NASCAR Cup Series Starting Lineup: Where Every Driver Will Start at Chicagoland
· Yahoo Sports
Denny Hamlin will lead the field to the green flag Sunday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in one of the closest qualifying sessions of the 2026 season.
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Hamlin turned a lap of 30.296 seconds (178.241 mph), edging Kyle Larson by just 0.001 seconds. Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski continued RFK Racing’s strong weekend by qualifying third and fourth, while Ty Gibbs completed the top five.
Toyota placed five drivers inside the top eight, while reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano will have plenty of work to do after qualifying 31st.
Here’s the complete starting lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
NASCAR Cup Series Starting Lineup for Chicagoland
- Denny Hamlin
- Kyle Larson
- Chris Buescher
- Brad Keselowski
- Ty Gibbs
- Christopher Bell
- Chase Briscoe
- Bubba Wallace
- Chase Elliott
- William Byron
- AJ Allmendinger
- Alex Bowman
- Tyler Reddick
- Ryan Blaney
- Carson Hocevar
- Zane Smith
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Riley Herbst
- Ross Chastain
- Ryan Preece
- Connor Zilisch
- Erik Jones
- Austin Cindric
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Austin Dillon
- Daniel Suárez
- Ty Dillon
- Corey Heim
- Todd Gilliland
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Joey Logano
- Noah Gragson
- Cole Custer
- Josh Berry
- Austin Hill
- JJ Yeley
- Cody Ware*
- Michael McDowell*
*Did not post a qualifying lap.
Five Quick Takeaways From Qualifying
- Denny Hamlin earned the pole by the slimmest of margins, beating Kyle Larson by just 0.001 seconds.
- RFK Racing qualified both Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski inside the top four.
- Toyota placed five cars in the top eight, continuing the manufacturer’s dominant 2026 campaign.
- Connor Zilisch qualified 21st for his latest Cup Series start.
- Joey Logano will roll off 31st as he continues searching for his first points-paying victory of the season.