JOLIET, Ill. (AP) 鈥� It has been seven years since NASCAR last raced at Chicagoland Speedway. Seven years of Midwest heat, rain and snow covering the aging asphalt at the 1.5-mile track. That last weekend also was before NASCAR moved into its Next Gen cars.
The Cup Series returns to Chicagoland on Sunday, and what was old is new again.
鈥淚t is definitely like learning a new racetrack,鈥� Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe said.
NASCAR ran 19 Cup races on the D-shaped oval in Joliet 鈥� about 50 miles southwest of downtown Chicago 鈥� from 2001 to 2019. It tried to build interest in the event in a crowded market, even making Chicagoland the opening race of the 2011 playoffs. But the race struggled with attendance before NASCAR pulled out.
NASCAR in downtown Chicago on the first weekend in July each of the previous three years. The future of that concept is in question; it could return in 2027 on a different weekend.
In the meantime, Chicagoland Speedway is back.
鈥淚 would say from a character standpoint, this is the closest thing we have to Homestead or maybe Darlington,鈥� Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon said. 鈥淏ut mile-and-a-half wise, this thing has a lot of character, so I love it and I think it鈥檚 going to put on a great show for TV.鈥�
Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson participated in two days of tire testing at the facility in April. But the drivers largely stayed in one line lower on the track. As rubber accumulates on the asphalt this weekend, Hamlin and company could begin to explore the higher lines.
鈥淚鈥檝e been around long enough to know that a test racetrack and a race weekend track are two vastly different things,鈥� said Hamlin, who has for Sunday’s race. 鈥淪o, lots of unknowns.鈥�
The biggest unknown is the Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022. Chicagoland Speedway is rough and bumpy, and the Next Gen cars do not like rough and bumpy.
But Brad Keselowski thinks that might be a good thing.
鈥淚t should be interesting to see the car-versus-track combination,鈥� Keselowski said, 鈥渂ecause the fact that the car hates the track could actually be really good for the racing, as it opens up different grooves and makes you do different things to try to accommodate that as a driver or as a team with the car setup.鈥�
Special paint scheme for Bubba Wallace’s car
Bubba Wallace is driving a 鈥淪pace Jam鈥�-themed car in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Looney Tunes movie. Wallace also at Navy Pier paying tribute to the movie in the runup to the race.
Wallace drives the No. 23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Michael Jordan, one of the stars of the 1996 movie.
鈥淚 just remember watching that like on repeat and so to have that connection and be representing the Looney Tunes, Warner Brothers, 鈥楽pace Jam,鈥欌�� Wallace said, 鈥測ou know just everything that that movie provided as a kid, to be reliving that is super cool. So appreciate all the parties involved. It was a great event at Navy Pier. Had a great turnout, met a lot of new fans.”
Christopher Bell is on the mend after his wrist injury
Christopher Bell is wearing a splint instead of a cast as he continues his recovery after breaking his left wrist in a crash at Michigan on . The 31-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished fifth last weekend at Sonoma.
鈥淚 think it’s pretty much on schedule,鈥� Bell said. 鈥淭he goal was to be out of the cast for Chicago, and I don’t have a cast on my arm anymore, so that’s really good. … I can wear a normal firesuit, which is nice, and I can wear close to my normal glove, which is nicer, but my mobility of my wrist is still the same as it would be in a cast.鈥�
No. 100 for Carson Hocevar
Carson Hocevar is making his 100th career Cup Series start. He made his Cup debut in 2023 and got his first win at on April 26.
鈥淚 mean, you just kind of blink and you鈥檙e at 100, right?鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd you know I鈥檓 going to blink twice and be at 200. … I鈥檓 just glad I have a win in the win column before a hundred.鈥�
Alex Bowman looking to turn around his season at Chicagoland
The last time NASCAR raced at Chicagoland Speedway, Alex Bowman held off Kyle Larson for his first career Cup Series win in . He also picked up a victory on the street course in downtown Chicago in .
Bowman has struggled so far this season, but he is one of just 14 drivers to win on a 1.5-mile track in the Next Gen era.
___
AP auto racing:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
