The NASCAR Cup Series will race at Chicagoland Speedway for the first time since 2019 on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, TNT, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Here’s what you need to know ahead of the eero 400.
Favorite: Denny Hamlin (+250, per DraftKings)
The new Cup Series points leader and a four-time winner this season, Hamlin won the pole at Chicagoland on Saturday. His strength this season has been long-run speed, but if his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is quick on the short run on Sunday, the field could be in deep trouble.
Underdog: Alex Bowman (+6000, per DraftKings)
Yes, Bowman is in the midst of the worst season of his Cup Series career, but he’s the most recent Cup winner at Chicagoland (2019) and qualified a solid 12th on Saturday. It’s hard to ever fully count out a Hendrick Motorsports driver, and Sunday’s race provides Bowman with the opportunity to score another Chicagoland win that would be just as important as his first seven years ago.
Is it time for Kyle Larson to snap winless drought?
Defending Cup Series champion Larson hasn’t won in 42 races, but he starts second on Sunday at a track where he finished second in 2018 and 2019. Larson has four straight top five finishes going into Sunday’s race, and it may finally be time for the No. 5 team to break through and get back to victory lane.
Does RFK Racing’s qualifying speed translate to the race?
Ford has struggled mightily on intermediate tracks such as Chicagoland this season, but RFK Racing drivers Chris Buescher (third) and Brad Keselowski (fourth) both qualified well on Saturday. Even if neither driver can win, a pair of top 10s or top fives for the RFK duo would be a great sight for Ford as it looks to find more speed over the summer.
