Chase Briscoe finally delivered when it mattered most.
After running near the front throughout Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway, Briscoe held off a late charge from Christopher Bell to win the inaugural eero 400, giving Joe Gibbs Racing another marquee victory in NASCAR’s long-awaited return to the 1.5-mile Illinois oval.
The win marks Briscoe’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2026 season and comes after he qualified seventh before methodically working his way to the front.
Bell finished second after closing the gap over the final laps but was unable to get close enough to make a move. Denny Hamlin completed an all-Toyota podium in third after leading 30 laps and strengthening his grip on the regular season points lead.
William Byron, who swept both Stage 1 and Stage 2 earlier in the afternoon, came home fourth after leading a race-high 94 laps. Alex Bowman rounded out the top five.
William Byron Dominated the First Two Stages
Before Briscoe took control late, Byron appeared to have the fastest car for much of the afternoon.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver captured Stage 1 ahead of Kyle Larson, with Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric and Briscoe completing the top five.
Stage 1 Top 10
- William Byron
- Kyle Larson
- Bubba Wallace
- Austin Cindric
- Chase Briscoe
- Chris Buescher
- Riley Herbst
- Denny Hamlin
- Ty Gibbs
- Tyler Reddick
Byron backed that up by winning Stage 2, this time holding off Briscoe and Hamlin.
Stage 2 Top 10
- William Byron
- Chase Briscoe
- Denny Hamlin
- Ty Gibbs
- Ryan Blaney
- Christopher Bell
- Chase Elliott
- Alex Bowman
- Austin Cindric
- John Hunter Nemechek
Late Drama Changes the Race
The complexion of the race changed after Tyler Reddick suffered a mechanical failure that sent the No. 45 Toyota to the garage while battling for the regular season points lead.
Reddick eventually returned to the race but finished multiple laps down, allowing Hamlin to leave Chicagoland atop the regular season standings.
Multiple cautions throughout the afternoon also shuffled strategy, but Briscoe consistently remained among the frontrunners before taking control in the closing laps.
Top 10 Finishers
- Chase Briscoe
- Christopher Bell
- Denny Hamlin
- William Byron
- Alex Bowman
- Bubba Wallace
- Ryan Blaney
- Ty Gibbs
- Corey Heim
- Riley Herbst
With Chicagoland back on the Cup Series schedule for the first time since 2019, Sunday’s race delivered exactly what many fans had hoped for: multiple lead changes, varying pit strategies, late-race drama and a popular first winner in NASCAR’s return to one of its most requested venues.
Chase Briscoe Wins NASCAR’s Return to Chicagoland After Holding Off Christopher Bell