The NASCAR Cup Series post-race inspection at World Wide Technology Raceway brought the final check to a chaotic night. NASCAR completed post-race inspection of the field after the Enjoy Illinois 300, with no issues found and no cars sent to the R&D Center, according to reporter Dustin Long.
The result made Kyle Larson’s victory official and closed the record books on a race filled with cautions, crashes and late restarts. Larson beat Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman by 0.333 seconds in double overtime to end a 51-race winless streak.
Joey Logano finished third after leading 96 laps. The NASCAR Cup Series race featured 18 cautions, two red flags and 87 caution laps. The 247-lap race lasted 3 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds.
NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Inspection Confirms Kyle Larson Win
The NASCAR Cup Series post-race inspection found no problems with the top-finishing cars. Since no cars were sent to NASCAR’s R&D Center, Larson’s victory remains final.
Larson led 80 laps and took the lead from Logano with 20 laps remaining. He survived three late restarts, including two overtime restarts, with Bowman helping him stay ahead.
The win ended Larson’s 51-race NASCAR Cup Series winless streak, which began after his May 2025 victory at Kansas Speedway. It also gave Hendrick Motorsports its first Cup Series win at the track formerly known as Gateway.
Larson dedicated the win to Bowman and his dog Finn, who died days earlier.
“Just proud of my team for working so hard and being so patient throughout the tough times and the winless streak and all of that. Thanks to the fans, my fans, for also being patient with us. How about Hendrick Motorsports! How about Alex Bowman! You can’t ask for a better teammate than him. Gave me the pushes I needed to get clear. So, really wanna dedicate this win to him and his dog Finn passed away a couple of days ago.”
World Wide Technology Raceway Race Had 18 Cautions
The World Wide Technology Raceway race set a track record with 18 cautions covering 87 of the 247 laps. Two red flags during the final stage extended the scheduled 240-lap NASCAR Cup Series race.
The average speed was 81.47 mph. The race lasted 3 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds.
Brake rotor failures and several single-car spins added to the interruptions. Logano won the pole and Stage 1 before losing the lead late.
“We had it won if the cautions didn’t keep coming out,” Logano said. “It’s a bittersweet day. We scored a lot of points. We did a lot of those things right, but gosh when you think about the 25 points that were sitting there, that hurts some.”
Logano still earned 54 points and improved his position in the standings.
NASCAR Cup Series Standings Change After World Wide Technology Raceway
The NASCAR Cup Series standings changed after the World Wide Technology Raceway race. Larson moved five places to second with 2,159 points, nine behind leader Denny Hamlin. Christopher Bell is third, 18 points behind Hamlin.
William Byron finished fourth, while Hamlin placed ninth. Several playoff drivers suffered damage in the late incidents with eight races remaining.
Larson’s 33rd career NASCAR Cup Series victory was also Chevrolet’s first since Shane van Gisbergen won at Sonoma in June.
Larson said the result restored confidence within the team.
“No better time to have a great day than today. So proud of it and feel like we got our swagger back a little bit.”
He also said he never lost faith in his team during the winless run.
“I haven’t doubted myself. I haven’t doubted our team. Maybe myself at times, but never my team.”
The NASCAR Cup Series now moves to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the third event of the 10-race Chase.
NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Inspection at WWT Raceway Reveals One Last Thing