From a NASCAR Fan’s View

It’s been seven long years since the NASCAR Cup teams have visited this place called the Chicagoland Speedway, but that’s exactly what they’re doing on this race day. In fact, there are two races taking place as they take to the track for the Eero 400, but then that isn’t news to you or me. There are eight races left for the drivers and teams to qualify for the Chase, and that isn’t news either.

So, is there really anything new about this race?

Not really. NASCAR hasn’t visited this track in seven years. The track has been largely ignored for that length of time, and its racing surface is the oldest, if not one of the oldest, on the NASCAR circuit. In other words, it is old and rough and even more of a challenge than it was seven years ago.

Even though the challenge is real, it didn’t seem to affect the two starting on the front row. One one-thousandth of a second separates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson in their qualifying times. The question that comes to mind for this fan is: will it make a difference in how the race ends?

The quick answer is one I often give as a fan. Probably not. Qualifying is one thing; the race is another. I hardly ever consider how they qualify as a definite view of the race’s outcome. There are just too many variables that can take place over the planned 400 miles of this or any race.

Since that is how I usually look at a race, I have to admit this one might go against my usual thinking. There are several reasons for that and one of them has to do with the strength the Toyotas have shown over most of this 2026 season. In particular, the strength of the JGR and 23XI teams. Denny Hamlin has four wins and a bunch of poles this season. When it didn’t look like he had a chance to win when a race started, he has come from the back of the field twice to take the win. One of those times, he started on the pole, ended up in the back, and still managed to pull off the win. Honestly, he is having a banner year, and he has never looked as strong as he does this season.

There was a time, as I watched qualifying, when I thought all six JGR and 23XI Toyotas would take the top six starting positions and that they might just take the top six spots when the race was over, and it was going to be another race dominated by the Toyota teams. Instead, Kyle Larson’s Hendrick Chevy and the RFK Fords of Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski qualified second, third, and fourth. However, it is worth noting that all but one of the JGR and 23XI Toyotas qualified in the top eight. Tyler Reddick was the only one of the six who didn’t make the top ten, but he did qualify thirteenth. It is also worth noting that his qualifying time was only a little over two tenths of a second slower than pole sitter Hamlin.

There are more questions that come to my mind. From this fan’s view, one has to wonder if this will finally be the day Kyle Larson ends his string of no wins stretching back to last season. I also wonder whether one of the two RFK Fords might get their first win of the season. Either way, when I consider how the Toyotas have been running this season, I have to admit that I’m not really expecting that to happen, although it might be a pleasant surprise.

The second part of this race is sort of a race amongst the drivers themselves. You and I both know it as The In-Season Challenge. In the end, one of them will win a million dollars, so it really continues during every race for four weeks. This is the second week with two to go afterward.

Today’s race will be challenging for several reasons. The track surface is old, and it will eat tires faster than normal. That will be, and has been, the norm this year and part of what the drivers wanted out of the tires provided by Goodyear. The track is rough, and that is a challenge for the Gen 7 cars. There are many reasons for that, but almost every driver, crew chief, and fan is familiar with it. The driver who does a good job controlling tire wear will give himself an advantage that could result in a surprise winner. As usual, strategy will be an important part of today’s race. A lot will be riding on the decisions made as the race progresses. Of course, a lot depends on whether there are a bunch of caution flags, especially near the end.

I know I’ve only mentioned a few I think will do well today. But there are a bunch of hungry drivers who want to pull off the win. That, amongst other reasons, is why I really haven’t been suggesting a winner in recent weeks. The Toyotas appear to have a performance advantage over the Fords and Chevys, but I’m not ruling anyone out.

Now, since this seems to be a day of questions from this fan’s view, I have to ask at least one more. Is there enough time for anyone to overtake Hamlin or Reddick for the points lead before the Chase?

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© July 5, 2026 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com

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