2026 Enjoy Illinois 300 Predictions

Race #2 of the inaugural (kinda, not really) Chase format is upon us, and this week takes us to the great city of St. Louis for the Enjoy Illinois 300. Last week’s staunch Darlington performance from the #20 of Christopher Bell kicked off the Chase with a bang, and boy did the storylines abound. Indeed, the Toyotas aren’t going anywhere- but Team Penske isn’t entering into the most important part of the season without making some noise. Ryan Blaney seems to be carrying the torch (or is he?) for the Ford camp this postseason, but teammates Austin Cindric and multi-time champ Joey Logano are heating up at the right time. Though not a Chase driver, Josh Berry has rattled off 6 Top 10 weekends in a row, all this just months after Wood Brothers Racing announced they would be departing from the 35-year-old next season, and has already been signed by Legacy Motor Club to pilot the #35 machine in 2027. In other news, Carson Hocevar continued to make his case for the most popular- and most nagging- driver of the year when he, shall we say, didn’t give Brad Keselowski any room. The #6 went spinning, and the #77 didn’t give a damn. Hey, here’s 6% off! Finally, Denny Hamlin hangs on to the top spot in the Chase, but the lead has dwindled after a sub-spectacular weekend in Darlington. So, onto this week.

This smell of retaliation (see above) seems to be hanging in the air as the drivers take on what, to many, has provided some of the more exciting racing in recent Cup Series memory: World Wide Technology Raceway. The mile-long curbed speedway is a dandy; you’ll notice a majority of these machines attempting to “diamond” the lightly banked corners in hopes of high exit speeds. It’s technical in nature- Chase Elliott once compared it to Martinsville with the precision it takes to drive. It’s also a track where balance is everything. A little loose is okay. Wrecking loose? You won’t last long. It’s one of the newer tracks on the schedule- most of these boys don’t have years’ worth of experience at this large, weirdly shaped paperclip. So here we are at the Gateway to the West, St. Louis, Missouri! Let’s get after it.

Driver to Fade:

I know, it’s weird seeing him in this spot. To be frank, William Byron is a clear contender any weekend on the schedule. However, his mishap at Darlington last week all but ensures he won’t be hoisting the Bill France Trophy in Miami. And, to be more frank, Hendrick is loaded- they don’t have to play the “resources” game week in and week out. That said, our prediction is that they will be this week. Hendrick is on pace for a not-so-spectacular season and, with championship contenders Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson still in the hunt (and Larson so close to a win he can taste it), it isn’t very likely Byron will be receiving, err, same-speed treatment. Look, this isn’t to say he won’t be Top 16 this week. Hell, he probably will be. What this is saying, however, is that he’s fading from championship contention. Sorry, 24 fans, there’s always next year.

Dark Horse:

Not a Chase contender. However, Josh Berry’s got a chip on his shoulder. We’ve already talked about his record-setting past 6 weeks above, and we’re predicting that he could have a little something for the field on Sunday afternoon. WWT isn’t a short track; however, it races like one. And if there’s anything we know about Josh Berry, it’s that short track-style racing is 100% his wheelhouse. Perhaps he’s racing to put Wood Brothers Racing on notice? Hey, I know I would be. Dude’s a pro, and he’s got the car to be up front. He rolls off P16. Count on it.

Top 10:

He’s notched a win here as recently as last year. He’s hanging on to the Chase lead, but it’s quickly shrinking, with plenty of time remaining. It seems that Denny Hamlin is still the man to beat in the weeks leading up to Homestead, and we predict he’ll be in the Top 10 mostly all afternoon on Sunday. We’re not picking him for the weekend dub, however- he was only 30th fastest in practice on Saturday afternoon (he only ran 45 laps). Good qualifying effort afterwards, though- P10. Still, that’s some margin to make up. But he’ll be there.

Winner:

Here’s the reason why Denny Hamlin is going to need a Top 10 day tomorrow. Christopher Bell is already complicating his life with his win in Darlington last week and, this week, we’re predicting that the P3 Chase contender- Ryan Blaney- is going to make Hamlin’s life even harder. He ran 73 fast laps in practice on Saturday afternoon, had an honorable qualifying effort, and had the 6th fastest laps on average. It seems like the balance is there, and so is the determination. He starts P3 on Sunday afternoon, and we predict that he’ll be a St. Louis winner at the Enjoy Illinois 300!