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.
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.
Denny Hamlin
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.
Denny Hamlin
3 months ago
