- Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe first to clinch a berth in Round of 12 with a win at Darlington.
- WWT Raceway visit could boost hopes of three-time and defending Cup Series champ Joey Logano along with his Team Penske teammates.
MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 2, 2025) – World Wide Technology Raceway will play host to its first-ever NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race with Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 serving as the second race in the opening Round of 16.
The Cup Series is coming off Sunday’s playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, which was won by Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing. Up next is the Enjoy Illinois 300 (2 p.m. CT, TV: USA Network, Radio: MRN, SiriusXM) and then the first round closes out Saturday, Sept. 13, at Bristol Motor Speedway with four of the 16 playoff drivers being eliminated.
The Cup Series action at WWT Raceway begins Saturday with a 50-minute, split-group practice at 3:30 p.m. and immediately followed by one-lap pole qualifying at 4:40 p.m.
Here are “Five Things To Watch” at the Enjoy Illinois 300:
1) Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe, who opened the playoffs as the eighth seed, is the first driver to advance to the Round of 12 by virtue of Sunday’s victory at Darlington Raceway. He won the Cook Out Southern 500 for the second year in a row in dominant fashion, leading nine times for 309 of the 367 laps. He can breathe more easily now, especially coming to WWT Raceway where he had not finished better than 17thin three starts while with Stewart-Haas Racing. His WWT Raceway highlight is winning the pole for the inaugural 2022 race.
2) Three-time and defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano is currently below the cut line in 13th, but a visit to WWT Raceway could provide the Team Penske driver’s playoff chances with a major boost. Logano is the only driver to record top-five finishes in all three races at the 1.25-mile oval. He won the inaugural race in 2022 and then followed with a third in ’23 and fifth last season. Logano is not the only Team Penske driver who should benefit from a visit to WWT Raceway as all three playoff contenders are strong there. Austin Cindric is the defending Enjoy Illinois 300 winner and ranks second to Logano (3.0) for best average finishing position at 8.3. Ryan Blaney, who was leading last year’s race until running out of fuel on the final lap and tumbling to 24th, is fifth on that list at 11.3. Blaney owns a pair of top-six finishes, including a best of fourth in ’22, and ranks second among all drivers for laps led with 115. Both have been outstanding qualifiers with Blaney ranking first (3.0) and Cindric second (8.3). Blaney has started among the top five in all three races, including a best of second in 2023, while Cindric has started second on two occasions (2022, ’24).
3) Conversely, this has not been a track that has bred much success for the Hendrick Motorsports organization. In 11 combined starts from playoff contenders Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman, they have managed just three top-10 finishes. Larson has been the most successful of the foursome with two of the top-10 efforts, paced by a fourth in 2023. Byron had the other with an eighth in that same race. They also are the only two Hendrick drivers to lead laps at WWT Raceway as Byron has 30 and Larson 12. The best finish is 13th for both Elliott (2024) and Bowman (‘22). Elliott has made just two starts at WWT Raceway after missing the 2023 event due to a one-race suspension.
4) The 23XI Racing duo of Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace were among the biggest movers following Sunday’s race at Darlington. Reddick opened the playoffs as the No. 14 seed, but vaulted a playoff-best 10 positions to No. 4 following his runner-up finish. Reddick, still chasing his first win of the season, is three points behind third-place Larson and eight shy of second-place Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing. Wallace improved four positions from his opening No. 9 seeding to No. 5 after a sixth-place finish at Darlington. He is 10 points behind Reddick.
5) If someone is going to crash the playoff party this weekend, keep an eye on Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing. Busch, coming off an eighth-place finish at Darlington, has enjoyed plenty of success at WWT Raceway. He finished runner-up in the inaugural 2022 race with Joe Gibbs Racing and then followed with a win from the pole in 2023 for RCR. Last season, he started 10th and led 15 laps before a crash midway through the race led to a 35th-place finish. Busch has led in all three races and his 202 laps led is tops among all drivers. The next closest is Blaney at a distant 115 laps led. The victory at WWT Raceway was Busch’s last and the two-time series champion and 63-time Cup Series winner is looking to end an 84-race winless streak on Sunday.
Limited tickets remain for Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 and are available by visiting www.wwtraceway.com.
About World Wide Technology Raceway
World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) is the home of NASCAR, INDYCAR and NHRA racing in St. Louis’ Metro East region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering 700 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1.25-mile superspeedway; 1/4-mile drag strip; 2.0-mile road course; the Gateway Kartplex state-of-the-art karting facility; and the adjacent Gateway National Golf Links. WWTR and Owner & CEO Curtis Francois have been recognized with several awards, including: 2023 St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame induction; 2023 Innovation in Philanthropy Award by the St. Louis Business Journal; 2022 Explore St. Louis Hospitality Hero Recognition; 2022 Best in Show and Best Event & Festival from the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism; 2021 Comcast Community Champion of the Year; 2021 Jack Buck Award; 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Track Award; 2018 Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission; 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference; and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association. Our mission: We are committed to making a difference in our community, while providing first-class entertainment and memories that last a lifetime.
