Enjoy Illinois 300
Madison, Illinois – September 13, 2026
AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 FREIGHTLINER FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 13TH STAGE 1: 21ST STAGE 2: 13TH FINISH: 10TH POINTS: 12TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse team earned a 10th-place finish in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Cindric started 13th and worked his way inside the top 10 during the opening stage before pitting under caution for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment as he battled a tight-handling condition. With varying pit strategies throughout the field, Cindric finished Stage 1 in 21st before cycling back inside the top 10 for the start of Stage 2. Cindric continued to battle the tight condition with the No. 2 Ford throughout the second stage while running in and around the top 15. He was scored 13th at the conclusion of Stage 2 and pitted for four tires, fuel and another adjustment before restarting 14th. The final stage featured a steady series of cautions that created several opportunities for differing pit strategies. The No. 2 team continued to make adjustments throughout the closing segment, with Cindric running in the top 10 following a two-tire stop. Despite continuing to fight a tighter condition, Cindric navigated a caution-filled day to cross the line 10th, securing another top-10 result at World Wide Technology Raceway and moving up two positions in The Chase standings.
CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “It was a long one with all the cautions and restarts, and we fought a tight race car for most of it. The guys kept working on it and we were able to make some progress throughout the day. Obviously, we always want a little more, but coming away with a top 10 is a decent result. We’ll take it and move on to Bristol.”
RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/ATLAS FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 3RD STAGE 1: 4TH STAGE 2: 4TH FINISH: 35TH POINTS: 4TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Menards/Atlas Ford Mustang Dark Horse team continued to showcase the speed that has made them one of the top contenders in the NASCAR Cup Series, but an untimely mechanical issue prevented the team from capitalizing on what appeared to be another strong finish Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway. After qualifying third and carrying impressive pace throughout the weekend, Blaney remained a fixture near the front of the field for much of the afternoon. He quickly settled into the top five after the opening green flag and spent the caution-filled first stage battling among the leaders. He advanced as high as second in the Stage before ultimately finishing fourth for the short 45-lap segment. Following a strategy call for four tires at the stage break that temporarily cost track position to competitors who opted for two, Blaney worked his way back toward the front in Stage 2, navigating multiple three-wide and four-wide battles to return to the top five. The No. 12 team continued to show speed throughout the event, making adjustments to keep Blaney in contention and firmly positioned among the lead pack entering the final stage. Running sixth and poised to challenge for another strong result, Blaney’s day came to an abrupt end on lap 155 when a brake issue resulted in contact with the wall and ultimately forced the No. 12 team out of the race. While the 30th-place finish was not representative of the team’s weekend performance, Blaney once again demonstrated the speed and consistency that has kept him in championship contention throughout the season. He leaves Gateway fourth in the NCS standings, just 33 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.
BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “We’ve just got to keep going and move on to next week and try to have a good day. Yeah, it was a shame, I thought we did a really good job today. I thought our Menards/Atlas Ford was good and we had good stage points. I was looking forward to the end of the race, but we’ll try again next week.”
JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 1ST STAGE 1: 1ST STAGE 2: 2ND FINISH: 3RD POINTS: 7TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano continued his remarkable run of success at World Wide Technology Raceway with a top-five finish Sunday, turning a pole-winning effort into one of the strongest performances of the afternoon that saw him lead a race-high 98 laps. The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team fell just short of victory in a race defined by an uncharacteristic 18 caution flags and varying tire strategies that ultimately left Logano battling against competitors with four fresh tires against his two. Logano controlled the opening portion of the race from the outset, leading every lap of Stage 1 to claim the stage victory while repeatedly fending off challengers on a series of early restarts. When many competitors elected for two tires during the Stage 1 break, the No. 22 team chose four fresh tires, sacrificing track position but setting Logano up for the longer run. After restarting Stage 2 from 15th, he methodically worked his way back through the field, climbing into the top five before advancing to second and ultimately winning the race off pit road at the conclusion of the stage to reclaim the lead. Throughout the final stage, Logano remained a fixture at the front despite the revolving mix of caution periods and varying tire calls that continuously reshuffled the running order. A late stop for two right-side tires helped put the No. 22 Ford back in contention and eventually returned Logano to the lead, but the repeated yellow flags prevented the race from settling into the extended green-flag run where his car had excelled all day. As the finish turned into a series of short sprints and overtime restarts, competitors on fresher four-tire setups gained the advantage, leaving Logano to battle from the second and third rows during the closing laps. He ultimately crossed the finish line with another top-five result, extending his streak of top-five finishes to five in a row at Gateway while adding a pole position, Stage victory and race-leading performance to an impressive afternoon for the No. 22 team. His performance earned him one spot in the Chase rankings, advancing him to seventh and shy 51 points from the leader.
LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “I mean, it’s a good run, right? We got a lot of stage points, finished in the top five again, which is obviously what we need to do. Thinking about what the 25 points would feel like right about now, it does stink some.”
The NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship continues next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Catch coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
