Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Chicagoland Speedway, if it isn't canceled due to rain, is set to be a standard oval qualifying session, as Chicagoland is considered an intermediate track.
There is just one round of qualifying, rather than both an opening round and a pole position shootout like NASCAR runs at superspeedways, and each driver is set to one single timed lap, rather than two like NASCAR runs on short tracks. It is not a group session like NASCAR runs on road and street courses.
The qualifying order was determined by the two-variable metric that NASCAR introduced in 2025 to replace the old four-variable metric.
NASCAR has not contested a Cup Series race at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Joliet, Illinois since 2019. The track was on the initial schedule in 2020, but it was replaced due to various COVID-19-related restrictions, and it did not return in 2021.
Sunday's race is set to get the second half of the 36-race 2026 season underway, and it is one of eight races remaining on the regular season schedule. It is also the second race of the second annual five-race In-Season Challenge tournament.
Follow along with our eero 400 qualifying updates from Chicagoland Speedway.
NASCAR Cup Series starting lineup at Chicagoland
1 - Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2 - Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
3 - Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
4 - Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
5 - Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
6 - Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7 - Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
8 - Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
9 - Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 - William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
11 - A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
12 - Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
13 - Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
14 - Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
15 - Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
16 - Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
17 - John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
18 - Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
19 - Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
20 - Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
21 - Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
22 - Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
23 - Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
24 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
25 - Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
26 - Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
27 - Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
28 - Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota
29 - Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
30 - Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
31 - Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
32 - Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
33 - Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
34 - Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
35 - Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
36 - J.J. Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
37 - Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
38 - Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
Chicagoland Speedway is set to host the eero 400 this Sunday, July 5, with TNT's live coverage scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET. Catch all of the action from the track's first NASCAR Cup Series race in seven years!
Add us as a preferred source on Google