Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet won the Enjoy Illinois 300, surviving two overtime restarts to end a 51-race winless streak before a sellout crowd at WWTR.
How it was won
Polesitter Joey Logano (Team Penske) dominated early and won Stage 1, leading a race-high 96 laps. Larson took Stage 2 and led 80 laps overall. The final stage brought a track-record caution binge; late tire strategy put Larson on four fresh tires while Logano took two.
In double overtime, teammate Alex Bowman pushed Larson clear and later occupied the front row to blunt Logano’s charge. Larson beat Bowman by about 0.33s, with Logano third, William Byron fourth, and non-Chaser Ross Chastain (Trackhouse) fifth.
Denny Hamlin (ninth) kept the Chase lead; Larson jumped to second, about nine points back.
Results snapshot
| Pos | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 80 laps led; Stage 2; MOV ~0.33s |
| 2 | Alex Bowman | Highest non-Chaser |
| 3 | Joey Logano | Pole; Stage 1; 96 laps led |
| 4 | William Byron | |
| 5 | Ross Chastain | 15 laps led |
| 6 | Austin Dillon | |
| 7 | Connor Zilisch | Rookie |
| 8 | Carson Hocevar | |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | Remains Chase leader |
| 10 | Austin Cindric |
Race facts: 247 laps (scheduled 240 + overtime) on the 1.25-mile oval; about 11 lead changes among 5 leaders; 18 cautions; winner average speed about 81.47 mph; MOV 0.334s.
Purse
Pre-/post-race reference listings put the total event purse near $11,233,037. NASCAR does not publish individual winner shares; driver payday omitted.
History & significance
The Enjoy Illinois 300 is WWTR’s Cup signature and the second race of the 2026 Chase. Larson’s first win since Kansas (May 2025) was also his first at Gateway and Hendrick’s latest reminder that the No. 5 remains a title threat. Five different Cup winners have now scored at the venue since 2022.
What’s next
Cup Chase moves to the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (Saturday, September 19, 2026). No Cup date at Texas Motor Speedway this Chase round — TMS’s 2026 Cup race was the May WÜRTH 400.