Chicagoland Event Info:
Date: Sunday, July 5
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Joliet, Illinois
Format: 267 Laps, 400.5 Miles, Stages: 80-165-267
TV: TNT Sports
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 6 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 2 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Cup Race (TNT Sports, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pace Laps:
- The blast from the past famed Chicagoland Speedway returns hosting the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend for the 19th points race of the 2026 season.
- The 1.5 mile Chicagoland Speedway hosted 19 Cup Series races between 2001-2019 but has not held a cup series race since 2019.
- Brad Keselowski has 2 wins at Chicagoland and is one of three drivers in the current field to have won at the track,
- The NASCAR In-Season Tournament continues this weekend at Chicago, with one remaining RFK Ford advancing into the “Sweet 16”. The second-round matchups are as follows:
- No. 17 Chris Buescher vs No. 20 Christopher Bell
6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Castrol / TravelCenters of America
17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Body Guard
60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Mariano’s / Athletic Brewing
Keselowski at Chicagoland
Starts: 11
Wins: 2
Top-10s: 9
Poles: —
- Keselowski is set to make his 12th start at the Chicagoland speedway.
- In 11 Chicagoland races he has won twice and has finished outside the top-10 only twice, contributing to a remarkable average finish of 8.8
- Keselowski is one of only three former Chicagoland winners in the field this week
- Looking ahead: Keselowski is 2 positions below the Chase cut line, 25 points back with several tracks remaining in the regular season where he has been historically strong.
Buescher at Chicagoland
Starts: 4
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Buescher is set to make his 5th career start at Chicagoland Speedway.
- In four previous starts he has an average finish of 23.8
- This will be Buescher’s first Cup Series start at Chicagoland Speedway with RFK Racing
- Buescher has made four O’Rielly Auto Parts Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway, never finishing worse than 12th establishing an 8th place average finish.
- Looking ahead: Buescher is solidly contending for a Chase berth; 7th the standings, 129 points to the good.
Preece at Chicagoland
Starts: 1
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Preece will make his second Chicagoland Speedway start this weekend. In his only appearance at the 1.5 mile speedway, he started 22nd and finished 28th.
- In the last ten races on 1.5 mile tracks, Preece ranks 9th among active drivers with an average finish of 14.4 (4 top-10 finishes)
- Looking ahead: Preece is contending for a Chase berth, currently holding a qualifying position as he sits 15th in the standings, 13 points to the good.
RFK Historically at Chicagoland
- RFK in Joliet: As an organization, RFK has made 73 Cup Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway with 1 pole, 17 top-10 finishes including six in the top-5.
- Looking to Breakthrough: RFK Racing has not won at Chicagoland Speedway but has come close, finishing second three times. Carl Edwards (2010) and Matt Kenseth twice (2005 & 2007).
- Throwing it Back: In 2007 Matt Kenseth led the most laps of the race (176/267), finishing second. Close behind was his teammate Carl Edwards finishing third.
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Sonoma: RFK Racing put on a show of determination at Sonoma Raceway, led by Ryan Preece’s eighth-place finish in the No. 60 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Preece used strong strategy, fast pit stops and excellent long-run speed to record the team’s best finish of the day. Brad Keselowski rallied from 35th to 15th in the No. 6 Castrol /Les SchwabFord Mustang Dark Horse after charging through the field. Chris Buescher overcame handling challenges in the No. 17 Liverpool FC/Trimble Ford Mustang Dark Horse, with steady adjustments helping him recover for a 19th-place finish. Together, the three teams maximized their day with resilience and execution on the demanding Sonoma road course.
Points Standings: Buescher: 7th, Preece: 15th, Keselowski: 18th
