Noah Gragson | Todd Gilliland | Zane Smith
Chicagoland Speedway NASCAR Cup Series Race Advance
Chicagoland Speedway 400
Date: Sunday, July 5, 2026
Event: Race 21 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-miles)
#of Laps: 267
Time/TV/Radio: 6:00PM ET on TNT/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90
FRM Points Standings:
Zane Smith (23rd)
Todd Gilliland (26th)
Noah Gragson (30th)
Noah Gragson Notes
Noah Gragson will face a new challenge this Sunday, the Chicagoland Speedway. Last raced in 2019, the 1.5-mile Joliet, Illinois, oval will make its return to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule with a 267-lap event. Gragson is one of the few drivers on Sunday’s entry list with previous NASCAR starts at the track, having made two NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Chicagoland in 2017 and 2018 with Kyle Busch Motorsports, finishing eighth and fourth, respectively. Gragson also has a sole NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start in Joliet, finishing sixth in 2019 with JR Motorsports.
Long John Silver’s will join the No. 4 car this weekend, partnering with Gragson for the 267-lap event. Long John Silver’s will bring its signature, fan-favorite blue and yellow “Fish Yeah” scheme to Gragson’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
“It’s been a frustrating year, especially the past couple of weeks; they’ve taken a toll on everyone,” said Gragson. “Fortunately, there’s no quit in this No. 4 team and in racing, each week brings fresh opportunities to improve and build momentum.”
Road Crew
Driver: Noah Gragson
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Crew Chief: Grant Hutchens
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Car Chief: Joey Forgette
Hometown: Iron Mountain, Michigan
Engineer: Dillon Silverman
Hometown: Chico, California
Engineer: Scott Bingham
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia
Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia
Mechanic: Tony Infinger
Hometown: Fort Valley, Georgia
Tire Specialist: Chris Aunspaw
Hometown: Zelienople, Pennsylvania
Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York
Spotter: Adam Fournier
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Transporter Co-Driver: Ron Miske
Hometown: Fairfield, Connecticut
Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia
Pit Crew
Front Tire Changer: Tafton Hensley
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Rear Tire Changer: Sheridan Jones
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Tire Carrier: Drew Baum
Hometown: Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania
Jackman: Tommy Bebie
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Fueler: Blake Baker
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina
Todd Gilliland Notes
Todd Gilliland will make his Chicagoland Speedway NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Illinois for the first time since 2019. While this will be Gilliland’s first NASCAR Cup Series start at the oval, the 26-year-old driver has two previous NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at the track with Kyle Busch Motorsports, in 2018 and 2019. His best finish out of the two starts came from a sixth-place finish in the 2019 event. Gilliland, along with 15 other drivers, will go head-to-head in Round Two of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge in hopes of advancing for a chance to claim the $1 million prize. After surviving a bumpy Sonoma ride, Gilliland finished where he started in 29th place, but it was just enough to advance to Round Two over 31st-finishing Daniel Suárez. Gilliland will now face off with No. 9, seed Carson Hocevar, in the second round battle.
gener8tor, a nationally ranked venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists, will serve as the primary partner on the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the first time this season. The weekend’s race will mark gener8tor’s fourth year supporting Gilliland’s NASCAR Cup Series career.
“Going out west for San Diego and Sonoma was a blast, but I’m happy to be back home and heading to races that don’t require as much travel,” said Gilliland. “We made it to Round Two of the In-Season Challenge, going up against Carson (Hocevar), and I know he’ll bring a fight. We’ve struggled a bit on the traditional oval track this season, so we need to find our stride early in practice and lay down a decent qualifying lap in order to be ahead of the eight ball on Sunday.”
