Denny Hamlin wins Enjoy Illinois 300 pole after posting the fastest qualifying lap at World Wide Technology Raceway, narrowly beating Kyle Larson by just two hundredths of a second. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will start from the front for a second consecutive week, securing pole ahead of many playoff contenders at Gateway.
Hamlin Leads Strong Playoff Field at Gateway
Hamlin clocked a lap at 139.190 mph to grab pole position, with his teammate Chase Briscoe also in contention. Playoff drivers dominated the qualifying session, claiming nine of the top 10 starting spots for Sunday’s race. Ross Chastain secured fourth place, and Ryan Blaney will begin the race in fifth, joined on the third row by William Byron in sixth. Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell are lined up just behind, reflecting a competitive top group featuring most major playoff names.
Austin Cindric earned the ninth starting position. Zane Smith emerged as the only non-playoff driver to break into the top ten during qualifying, highlighting the strength of the playoff field this week.
Tough Qualifying for Elliott, Bowman, and Gisbergen
Several prominent drivers faced challenges in Gateway’s qualifying session. Josh Berry, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, and Austin Dillon are set to start side by side, occupying the 12th through 15th positions. Chase Elliott and Shane van Gisbergen struggled, only managing 18th and 19th starting spots, while Alex Bowman’s qualifying woes continued as he is set to start from 25th on the grid.
Looking Ahead to Race Day
The Enjoy Illinois 300 will be televised live on USA Network tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET. With the field packed with playoff contenders at the front, and a handful of drivers needing to mount comebacks from deeper in the field, the race at World Wide Technology Raceway promises strategic battles and exciting on-track action. As Denny Hamlin leads the field to green, all attention will turn to whether he can turn pole position into victory and how key competitors like Larson, Chastain, Blaney, and Byron respond from strong starting positions at Gateway.
