Published on September 11, 2026 10:54 am
Last Updated on September 11, 2026 10:54 am
Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar (left) and RFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski, shown here earlier in the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway, had a dustup in Sunday’s Chase opener at Darlington Raceway. Photo credit: Getty Images.
“FIVE THINGS TO WATCH” AT THE ENJOY ILLINOIS 300
NASCAR CUP SERIES CHASE RACE
- Unfinished Business: Brad Keselowski-Carson Hocevar feud could boil over at WWT Raceway in the second race of The Chase.
- Christopher Bell ends 33-race winless drought at Darlington; moves to second in the Cup Series championship.
- Joey Logano could make a title move this weekend given his success at WWTR.
MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 9, 2026) – The pursuit of a NASCAR Cup Series championship will continue this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway, which hosts the second race of The Chase with Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300.
The Enjoy Illinois 300 marks the second consecutive season that WWT Raceway will host the second postseason race, following Darlington Raceway both times. The format, however, has changed. Last week, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing earned the victory in the opening race of the new 10-race Chase.
The Chase format does not have rounds, elimination races or a winner-take-all finale like the previous playoff format. A victory remains at a premium, with its value increasing from 40 points during the regular season to 55 in The Chase. The driver among the 16 Chase qualifiers with the most points accumulated over the final 10 races will be crowned the NASCAR Cup Series champion.
This weekend’s Cup Series on-track schedule opens Saturday with a 50-minute practice at 2:30 p.m. CT, followed by qualifying at 3:35 p.m. The Enjoy Illinois 300 will take the green flag at 2 p.m. Sunday (TV: USA Network, Radio: MRN, SiriusXM).
Here are “Five Things To Watch” at the Enjoy Illinois 300:
1) Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar and RFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski. A “Hurricane Hocevar” warning has been issued for Madison, Ill., this weekend and Keselowski has no plans of moving out of its path. After getting spun out by Hocevar last week at Darlington, Keselowski was asked afterward whether the two had a history. Keselowski responded, “No. But there will be. His day’s coming, and it’s coming hard. Watch out, Carson.” Hocevar has been unapologetic after previous run-ins with other drivers and did not change his tune with Keselowski. He responded to Keselowski’s warning with “I’ll tighten my belts.” He also embraced his reputation. “I do everything for TV and entertainment purposes based off everybody else,” Hocevar said. “So, I don’t know. Whatever makes us good TV. I just do it for the clicks.” Well, Carson, you’ve come to the right place.
2) Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell. After posting seven runner-up finishes during the regular season, he finally broke through with a victory last week at Darlington. It snapped a 33-race winless streak, dating back to his last win at Bristol Motor Speedway in September of last season. Bell and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace made the biggest jumps in the championship standings, climbing four positions apiece. Bell vaulted from sixth to second and sits just 12 points behind championship leader and teammate Denny Hamlin. Bell ranks second at WWTR with an average finishing position of 8.5 and has three top-10 finishes in four starts. Bell’s best finish is seventh, achieved in each of the past two seasons. He also ranks third for laps led (80) and is the only driver among the top five in laps led at WWTR without a victory at the track.
3) Team Penske driver Joey Logano. The three-time Cup Series champion is eighth in the title race after a ninth-place finish at Darlington, but this weekend could provide him a boost. Logano is the only driver to finish in the top five in all four starts at World Wide Technology Raceway. He won the inaugural race in 2022, finished third in 2023 and placed fifth in each of the past two seasons. Logano owns a stellar series-best 3.5 average finishing position (minimum two starts), while Bell ranks second at a distant 8.5.
4) Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson. Despite a 51-race winless streak dating to his victory at Kansas in May of last season, the defending Cup Series champion showed signs of ending it last week at Darlington. Larson led a race-high 99 laps but fell to fifth after a late strategy gamble. He has been in contention throughout the season with 10 top-five finishes, including a season-best runner-up finish at Kansas. His 9.5 average finishing position ranks third at World Wide Technology Raceway, and he has not finished worse than 12th in all four starts. He owns two top-10 performances, including a best finish of fourth in 2023.
5) Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. The regular-season champion saw his 25-point advantage as the No. 1 seed shrink to 12 after a frustrating outing at Darlington. Hamlin led 68 laps but had to settle for an 18th-place finish after a slow pit stop cost him several positions, followed by contact with Michael McDowell in the final stage. WWT Raceway should be a welcome sight as Hamlin returns as the defending race winner. Since finishing 34th in the inaugural 2022 race, he has rebounded with runner-up finishes in 2023 and ’24 and then won from the pole last season. He has also qualified well, starting sixth or better in all four visits.
Limited tickets remain for Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 and are available by visiting www.wwtraceway.com or by calling the ticket office at (618) 215-8888 ext. 1.