Overview
- Denny Hamlin secured the pole with a 139.190 mph lap, his second straight playoff pole and 46th of his Cup career.
- Kyle Larson will start second and Chase Briscoe third as playoff drivers claimed the first nine grid spots for the Enjoy Illinois 300.
- Joey Logano, three points below the cut line, qualified 13th but owns Gateway’s best Cup average finish (3.0) with a 2022 win and top fives in all three starts.
- Austin Cindric, last year’s winner after teammate Ryan Blaney ran out of fuel on the final lap, starts ninth; BetMGM lists Blaney as the pre-race favorite.
- Hendrick Motorsports faces headwinds at Gateway, with Chase Elliott rolling off 19th and Alex Bowman 25th, while Shane van Gisbergen starts 18th before Bristol’s Round of 16 cutoff.