Chase Briscoe collected his sixth profession NASCAR Cup win and his first of the 2026 season on Sunday, profitable in NASCAR’s long-awaited return to Chicagoland Speedway.
He needed to maintain off a charging Christopher Bell on the finish of the race, and led a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2-3 with Bell second and Denny Hamlin third.
“How about that race,” mentioned Briscoe after climbing from the No. 19 Bass Professional Outlets Camry. “Was {that a} good race? It felt superior. Yeah, what an unbelievable weekend.
“I really feel so American profitable within the Bass Professional Store’s purple, white, and blue automotive, 4th of July weekend, 250 years. Man, simply what an unbelievable race automotive. James did an ideal job. Workforce did a reasonably job. Actually didn’t see this coming.
“I form of felt like I used to be struggling in follow, in qualifying, however James [Small, crew chief] and the group did an ideal job. Man, simply so cool to get this paint scheme again in victory lane … What a cool weekend to win a NASCAR race.”
Briscoe additionally claimed the win on crew chief James Small’s birthday, delivering him fairly the reward. “Me and him are concerning the two most polar opposites on the earth,” added Briscoe. “He stays on me and makes me be excellent every lap and does an ideal job of preserving me sincere. He informed me if I win right this moment, I can get some chocolate, so I am fairly fired up about that.”
Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman completed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Corey Heim, and Riley Herbst crammed out the rest of the highest ten.
Hamlin took over the championship lead one week in the past by a single level, and that lead exploded at Chicagoland after Tyler Reddick suffered a gap within the radiator. Hamlin now leads by 44 factors over his 23XI Racing driver.
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Stage 1
NASCAR’s return to Chicagoland obtained off to a wild begin. Nemechek pushed up the monitor on the exit of Flip 2 on the very first lap, pushing Stenhouse into the wall. Preece tried to test up, solely to get hit from behind. As he spun, Connor Zilisch spun as nicely whereas attempting to keep away from him.
Preece’s automotive slid to a halt and couldn’t transfer attributable to flat tires, whereas Zilisch pounded the within wall in his fifth DNF of the final seven races.
Preece returned to the race 4 laps down, whereas Larson now led the way in which. Nevertheless, on the long term, Hamlin’s automotive got here alive and he snatched the lead away.
Round 33 laps into the race, frustrations have been already boiling over in the course of the sphere. Smith bumped into the again of Hocevar, wrecking each automobiles into the surface wall. They have been wounded, however in a position to proceed.
A number of laps later, Van Gisbergen obtained into the again of rival Austin Hill, sending him crashing into the surface wall on Lap 47. These two have fairly the historical past, and SVG has loudly blamed Hill for wrecking him at each Pocono and San Diego. Hill’s workforce was sure it was payback, and Hill doored Van Gisbergen earlier than falling out of the race.
This warning was excellent news for Preece, who had already taken a wave-around and now obtained the free go, placing him simply two laps down.
However the contact was restricted to the race monitor, as Bell collided with Gilliland within the pits, spinning him out and damaging Bell’s right-front. Hamlin additionally had a foul pit cease, placing him outdoors the highest 20.
5 automobiles opted to remain out throughout this yellow, led by Cindric and Herbst, whereas a number of others grabbed monitor place with two-tire calls.
As issues sorted out after a chaotic restart, it was Hendrick Motorsports in command with Byron main Larson.
Byron went on to win Stage 1 over Larson, Wallace, Cindric, Briscoe, Buescher, Herbst, Hamlin, Gibbs, and Reddick.
Stage 2
The warning was prolonged a bit as NASCAR made repairs to the floor of pit highway, however as soon as it opened, this spherical of pit stops have been a lot cleaner.
On the restart, Wallace muscled into the race lead and shortly after, Larson went spinning from second place. He ended up caught within the moist infield grass, shedding two laps as monitor staff pulled him out.
On the opposite aspect of that, Preece had as soon as once more parlayed a wave-around right into a free go, getting all 4 laps again inside a 100 laps of shedding them.
Wallace continued to guide till about midway via Stage 2, battling three-wide with fellow Toyota drivers Briscoe and Hamlin earlier than falling again to 3rd.
As Hamlin now challenged teammate Briscoe for the race lead, a spherical of green-flag pit stops obtained underway. Buescher needed to again up after the workforce didn’t safe a wheel. However the actual drama concerned championship contender Reddick.
The No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota limped into its pit field with main points, spewing oil everywhere in the aspect of the automotive and onto the monitor after putting particles. This compelled a warning flag in the course of green-flag pit stops.
Blaney was all of the sudden the chief, however as issues cycled out after he and about seven others lastly pitted, Byron took management.
On the restart, Jones slid up into the wall, complaining a couple of damaged steering rack. Wallace additionally practically misplaced it, however shortly regained management.
The remainder of the stage remained inexperienced, with Byron profitable Stage 2 as nicely. He was adopted by Briscoe, Hamlin, Gibbs, Blaney, Bell, Elliott, Bowman, Cindric, and Nemechek
Stage 3
Issues calmed down for the beginning of the ultimate stage because the solar set over Chicagoland. Byron was nonetheless out entrance, with all 4 JGR automobiles pursuing him.
Briscoe was the closest within the runner-up spot, however he really tagged the wall attempting to maintain up with Byron.
With 52 laps to go, Briscoe pitted from second. Byron reacted the next lap, however the undercut was robust sufficient to vault Briscoe forward. He continued to guide for the remainder of the race, however the hole was quickly closing within the remaining ten laps.
Bell and Hamlin (who hit the wall) overtook Byron and started to shut on Briscoe. In lapped site visitors, Bell caught Briscoe, however merely couldn’t discover a method by, and washed up on the white flag lap in Briscoe’s soiled air.
Briscoe claimed victory, simply 0.276s away from Bell. He led a complete of 51 laps.
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