Road Crew
Driver: Todd Gilliland
Hometown: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
Hometown: Medway, Ohio
Car Chief: Joe Marra
Hometown: Somers, New York
Engineer: Marc Rullo
Hometown: Ringwood, New Jersey
Engineer: Kevyn Rebolledo
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Spotter: Brit Andersen
Hometown: Branford, Connecticut
Mechanic: Michael Brookes
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Interior Specialist: Ethan Deguevara
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Tire Specialist: Billy John
Hometown: Pitman, New Jersey
Mechanic / Engine Tuner: Kyle Moon
Hometown: Troy, New York
Transporter Co-Driver: Randy Bernier
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Grissom
Hometown: Bakersfield, California
Pit Crew
Front Tire Changer: Danny Olszowy
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon
Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina
Tire Carrier: Paul Steele
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
Jackman: Ryan Selig
Hometown: Lindenhurst, Illinois
Fueler: Zeke Nance
Hometown: Calhoun, Georgia
Zane Smith Notes
Following suit with his teammates, Zane Smith will also be one of the many drivers making his first Chicagoland Speedway NASCAR Cup Series start. Smith does have previous experience at the 1.5-mile oval. In 2019, driving for JR Motorsports, Smith finished 17th in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at the track. Heading into this weekend’s event, Smith sits 23rd in the standings. Through the first 18-points paying races, Smith has earned two top-five and six top-10 finishes.
Vermeer Midwest will join Front Row Motorsports this weekend with Smith and the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Established in 1971 by Junior and Bev Kool in Eureka, Illinois, Vermeer Midwest is a leading dealer of industrial equipment, proudly serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri for industries such as utility installation, landscaping, tree care, recycling, and vacuum excavation.
“It’s a bummer that we didn’t advance in the In-Season Challenge, but I’m excited for the challenge that Chicagoland will bring,” said Smith. “Theres only a handful of people in the field that have raced at Chicagoland before; for the majority of the field, including myself and my teammates, this is a brand-new track for us. We have a full 50-minute practice on Friday, that’s going to be crucial for Ryan (Bergenty) and our engineers to ensure we hit our marks in qualifying. Hopefully, we can hit the ground running and start July off with a strong result.”
Road Crew
Driver: Zane Smith
Hometown: Huntington Beach, California
Crew Chief: Ryan Bergenty
Hometown: Plainville, Connecticut
Car Chief: Will Norris
Hometown: Bells, Tennessee
Engineer: Jacob Clamme
Hometown: Hartford City, Indiana
Engineer: Chris Yerges
Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Mechanic / Engine Tuner: Steve Godfrey
Hometown: West Haven, Connecticut
Interior Specialist: Matt Fowler
Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina
Mechanic: Austin Bloom
Hometown: Lowell, Oregon
Spotter: Ryan Blanchard
Hometown: Bethlehem, Connecticut
Transport Co-Driver: Bryan Whitman
Hometown: Newton, North Carolina
Transport Co-Driver: Shawn Sellew
Hometown: Stafford Springs, Connecticut
Pit Crew
Front Tire Changer: Josiah Wright
Hometown: Loganville, Georgia
Rear Tire Changer: Adam Riley
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Tire Carrier: Jarren Davis
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Jackman: Nate McBride
Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia
Fueler: Ray Hernandez
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
ABOUT LONG JOHN SILVER’S
Long John Silver’s was founded in 1969 and is on a mission to create treasured moments through high-quality food and bell-ringing service. With restaurants from sea to mouth-watering sea, Long John Silver’s continues building on a belief that the unique seafood experience from the coasts should be accessible to all. Learn more at ljsilvers.com or join the conversation via social media on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
ABOUT GENER8TOR
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities, and nonprofits to operate programs and conferences in more than 41 communities across 22 states and two countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as the Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.
ABOUT VERMEER MIDWEST
Vermeer Midwest is a leading dealer of industrial equipment proudly serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri. Established in 1971 by Junior and Bev Kool in Eureka, IL, Vermeer Midwest has grown to 13 locations. Their commitment to exceptional customer service and high-quality equipment has made them a trusted partner for contractors in industries such as utility installation, landscaping, tree care, recycling, and vacuum excavation. Visit vermeermidwest.com and follow Vermeer Midwest on social media: Instagram at @vermeermidwest and Facebook at facebook.com/VermeerMidwest.
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit FrontRowMotorsports.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
