopening, pit stops were notably smoother. On the restart, Bubba Wallace took the lead, but a spin from Kyle Larson, who was running second, resulted in him becoming stuck in the infield grass and losing two laps. In a remarkable turnaround, Ryan Preece again leveraged a wave-around to secure the free pass, recovering all four laps lost within a hundred-lap span. Wallace maintained his lead for a significant portion of Stage 2, engaged in a three-wide battle with fellow Toyota drivers Briscoe and Hamlin before settling into third. As Hamlin challenged Briscoe for the lead, a round of green-flag pit stops commenced. Chris Buescher was forced to back up after his team failed to secure a wheel, but the most significant incident involved championship contender Tyler Reddick. The No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota limped into its pit box with substantial issues, leaking oil onto the track after striking debris. This misfortune necessitated a caution flag amidst the green-flag pit stops. Ryan Blaney briefly inherited the lead before the field cycled through their pit stops, with William Byron regaining control. A subsequent restart saw Daniel Jones slide into the wall, reporting a broken steering rack, while Bubba Wallace narrowly avoided a similar fate. The remainder of Stage 2 ran under green-flag conditions, with William Byron claiming the stage win. He was followed by Briscoe, Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, and John Hunter Nemechek.
The final stage began under calm conditions as the sun set over Chicagoland. William Byron continued to lead, with all four Joe Gibbs Racing entries in close pursuit. Chase Briscoe was the closest challenger, though he tagged the wall while attempting to keep pace with Byron. With 52 laps remaining, Briscoe pitted from the second position. Byron followed suit on the subsequent lap, but Briscoe’s undercut proved effective, vaulting him into the lead. He maintained the front position for the remainder of the race, though the gap began to shrink significantly in the final ten laps. Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, who had encountered wall contact, overtook Byron and started closing on Briscoe. Navigating lapped traffic, Bell managed to catch Briscoe but struggled to find a way past, ultimately washing up the track in Briscoe’s turbulent air on the white flag lap. Briscoe held on to secure the victory, crossing the finish line a mere 0.276 seconds ahead of Bell. In total, Briscoe led 51 laps throughout the race, a testament to his strategic pit work and strong late-race pace.
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