JOLIET, IL – With all the eye on Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick and the way in which they’ve racked up Cup Collection wins for Toyota, it’s been straightforward to miss .
Not a lot anymore.
Following up on a runner-up end on the Sonoma Raceway highway course in California, Briscoe capped a preferred weekend at along with his first victory of the season July 5.
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“We’ve got not been as constant, I might say, as [Hamlin and Reddick],” mentioned Briscoe, who gained three races and completed third within the 2025 championship. “However from a velocity standpoint, I really feel like we’ve been proper right here with them.”
Briscoe, 31, held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell, who additionally was chasing his first win of the season, by .276 seconds. Hamlin took third, giving workforce proprietor Joe Gibbs the highest three spots within the ending order on an evening Toyotas claimed seven of the highest 10.
The producer has gained 12 of the primary 19 races, led by Reddick with 5 and Hamlin with 4.
“It was undoubtedly burning me up not successful, greater than ever earlier than, particularly simply figuring out that our automobiles are actually quick,” mentioned Briscoe, who gained 3 times and completed third within the 2025 championship however had gone 20 races with out a journey to victory lane.
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“There’s a pair that sort of slipped away this 12 months, and when your teammates are successful it makes it worse as a competitor as a result of you realize they’ve equal alternative to what you have got they usually’re performing higher.
“So there’s undoubtedly lots of stress to go and run good. And it ebbs and flows, proper? Like a 12 months from now the Toyotas may very well be approach off and the Chevies and Fords may very well be unbelievable. So if you’re good, you must make the most of it.”
JOLIET, ILLINOIS – JULY 05: A common view of Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Professional Outlets Toyota, celebrating in victory lane after successful the NASCAR Cup Collection eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 05, 2026 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photograph by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Pictures)
William Byron, who gained the primary two phases, completed fourth after main a race-high 94 of the 267 laps. Alex Bowman, a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet teammate of Byron’s, was fifth.
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The 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway hosted 19 Cup races from 2001 to 2019 earlier than being shuttered within the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Highway America, a Wisconsin highway course 180 miles to the north, crammed the spot on the post-COVID schedule for 2 seasons, after which NASCAR took the race to the streets of downtown Chicago for 3 years earlier than returning to the oval.
The 2027 schhedule has but to be introduced, however Gibbs mentioned he couldn’t think about not returning to Chicagoland.
“There’s been so much put into this, and this a part of America is big for our sport,” Gibbs mentioned. “I feel from all people’s standpoint, the rationale we got here again is a large deal, and all people acknowledges that.
“And in addition right here, we’re speaking concerning the road race. So we’ll see what all occurs. That’s out of my palms, that’s for certain. … Who is aware of? We might do each.”
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Seats for the 47,000-seat grandstand bought out however not all had been crammed by the inexperienced flag. Rainstorms the 2 earlier nights wreaked havoc on parking tons, resulting in hours-long waits in visitors on the approaching roads.
Those that made it noticed a aggressive race with 28 lead modifications amongst 13 drivers. The final of them, although, got here through pit technique and execution, when Briscoe pitted a lap earlier than Byron and jumped from third to first on their last cease.
“That’s a part of why I like my job, calling races and having these alternatives,” crew chief James Small mentioned of the choice. “The inexperienced flag cycle and the technique part of it makes it a lot enjoyable.”
JOLIET, ILLINOIS – JULY 05: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Professional Outlets Toyota, leads Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 SAIA Freight + Logistics Toyota, to win the NASCAR Cup Collection eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 05, 2026 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photograph by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Pictures)
Bell, driving with a tender solid on his damaged left wrist, sat 1.2 seconds behind when he took second from Byron with 19 laps to go. Bell closed to Briscoe’s bumper however might by no means pull alongside.
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“I used to be sideways and drifting on exit lots of the time,” Briscoe mentioned. “It was a brilliant intense battle.
“Out of all of the people who had been going to catch me, I used to be glad it was him simply because I knew he was going to race me tremendous clear, clearly. It was lots of enjoyable, for certain.”
Difficult for a win didn’t look possible when Bell made contact with one other automobile on pit highway on his second pit cease, however his crew mounted the harm and put him again in competition.
“They made an awesome adjustment and obtained the automobile driving nice the final run, however I used to be a straightaway-plus behind, it appeared like,” Bell mentioned.
“We nearly went to victory lane. Toyotas are quick. It looks like a monkey can drive them, so it is simply disappointing if you get beat by one other monkey.”
