Joey Logano starts Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 from pole as Denny Hamlin takes a 12-point Chase lead over Christopher Bell into Gateway.
Joey Logano secured the pole for Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 with a 32.817-second qualifying lap. The result puts the No. 22 Ford at the front of the grid for race two of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase.
At World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Logano has an immediate opportunity to make up ground after starting ninth in the reset standings. Denny Hamlin leads the title order following Darlington, although Christopher Bell’s Southern 500 victory cut his advantage to 12 points.
Logano takes prime Gateway position
Logano starts first for the 240-lap race in Madison, Illinois. The stages are set for 45, 95 and 100 laps, giving the pole sitter an early shot at track position and stage points.
His Gateway pole comes after a victory at Richmond on Aug. 16. Logano led 241 of 400 laps and finished 0.392 seconds ahead of Chase Briscoe to earn his 39th Cup win.
Logano opened the Chase ninth with 2,035 points.
Bell cuts Hamlin’s lead
Hamlin reached Gateway with 2,135 points after the Chase opener at Darlington. Bell is 12 points behind, Ryan Blaney trails by 16, and Tyler Reddick sits 24 back.
Bell gained the most ground among the leading contenders by winning the 77th Southern 500. Driving the No. 20 Toyota, he passed Kyle Larson with 12 laps to go and led 73 of the race’s 367 laps.
That win lifted Bell from sixth on the reset grid to second after one race. Hamlin entered the Chase as the top seed with 2,100 points, ahead of Blaney on 2,075 and Reddick on 2,065.
Toyota fills the leading group
Five Toyota drivers held top-six spots on the reset grid. Hamlin headed the group, while Reddick ranked third, Ty Gibbs fourth, Briscoe fifth and Bell sixth.
Toyota’s presence is still clear after Darlington. Reddick holds fourth in the current order behind Hamlin, Bell and Blaney. Briscoe is 37 points off the lead, with Gibbs 39 behind.
Larson heads to Gateway 49 points behind Hamlin. Chase Elliott and Logano both trail the leader by 72 points.
Gateway provides Sunday’s Chase test
The Enjoy Illinois 300 is set to start at 3 p. m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 13, with the green flag expected at approximately 3:10 p. m. ET. USA Network and HBO Max will show the race, while MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry radio coverage.
Sunday’s event follows Darlington as the second race of the 2026 Chase. Across Gateway’s 240 laps, Logano gets the first chance to turn his qualifying speed into points against a leading group whose top four are separated by 24 points.
Title contenders prepare for race two
Hamlin, Bell and Blaney hold the first three positions entering Sunday. Logano starts from pole but has ground to make up. William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric and Ryan Preece opened the Chase in the final four spots of the 16-driver field.
Coverage starts at 3 p. m. ET, before the expected 3:10 p. m. ET green flag at World Wide Technology Raceway.
